The sub-Rs 20,000 category has always been cutthroat in the smartphone world. It is not budget enough to ignore spec-chasing completely, is not premium enough to get the most high-end specs on the table, and is full to the brim with smartphones that try to get the best of both price and spec worlds. The newest addition to this category is the Realme 11 5G which comes with very competitive specs and a design that is quite premium looking.
The Realme 11 5G comes with an eye-catching design which Realme calls the 'Glory Halo' and is available in two different shades, Gold and Black.
It has a 6.72-inch full HD+ display with 120Hz refresh rate. The phone is powered by MediaTek Dimensity 6100+ processor, a proper mid-segment chipset that can handle your everyday smartphone needs and help you experience some high-end gaming on a surface level as well. The device has 8GB RAM with two storage options, 128GB and 256GB.
It comes with a dual camera sensor on the back (a rarity in this price segment where three cameras are an unwritten rule) with a 108-megapixel main camera sensor with 3x zoom paired with a 2-megapixel depth sensor.
There is a 16-megapixel selfie camera on the front as well. The phone runs on a 5,000mAh battery and comes with support for 67W fast charging. It comes with Android 13 out of the box, topped with Realme UI 4.0. All of which is reasonably impressive, although there are a few blips.
The Realme 11 5G's LCD display will be a disappointment to many, at a time when AMOLED displays are the trend in this price brand. And even though Realme has kept the camera count on the back to two, the second 2-megapixel camera on the back seems more decorational than anything.
Similarly, while a 108-megapixel main sensor in this segment is rare, the absence of OIS might hurt its prospects. Finally, the Dimensity 6100+ is a decent mid-segment processor but is not the most powerful in its zone.
The Realme 11 5G definitely seems a good prospect for anyone looking for a 5G phone that is a bit above the basics, but at its starting price of Rs 18,999, it is in a segment where competition is quite ruthless. So, while the Realme 11 5G seems like a solid device, here are five others that can give it a run for its money or rather, yours:
Poco X5 Pro: The Biggest Challenger
Price: Rs. 20,999 onwards
It was launched at a higher price, but with a price cut, the Poco X5 now is the biggest obstacle in the Realme 11 5G's path to success. It has the one thing that the Realme 11 lacks, an AMOLED display.
The phone comes with a 6.67-inch full-HD+ AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate, whereas the Realme 11 comes with an LCD display. The Poco X5 Pro also comes with a powerful Qualcomm processor, Snapdragon 778G (considered superior to the Dimensity 6100+ on the Realme 11 5G), coupled with RAM and storage variants of 6 GB/ 128 GB and 8 GB/256 GB. This combo will be able to take care of your everyday smartphone needs and can even handle some high-end gaming on tweaked settings.
The Poco X5 Pro comes with a triple camera set up on the back which is led by a 108-megapixel main sensor paired with an 8-megapixel ultrawide sensor(which the Realme 11 5G lacks) and a 2-megapixel macro camera. Selfies are handled by a 16-megapixel front-facing camera.
The Poco X5 Pro has the same battery and charging configuration as the Realme 11- a 5,000mAh battery with a 67W fast charging support with charging brick in the box.
The only one spec that may take away from the Poco X5 is that it comes with Android 12 out of the box (although an update is being rolled out), which is a bit dated but is topped with MIUI 14 for Poco which is a very good Android skin.
The design of the phone is good as well, with the yellow variant sure to get eyeballs popping.
Samsung Galaxy M34 5G: Pretty Much THE Package
Price: Rs. 18,999 onwards
Samsung's Galaxy M34 is the most potent weapon in its sun-Rs 20,000 segment arsenal. The phone is pretty much THE package. Even though it has a marginally smaller 6.5-inch FHD+ display with 120Hz refresh rate, it is an AMOLED one and that too from Samsung, which basically means it is very vibrant with punchy colors.
The phone is powered by Samsung’s very capable in-house Exynos 1280 chipset which is coupled with up to 8GB RAM. The Exynos 1280 is a better chip than the one on the Realme 11 and should sail through your smartphone chores with ease. The phone's main camera is comparatively less loaded with megapixels at 50 megapixels, but comes with OIS which is very rare in this category. There is also an 8-megapixel ultrawide and a 2-megapixel sensor on the back, while a 13-megapixel selfie camera sits at the front.
It comes with a massive 6,000mAh battery which will last you two days of normal usage, although it comes with relatively slow 25W fast charging support and there is no brick in the box. The design of the phone is also a little routine, thanks to a slightly dated waterdrop notch design and a standard-look plastic back. But other than that, the Samsung Galaxy M34 is a killer phone capable of making the Realme 11 its next victim.
Redmi Note 12 5G: Carrying Forward The Note Legacy
Price: Rs 16,999 onwards
It may not be the most spec-forward device in the list but the iconic status of the Redmi Note series has landed the Redmi Note 12 5G in this list. The phone comes with a 6.67-inch full-HD+ display with 120Hz refresh rate. That display is an AMOLED one, giving it a visible and vibrant edge over the LCD panel of the Realme 11. The phone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 processor, which remains a decent processor even though Gen 2 has now arrived (in the Redmi 12 5G), the Gen 1 still remains a decent processor.
There are plenty of RAM and storage options going all the way up to 8GB RAM and 256GB storage. While the Redmi Note 12 has a triple camera set up on the back, its smaller 48-megapixel count on the main sensor is not in the league of the 108-megapixel sensor on the Realme 11 5G. That said, it does have an 8-megapixel ultrawide and a 2-megapixel macro tagging along with it.
Its side-mounted fingerprint scanner and IR blaster are handy additions too. The 33 W charging support on the 5,000mAh battery might make this Note less appealing to some in comparison to the faster charging of the Realme 11 5G, but it does come with a very good design and carries the Note legacy.
OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G: Mid-Segment Slayer
Price: Rs 19,999 onwards
After being in the flagship killing business for the longest time, OnePlus has also stepped into slay competition in the mid-segment and one of the phones standing between Realme 11 and success is the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G. The phone has a 6.72-inch full-HD+ LCD display with 120Hz refresh rate which is the same as the one on the Realme 11.
The Nord CE 3 Lite is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 processor which is very close to the MediaTek Dimensity 6100+ that powers the Realme 11 and also comes with three cameras on the back where the main sensor is 108 megapixels, although the other two 2 megapixel sensors are more decorative than operative.
The OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite has a 16-megapixel sensor on the front as well like the Realme 11 and also comes with a 5,000mAh battery with 67W charging which is again something that we have seen in the Realme 11. While it matches the Realme 11 5G in most departments, the one area where it has a clear upper hand is the clean, clutter-free OxygenOS on top of Android 13 that might attract the stock Android-loving crowd. The phone also looks elegant (that OnePlus 'burdenless' design) and well, it is a OnePlus.
Realme Narzo 60 5G: Good-Looking Sib
Price: Rs 17,999
As if there wasn't enough competition from others, the Realme 11 5G has to also deal with its own sibling, the Realme Narzo 60 5G. One of the biggest assets of the device is its distinct-looking design with a circular camera unit in the upper middle part of the back and a Mars Orange variant with a vegan leather finish, making it one of the most different looking smartphones in its category.
It has a slightly smaller but 6.43-inch full-HD+ display, with a 90Hz refresh rate, which is not quite as great as the 120Hz on the Realme 11. That said, the display is an AMOLED one.
The Narzo 60 5G is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 6020 chipset which is not as powerful as the Dimensity 6100+ on the Realme 11 5G. It will do everyday tasks well but will struggle if you push it into the high-end zone.
The Narzo 60 5G comes with a double camera setup on the back with 64-megapixel main sensor and a 2-megapixel depth sensor which is again a bit mellow in front of the 108 main megapixel sensor on the Realme 11.
And while the phone has the same Android 13 with Realme UI along with a 5,000 mAh battery, it is the 33 W charging support that again takes away specs points from the phone. That said, it is a looker and is perhaps the best option for those who want a phone to flaunt in this segment.