OnePlus 11 is an Android phone that stands out for its fast performance and long battery life. It is powered by the Snapdragon 888 chipset, with 8GB RAM and 256GB internal storage, and runs OxygenOS 11 based on Android 11. The phone has a 6.7-inch FHD+ display with 120Hz refresh rate and a 48MP triple camera setup. The phone also features Warp Charge 65, 5G support, an in-display fingerprint scanner, and stereo speakers. It offers a great blend of performance, battery life, and features, making it a great choice for those looking for a reliable Android experience.
The OnePlus 11 is one of the first smartphones to feature Qualcomm’s latest top chip, making it faster and more durable, but an overhauled design of the device has polarized opinions.
The new phone starts at £729 ($699) so it’s well priced compared to big-screen rivals from Samsung, Google and Apple, if it costs £100 more than last year’s OnePlus 10T.
The large 6.7-inch OLED screen on the front is a metal-and-glass sandwich like most premium smartphones, and it’s bright, crisp, and smooth at 120Hz, making it one of the best. The glass curves towards the metal band on the sides, while the phone’s relatively narrow width makes it easier to hold than wider competitors 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 the standout feature. The phone is well made, but it’s only splashproof and not designed to survive water immersion like most of the competition, which feels a bit cheap.
The phone runs OxygenOS 13, a modified version of Android 13 with a few more customization options. In general, it’s harmless and runs well and behaves similarly to previous iterations. New this year is a five-year software support assurance with bi-monthly security patches and four major Android version upgrades. That’s a year longer than its predecessors and just as long as Google and Samsung, which offer monthly security patches but are up to seven behind the six years of Fairphone and Apple’s, so there’s still room for improvement – especially when it comes to the hardware probably the software will outlast .
specifications
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Screen: 6.7-inch 120Hz QHD+ OLED 525ppi)
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Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 2
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R.A.M: 8 or 16GB
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Storage: 128 or 256GB
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Operating system: Oxygen OS 13 (Android 13)
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Camera: 50 MP main, 48 MP ultrawide, 32 MP 2x; 16MP selfie
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Connectivity: 5G, eSIM, WLAN 6/7, NFC, Bluetooth 5.3 and GNSS
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water resistance: IP64 (splashproof)
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Dimensions: 163.1 x 74.1 x 8.5mm
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Weight: 205g
Top performance and long battery life
The 11 features Qualcomm’s brand new top-of-the-line Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, which is set to be used by most high-end Android phones this year. The processor is up to 35% faster but also 40% more energy efficient than its predecessor for longer battery life and cooler operation during gaming sessions. The 11 certainly feels fast in day-to-day operations.
The battery life is greatly improved. The 11 lasts around 46 to 48 hours between charges, with five to six hours of active use of the screen during that time and three hours spent on 5G with the rest on Wi-Fi. Increasing the screen resolution to the maximum QHD+ had little impact on battery life.
When the battery finally dies, it takes just 23 minutes for a full charge with the 100W AC adapter, which is slightly slower than the 10T but not much slower. The battery is rated for at least 1,600 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 doesn’t contain any recycled materials but is generally repairable by OnePlus, with the screen replacing around £80 and the batteries around £20 plus labour. The company operates a trade-in program and is included in parent company Oppo’s annual sustainability reports.
camera
The 11 features a similar photography setup to last year’s 10 Pro, including Hasselblad camera technology. It has a 48MP, 50MP ultra-wide and 32MP 2x telephoto main camera on the rear, as well as a decent 16MP selfie camera on the front
The main camera shoots some of the best photos yet on a OnePlus with good detail and range, but loses some sharpness at the edges of the image and can struggle with color balance, as warmer scenes occasionally look a bit orange.
The ultrawide camera is a bit softer in detail and can take slightly dark shots compared to the other cameras. The 2x telephoto camera is one of the better short zoom cameras on the market, good in detail and balance, but doesn’t reduce the distance to objects usefully. Most competitors have at least 3x optical zoom, with the best reaching up to 10x.
All three cameras struggle a bit in low-light scenarios compared to best-in-class. The 16-megapixel selfie camera captures good-looking, detailed images with decent dynamic range and copes well with poor lighting.
A macro photography mode uses the ultrawide camera when you get close and can produce some excellent images. But you need to be precise to keep the image sharp, which is hard to judge on screen while recording. Various additional modes generally work well, including a decent portrait mode and novel Xpan panorama shots.
Overall the main camera is good for the price but won’t bother the best in the business from Apple, Google or Samsung.
Price
The OnePlus 11 costs £729 ($699) for 8GB RAM and 128GB storage, or £799 ($799) with 16 and 256GB, shipping February 16.
For comparison, the Google Pixel 7 costs £599, the Pixel 7 Pro £849, the Samsung Galaxy S23+ £1,049 and the iPhone 14 Plus £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, feels good, and is narrower than its rivals, making it a little easier to hold despite being a large phone. The screen is great, the fingerprint scanner is responsive and the camera is solid if not class-leading. The big round camera blob on the back is divisive, though.
OxygenOS is a harmless version of Android and is now supported for up to five years, but that only keeps up with the main competition. The battery is also said to last the full five years, which cannot be said of most of its competitors.
It lacks wireless charging and is only splashproof, but overall there’s little to fault with the 11, making it a decent alternative to big-brand competitors. It’s just a little uninspired, and with some excellent mid-range phones offering almost as much for a lot less money, the OnePlus might not be flashy or cheap enough to win outright.
Advantages: Smooth performance, decent software with five years of updates, long battery life and longevity, 23 minutes full charge, great screen, reasonable price.
Disadvantages: Camera not best in class, only 2x optical zoom, only splashproof, split design, no wireless charging, security updates only every two months, not monthly.
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