If you have $400/£400 to spare and are looking for a mid-range smartphone, the iPhone SE (2022) and the Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G must be considered.
This is a difficult comparison to do because the two phones look and behave so differently.
Both phones have its advantages and disadvantages, but we’ve determined a clear victor at least for the majority of users.
Design comparison: iPhone SE (2022) vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G
The iPhone SE (2022) resembles the 5-year-old iPhone 8, which is positively ancient in smartphone terms.
You get a phone with a large forehead and chin, a physical Home button (albeit it doesn’t move), and a 4.7-inch display. It’s one of the tiniest phones on the market, measuring 138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3mm and weighing 144g.
We like how it feels distinct from every other phone on the market, but let’s not kid ourselves. It’s an outmoded approach, and we wish Apple had switched to a more modern design language.
In comparison, the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G is a considerably more modern, but also more anonymous-looking device.
We appreciate the glass back, which is unusual for an Android phone at this budget, but the frame is composed of squared-off plastic rather than aluminum, as on the iPhone SE.
It’s a big phone, measuring 164.2 x 76.1 x 8.1mm and weighing 202g – much bigger than the iPhone SE (2022). It also has a far more prominent camera module than its competitor, for reasons we’ll discuss later.
While the iPhone has a specialized fingerprint sensor in the Home button, the Redmi has its own sensor in the power button on the right edge.
It’s great and speedy, but no one beats Apple
One other advantage for the iPhone SE is that it has an IP67 rating, whilst the Redmi Note 11 just has an IP53. The SE is more resistant to rain and dusty pockets.
In summary, the Redmi is larger and more modern, while the iPhone is better made and employs higher-quality materials.
Display comparison: iPhone SE (2022) vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G
The iPhone SE (2022) display was never going to be large with such a compact chassis and enormous bezels. It is, however, quite small at 4.7 inches.
Furthermore, because it is simply an IPS LCD panel, it lacks the eye-popping color and contrast of its OLED opponent.
It’s not particularly sharp, either, with a resolution of 750 x 1334, nor is it particularly bright, with a maximum brightness of 625 nits and a refresh rate of 60Hz.
In every way, the Redmi Note 11 5G wins this round. It has a 6.67-inch Super AMOLED display with a 1080 x 2400 (FHD+) resolution and a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz. In normal settings, its brightness rises to 700 units and peaks at 1200 units.
Greater in size, sharper, brighter, smoother, and more colorful. It’s simply superior to Apple’s old display, as good as it was in its heyday.
Camera comparison: iPhone SE (2022) vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G
If you only look at the stats and figures, you could assume that the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G has the camera round in the bag. Xiaomi’s inexpensive phone includes three cameras as opposed to the iPhone’s single camera, and the main wide sensor is a massive 108MP example as opposed to the iPhone’s pokey 12MP.
However, in terms of image quality and dependability, the iPhone SE (2022) is well ahead.
The iPhone SE produces images that our reviewer found to be “pleasing to the eye, color-accurate, and often gorgeous” thanks to Apple’s unrivalled image processing talents in conjunction with the A15 Bionic CPU.
Smart HDR 4 and Deep Fusion algorithms ensure that these photos appear far better than you might anticipate from such modest technology; additionally, Apple continues to be the undisputed master of video capture up to 4K 60fps.
While it can still produce excellent outcomes, it was not as consistent as we would have hoped. The settings will require more fiddling, whereas the iPhone SE is delightfully fire-and-forget.
Still, because to its dedicated 8MP ultra-wide camera, the Redmi can snap ultra-wide images.
Sure, the images are a little muted, there’s a noticeable reduction in dynamic range, and you can’t utilize the Night mode at the same time – but, unlike the iPhone, the option is there. When it comes to video recording, the iPhone totally destroys the Redmi, taking greater footage at up to 4K resolution. The Redmi can only handle 1080p video.
To read our blog on “We have some high expectations for Apple’s iPhone 14,” click here
