Samsung Galaxy A11: At First Glance
The A-series is Samsung’s offering of mouth-watering features at affordable prices. The Samsung Galaxy A10 was the entry-level release into the series – however, this review is about its successor – the Samsung Galaxy A11.
Like I said above, the members of the Samsung Galaxy A series are offered at affordable prices and the Samsung Galaxy A11 is not an exception. Speaking of the price, in October 2021 when we published this review, the Samsung Galaxy A11 was going for $127.99.
Now that you know you won’t be breaking the bank to own a Samsung Galaxy A11, let us proceed to the features and specs.
Samsung Galaxy A11: Design, Dimension & Weight
As you can expect from a budget phone, the Samsung Galaxy A11 is made of plastic and that is okay. But one thing that is not okay is how much of a fingerprint and dirt magnet the glossy back is.
It is understandable that Samsung is trying to mimic a glass finish however, the outcome is pretty messy. Although that is not a deal-breaker and nothing that a $10 case cannot solve.
Thankfully, the Samsung Galaxy A11 is available in multiple color options to choose from based on your preference. There are blue, red, white, and black color options.
Let us start the analysis of the Samsung Galaxy A11’s features from its front view. The front view is dedicated to the 6.4-inch display, this is a massive screen, and lovers of games and movies will enjoy it.
Impressively, the screen follows a modern bezel-less design pattern for its top, this is in line with the design trend of 2020. However, there is still a slim black bezel at the bottom of the screen.
On the top-left corner of the screen sits the front camera for taking selfies. Meanwhile, on the bottom of the screen just above the bottom bezel, there you will find the three navigational controls.
Moving on to the back view, the triple-lens camera layout can be seen in the top left corner. To the right-hand side of the camera layout, you will find the LED flash.
A recent development for the Samsung Galaxy A11 is the presence of a fingerprint scanner as this feature was missing from its predecessor. The fingerprint scanner is positioned close to the top, the positioning is perfect and easily accessible by the pointer finger.
Further below the back chassis, there is a Samsung branding. That sums up all the features you will find on the back of your Samsung Galaxy A11.
The top of the Samsung Galaxy A11 houses a microphone and a 3.5mm headphone jack. It is usually a relief to see headphone jacks on phone these days since flagships have dropped that important feature.
The bottom on the other hand houses another microphone, a USB Type-C charging port, and a speaker. It is impressive to see a modern USB port at this price bracket and not a micro USB port.
Furthermore, while viewing the Samsung Galaxy A11 from the front, the left side houses the SIM card and memory card tray. Meanwhile, the right side houses the volume keys and the power key.
Not surprisingly, the Samsung Galaxy A11 does not have an IP rating for water resistance. The presence of a water-resistant feature for a phone of this price would have been a surprising feat.
When it comes to size, the Samsung Galaxy A11 measures 161.4 x 76.3 x 8 mm. In comparison with the predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy A11 is bigger and thicker.
Speaking of which the predecessor – Samsung Galaxy A10 – measures 155.6 x 75.6 x 7.9 mm. However, it is smaller and slimmer than the Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Lite which measures 165.8 x 76.7 x 8.8 mm.
For the weight, the Samsung Galaxy A11 weighs 177g which is heavier than the 168g of its predecessor. Meanwhile, it is lighter than the mammoth Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Lite which weighs 309g.
Finally, I will rate the Samsung Galaxy A11 an eight in this design and dimension review section.
Samsung Galaxy A11: Display Features
The display of a phone is one of its essential features because it serves as the face of the phone itself. To determine how good a phone’s display is, there are many factors to consider such as screen size, display technology, resolution, etc.
The Samsung Galaxy A11 ships with 6.4 inches TFT capacitive touch display with a 1560 x 720 pixels resolution. A thin-film-transistor (TFT) LCD display is a variant of a liquid-crystal display (LCD) that produces better graphics qualities.
TFT displays produce bright and good-quality content. Also, another advantage of TFT screens is that they are energy-efficient, this implies that your Samsung Galaxy A11 screen does not consume too much battery power.
However, the blackness level is not as good as that of its competitor, this will result in a reproduction of blacks as gray.
Moreover, the viewing angles are also not so impressive, there will be a color loss when viewing the screen from acute angles. Therefore, to get the best out of the screen you need to place the phone right in front of you.
With a screen size of 6.04-inch, the screen is definitely a mammoth screen and reaching the top edges and bottom edges with one hand might prove a bit hard. Hence, for ease of screen reachability, the Samsung Galaxy A11 is a two-handed phone.
The screen also has a 19.5:9 aspect ratio, this is notably longer than the standard 16:9. This implies that you will be able to conveniently use your keyboard without it blocking too much content.
The edge-to-edge design of the screen makes an enjoyable cinematic view for watching movies, playing games, or just browsing the web.
Furthermore, the Samsung Galaxy A11 has a screen resolution of 1560 x 720 pixels also known as HD+. The HD+ resolution is not the best you can get from a screen, it is only slightly higher than an HD.
Meanwhile, it sits below better screen resolutions like FHD, QHD and UHD, and everything in between. However, considering the price bracket the Samsung Galaxy A11 falls into, this is fair enough.
Moreover, the Samsung Galaxy A11 has a pixel density of 268 PPI. Pixel density refers to the number of pixels on a screen, the higher the number of pixels, the better the clarity of graphics produced.
Unfortunately, with a pixel density of 268 PPI, the Samsung Galaxy A11 falls below the average industry standard pixel density of 300 PPI. Once again, the Samsung Galaxy A11 is only living up to its price standard in this category.
Unfortunately, the Samsung A11’s screen is not protected by a corning gorilla glass for preventing cracks. Hence, getting a tempered glass screen protector for your Samsung Galaxy A11 is a necessity.
Finally, I will rate the Samsung Galaxy A11 a seven in this design and dimension review section.
Samsung Galaxy A11: Camera Features
The focus point of most Samsung smartphones is usually the camera and the Samsung A11 is no exception. The camera performance of the Samsung Galaxy A11 might not be stellar like the brand’s flagships.
However, it packs an impressive performance that befits its class.
The Samsung Galaxy A11 has an 8 MP front-facing camera with an aperture size of f/2.0. The camera has a live focus capability which helps to put a lot more attention on the subject rather than the background.
Overall, the front camera is not all that great, but it manages to take decent outdoor selfies. However, indoor pictures turn out grainy and muddy.
Additionally, the front camera has a beauty mode that smoothens out the skin. However, this feature makes the picture look overly airbrushed.
When it comes to recording videos, both front and rear cameras are capable of recording 1080p resolution videos at 30 fps. Sadly, there isn’t any video stabilization technology so the result tends to be shaky.
Moving on, the Samsung Galaxy A11 has three rear cameras. Next, to the three-camera layout, there is a flash for taking clear pictures at night.
The first of the three cameras is a 13 MP main camera with an f/1.8 aperture size and a 27mm focal length. The main camera is great at taking quick shots in good lighting.
Also, there is a 5 MP ultra-wide-angle camera with an aperture size of f/2.2. The ultra-wide camera captures up to a 115-degree field of vision shooter.
Finally, there is a 2 MP depth camera with an aperture size of f/2.4. The depth camera is useful in putting the subject in perfect focus.
The rear cameras support features like panorama and HDR. Additionally, there is support for 8x zoom but it results in loss of details.
Finally, I will rate the Samsung Galaxy A11 a six in this camera features review section.
Samsung Galaxy A11: Battery Life And Talk Time
The Samsung Galaxy A11 ships with a 4000 mAh Li-Ion non-removable battery. The battery capacity is impressive for a smartphone of this size.
One issue that leaves me unimpressed here is that the battery is not removable. This implies that there is no ease of swapping out a flat battery with a charge nor a damaged battery with a new one.
However, non-removable phone batteries seem like a design pattern that has come to stay. Sadly, it may appear as though, no amount of whining is going to bring back removable batteries.
On a brighter note, the Samsung Galaxy A11 battery gives it a long-lasting backup. According to ting.com, the battery delivered up to 26 hours of battery talk time and 22 days on standby.
Apparently, a phone’s battery performance usually depends on the level of usage. But with the Samsung A11, it is fairly easy to get a full day of battery life under normal usage from a single charge.
Thankfully, you can utilize the Android 10 battery-saving feature to get an even longer battery life.
Furthermore, the battery is a low-maintenance one, it does not require periodic discharge and can be charged randomly. The most impressive feat of the battery is that it supports 15W fast charging.
Hence, you can use your phone with the confidence that when you eventually plug it in, it won’t take forever to charge.
Finally, I will rate the Samsung Galaxy A11 a nine in this battery review section.
Samsung Galaxy A11: Storage Options & Performance
The Samsung A11 ships with a measly 32GB of internal storage. This is such a disappointing storage capacity considering that a lot of pre-installed apps and the Operating system still claim a significant portion of the available space.
Hence, you’re left with just about 21.5 GB of usable space to install your choice of apps and to save media files. Sadly, this can get filled up very quickly.
On a brighter note, the storage space can be expanded through the use of a memory card. Most impressively, you can use a memory card of up to 512 GB which is more than enough space anyone needs.
However, using a memory card comes at an extra cost.
Finally, I will rate the Samsung Galaxy A11 a seven in this storage options review section.
Samsung Galaxy A11: Security Features & Sensors
Over the years, smartphones have significantly developed to the extent that they are now referred to as little computers. They now offer much more services than just making and receiving calls.
Impressively, smartphones are now so smart that they can work as digital assistants by monitoring users’ activities and predicting users’ needs. These additional functionalities of modern smartphones have improved the overall user experience.
The secret behind these additional functionalities that set smartphones apart from traditional feature phones is the integration of sensors. Smartphone sensors are built-in electronic components that measure physical quantities and transmit them to the processor.
When it comes to the available sensors on the Samsung Galaxy A11, it packs a respectable number of them. Speaking of the sensors, there is a fingerprint sensor, an accelerometer, an ambient light sensor, and a proximity sensor.
For security options, the Samsung Galaxy A11 supports both fingerprint scanning and facial recognition. It is commendable for a phone in this price category to pack a facial recognition feature.
With these modern-day security features, you don’t have to worry about forgetting your PIN or password. There is also not a risk of someone else accessing your phone when they know your PIN or password.
However, the fingerprint scanner is faster at unlocking the phone than the facial unlock. The fingerprint sensor is located at the back where it is easy to reach when holding the phone.
Moving on to the other sensors, the accelerometer sensor is useful for measuring tilt and motion. The accelerometer is what makes it possible for your phone to change its orientation and rotate the screen automatically.
Meanwhile, the proximity sensor detects when a user is holding the phone near their face during a call. Consequently, the display is turned off to prevent unwanted keypad presses and reduce battery consumption from the display.
Next is the ambient light sensor. This sensor is useful for detecting the amount of light around the phone.
As a response to the level of sunlight in the environment, the phone’s screen brightness is regulated according. This is advantageous for protecting your eyes and for saving the screen’s battery consumption as well.
Finally, I will rate the Samsung Galaxy A11 a nine in this security features and sensors review section.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Samsung Galaxy A11 measures 161.4 x 76.3 x 8 mm and it has a screen size of 6.4-inch. It is definitely a big phone and more comfortable using with two hands.
The Samsung Galaxy A11 has a 4,000 mAh non-removable Li-Ion battery. Although battery performance is usually dependent on battery usage, the battery easily delivers up to 26 hours of talk time.
Additionally, you can get up to 22 days of battery life on standby. Also, you can utilize the Android 10 battery-saving feature to get an even longer battery life.
One of the disadvantages of the Samsung Galaxy A11 is that it does not support Near Field Communication (NFC). NFC is a contactless data transfer technology that allows transfer between NFC-enabled devices in close proximity.
Also, NFC is useful for making wireless payments via contactless payment platforms like Android Pay, Samsung Pay.
Apart from the absence of NFC, another essential missing feature of the Samsung Galaxy A11 is that it does not support wireless charging. This is not surprising because the phone is built out of plastic and plastic does not support wireless charge.
The Samsung Galaxy A11 offers lots of enticing features at a budget-conscious price. Speaking of, it offers a 6.4-inch display, a triple-lens camera layout, immersive One UI experience, headphone jack, and fast charge.
Additionally, you will also get an Android 10 OS, fingerprint sensor, and face unlocks. Therefore, it is safe to say that the Samsung Galaxy A11 is worth buying.
Conclusion
The Samsung Galaxy A11 is proof that you don’t need to break the bank to use a functional smartphone. At a budget-conscious price, the Samsung Galaxy A11 still packs lots of enticing features.
Speaking of which, you will enjoy a 6.4-inch display, a triple-lens camera layout, and an immersive experience of One UI. Additionally, there are other perks like a headphone jack, fast charge, Android 10, fingerprint sensor, and face unlock.
All in all, the Samsung Galaxy A11 is a wise choice for budget-conscious users.
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I had a moto that was cheep, but reliable. It connected to my vehicle and worked fine. I should have stuck with it. But instead I traded it in on a Samsung A11. It locks, up, over heats, will not stay connected to my vehicle, Its slow, and responds poorly. When you need it to work it takes that opportunity to decide to malfunction. Less than a year and it is falling apart. I’m going back to the Moto. It may be cheap, but it is reliable and dependable.