Ever since realme released the realme 9 Pro+ last year, the non-plus Pro model doesn’t get much love. The Pro phones get stuck with LCD displays and the Snapdragon 695 5G processor. That notion is gone with the realme 11 Pro Series. For the most part, both the 11 Pro and 11 Pro+ feel more similar than last year’s 10 Pro Series. Does the realme 11 Pro 5G feel more like a Pro this time around? Here are my first impressions.
Disclaimer: realme Philippines sent over the realme 11 Pro 5G in Sunrise Beige. I got it on August 3, 2023 and I’ve been using it for almost 2 weeks now. The unit I have is a European unit. While the Philippine retail unit will most likely be similar, there might be slight differences especially with the included bloatware.
Unboxing Experience
The realme 11 Pro follows a typical realme unboxing, complete with the jelly case and charger inside the box. There’s honestly not much to say here other than being happy that phone makers still do include stuff like this in the midrange segment.
When The Pro Feels Like A Pro…
Like I said in the start of this post, the Pro model felt like you’re really getting less. It’s the first time in 2 years that realme made the Pro feel like a Pro. Both members of the realme 11 Pro Series have a Premium Vegan Leather Design. Co-created with Former Gucci Prints Designer Matteo Menotto, the inspiration for this design was the city he was born in: Milan, Italy.
I could go on about each and every component of this design, but what’s important here is that it really SCREAMS premium. The hand feel is really nice; it feels like holding a tiny bag. That 3D Couture Level Seam in the middle is a nice touch and adds to the overall premium feel.
It also helps that the display on the realme 11 Pro 5G looks like a Pro as well. This phone now has the same 120Hz Curved Vision Display that we first saw in the realme 10 Pro+. It’s a 6.7-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 2412 x 1080. During my time with it so far, gaming feels smooth with its 360Hz touch sampling rate and up to 1260Hz instantaneous touch sampling rate.
Other featured specs of this phone include a MediaTek Dimensity 7050 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. You also get a 5000 mAh battery with 67W SUPERVOOC fast charging which is really convenient, especially on a busy day.
Building on the ProLight Camera
The cameras have always gotten some shine in the Number Series lineup. From the AI Quad Cameras found in the realme 5 Series to the 108MP main cameras in various Number Series phones, you are sure to find something new.
This phone has a 100MP main camera with an f/1.75 aperture and supports OIS! It was weird when even the realme 10 Pro+ didn’t have OIS, so I’m glad to see it even in the Pro model. The main feature here is the ability to be able to shoot sharper 2x zoom photos with its Advanced In-sensor Zoom technology. This isn’t actually new as a lot of high megapixel count cameras are able to do this. I’m just glad that the Pro model gets a substantial upgrade in that department. For taking selfies, there’s the 16MP front camera.
I really can’t share my thoughts on the photos until the full review. Until then, here are some sample shots!
Click on the photos for full resolution versions!
That is all for my first impressions of the realme 11 Pro 5G. Find out more about this and the realme 11 Pro+ 5G on August 24! There will be a livestream launch on that date on the realme Philippines Facebook page.