Apple IPhone 11 Review

The 3-Minute Apple iPhone 11 Review

The Phone that's More Pro than Most

The Specifics

Apple has finally launched the iPhone 11 this September. As expected, it’s been a season of hypes and lows. The iPhone 11 sports similar specs and a similar design to the iPhone XR, the only noticeable difference being the various color options the iPhone 11 is available in.

The iPhone 11 comes with a 6.1-inch 720p LCD screen as 2018’s iPhone XR, except that it’s an S update. There are fancy rounded corners, same aluminum body, and even the giant bezels. A solid dual-sensor rear camera gives the hind a distinctive appearance.

Running iOS 13, this interesting device hops on Apple’s new A13 Bionic chip. Apple calls it the fastest chip on the market, both in terms of graphics and performance. There is, however, no support for 5G and the iPhone 11 is not Apple’s main flagship.

While the 5W charger wins Apple no love, the iPhone 11’s battery is as great as the iPhone XR’s. You’d really try hard to kill the battery in less than a day. It exceeds one day in most cases.

Apple has also included a new U1 positioning chip, which uses an ultra-wide-band radio to precisely locate the phone relative to other U1 devices. This feature will only be usable with iOS 13.1, scheduled to ship by the end of September.

Interestingly, any details on the iPhone 11’s RAM will have to come from tear-downs, as Apple did not mention anything about that at its September Keynote event. Some analysts say it comes with 4GB of RAM, but we’ll see.

Features & Design: 4/5 | Performance: 5/5 | Value: 4/5 | Battery Life: 5/5

The Best

Apple has included an ultra-wide f/2.4 camera to the phone’s rear. This is in addition to an improved sensor and the main f/1.8 camera. The front camera is also significantly updated to a 12MP sensor with a slightly wider FOV in landscape. This camera is also able to shoot 4K60 video.

The Smart HDR system is also better than it used to be, along with the presence of a new Night mode. These are the same camera features available on an iPhone 11 Pro (except for the telephoto).

The Bugs

Reports have it that the iOS 13.1 is replete with problems, but the iOS 13.1 update roll-out will likely handle many of those. Some of the issues with iOS 13 include apps crashing during opening, cellular signals dropping, slow camera app, and issues with AirDrop.

Is it for you?

The design feels like a surfboard, and it’s not small at all. If your background is an iPhone SE, the iPhone 11 is definitely worth consideration.

What we like

The wide color range of the iPhone 11 makes it interesting to look at. You have six fun colors that include yellow, purple, and green, depending on your preferred style. We also like the performance of the A13 Bionic processor. This is definitely the fastest phone for its price.

What we don’t like

So, Apple tries to spoil the party by making you pay for fast charging on the iPhone 11. It’s likely most users will be put off by this.

Should you buy it?

The iPhone 11 is actually marginally better than the iPhone XR. The water resistance is actually better, and Apple tells us the glass on the front and back is a tad stronger. The camera bump on the back is milled right into the glass.