- GeniusUpdates1@Gmail.com
Menu
What is the entry-level Realme C11 smartphone worth, sold for 9,190 BDT in Bangladesh? We tested it, and here is our verdict.
Determined to find a place in the Bangladesh market, Realme, born in the bosom of the manufacturer Oppo, is multiplying smartphones of all ranges. The entry-level is part of its core target, through ultra-affordable mobile devices, notably represented by the Realme C11, marketed in the summer of 2021 in France at an aggressive price of 9,190 BDT.
At this price, what uses and performances are offered to the user? That’s what this test is all about. This test was carried out using a copy lent by Realme.
Given its very low price, the Realme C11 clearly does not borrow the aesthetic codes of high-end smartphones. It is not the goal. On the front, the mobile device is equipped with a 6.4-inch screen surrounded by relatively wide borders. That of the chin is even more so. Do not be demanding vis-à-vis this defect which is ultimately not one for a product of this ilk.
Still, on the front facade, the front camera is nestled in a central notch in the shape of a drop of water. Here again, this trend is now outdated on most terminals but is still relevant for the least expensive range. To sum up: the front is very classic, but acceptable.
The back benefits from a mint green color with rather successful slightly shiny reflections. A striated effect is also invited to the party, which is crossed vertically by a flat band where the name of the brand is affixed, roughly. Hard to miss. The slightly rough touch in any case makes it easier to hold the phone.
At the top left, a square module with rounded corners accommodates two sensors and a flash. A welcome and eye-pleasing aesthetic choice, which draws inspiration from better-positioned counterparts. The back does not catch fingerprints, but a little dust.
On the left edge has been integrated the slot reserved for two SIM cards and a MicroSD card. A good point, which allows it to switch from one package to another if you feel like it, but also and above all to extend the internal storage.
On the right edge, you will find the power button which falls perfectly under the thumb, overlooked by the volume buttons which you must however pick up with your finger. We would have preferred to find them on the left edge in order to manipulate them with our index finger and facilitate screenshots.
The lower edge accommodates the one and only speaker grille, the MicroUSB output (and not USB-C, unfortunately), and, good news for aficionados of wired headphones, a 3.5mm jack.
On the hand, the Realme C11 is a beautiful baby: its “massive side” is accentuated by its thickness of 9.1 mm, although its width of 75.9 mm and its length of 164.4 mm are classic. On the other hand, its weight of 196 grams – according to the technical sheet of the official site – is slightly felt, but nothing more.
Who says entry-level smartphone, generally says modest materials: the use of plastic is therefore obvious for this device, which also allows it to position itself at less than 9,200 BDT. If the average finishes are not a problem with regard to its price list, the absence of a fingerprint sensor on the back is however a real black spot in 2021.
As mentioned above, the Realme C11 offers a 6.5-inch IPS panel in 20:9 format whose HD+ definition (1600 x 720 pixels) is correct for its price. The screen also occupies 88.7% of the front panel. This configuration is fine for reading articles and videos but also doesn’t break a duck’s three legs. But again, let’s try to put these features into perspective with its starving price.
In terms of brightness, the copy is very average: indoors, the phone does quite well. But outside with bright skies, the colors of the phone literally change before your eyes. On YouTube, for example, the very dark gray of the dark theme changes to a very light gray.
Certainly, the maximum brightness of 464 cd / m² provides acceptable visibility, but the colors (especially dark) are completely distorted. The Realme C11 shows better contrasts with a very good ratio of 2147:1. Configured on the “ Default ” mode, the color temperature is close to 7118 K and therefore tends a bit too much towards blue, which generally gives more pep to the screen.
Remember that the ideal average temperature is 6500 K. To balance everything out, you can therefore always play on the degree of the temperatures by adding a little heat to your device.
By launching Realme UI in January 2020, the Chinese manufacturer sought to free itself from Oppo. But it is clear that its software interface more or less resembles that of its cousin ColorOS. Based on Android 10 at launch, the Realme C11 offers the same organization of Settings as ColorOS.
In short, this exact copy is an advantage, since Oppo’s interface has now proven itself after many improvements. Realme UI gives you the opportunity to customize your software experience, from the shape of app icons (square, round, octagon) to gesture navigation and native dark mode.
An application drawer is obviously required (bottom-up gesture from anywhere on the screen), while the notification panel is complete and configurable. Taking a screenshot by sliding three fingers down is quite possible, as is touching the screen twice in a row to turn it on, to name a few examples of the options offered.
Finally, note the “split-screen” function and the comfort mode to filter blue light. On the other hand, the animated wallpapers announced for the launch of Realme UI at the beginning of the year are still unavailable, as is “the new sidebar of shortcuts to screenshot”, which here strongly resembles the sidebar intelligent ColorOS.
In the absence of a fingerprint sensor, your choice will turn to an encrypted code like in the good old days, or to a 2D facial recognition less secure than the advanced systems (3D) from Apple, Huawei, or Google. To configure it, the capture is done in just two seconds. Not very reassuring. I also managed to unlock the phone with a mask covering a good part of my face. And when the system recognizes the latter, the phone is certainly unlocked… but you still have to swipe your finger on the screen to access your home interface.
By default, all Google applications are installed: Chrome, Gmail, Maps, YouTube, Drive, YouTube Music, Photos, Google One, Google Pay, etc. However, you will only enjoy HD videos on your SVoD platforms. Indeed, for its DRM management, the Realme C11 is only Widevine L3 certified.
Unlike Widevine L1, the L3 security level is the lowest. As a result, services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video block your access to high-definition videos: you will have to settle for low quality. And believe me, it shows in the picture.
The Realme C11 has a dual photo sensor on the back, the characteristics of which are:
In the smartphone market, the photographic quality of the devices is an important element in determining their range, although some manufacturers sometimes make some concessions on it. Here, given the price of the product, the result is not flamboyant. But rest assured: there is also good to report.
The main sensor of the Realme C11 does not logically offer an optical zoom, but a digital zoom x2 and x4. Below, you will find several series putting his device to the test. In good outdoor conditions, the camera offers a completely correct wide-angle score, with a slightly more contrasting set compared to reality. Nothing embarrassing, in short. It even adds a little pep to the photos.
On the other hand, the x2 and x4 digital zooms are worth it. With the first, the photo (series n°1) lacks sharpness, especially at the level of the trees. The photo is usable, but clearly not transcendent. With the second zoom, the shot is even more blurred on its upper part with a fairly obvious lack of overall detail. In short: the zoom is not his forte.
Note also a lack of color consistency between the different zoom levels, especially on the first series. The weaknesses observed in the latter are however less obvious in the second series. The wide-angle sensor also provides good dynamic management in normal mode but encounters too many difficulties in managing strong sources of light in x2 zoom (photo n°2). The sky is indeed “scorched”.
The second two-megapixel sensor dedicated to portrait mode does well on simple and moderately complex subjects. For example, he succeeds in clearly delimiting a succulent plant with multiple branches, something that the Oppo Reno 4 Pro at 64,000 BDT could not achieve. Defining a blur around a stainless steel bottle is child’s play, as is a person with a well-defined haircut.
The task looks more difficult on a tousled haircut (photo n°4) since a bokeh effect appears on a few flyaway locks in the background. The hand is well defined. For a smartphone at 19,500 BDT, the portrait mode of the Realme C11 is generally a success.
Portrait mode is also available in selfies. And there, it is the disaster, as the other would say. The blur is roughly applied to part of my back hair, without taking into account any outline. This observation can be observed both in photo n°1 with the hair loose and in photo n°2 with the hair attached. Photo n°3 corresponds to a selfie in normal mode, for a classic result, but not remarkable either.
At night, the Realme C11 struggles to convince: the management of light halos can be improved, while the image clearly lacks sharpness. It is all the more so in x2 and x4 zoom.
The phone also has the right to a night mode, tested on a very dark situation and another slightly brighter thanks to the light of street lamps. On the first, the result is barely noticeable, while the photo tends to be yellow on the second. In short: prefer daytime photos.
The Realme C11 is finally able to shoot in 1080p/30 FPS or 720p/30 FPS.
Be warned: the Realme C11 is not a racing beast with the latest processor from Qualcomm or Samsung. No, the phone instead embeds an eight-core MediaTek Helio G35 SoC clocked at 2.3 GHz and engraved in 12 nm. All are supported by only 2 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage (expandable up to 256 GB). This is little. Barely 20 applications were installed and a few photos captured that there is already only 9 GB left.
On simple tasks, such as opening an application or browsing the internet, a small latency is observed for each action. The Google Chrome application can even take several seconds to open to access the search bar. Overall, the experience remains quite slow: so do not be undemanding with regard to this criterion.
The Realme C11 isn’t an expert at handling multitasking either. On the other hand, it is able to get by on some 3D games like PUBG Mobile, but in low quality (Fluid or Balanced, HD, HDR, Ultra HD, and UHD levels not being compatible with the device), in the frequency of average images, which is the maximum limit proposed by the application. The experience is generally fluid but suffers from some latency from time to time.
For further
Less demanding games like Among Us have no problem running on the phone. Want a Top 1 on Fortnite? Please iron ladies and gentlemen: the popular battle royale does not accept the Realme C11, whose power is obviously considered too weak to support the graphic requirement of the title.
For a smartphone at9,200 BDT, the C11 offers good versatility in terms of uses, although the fluidity will not really be there on a daily basis. Frustrating.
If there is one point on which the Realme C11 stands out, it is autonomy. With its gargantuan 5000 mAh battery, the phone can, according to its official product page, “hold 12 hours of a gaming session, 21 hours of audiovisual viewing, and 32 hours of calling”. We have not pushed our test so far, but it is clear that the device has breathtaking endurance.
See for yourself: it took me a day and twenty hours to drop from 100 to 12%… with a screen time of 12:15. It’s just colossal. During the first day, YouTube and Netflix were used for 4h15 and 3h, respectively. Many applications have also been downloaded, for a screen on for 8 hours in total. At that exact moment, the battery was showing 52%. On the second day, the camera and benchmark applications were the main uses. Also, the phone only lost 3% during a nine-hour night. With moderate usage, the Realme C11 should easily hold up for three days. This is a perfect companion that won’t let you down after a day of use.
On the other hand, it is grimace soup on the charging side: the charger is close to 10 W and therefore does not offer fast charging. Count 1h05 of loading to climb from 5 to 50%, 45 additional minutes to tickle 80%, and finally 1h more to reach 100%. Total duration: 2h50. Fortunately, the smartphone displays very good endurance, requiring a charging session only every two or three days.
Obviously, at the price of 9,200 BDT, the Realme C11 is not compatible with wireless charging.
As mentioned in this test, the Realme C11 has a dual-slot to accommodate two SIM cards. The phone is compatible with Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 5.0, and all French frequency bands dedicated to 4G. You will therefore have no problem receiving it, regardless of your operator.
Nevertheless, the quality of the calls does not reach the heights: your voice is sometimes saturated (sizzling), the slightest gust of wind is very annoying for your interlocutor, and certain noise pollution (works, metal rods) are heard, just like the sound of big scooters. The phone still manages to filter out the roar of cars.
On Google Maps, the GPS generally indicates the direction well. The Realme C11 does not have an NFC chip, which usually gives you access to contactless payment or dematerialized transport tickets.
Realme C11 is officially available in Bangladesh at (2 GB + 32 GB) = 9,200 and (4GB + 64GB) = 11,200, only mint green. Its configuration is as follows: 2 GB RAM and 32 GB internal storage (expandable 256 GB).
