OnePlus 11R 5G Review: Back in Form

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OnePlus 11R 5G main camera samples (tap to see full size)

The ultra-wide camera on the OnePlus 11R 5G produced weaker details and colours compare to the equivalent camera on the 11 5G. Images looked a bit washed out, even in daylight. Thankfully, the camera app automatically takes long exposure shots in low light, so you do get usable night photos.

The main camera on the 11R 5G captures the best low-light photos, with very good exposure, colours and details. Close-ups also look good and autofocus is quite reliable in low light. The 11R 5G can only do digital zoom up to 10X, but even in daylight the quality is quite poor. The selfie camera on the 11R 5G seems to be the same as what the 11 5G has, as their output in most cases was identical. It gets the job done but selfies aren’t very sharp, detail is a bit weak, and colours and skin tones can be misrepresented at times. It manages decent low-light shots though, thanks to Night mode.

OnePlus 11R 5G ultra-wide camera samples (tap to see full size)

OnePlus 11R 5G selfie camera samples (tap to see full size)

The OnePlus 11R can shoot up to 4K 60fps video, but only with the main rear camera. The ultra-wide is restricted to 1080p and so is the selfie camera. 4K videos shot during the day and in low light look good, with good stabilisation and very little jitter when walking. Videos captured by the ultra-wide camera are noticeably weaker, especially in low light, although its electronic stabilisation works well. The camera app does feature a lot of familiar shooting modes such as Film, which lets you capture of a wider aspect ratio, and LOG video recording.

Verdict

The OnePlus 11R 5G will appeal to many OnePlus fans who have been waiting for something similar to the OnePlus 7T to come along — a phone with a flagship SoC under Rs. 40,000. If you play a lot of demanding mobile games and require good battery life, the 11R 5G will not disappoint. The main camera is also very capable, although the rest of them leave a lot to be desired. I think what many people are going to like most is the fact that the 11R 5G looks just like the more expensive 11 5G, giving it flaunt value.

For those who are not convinced, the Realme GT 3 should be arriving in India soon and it will have similar specifications as the 11R 5G but with support for 240W wired charging. If you don’t care too much about the processor, then the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G (Review) is another great option to consider for roughly the same price. This phone offers a very good specs but more importantly, it has an IP68 rating and wireless charging. The top variant of the Nothing Phone 1 (Review) could also be worth looking at, as it is currently selling for less than the base variant of the 11R 5G.

The OnePlus 11R 5G could have been better in few areas, but especially after last year’s offering, I think it’s a solid comeback.