The OnePlus 11 is one of the first smartphones to feature Qualcomm’s latest top chip, making it faster and more durable, but a revamped device design has polarized opinion.
The new phone starts at £729 ($699), making it very attractively priced compared to big-screen rivals from Samsung, Google and Apple, if £100 more than OnePlus’ 10T from last year.
A metal and glass sandwich like most premium smartphones, the large 6.7-inch OLED screen on the front is bright, sharp and smooth at 120Hz, making it one of the best around. The glass curves into the metal band at the sides, while the phone’s relatively narrow width makes it easier to hold than wider rivals from Google or Samsung.
The black version’s frosted glass back feels great in the hand, but a large circular camera module at the top is its standout feature. The phone is well made, but it’s only splash resistant and not rated to survive submersion in water like most rivals, which feels a bit cheap.
the phone runs Oxygen OS 13, a modified version of Android 13 with a few more customization options. It is generally harmless and works fine, behaving similarly to previous iterations. New this year is a software support commitment for five years of bi-monthly security patches and four major Android version updates. That’s a year more than predecessors and as long as Google and Samsung, which offer monthly security patches, but it lags Fairphone’s six years and Apple’s seven, so there’s still room for improvement. especially when the hardware is likely to outlast the software. .
Specifications
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Screen: 6.7-inch 120Hz QHD+ OLED 525dpi)
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Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 2
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RAM: 8 or 16GB
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Storage: 128 or 256GB
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OS: Oxygen OS 13 (Android 13)
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Camera: 50 MP main, 48 MP ultra-wide angle, 2x 32 MP; 16MP selfie
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Connectivity: 5G, eSIM, Wi-Fi 6/7, NFC, Bluetooth 5.3 and GNSS
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Waterproof: IP64 (splash resistant)
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Dimensions: 163.1×74.1×8.5mm
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Weight: 205g
Maximum performance and long battery life
The 11 has the new top of the range from Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, which will be used by most high-end Android phones this year. The processor is up to 35% faster, but also 40% more power efficient than its predecessor, allowing for better battery life and cooler operation during gaming sessions. The 11 certainly feels fast in day-to-day operations.
Battery life has improved a lot. The 11 lasts around 46-48 hours between charges, with the screen actively used for five to six hours in that time and three hours on 5G, the rest on Wi-Fi. Increasing the screen resolution to its maximum QHD+ had little impact on battery life.
When the battery finally dies, it only takes 23 minutes for a full charge using the 100W power adapter, which is a bit slower than the 10T but not by much. The battery is rated to last at least 1600 full charge cycles, which is about double that of most rivals and should last the life of the phone without needing to be replaced.
Sustainability
The phone does not contain recycled materials but is usually repairable by OnePlus, with screen replacements costing around £80 and batteries costing around £20 plus labour. the company operates an exchange scheme and is included in the parent company Oppo annual sustainability reports.
Camera
The 11 has a similar photography setup to last year’s 10 Pro, including camera technology from hasselblad. It has a 48MP main, 50MP ultra-wide and 32MP 2x telephoto on the back, plus a decent 16MP selfie camera on the front.
The main camera takes some of the best photos on a OnePlus yet, with good detail and range, but loses a bit of sharpness around the edges of the frame and can struggle with color balance with warmer scenes that occasionally fade. They look a little orange.
The ultra-wide camera is a bit soft on details and can produce slightly dark shots compared to the other cameras. The 2x telephoto is one of the best short zoom cameras available, good in detail and balance, but doesn’t reduce the distance to objects significantly. Most rivals have at least a 3x optical zoom, with the best going up to 10x.
All three cameras struggle a bit in low-light settings compared to the class leaders. The 16 MP selfie camera captures attractive, detailed images with a reasonable dynamic range and handles poor lighting well.
A macro photography mode uses the ultra-wide camera when zoomed in and can produce some great images. But you need to be precise to keep the image sharp, which is hard to judge on the screen while shooting. Various additional modes generally work well, including a decent portrait mode and a novel xpan panoramic shots.
Overall, the main camera is good for the price, but it won’t bother the best in the business at Apple, Google or Samsung.
Price
The OnePlus 11 costs £729 ($699) for 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage or £799 ($799) with 16 and 256GB, starting February 16.
For comparison, the Google Pixel 7 costs £599the Pixel 7 Pro costs £849the Samsung Galaxy S23+ costs £1,049 and the iPhone 14 Plus costs £949.
Verdict
The OnePlus 11 is a solid phone that offers plenty of performance, battery life, and very fast charging for the money, but otherwise struggles to stand out from the crowd.
It’s well made, it feels good, and it’s narrower than its rivals, so it’s a bit easier to hold despite being a large phone. The display is excellent, the fingerprint scanner is responsive, and the camera is solid, if not class-leading. However, the large circular camera bulge on the back is divisive.
OxygenOS is a harmless version of Android and is now supported for up to five years, but that’s just keeping up with the main competition. The battery should also last the full five years, which can’t be said for most competitors.
It lacks wireless charging and only has resistance to splashes of water, but overall the 11 has little to fault, making it a decent alternative to big-brand rivals. It’s a bit boring and with some great mid-range phones offering almost the same thing for a lot less money, the OnePlus may not be flashy or cheap enough to win outright.
Advantages: Flawless performance, decent software with five years of updates, long lasting battery life, 23 minute full charge, great screen, reasonable price.
Cons: camera not best in class, only 2x optical zoom, only splash resistant, divisive design, no wireless charging, only bi-monthly not monthly security updates.
