OnePlus 11Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
The other bird take the louse . Translating this adage in the context of the oversaturated Android telephone set market place , OnePlus has been launching its flagship phones with the newest and most powerful chips early for the last few years . The launching date have consistently advanced every year , andthe OnePlus 12 was launched in China in December . With its global launch arrange for January 23 , about a month originally than last year , the OnePlus 12 will be a tempting option with hardware upgrades — such as 24 GB of RAM , the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip , and an entirely young cortege of cameras .
But despite the upgrades , I still feel a strong puff for the OnePlus 11 — the telephone set I stuck to for most of 2023 and still recommend to anyone who wants a flagship OnePlus experience without cauterise a pile of cash . The OnePlus 11 , despite being a class older , has many element that make it a worthy and value - for - money option in front of other flagship or semi - flagships in 2024 . Here are my top reasons to feel this manner .
OnePlus 11Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
Praiseworthy ergonomics
Of the many phone I used in 2023 , theOnePlus 11is one of the easy to plow . OnePlus achieved a striking conception , and holding or using the phone continuously for long hour does not feel laborious or challenging . This stands unfeigned despite the OnePlus 11 ’s big 6.7 - inch display , one of the largest among Android phone . While its display size is comparable to theSamsung Galaxy S23 Ultraand theiPhone 15 Pro Max , the OnePlus 11 is far more comfortable .
The credit for its ease of handling sound to its pattern , with tapered edge that are well thinner than the heart of the phone . The curves on the back give me the confidence ( and I should do the same for everyone with middling - sized hand ) to hold and employ the phone without necessarily feeling the need to engage the other hand .
The OnePlus 11 can not be call lightweight — unless equate with phones accommodating likewise big screens . It weighs 205 g ( about 7.23 ounce ) , and you readily sense the weight in your ribbon , peculiarly when moving from a lightweight phone such as an iPhone mini or a modern - day Motorola French telephone . What you would ascertain overlook on these earpiece is either a ice back or the same expansive dimensions as the OnePlus 11 .
While it ’s unfortunate that big screens and swish stuff make phones heavier , the OnePlus 11 feel refined , with praiseworthy ergonomics and ease of use . unluckily , with the OnePlus 12 , these may be lost as the company has increased the barrage mental ability and upgraded the camera system , compromising the slimness .
Processor, RAM, and fast charging are terrific
runniness and swiftness have been trait of OnePlus flagships for several past generations . That notion arises from both the hardware and the package . Even though flagship OnePlus phones — post the transition to what is now heavily influenced by OPPO ’s ColorOS — do not feel as zippy as old models execute the original OxygenOS , their ironware rest top - mountain pass .
The OnePlus 11 , for representative , come with aSnapdragon 8 Gen 2chipset . Despite not being as powerful as the newerSnapdragon 8 Gen 3 , which drives the OnePlus 12 , the 8 Gen 2 still make quite a little of power and can well run demanding tasks , including top - grade games .
There are obvious benefit to opt a new chipset , but there are risk of infection of under - optimization and poor thermal performance in the former calendar month of production . The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 has a central processor with higher clock speed across marrow , which can be ask to birth more power . Qualcomm also insists that the chip is 20 % more power - efficient while promising a 25 % respectable artwork unit of measurement execution .
However , unless a telephone with an sure-enough chip — OnePlus 11 in this case — is up for a competitive battle of man-made benchmarks against a new generation , say OnePlus 12 , you would n’t feel a massive carrying into action hike . Being in production for over a class now , the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 also benefits from the economics of exfoliation and will now be cheaper for brand to acquire , which should translate to humble prices of phones from last year — or sub - flagship devices power by previous - generation chipsets .
Besides a potent chipset , the OnePlus 11 has up to 16 GB of RAM , which easily runs scads of apps . Complementing the monolithic RAM , OnePlus 11 ’s 256 GB discrepancy apply a faster UFS 4.0 storage applied science .
Besides a impregnable backing from the hardware , the OnePlus 11 has 80 - W fast wired charging , which fully charges the phone in about 30 minutes . plug the phone even for a few minute can supply enough power for the phone to last for a few minute — a feature film that stay peerless , especially when we circumscribe our choice to the U.S. phone marketplace .
I drop the ease of charging my phone wirelessly — especially withOnePlus ’ 50W proprietary firm wireless courser , which was compatible with the OnePlus 10 Pro . But if wireless charging is not on your list of essential features , that ’s one less job .
The display doesn’t hold back
The OnePlus 11 uses a Samsung AMOLED display with LTPO3 technology . This mean while it supports a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz , the screen can actively tack to a down refresh rate to synchronize with its content , which effectively help save the barrage . The display supports resolutions up to Quad HD+ ( 1440 x 3216 pixels ) . So , if you enjoy determine content of higher quality or prefer crisper ocular elements , the higher resolution is a summation . If you do n’t necessarily see it as a bonus , you may bring down it to 1080p and salvage some of the battery .
What really makes the OnePlus 11 ’s display exciting to me is financial support forDolby Vision , especially since loyalist from Samsung ’s and Google ’s clans lack it . This means that video content recorded with Dolby Vision appears brighter and more contrasted than the Galaxy S23 or Pixel 8 serial . Naturally , less expensive phones from these brands do n’t stand a chance either .
OnePlus has taken monolithic tread in terms of the display ’s brightness with the OnePlus 12 , claiming up to 1,600 nit of brightness in manual mode and up to 4,500 nits of flower smartness ( liken to 800 nits and 1,300 nits on the OnePlus 11 severally ) . While the OnePlus 12 gets due vantage in bright or out-of-door scenario , the OnePlus 11 does n’t exactly lag behind either . Under indoor lighting or without unmediated sun , you will hardly find the OnePlus 11 lacking in any good sense . More significantly , both telephone set support a interchangeable reach of people of color , meaning you will not discover the OnePlus 11 unusually dull , specially with reflex brightness .
Lastly , while using curved presentation edges is arguable — and make like Apple and Samsung normally remain away from them , the OnePlus 11 embrace them — and I like it . The curving boundary are especially useful while using piloting gestures or scrolling down a Thomas Nelson Page . But on the downside , screen protectors compatible with curving edges are difficult to come by and install , while uncovered curve screens are likely more prostrate to part .
Haptics that I can’t get enough of
Android telephone jail far behind and lack the same refinement as the iPhone when it occur to haptic answer — the diminutive vibrations you feel when you trigger a motion or tap a button . OnePlus , however , has arrive imposingly unaired and , in certain gesture , even good than iPhones . Part of this can be recognize to a refined vibration motor inside the OnePlus 11 , which the company calls a “ Bionic ” vibration motor .
OnePlus claims to be thestrongest vibration motoron any Android sound and habituate various step of force and nimbleness to back its precision . or else of a generic vibrational feedback for every action , the haptics on the OnePlus 11 are attune to the motion — such as typing , changing the light or the volume , scrolling , etc . For pop games , such asPUBG Mobile , the tactile feedback is also splice to actions such as enkindle a gun , drive a fomite , etc . , to better how you engage with them .
The swift and exact motility are controlled by a software feature called O - Haptics , shared by OnePlus and its parent society , Oppo . Under this , you discover many options to alter the palpitation vividness and prefer between curt and smooth shaking to customize it to your liking . While it ’s difficult to feel the vibration just by read about it , this videouses imagery for dissimilar usance scenario to visualize the vibration .
Even as other phones , such as the existingOnePlus 11Rand the promise OnePlus 12R , are stocked with comparable computer hardware to the OnePlus 11 , nonaged refinements like these make it palpate like a more premium phone .
Even in 2024, the OnePlus 11 still has it
While I ’ve sung praise for the OnePlus 11 , there ’s no denying that theOnePlus 12 is the better phone in almost all Mary Jane . It has a better chipset , embraces superfast radio receiver buck again , and has an surprisingly bright display . Besides the immediately seeable increment , the OnePlus 12 also gets a tad bite considerably when it comes to water resistor . But at the same meter , the OnePlus 12 also gain a few millimeters in thickness as it accommodates a bigger battery while also weighing slightly heavy .
Despite the improvements that the OnePlus 12 brings to the table , I recommend the OnePlus 11 for one elemental reason — the note value it offers for a lower cost . Currently , the OnePlus 11 ’s bag discrepancy is available on the company ’s on-line store for $ 100 less than its original launch price of $ 700 . The more enticing option , however , would be the one with 16 GB RAM and 256 GB storage , heel at just $ 630 .
The improvement on the OnePlus 12 are unimpeachably tempting , but you must be mindful of the fact that they will receive a higher damage . The 256 GB variant of the OnePlus 11 was to begin with establish for $ 800 , and the OnePlus 12 ’s price could take a outrageous wage increase . Your choice for sound around $ 650 are n’t special , but the OnePlus 11 offer an exciting portmanteau of brilliant carrying into action , superfast pumped-up charging , a well - optimized battery , and software that has both good and bad elements .
Lastly , while the upcomingOnePlus 12R — most likely a rebadged OnePlus Ace 3 , which launched in China in the beginning this month — may tempt you with a similar package , one panorama still view as the OnePlus 11 to an reward is the Hasselblad - tuned tv camera with effective telephoto and ultrawide sensors . But , if your sideline of a new earphone involves looking for the same “ flagship killer whale ” equipment characteristic that OnePlus once stood for , the OnePlus 11 is a better choice than any other phone in the ship’s company ’s current portfolio .
