OnePlus 11R 5G review: a complete package, almost

The OnePlus 11R, announced alongside the regular OnePlus 11 (review) earlier this month, is finally available for purchase in the Indian market. With a starting price of Rs 39,999, the handset competes with offerings from the likes of iQOO, Realme, and more. Looking at the device’s specs on paper, the 11R stakes a solid claim to become your affordable flagship of choice. There’s a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset housed inside along with compelling hardware all geared towards providing a fruitful smartphone experience. In this review, let’s decode how good the OnePlus 11R actually is and if it is worth your consideration.

Verdict

If you are searching for a performance-focused and premium-looking handset with a reliable battery backup in the sub-Rs 40,000 segment, the OnePlus 11R can be the way to go. While its ultra-wide and macro sensors don’t provide the best utility, the primary sensor’s point-and-shoot experience should be more than enough for your needs. The handset delivers in most other aspects as well.

The lowdownIt’s hard to spot any significant design difference between the OnePlus 11R and 11. That is mostly a good thing since I appreciated the premium nature of the latter’s build quality in my review of the device. The curved screen may not really be for everyone but in my opinion, it looks quite svelte in the hand. My review unit’s colour scheme is called Sonic Black which utilises a Sandstone-like matte finish across the back, and manages to avoid smudges or fingerprints well.

The signature alert slider is on the right side and retains the same functionality seen on the 11R’s predecessors. Apart from that the camera housing and its layout are identical to the OnePlus 11, although the absence of Hasselblad branding does stand out. The 11R also weighs the same and has pretty much the same dimensions as its more expensive sibling. I can say with satisfaction that both devices are sturdy in their construction and elegant in their appearance.
Even the display is basically the same as the OnePlus 11, with some minor differences. The 11R has a Super Fluid AMOLED panel that measures 6.7 inches diagonally but has FHD+ (1,240 x 2,772) resolution instead of QHD+. While it does keep the 120Hz refresh rate, the technology employed on the panel is not LTPO 3.0 but something called ADFR 2.0 which lets you shift between 40Hz, 45Hz, 60Hz, 90Hz, and 120Hz when required.