Apple released the iPhone 11 on 20th September. The expectations were high. Apple hoped that the iPhone 11 would become one catch-all phone that everyday Smartphone users will fall in love with it. The initial response to its release so far corroborates they were probably right.
Price: Cheaper the better
iPhone 11 is a surprise. It is technologically advanced yet costs far less than the previous model iPhone XR released last year. Seriously, when was the last time Apple released a product that got significantly cheaper and better than the previous model? Yeah, we couldn’t remember either. Until now! The new smartphone comes with a range of storage options. The base model has 64 GB of memory. However, if you are happy to spend some extra bucks for more memory, you can get the 128 GB and 256 GB versions.
Design: Slick and Smart like an iPhone
There aren’t many design upgrades. You can hardly differentiate between the latest model and previous model when placed side by side and upside down. Both models have the same width, height, and even weigh the same. The edges are also similar as older versions although new version has slightly thick borders around the screen. The display screen is a bit larger, however. More on that later. The oversized dual cameras decked in a square patch provide an exciting contrast to the overall glassy finish of the rear.
Display: Great(still LED though)
A large 6.1 inch LED display in the stainless steel frame adds to the premium feel of the metallic body. The Liquid Retina HD Display is fantastic for an LCD. The colors are bright and vibrant. The display responds well to touch and is bright enough to be easily viewable under bright sunlight. The movie and streaming playback is a delight – though not as delightful as on the OLED-carrying iPhone Pro.
Colors: Good but we have seen better
It is available in six different colors. Now, this is subjective; therefore, you can disagree. The colors look a bit bland. The black and white color is tweaked but not much. Red is rosier, which looks great. Purple green and yellow leave a lot to the imagination. Apple could have done better with slightly less muted hues. I feel Samsung and Huawei have done a much better job with colors recently.
Camera: The real highlight
The most incredible feature of the new iPhone is its camera. On the front is a 12 MP camera that allows you to take 15-second slow-motion videos called “sloffies.” Can’t wait to welcome this new fad. The two 12 MP rear sensors enable the camera to take ultra-wide-angle shots along with standard images. This feature allows you to fit in four times more scenes than an ordinary 12MP smartphone camera. The square lens bump, though a bit ugly-looking, isn’t as obtrusive when you are holding it as the bump on last year’s model was. The brighter night imaging is another surprising aspect.
The iPhone 11 imaging quality is more vivid than previous models in the dark. The night mode kicks in automatically, unlike the android phones. The dark scenes are incredibly bright. The portrait mode has significantly improved by defocusing the background. You can even edit the pictures on the fly.
Firing up the camera is a bit slow, and pictures take a bit longer to process when compared with other modern phones. However, these are minor gripes.
Video recording: Like never before
Apple has gone all out with 4k video support for both of its rear cameras. It offers an extended range to achieve better highlights and smoother motion. You can shoot and edit 4k footage at 60 fps. We can already tell social influencers will love this feature. The contrast and exposure have more detail and definition while shooting videos in shadowy places.
Audio: Dolby Atmos
When it comes to sound, the new spatial audio of the iPhone 11 provides a broader soundstage with Dolby Atmos support. As I watched the trailer for Joker, I felt like I was in a movie theater as Joaquin Phoenix burst into the infamous Joker laugh. Every sound cue echoed perfectly. The immersive soundstage almost felt 3D.
Battery: slightly better, can’t beat Android
The battery life of Apple’s iPhone 11 is expected to be longer than that of the iPhone XR – i.e. 3100mAH. Our tests confirm it. We were able to use it for 16 hours without any difficulty. Apple phones aren’t known for extended battery performance. For instance, its competitor, Samsung Galaxy Note 10 offers a 3500mAH battery. Sadly, the box comes without a fast charger. So if you deplete the battery, you will have to wait for three hours before it is fully juiced up again. The phone allows for wireless charging so you can invest in a wireless charger if it comes to that.
CPU: World’s fastest
Apple already had the world’s fastest CPU in a smartphone, now they have extended their lead with the latest A13 Bionic chip decked inside iPhone 11. It offers a 20 percent performance boost across the board. I played Angry Birds AR and didn’t notice any hiccups. To test the CPU performance further, we tried editing a 4k video with Adobe Rush and then transcoded it back to 1080p. Surprisingly, the iPhone 11 took just 45 seconds. The same performance test on Note 10 took 1:34 minutes.
Durability: Better than expected
Apple claims that iPhone 11 has the most hardened glass of any Smartphone. We tested their claim and found out they are mostly right. While the front and back survived any cracks on an 8 feet drop when tested alongside iPhone 11 pro-Max, a 10 feet drop damaged the frame, but the glass survived. Pretty impressive right?
Network support: No 5G
The iPhone 11 supports 4G LTE. The 2X2 MIMO antennas are a downgrade when compared with recent Apple models. So expect decent performance but not better. It also means that the iPhone 11 is skipping the 5G networking technology. This shortcoming might hurt its sales, considering that the competitors like Samsung and Huawei have already launched their flagship 5G smartphones. Check out our article about its sale in China so far.
iOS 13: Delightfully upgraded
The new iOS 13 software offers some delightful upgrades. First, the aspect ratio of images can be changed while snapping. Alongside the standard 4:3 aspect ratio, you can now choose 16:9 or square. Second, the photos app is different. You can view the pictures in days, months, and years view. The library looks livelier this way. Third, the rebuilt Apple sign-in app and Maps app is much easier to use now. Last, the dark mode is a welcome addition. The contents on your screen pop out more and the menus look easy on the eyes.
The bottom line: A must-have
The overall performance and speed of the iPhone 11 are vigorous. Flipping in and out of apps is a rich experience. With an ultra-wide camera, night mode, 4k video, superfast processor and slightly better battery life, iPhone 11 is an outstanding value for its price. We don’t think any other Smartphone will come close to it in the foreseeable future.
