OnePlus 11 5G Smartphone Review: A competitive Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 flagship with some unmissable quirks

After an insipid impression with the 10 Pro, OnePlus finally seems to be getting its mojo back with the 11 5G. OnePlus brings several niceties to the table for its 2023 flagship. Support for eSIMs, UFS 4.0 flash in the 256 GB variant, a markedly improved new 50 MP main camera, and a macro mode for the 48 MP ultra-wide are some of the notable ones.

However, the removal of wireless charging, downgrade to USB 2.0 speeds, reduced 2x telephoto zoom, and a greatly decreased 115° FoV for the ultra-wide camera become immediately apparent when comparing with the OnePlus 10 Pro. OxygenOS continues to be a ColorOS replica with no major differentiation unlike what was promised, but at least you stand to get four years of feature updates.

With a fast CPU, capable shooters, and long-term OS support, the OnePlus 11 will certainly pique the interest of those looking for flagship features at a relatively lower price. However, longtime fans will notice several regressions.”

The display is vivid, and colors seem punchy, but we could not measure the advertised 1,300 nits peak brightness even in HDR mode. PWM is noticeable at all brightness levels, and it even affects our response time measurements.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2’s potential is not fully utilized in the OnePlus 11. The phone throttles the SoC by default, and the High Performance mode only seems to favor CPU benchmarks. The much-vaunted Cryo-velocity cooling needs more work as well.

OnePlus also needs to work on fine-tuning the 11 5G’s power consumption, particularly in idle. This has a direct bearing on battery life, which could have been better vis-à-vis the competition.

Despite these apparent shortcomings, competitive pricing tilts the scales in favor of the OnePlus 11.

Our test unit that retails for ₹61,999 (US$800) has the ability to take on other Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 phones this year including the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S23+ (₹94,999), Xiaomi 13 Pro (₹79,999), and, at times, even the Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate (₹99,999).

If you want to reward yourself with a 2023 flagship-class device that isn’t exorbitantly priced or want to dabble with a viable alternative to the Samsungs and Xiaomis of the world, the OnePlus 11 5G merits a high consideration.