realme 11 full review: The dazzling and dependable device for the holidays

‘Tis the season where we love all things that sparkle – from the decorations to our outfits and gifts. There’s just an abundance of it. Should we also make room for more? Perhaps the new realme 11 can be the sparkling addition to your holidays. Find out what it has to offer beyond glitz and glamour.

Design and build 

If there’s anything that blends well with the festivities, it’s the sparkling design of the realme 11 in Glory Gold. I think we all know by now that flashy design is realme’s specialty. One of the things I like about the glittery option is that even with the glossy finish, fingerprint marks are more discreet. Meanwhile, if you want a more muted yet elegant design, the Dark Glory is the better pick for you. 

The combination of the lightweight body (178g) and boxy frame added to the appeal of the device. I’d choose a lighter load any day given that I’m always out and about. 

Display

Up front there is a lot of theatrics (quite literally). The 6.43-inch AMOLED display with 90Hz refresh rate was able to match the liveliness of the rear. As you watch your favorite Netflix series, you get to appreciate the stunning visuals that exhibit sharp details and vivid colors. 

Most of my interactions with the user interface were smooth and stutter-free. I felt this while scrolling through Instagram and switching apps. 

Camera

Undeniably, the holiday season is the perfect time to create and capture memories. More so given that we are, to some degree, photo hoarders. That said, we put our trust in our smartphone’s camera. 

It’s quite fortunate that the realme 11 doesn’t fall short in this department. The rear features a dual camera layout, which includes the 108MP main and 2MP portrait cameras. 

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It was effortless to take nice shots amid natural lighting; you can see how the colors and details pop. Even if you zoom in and crop your photos, the quality remains uncompromised. Additionally, you can also get creative by taking closeup shots with the 3x In-Sensor Zoom.

In low light settings, the photos were able to retain adequate details, making it worthy for social media posting.

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The 16MP front camera didn’t disappoint either. It doesn’t go overboard to enhance your selfies. Even if you take shots against the light, it will still showcase all the details without the background looking overexposed.

Performance

Under the hood, we have the MediaTek Helio G99 processor, which is paired with 8GB of RAM. Together this enables the device to carry out light to moderate tasks seamlessly. For those who love to multitask, you can expect the device to deliver without a hitch as well. 

Engaging in heavier tasks like gaming was surprisingly a breeze. I didn’t encounter any frame drops or lags even at the highest graphic setting of Asphalt 9. 

Sometimes we can’t help but spam the shutter button so the 256GB ROM will definitely come in handy. We need all the storage we can get. 

Battery

True to the brand’s claims, the 67W SUPERVOOC charger can impressively power up the device in just 45 minutes. Since I’m always in a rush, this is a highly advantageous feature of the realme 11. Not to mention, it’s already equipped with a 5000mAh battery that can last me a whole day of moderate to heavy use. 

Verdict

All things considered, we can say that the realme 11 possesses more than just glamour. Its features make it a great companion not just for the holiday rush, but also all year round. I, myself, will need the boost from its fast-charging capabilities and long battery life. 

Thankfully it’s no slouch in other aspects important to most users: camera capabilities, and performance. Perhaps the best part is it comes in a budget-friendly price tag of PHP13,999.

Photos by the author