OnePlus 11: A Redeemed Flagship Smartphone
OnePlus, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer, is back with its latest offering, the OnePlus 11. Known for its flagship killer phones, the brand has been on a downward spiral for some time now. Its last phone, the OnePlus 10T, was a bust and was named the worst phone of the year. However, it seems that OnePlus has taken this as motivation to turn things around and redeem itself in the eyes of its fans.
The OnePlus 11 is a flagship smartphone that retails for £729 ($699), making it a significantly more affordable option compared to the Samsung Galaxy S23, which retails for £849 ($799). With a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor and 8GB of RAM, the phone boasts a 6.7 inch 1440P, 120 Hertz OLED display, triple cameras, and a 5000 mAh battery with 80 watt charging.
Design
The design of the phone is a mixed bag, taking a step away from the generic look of the last generation of OnePlus phones. The Hasselblad branding is back, and so is the iconic alert slider. The back of the phone has a slightly textured matte black finish that is not quite sandstone level, but it is a welcome change from the generic look of the previous phones.
The camera bump on the back is a hybrid of a smoothly wrapping camera bump that Samsung used to have, but it is also a big circle plateau that looks like a generic camera bump. It is not the most seamless design, but it is functional.
The front of the phone is where it shines, with a 6.7 inch corner-to-corner, thin bezel display with a slight curve over the edges. The 1440p resolution and 120 Hertz LTPO OLED display, combined with the 1000 Hertz touch sample rate and 1300 nits peak brightness, make it a great phone for outdoor use, even in direct sunlight. The selfie camera is located in a corner cut out, which is nearly as good as it gets these days.
Performance
In terms of performance, the OnePlus 11 is a snappy and quick phone, thanks to its high-end internals. The phone has the latest WiFi 7, UFS 4.0 storage, and LPDDR5X memory, making it a future-proof phone that will age well. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is a powerful and efficient chip, making the phone a great performer, with good battery life to match.
The 5,000 mAh battery, when used with maxed out high brightness, 1440p, and 120 Hertz on, will last you through the day. But if you switch to 1080p and 120 Hertz, you can expect two days of battery life, with seven to eight hours of screen on time.
Summary
The OnePlus 11 is a good phone that offers a lot of bang for the buck. It is not perfect, as it cuts corners in some areas, such as the lack of wireless charging and IP64 rating instead of IP67. However, it is a phone that offers high-end performance and features at an affordable price. If you are looking for a phone that offers a great display, good battery life, and the latest hardware, the OnePlus 11 is definitely worth considering.
