With an extremely low price point, the Realme C11 is among the most demanded models we've gotten when it comes to review requests for smartphones. Indeed, this is the cheapest smartphone we've looked at thus far this year. While affordability is always a great factor, functionality is important too. Thus, we wanted to see if the C11 is a smartphone that can be used day-to-day without feeling the need to upgrade. If this is a question you've had in mind too, read on for our review!
Realme C11 Specifications
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| Display |
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| Memory (RAM) |
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| Storage |
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| Main Camera (Rear) |
13MP AI Dual Camera
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| Front Camera |
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| Battery |
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| Connectivity |
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| 3.5mm Jack |
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| Operating System |
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| Other Features |
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What's in the Box?
The Realme C11 comes packaged in a box similar to most other Realme phones. Inside the box is a SIM card ejector tool, instruction manual, charger, and a micro USB cable. Although no phone case is provided, we weren't too surprised by this.
Screen and Battery
The C11 sports a 6.5” LCD 720p screen – a decent size for viewing videos and gaming. With a massive 5,000mAh battery, the phone ensures long on-screen time and usage. This is especially great for entertainment purposes, as well as long days where you would want to be able to go about your day without having to recharge your phone or worry about its battery life.
Design and Build Quality
The C11 surprisingly has a build quality that feels quite premium. Despite the phone having a plastic shell, it still feels solid when held. On the back of the device is a dual lens camera module with a 13MP main shooter and a 2MP depth sensor. The headphone jack, micro USB, speakers and microphone is located on the underside of the phone.
The phone does have a camera bump, however this isn't too prominent and won't be much of a problem if you lay your phone flat on a surface. Printed on the back of the phone is the brand's name, and the phone has a nice, smooth finish to it.
Software and UI
Setting up the device is pretty straightforward. The phone is powered by Android 10 and runs the Realme UI, making the software experience quite similar to other Realme phones. There's no fingerprint sensor on the device, however it supports face ID recognition and this can be set up as soon as you turn on the device. We got through the rest of the setup process pretty quickly and could begin using the phone immediately.
- Face Unlock
The C11's facial recognition system is quite impressive in terms of its responsiveness. It is fast and quick, and we never once encountered any issues with it. In fact, we are pleased to say that it performs well even when the phone is tilted in odd angles.
Camera
The phone's rear camera is made up of a 15MP main shooter and a 2MP depth sensor, while the selfie camera is a 5MP shooter. Both front and back cameras record videos at 1080p 30fps.
In terms of performance, the cameras are subpar but not terrible. We have to acknowledge that HDR performance was surprisingly impressive, with subjects in frame being well exposed albeit a little oversharpened at times especially when zoomed in. Nonetheless, most shots produced look alright, and the details that are maintained in the highlights and shadows do look good.
In low light situations, the cameras unfortunately under performed and images are admittedly not the greatest. The 4x digital zoom also does not look the best and we would recommend refraining from zooming in altogether. For selfies, we noticed that the front camera had a tendency to miss focus, shifting it to the background instead. Highlights were also overexposed most of the time, however the overall quality is acceptable.
Pro tip: edit your photos to make them look better! While the shots produced by the C11's cameras might not be the best, they are still quite usable.
When it comes to recording videos on the C11, the phone does not have stabilisation built into it. This means that footage often comes out shaky, and the phone is not ideal for recording on the move.
Performance
The C11 is fitted with a MediaTek Helio G35 processor. A common concern that we noticed among most people is whether the phone will be able to perform when it comes to gaming. To test this, we installed Call of Duty Mobile as we always do and were surprised to discover that the phone's performance is pretty good despite how it only has 2GB RAM. On average, we only experienced lag about 2%-3% of the time and all was pleasant for the rest of it.
Unfortunately, the C11's performance isn't the greatest when it comes to multitasking. Having 5 apps opened at the same time will surely cause the device to show delay and we believe this might result in frustration over time. However, if you consider the price you're paying for the device, one must admit that it isn't all that bad.
Is The Realme C11 Worth It?
It's obvious that the Realme C11 is not the greatest smartphone we've ever reviewed, however, it definitely is the cheapest. The phone might be a great choice for those on a very tight budget, or those looking for a backup device with basic smartphone abilities.
The most important thing to take into account is that we did experience a lot of lag when we had different applications opened, and even while we were trying to start gaming. This said, it might seem a stretch to expect wonders (or high specs) from a phone that costs less than RM500. Thus, our verdict is to simply be aware of what you are paying for.
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