In June 2020, the Realme C11 was officially unveiled by the company as a modest and affordable new proposal to compete in the entry range, just below the Realme C3. A year had not passed since its commercial launch and the Chinese manufacturer decided to launch the 2021 edition of this phone in some countries such as Russia and the Philippines.
Now the Realme C11 (2021) has arrived in Spain and has already passed through our analysis table to put it to the test. On paper, this new model comes with adjusted performance according to its price, but stands out for having a 5,000 mAh battery that promises great autonomy. Let’s see how it behaves in each section.
Realme C11 (2021) data sheet
Realme C11 (2021) | |
---|---|
Screen | 6.5 inch LCD |
Processor | Unisoc SC9863 |
RAM | 2 GB |
Storage | 32 GB + MicroSD |
Frontal camera | 5 MP |
Rear camera | 8 MP |
Battery | 5,000 mAh |
OS | Android 11 under realme UI Go Edition |
Connectivity | 4G |
Dimensions and weight | 165.2 x 76.4 x 8.9 mm |
Price | 109 euros |
Realme C11 (2021), Lake Blue, 32 GB, 2 GB
If something works, don’t change it
When designing the Realme C11 (2021), the brand has been quite continuous and has been clearly inspired by two existing models: the C11 and the C21. Again bet on a textured back and a very well finished polycarbonate, which manages to contain the weight of the terminal in 190 grams, does not heat up and keeps fingerprints and dirt at bay. Admittedly, it slips more than we would like, but the feeling it transmits in the hand is pleasant.
At the rear, we see the same vertical strip of the Realme C11 where manufacturer’s name appears and the two speaker slots that we already saw on the Realme C21. The camera module is again square and protrudes slightly from the body, but does not limp excessively when we leave the mobile on a flat surface.
On the right edge, we have the volume rocker and the power button, while on the left, we find the card slot (with triple tray, by the way). The upper part is completely smooth and the lower part is reserved for the 3.5 mm jack socket next to the MicroUSB connector (MicroUSB at this point, no, Realme …).
The front is dominated by a 6.5-inch LCD screen with a drop-shaped notch and bezels that, without being exaggerated, could have been adjusted a little more relatively tight, especially the lower one. This panel offers HD + resolution (1600 x 720 pixels), so that its pixel density per inch stays at 270 dpi; it is somewhat lacking, but generally speaking, the viewing experience is acceptable and the behavior of the automatic brightness can be described as correct.
In the audio section, in addition to the 3.5 mm jack socket that we mentioned before (it does not have headphones in the box, by the way), the Realme C11 (2021) has a speaker on the back. That location, in our opinion, is not the most appropriate because, when leaving the mobile face up on a table, for example (which is the most common position), you can hardly hear anything. In addition, the sound it delivers is not powerful and forces us to raise the volume to the maximum causing a great loss of quality.
Goodbye MediaTek, hello Unisoc
Unlike the C11 and C21, where Realme opted for the Helio G35 from MediaTek, this model mounts a Unisoc processor eight-core 1.6 GHz, the SC9863. In our unit, this chipset is accompanied by 2 GB of RAM, 32 GB of expandable internal storage and the Realme UI Go edition operating system based on Android 11.
Although this version of the Realme layer is much lighter than the original and in the most basic tasks it fulfills its performance, the delay when opening the applications is more common than we would like. We have also appreciated certain jerks when scrolling on web pages or social networks, so we can’t talk about smooth performance. And try not to put it to the test with demanding games because you will be disappointed. Next, we leave you the result of the most popular benchmarks:
In the software section, we have, as we said, Realme UI Go edition based on Android 11. We talk about a very clean and very light coat, which only occupies 8 GB of the 32 GB that our unit includes. It brings the Go version of the Google app, the Assistant and the Gallery, and does not have its own or third-party apps pre-installed (except Facebook), so there are no duplicate apps or anything that penalizes performance in this regard.
We believe that Realme you have made a good choice in this sectionSince, had it opted for its original layer, the system would have been much slower. But of course, in return we lose the customization options and the useful tools that Realme UI has us used to. And the authentication systems? It lacks a fingerprint reader, it only consists of a facial recognition system, which is slow and does not identify our face on many occasions.
We reach autonomy, a section where the 5,000 mAh battery that includes this Realme C11 (2021) can reach the two days of duration and more than 10 hours of screen with average use. If we simply use it for basic tasks, it is even capable of exceeding two days.
Yes indeed, arm yourself with patience when charging it because it does not support fast charging and, as we have said, it has a MicroUSB port, so it takes about two hours and 45 minutes to fully recharge. In half an hour plugged into the power, it barely achieves 20% power.
Don’t trust him with your best memories
We move on to the photographic equipment, section where this Realme C11 (2021) inherits the 5 megapixel front camera of the Realme C11, but surprisingly, it takes a step back in the rear camera. If the C11 had a 13 megapixel sensor and a 2 megapixel sensor, the 2021 edition has a single lens main camera, which also lowers its resolution to 8 megapixels, although it maintains the help of artificial intelligence. Video recording stays in 1080p at 30 fps.
The positive part is found in the camera application, very simple, intuitive and with direct access to the main functions, such as HDR, bezel or flash. The carousel of shooting modes brings, by default, the Video, Automatic and Portrait modes, but in the More tab we can find other less common ones, such as Manual, Panoramic or Time-Lapse.
And now let’s get to what matters: image quality. In favorable light conditions (daytime and outdoors), the rear camera of the Realme C11 (2021) in Automatic mode gives us acceptable photos, although with a level of detail that could be improved and some colors that, on occasions, are excessively saturated. The good thing is that the AF is quite fast and effective.
In backlights and at sunset, HDR does a good job to avoid burnt skies and rescue detail in dark areas, so our advice is to always keep it on Automatic. The digital zoom is better not to use it – except for some specific occasion – because the quality loss is very great.
Lacking a second lens to read depth, Portrait mode uses software to blur the background. It is appreciated that Realme has included the option to adjust that bokeh effect to our liking, but the crop in the foreground is a bit artificial and shows difficulties in differentiating some elements such as hair. Also, HDR is not available in Portrait mode, so the skies are always overexposed.
And when night falls … The quality of the photos on this model drops, and very drastically. It is striking that Realme has dispensed with the Night mode that the Realme C11 and C21 did have. That forces us to shoot in Automatic with rather poor results. Images with a watercolor effect, a lot of noise and an obvious lack of sharpness and detail.
With the front camera, something similar happens in different types of scene. By day, selfies taken with Auto mode can be scored with a pass, as long as you do not make an enlargement, because then the lack of detail is obvious.
The Portrait mode of this front camera shares the same errors as the rear: the bokeh effect is done by software and the more blurred the background, the more artificial the foreground clipping. HDR is also not available here, so we see some burnt skies again.
At night directly it is better not to take a self-portrait. We return to having the watercolor effect, noise and sharpness that we have seen in the rear camera, but raised to a higher level. If there is a nearby light source, you can take a selfie with little detail, but without artificial lighting, the only solution to taking photos with the front camera is to use the on-screen flash.
Realme C11 (2021), the opinion of Engadget Mobile
If we were to sum up the Realme C11 (2021) in one word, it would probably be “modest” because, indeed, it is as modest in price as in benefits. For just over 100 euros, we have a simple phone with a certain youthful air that makes it quite attractive and a battery that allows us to forget about the charger for two days.
Maybe it can satisfy those looking for a simple second phone or a very basic mobile with a clean Android experience.
However, both the overall performance of the terminal and that of the cameras are below expectations. The Go edition of Realme UI is the only thing that saves the experience of use with a mobile that, in the middle of 2021, it brings 2 GB of RAM and a very humble Unisoc processor. Not to mention the MicroUSB port or the absence of NFC and fingerprint reader … In short, very little evolution compared to the Realme C11 (even “involution” if we look at the cameras).
Maybe it can satisfy those looking for a simple second phone or a very basic mobile with a clean Android experience. But even in those cases, the Realme has in its catalog some more recommended options for a few euros more, like the Realme C21.
7.5
Design8.0
Screen7.25
Performance6.75
Cameras6.25
software7.75
Autonomy8.75
In favor
- Design pleasant to the eye and to the touch.
- Autonomy that exceeds two days of use.
- Pure Android without add-ons.
Against
- MicroUSB and 2GB by now …
- Performance of the cameras at night.
- Without NFC or fingerprint reader.
Realme C11 (2021), Lake Blue, 32 GB, 2 GB