OLED TVs are mostly always found on the higher side of the pricing scale, but Haier is slightly changing things around with the C11 series. While its expertise lies with home appliances, that’s not letting it play on the back foot. This is not Haier’s first TV, but it definitely offers a unique value proposition with its premium build quality, front-firing 50W Harman Kardon speakers, a 120Hz panel, and more. At a starting price of Rs 1,58,990, it’s already considerably cheaper than some of the other OLED TVs in the market — but is it all show or is the TV worth buying? Let’s find out in my review.
Haier C11 OLED TV
Rs 1,58,990
What Is Good?
- Thin body, premium finish
- Excellent sound output, front-firing speakers
- OLED panel, Stunning display quality
- Plenty useful ports
- Support for 120Hz, HDR10+, Dolby Vision and MEMC
- Good value for money
What Is Bad?
- Requires some colour tuning out of the box
- No Variable Refresh Rate or Auto Low Latency Mode support for PS5
- No Nvidia G-Sync or AMD Freesync support
Haier C11 OLED 55-inch Smart TV Review: Pricing and Availability in India
The Haier C11 OLED series is available in two different sizes. You can get one with a 55-inch display and one with a 65-inch. I could not find listings for either variant on Flipkart or Amazon, but you can check them on Haier’s website or at your nearest offline store.
| Variant | Price in India |
| Haier C11 OLED 55-inch with Harman Kardon | Rs 1,58,990 |
| Haier C11 OLED 65-inch with Harman Kardon | Rs 2,15,990 |
Haier C11 OLED 55-inch Smart TV Review: Design and Build Quality
With a dedicated front-firing speaker suited up in a cloth-like material, the C11 OLED already stands out among the myriad of TVs on the market. A Haier logo in the middle is accompanied by a subtle Harman Kardon badge on the far right. Despite the price, Haier hasn’t held itself back on high-end materials. It shouts premium and can very well be the centrepiece of your living room. While the TV has some heft to it, the chassis is quite thin, especially when compared to other affordable 65-inch TVs.
| Design | Specs |
| Weight without stand | 18 kgs |
| Weight with stand | 23.76 kg |
| Dimensions (WxDxH) | 1225 x 768 x 295 |
| Power input | 230W |
| Box contents | TV, stand, remote, and guide |
To give you more context, the sides of the TV are as thin as three debit cards stacked together. Most of its heft gravitates around its bottom, visually and substantially. Its oval-shaped footstand looks unique, but I mounted it on a wall.
While a mounting kit is not included in the box, Haier will send across installation folks who do carry the bracket. Bezels on all sides of the C11 OLED are minimal, allowing for an amazing viewing experience. The built-in soundbar houses the red indicator, which could’ve been slightly brighter.
| Ports |
| HDMI x2 – 4K 60Hz |
| HDMI x2 – 4K 120Hz (one supports eARC/ARC) |
| Optical port |
| LAN (Ethernet port) |
| USB ports x2 |
| LNB IN (Satellite) |
| Ant IN |
| Headphone jack |
| AV IN adapter |
| Common Interface card slot (CI) |
The C11 OLED offers a rich set of ports situated on the left side of the TV. On the downside, the ports are placed deep within the side. So, you can’t reach them unless you lift the TV from the bottom. The awkwardly-placed naming sticker does not really help with the situation either. That said it’s good to see Haier including support for 4K 120Hz on two HDMI ports, one of which also supports eARC/ARC — so if you plan to pair this up with a standalone soundbar, you can use the higher bandwidth of this port.
Instead of traditional buttons, you get a joystick at the back of the TV to control it in case you don’t have a remote handy. You’ll also find a microphone toggle here which summons Google Assistant – pretty neat.
Haier C11 OLED 55-inch Smart TV Review: Display and Speaker Quality
After having used an LED TV for the better part, switching to an OLED panel was a massive upgrade. This is noticeable as soon as you boot it up. The default colour settings of the TV leaned towards a warmer side, but after spending some time tuning it to my taste, I was able to enjoy the content. The C11 OLED produces punchy and vibrant colours, with extremely rich details.
| Display | Specs |
| Size | 55-inch (140cm) |
| Type | OLED |
| Resolution | 3840 x 2160 (4K) |
| Refresh Rate | 120Hz |
| Response time | 0.1ms |
| Aspect Ratio | 16:9 |
| Other features | HDR 10+, Dolby Vision IQ, MEMC |
The colourful palette of movies like Aavesham and The Grand Budapest Hotel were portrayed well on the display. Conversely, it respected the monotone scenes from Peaky Blinders as well, without unnecessarily boosting the colours. To test darker scenes, we watched The Batman, The Haunting of Bly Manor, and Day Shift — the C11 OLED managed to portray the eerie, gore, but hilarious scenes from the latter in great detail. You don’t see the light blooming effect, usually found on QLED TVs, as OLED can handle black colour well.
The panel is great for watching football matches too, I did not notice any artefacts while witnessing Real Madrid win their umpteenth Champions League trophy. The TV also has support for MEMC, which essentially adds artificial extra frames to the video to help give it a smoother effect. It’s also most commonly known as the Soap Opera effect. This is best kept disabled when watching sports. However, what’s commendable is the granular control over the MEMC settings.
Despite the glossy screen, the TV manages to keep reflections to a minimum. The viewing angles are also great, so if one of your friends sits at the corner most area in the hall during a binge night, they should be fine too.
The C11 OLED is also a good choice if you plan on playing PS5 games on it. Stunning and beautiful titles like The Last of Us 2 Remastered and God of War: Ragnarok look and feel smooth.
But, sadly, it does not support VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) and ALLM from the PS5 settings. If you are a PC gamer looking at the C11 OLED for doubling up as a monitor, know that this TV doesn’t support AMD Freesync or Nvidia G-Sync.
| Audio | Specs |
| Power Output | 50W |
| Speaker Type | Front Firing Stereo |
| Certification | Harman Kardon |
| Dolby Atmos Support | Yes |
All this amazing display technology is accompanied by an equally great speaker setup. Harman Kardon tunes the dedicated front-firing speaker and further elevates the movie-watching experience. The speakers produce amazing sound quality with an ample amount of bass, making it perfect not only for movies but also for music. You get Dolby Atmos support here, along with a bunch of more controls in the settings to tweak the output as per your preference.
Haier C11 OLED 55-inch Smart TV Review: Features and Remote
The C11 OLED comes with 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage, which is more than enough to run and install all the necessary OTT apps, and more. It runs on Android TV OS version 11, and the UI is blazing fast. I’ve noticed other TV’s performance degrade after some time, especially when it came to app opening times, but the C11 OLED still manages to perform well.
If you have previously used a Google TV, you’ll feel right at home with most of the necessary apps made accessible on the home screen itself. The RAM management is also commendable, keeping multiple apps in the memory for easier and quicker access.
The included remote is a bit different from traditional smart TV remotes. I mean, it still has the essential buttons and quick shortcuts for OTT platforms such as Netflix, Prime Video, YouTube, and YouTube Music. But, where it sets itself apart is with ergonomics and button placements.
The volume rocker and mute buttons are placed on the right frame, similar to a smartphone —- this took me some while to get used to, but after spending more than a month I want every manufacturer to implement this. The tactile feedback of the buttons is good, and an LED light under the power button is a nice touch. It’s a Bluetooth remote, so you need not point it directly at the TV like older traditional ones.
Haier C11 OLED 55-inch Smart TV Review: Verdict
At a price tag of Rs 1,58,990, the Haier C11 OLED feels like a perfect gateway into the world of OLED TVs. It is premium, has a decent selection of ports, and you get some great features for the price. This is further pushed with a two-year warranty from the manufacturer.
The 120Hz 4K panel is great for movie-watching and gaming sessions alike. The Harman Kardon speakers add to the experience, making it a whole. The TV also performs well, allowing for blazing-fast navigation, and is accompanied by an ergonomic and well-executed remote.
While the TV market is filled with options from giants such as LG, Samsung, Sony, and Panasonic — the Haier C11 OLED is able to make space for itself. If you are in the market looking to upgrade from a QLED TV, this one should be on your shopping list.
