New Redmi Note series launching next week. Can Xiaomi retain its sub-RM1,000 smartphone crown?

Xiaomi has announced that its Redmi Note 11 series is launching for the global market next week. Known for its bang for buck offering, the Redmi Note series has been Xiaomi’s popular budget smartphone series with over 240 million units sold worldwide. The devices typically come out on top if you’re looking for a smartphone priced under RM1,000.

The Redmi Note 11 series event is taking place at 8pm (Malaysian time) next Wednesday, 26th January 2022. You can watch the live event on Xiaomi’s official Facebook page and YouTube channel. The Redmi Note 11 series was first launched in China last October with models such as the Redmi Note 11 4G, Redmi Note 11 5G and Redmi Note 11 Pro.

The Redmi Note 11 devices in China are running on MediaTek processors but it is speculated that the global market may get a Qualcomm version for select models. This shouldn’t come as a surprise as Xiaomi typically offers different specs for China, India, and the rest of the world despite having the same smartphone model name. Adding to the confusion, there’s already a Redmi Note 11T in India.

For the base Redmi Note 11 4G, the China version is running on a 12nm MediaTek Helio G88 processor, and Xiaomi is currently expected to offer a 6nm Snapdragon 680 processor. This is a relatively new 4G-only chip from Qualcomm that was announced alongside the Snapdragon 778G+ in October. The rest of the specs are not known yet but we reckon that it will continue to offer a large display and a huge battery like its predecessor.

The current Redmi Note 10 series was launched locally in March 2021 with a starting price of RM699 for the Redmi Note 10 and RM999 for the Redmi Note 10 Pro. In May 2021, Xiaomi Malaysia introduced the Redmi Note 10 5G priced at RM799, and the Redmi Note 10S that’s priced at RM899.

It’s also worth pointing out that the Realme 9i is launching this afternoon and it will also run on a Snapdragon 680 processor. The device will come with a large 5,000mAh battery and support for 33W fast charging. More details will be revealed by the end of today and it is expected to be priced around RM1,000.

Related reading

• SoyaCincau’s best smartphones under RM1,000 (Oct 2021)
• Redmi Note 11 series debuts in China with 120W fast charging and 108MP camera
• Redmi Note 10 5G and Note 10S Malaysia: Everything you need to know
• Xiaomi 12: 9 things you need to know about Xiaomi’s new flagship series