The mighty OnePlus 11 5G: performance, specs & review

In recent years, there has been some confusion and questions surrounding the changing brand image of OnePlus. Once known for producing high-quality phones at affordable prices, OnePlus has now become a sub-brand of Oppo and offers a wide range of devices.

In its flagship lineup, the company has gone from launching the 10 Pro with all the latest features, including wireless charging, to the 10T with fewer features, to the latest device, the OnePlus 11. The “Pro” naming has been dropped, and this device combines elements from both previous phones to create a balanced flagship. The journey from the OnePlus 9 Pro to the OnePlus 11 becomes clearer when considering these steps. The front of the device hasn’t changed much, except for slimmer bezels on the top and bottom of the display. The phone still has a similar display with curved edges, which has been around for a few years.

The size, thickness, and weight of the device are also similar, which can make it difficult to hold with one hand, especially if you tend to rest it on your pinky finger. This grip can cause strain and make it difficult to reach elements in the top corners of the display. The back of the phone features a large circular island with a shiny and shimmering surface, bearing the logo of Hasselblad. The island has some stainless steel plating that extends to the sides and joins the aluminium frame, which now includes the alert slider switch for easy switching between ring, vibrate, and silent modes.

The OnePlus 11 5G features a 6.7-inch LTPO3 AMOLED display with a 1440 x 3216 resolution and 525ppi, and a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate and 1hz always-on display. It runs on OxygenOS 13 based on Android 13. In recent years, the biggest advances in mobile display technology have been in adaptive refresh rates. Displays have gone from low refresh rates to very high, with the third-generation LTPO panel in the OnePlus 11 being evidence of this. This panel is an incremental update from the OnePlus 10 Pro and has the same QuadHD+ resolution, peak brightness, and compatibility with HDR10+ and Dolby Vision content. It can also shift from 1Hz to 120Hz and adjust to suit the content on the screen.

In the past, OnePlus AMOLED displays had a tendency to push reds and oranges, but this issue does not seem to be present in the latest device. The colour gamut support is wide, with a lot of depth and brightness, making it eye-catching and attractive. The display settings include a calibration option, allowing users to choose from different colour profiles, including Display P3 mode and a ‘brilliant’ mode, as well as ‘natural’ mode with an adjustable warmth slider. The phone also features several other display features, including ‘nature tone display’ which adjusts the white balance to match ambient lighting and ‘eye comfort’ mode which reduces blue light.

Customization is at the core of OnePlus’ software, which is a fork of Oppo’s ColorOS 13. There are many customizable elements, including the wallpaper, accent colours, always-on display, app icons, quick settings drop-down shade, system font, fingerprint animation, and edge lighting for notifications. The device is known for its smooth and responsive nature, and the combination of a 120Hz display, fluid software, and top-tier processor delivers the fastest and smoothest phone experience available. The device’s performance has also been improved, with an increase in processor speed, LPDDR5X RAM which offers a 30% increase compared to the OnePlus 10 Pro, and UFS 4.0-based storage with doubled read/write speeds.

In terms of battery life, the OnePlus 11 5G features a 5,000 mAh battery which can last for a full day with heavy use. The phone also supports fast charging, with a 80w charger included in the box. This means you can go from 0 to 50% in just 15 minutes and from 0 to 100% in just 35 minutes.

For those who love taking photos, the OnePlus 11 comes equipped with a 48MP main camera, a 16MP ultra-wide camera, and a 2MP macro camera. The main camera can take high-quality photos with good detail and vibrant colors, while the ultra-wide camera is perfect for landscapes and group shots. The macro camera allows for close-up shots and can take some interesting photos. The front-facing camera is 16MP, making it great for selfies and video calls.

Finally, the OnePlus 11 is priced very competitively compared to other flagships on the market. It offers top-of-the-line specs and features at a price that is much lower than what you would pay for a similar phone from other brands. This makes it a great option for those who want a flagship phone without breaking the bank.