OnePlus 11R Review: The OnePlus phone for all!

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC powers onePlus 11R.
• The smartphone comes with a triple camera set-up but without the Hasselblad collaboration.
• The smartphone features fan-favorite OnePlus features like the alert slider.

OnePlus launching two smartphones for a new series is not a new thing. Over the years, we have seen this happening, where a new upgrade meant a revised line-up. However, generally, it is the regular variant paired with a Pro version. These twins are followed up with a mid-year upgrade dubbed a T or an R. This year, however, OnePlus has launched the 11R along with the 11, skipping on the Pro for now. We have reviewed the OnePlus 11, an outright flagship device with the specs to back up that claim. So, in this food chain, where does the 11R fit? And is it the best OnePlus device this year? Short answer - yes. Why? I will explain this in my review.

Price & Availability
OnePlus 11R is available in two variants. There is a base variant with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage priced at ₹39,999. Then there is a variant with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage priced at ₹42,999. You can buy the device from Amazon India and all offline retail stores.

Design

OnePlus surprised me last year when the 10T looked identical to the 10 Pro. However, on close inspection, the differences were evident. The lack of an alert slider, curve display, and the missing Hasselblad branding were concrete giveaways. On the 11R, the differences have been cut short to just two. There is no Hasselblad branding on the device, and the front camera has a center alignment otherwise, it looks identical to the 11.

Now, this is a big device with a tall 6.7-inch display. Yet, the weight distribution here is commendable. The smartphone feels lighter in the hands, and I wasn’t tired of using it over long periods.

Like the regular OnePlus 11, the 11R also features a curved display with flat edges on top and bottom. I like this over the 10T since having a curved screen does add to the aesthetic appeal of the device.

The variant with me is Sonic Black, my favorite color. It is subtle and definitely enhances the curves. Another variant is available in a Galactic Silver color, a mix of minty green and silver. If you like colors that pop out, you can check them out.

On the back, there’s a massive camera set-up. This is circular and not square, like last year we saw on the 10 series. Design is subjective to all, and the opinions are subjective to personal taste. I find this execution not very appealing, but I won’t banish it either. Over the days I have used the device, it has grown on me. That doesn’t change that it is still pretty massive, so wobbling is a persistent issue. However, slapping the cover will solve it to a large extent.

OnePlus 11R also features my personal favorite feature on a OnePlus device - the alert slider. Placed on the top right, it works how it always did. You slide it to set sound profiles on the device. Even with my OnePlus 10T review, I mentioned how taking the slider out impacts the useability, especially for customers from an existing OnePlus device. What surprised me was how we saw it on the Nord 2T, not the 10T. I am glad OnePlus was more democratic with the feature this time around.

There are other hard-press buttons, namely the power button and volume rockers. Their quality is top-notch, and I haven’t noticed any wobbling.

On top here, we have an IR blaster, which is a surprising addition to a OnePlus device. I am thoroughly happy to see it here. In my Redmi Note 12 Pro+ review, I have mentioned how it is a valuable addition for us in India. And yes, it does work well.

On the bottom, we have the USB type-C charging port, the speaker grill, and a SIM card tray. The smartphone supports two nano SIM cards.


Display
OnePlus 11R features a 6.7-inch AMOLED display with a 2772 x 1440 pixels resolution. With a peak brightness of 1450 nits, the display is reasonably bright and delivers a standard OnePlus experience. No experimentations here in terms of the visual experience.

I was out last weekend with the 11R as my primary device, and looking at it outdoors wasn’t an issue. However, the brightness on the always-on screen is not apt, and I struggled to see text on it. However, once in, the device doesn’t disappoint. The auto brightness on the 11R also works surprisingly well and, more often than not, adjusts the brightness perfectly.

Watching content on the 11R is a pleasant experience. I caught up with Mandalorian season 3 on Disney+ Hotstar, and I had a good time. The smartphone supports HDR10+, which reflects when you watch the content in said format. The colors looked natural, and the details were top-notch. However, the brightness in HDR content is self-adjusted on the device, which makes the experience a bit annoying. I want this to be taken care of in the future since it adds to the consistency in performance.

The display is paired with a stereo speaker set-up, which is surprisingly loud. The smartphone can deliver audio output, which can fill a small room.

Otherwise, the display is solid in terms of responsiveness as well. The panel supports 120Hz of max refresh rate and has the auto switch feature. Where the display switches between variable refresh rates. The execution for this is choppy here. Especially when I jumped between a web page to a game, I could notice a freeze, but nothing too serious. 120Hz is the sweet spot for the display, and I preferred keeping it maxed out. It’s smooth and easy on the eyes as well.

This is a curved panel, and as I feared, there are certain mistouches here. While a side-bar touch is fine, where the curved panel troubled me was the gestures. Navigating on the device sometimes required two swipes instead of one because it wouldn't register on the first go. I would not return to the navigation buttons because of this.

The in-display fingerprint sensor on the OnePlus 11R is fairly responsive. It is not as fast as the super-sonic sensors on the new Galaxy S23 devices, but it gets the job done. A quicker way to unlock the device is face unlock, which I have set up.

Software

OnePlus 11R runs on Android 13 out of the box with the Oxygen OS skin. Now as we know, the line between the Oxygen OS and Oppo’s Color OS has truly blurred. But the traces of the older Oxygen OS are still here, mostly because the smartphone is relatively free of bloatware. And as long as that aspect is intact, I don’t mind this amalgamation.

The software experience delivers what you would expect from a OnePlus device. It’s clean and easy on the eyes. Like always, you have plenty of customization options. The one I want to suggest right away is changing the icon designs to pills instead of squares. Once you do it, the display looks less blocky.

Then making its return is the shelf on the OnePlus 11R, which I have never had a problem with. If you customize it correctly and set up preferred applications, it can help you in productivity. I have set a calendar, Gmail notifications, and Instagram here. So whenever I need to access anything, I simply swipe right and enter the app.

There are other OnePlus features, like Zenmode, which I use at the gym since I have set a custom profile here. It helps me shut down all notifications except the ones I chose to keep on.

Overall, if you are an existing OnePlus user with doubts about the OS experience, don’t worry. It still has what you liked, for now.

Performance

OnePlus 11R is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC, which we found on the OnePlus 10T. Yes, that does make it a processor from the last generation, but that doesn’t take away the merits of the SoC.

The processor works perfectly in sync with the device delivering performance across spectrums. I am talking both about general computing and complex tasks like gaming.

I have been running the device on maxed-out settings for gaming and otherwise. COD: Mobile is my game of preference if you have followed my reviews. The performance here is stable, and I got a consistent frame rate of up to 60 fps. Paired with the 120Hz refresh rate on display, the gaming experience was very solid.

I also played GenShin impact, an open-world title. The render speeds were quick, and the smartphone never lagged in processing the elements. Loading and sustaining the environment is challenging in a graphic-heavy game like this. Something the 11R did beautifully.

I also ran a geek bench performance score on the 11R, and the results were respectful. The single-core score on the device is 1380, and the multi-core score is 3744.

Of course, emails, social media, and other general tasks were handled without any worries.

The 16GB of RAM in my review variant had excellent memory retention, and I could jump between apps instantly. That being said, this is a brand-new device, and the performance might dip in prolonged usage.

We also have an option for memory expansion here by up to 12GB. I have yet to find a use case, but it may be useful on the 8GB variant.

The 256GB should be ample for most users, and I suggest buyers opt for this variant. Considering the premium you pay over the base variant is not monumental, and the value you get out of it is a worthy investment.

The 5000mAh battery on the device is a powerhouse. OnePlus, over the years, have managed to push the boundaries for fast charging. The 11R supports 100W superVOOC charging with the 150W adapter in the box. The charging speed here is fast, with the device going from 0-100% in about 40 minutes with active data connectivity and apps running in the background.

The average screen on time(SOT) on the 11R is about 6 hours, which can reach 7 hours if you hypermile it. In real terms, the smartphone should last a day in heavy and light usage.

Camera

The OnePlus 11R features a triple camera set-up, but unlike the 11, it is not blessed by Hasselblad. The camera set-up here comprises a 50 MP primary camera which is a Sony IMX890 sensor, then there is an 8MP ultra-wide sensor and a 2MP macro sensor.

The daylight performance of the primary camera is pleasant and can deliver some stunning results. This isn’t surprising, considering this is, in fact, the same sensor from the OnePlus 11. The color reproduction on images is mostly accurate with the white balance and HDR well in place. Details are also well captured.

By default, the primary camera clicks pictures with a 12MP resolution, however, once you max it out at 50MP, there is a significant jump in detail, primarily in the shadow detailing. The files also get heavier here, but if you click pictures to edit them in the post, this is the resolution for you.

The low-light performance is also respectable, mostly because the software enables the night mode throughout. The camera can deliver images with color distinction and details.

The 8MP ultra-wide camera here just does the job because it opens up the frame, but there is a noticeable color shift. The colors are undersaturated, and details tend to get hazy, something that becomes annoying over time.

The dip is then recovered mildly with the portrait shots. This is all AI, but the edge detection is accurate and adds depth to the images.

Finally, the macro camera here is truly underwhelming. The camera is a wide-angle sensor, meaning you have to stick the camera next to the subject precisely for good results. Even then, the colors tend to be off sometimes. It throws a lighter shade of the colors in the frame here, which can be annoying.

This bad run comes to a halt with the video mode here. The primary camera can record 4K videos up to 30 and 60fps, delivering quality footage on which serious content creators can rely on.

The colors, stabilization, and dynamic range all come together to deliver a video quality that looks good on the phone and can be edited later in the post.

However, I would suggest recording in 1080P if you are shooting casually to save some space, considering the files are comparatively less heavy.

The video results, like the images, are underwhelming from the ultra-wide sensor. The quality is frozen at 1080P 30 fps, and the color shift is prominent.

The selfie camera here is a 16MP shooter, which can deliver some decent results. The details can be underwhelming in low lighting conditions, but with proper lighting, the color reproduction and the details are on point. The camera app adds a little processing to faces, but it’s nothing worth complaining about and makes you look good without overdoing the fixes. Although all AI, the portrait mode provides mostly accurate edge detection.

Verdict
The OnePlus 11R is the most well-balanced device in the OnePlus portfolio and in the market. Truly taking forward the OG OnePlus’ legacy of delivering impressive performance across all departments with minimal compromises at a reasonable cost. So unless you want a specific requirement from the camera, you can opt for the 11R instead of the 11 or any competing device in the range.

The OnePlus 11R at ₹39,999 brings back the old OnePlus proposition to the masses with a flagship-level smartphone at a competitive price. It’s among the best you can get your hands on at the time of writing this article, and if you need a slight bump in the overall experience, the OnePlus 11 is also a solid value-for-money option.