You would think that the iPhone 11 succeeds the iPhone XS (10S). But actually, this smartphone is more comparable to the iPhone XR, which Apple announced simultaneously last year. The iPhone 11 is not Apple's best smartphone, that is the iPhone 11 Pro. But is it a wise choice? You can read that in this review.
Apple iPhone 11
Price from € 809,-Colors Black, White, Red, Green, Purple, Yellow
OS iOS 13
Screen 6.1 inch LCD (1792x836)
Processor hexacore (Apple A13)
RAM 4GB
Storage 64, 256 or 512 GB
Battery 3,110mAh
Camera 12 megapixel dualcam (rear), 12 megapixel (front)
Connectivity 4G (LTE), Bluetooth 5, Wi-Fi, GPS
Format 15.1 x 7.6 x 0.8cm
Weight 194 grams
Other Lightning, esim
Website www.apple.com 7 Score 70
- Pros
- Battery life
- Software Support
- User friendly
- Powerful
- Negatives
- No fast charger
- No 3.5mm jack and dongle
- no usb-c
- Price
- Screen
In 2018, Apple launched the iPhone XR, a slightly less expensive smartphone alongside the iPhone XS, which in turn succeeded the iPhone X. The iPhone XR felt a bit like a smartphone that was deliberately made less well to persuade people to choose the more expensive iPhone XS. I have that feeling a little less now, now that the iPhone XR has been followed by this iPhone 11 and the iPhone XS by the iPhone 11 Pro. That has to do with the fact that, thanks to its camera, iPhone 11 Pro is more impressive than the iPhone XS a year ago and the iPhone 11 also has a more versatile camera than iPhone XR. This means that this new iPhone 11 can also keep up with other smartphones in this price range in that area. The performance of the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro is also almost the same.
The design is unmistakable, just like the iPhone XR, the smartphone is available in various beautiful colors and the build quality is fine. Although the device is vulnerable due to its glass back. However, it does enable wireless charging of the iPhone 11. The back of this iPhone 11, just like the Pro version, has a square camera island, which is not really a beautiful design. The square protrudes from the housing and the cameras protrude from the square. A case is therefore really necessary to get rid of this a bit.
Powerful chipset
Compared to its predecessor, the iPhone 11 has obtained more computing power, in fact the A13 processor that the iPhone 11 has is also present on the iPhone 11 Pro. This processor is extremely powerful and performs better than the Snapdragons that Androids are equipped with. The iPhone 11 is also fairly economical in use. With a charged battery you can do about a day and a half, and that's fine. This is partly due to the battery capacity, which has been slightly increased compared to iPhone XR (3,110 mAh instead of 2,942 mAh), but also because of the parts used. Positive, in the form of the chipset and negative in the form of the screen, which I will come back to in a moment.
Comments
Still, there are some flaws in the iPhone 11 that weren't good on last year's iPhone XR. There is the price, which is still not in proportion to what you get in return. The screen is also not good enough. Where LCD panels are only used by competitors in budget smartphones and high-quality OLED panels are the standard, Apple, just like the iPhone XR, dares to provide the iPhone 11 with an LCD screen, which also has a resolution that is too low that is not even full-HD. can be mentioned. And you can see that, despite the fact that the screen offers good image quality for LCD concepts and the screen brightness is okay. Apple's marketing touts the screen with meaningless terms like "liquid retina" and "the best LCD screen ever," but it's a turd. A smartphone of 800 euros simply deserves better: OLED and full-HD. The downside, however, is that the outdated screen weighs less on the battery, which explains the nice battery life.
Around this screen are also substantial screen edges, as well as a screen notch at the top for the microphone, camera and other sensors. It's not pretty. Recognizable yes. The other comments can also be guessed. The 3.5mm port is missing and you can even whistle to a dongle. A fast charger is also missing in the box, points that make Apple seem unprecedented stingy. If you want to charge your device faster than the 5-watt charger from the box, you can pay another 35 euros for just the 18-watt plug. In addition, charging is still via the aging Lightning port, while the competition and other Apple equipment are already miles ahead with USB-C.
Camera of the iPhone 11
It felt faint last year that Apple also skimped on the camera with the iPhone XR, while developments in this area are going so fast. The camera took great photos, but functionally, the options lagged behind. Because the iPhone 11 is equipped with a dualcam, the camera also comes along in terms of possibilities. Thanks to the two lenses, in addition to the option to take regular photos, you also have the option to take wide-angle photos. So you can capture more. It is striking that the wide-angle lens is not very inferior in quality, while with many other smartphones with multiple lenses, you have to sacrifice a lot in quality when you use the wide-angle lens. A night mode has also been added, with which you can still capture quite a bit in the dark.
The camera of the iPhone 11 takes very good quality photos. Realistic, detailed and with an excellent dynamic range. Despite the night mode, however, the camera does not manage to take the best pictures in difficult lighting conditions. However, if you want the very best camera, it is better to choose the iPhone 11 Pro, or the Huawei P30 Pro, which can do much more functionally with its night mode and periscope zoom lens.
The regular camera (left) and wide-angle camera (right) of the iPhone 11.
iOS 13
Of course, the iPhone runs on Apple's own operating system iOS 13. On the one hand, it makes the iPhone particularly user-friendly and stable, but on the other it looks outdated, static and feels like a closed device for advanced users, where basic functions such as changing the default browser are still missing. . In contrast, iOS puts you in a bed of Apple services and everyone can use it, whether you are 4 or 80 years old. The biggest advantage, however, is that Apple provides excellent support through updates, which are not only rolled out quickly, but also continue to receive these updates for years.
Alternatives to the iPhone 11
Even for the most affordable new iPhone you pay shockingly way too much. Keep in mind that the base model (€809) of the iPhone 11 has 64GB, which is a bit sparse. It's not surprising, at Apple, but be aware that you can get better for less. A Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro offers a more complete phone for practically half the price, and if you're looking for comparable security and support, you can also turn to the Google Pixel 3A or a smartphone with Android One.Compared to the iPhone 11 Pro, you have a great deal with this iPhone 11. The Pro variant wins especially in the camera area and does have a modern smartphone screen, but if you are prepared to settle for less in these areas, you will save a lot of money. In addition, the performance is almost the same.
Conclusion: buy iPhone 11?
With the iPhone 11 you again have a safe choice for a smartphone that you can use for years. The camera is more versatile, which is nice, the chipset performs excellently and the battery life is also perfectly fine. You just have to settle for an outdated screen and other typical Apple greed, such as the price, lack of a fast charger, connections and the basic storage memory.
