Which Apple iPhone 11 should you buy?
Not sure which Apple iPhone 11 is best for you? In this post, we’ll be taking an in-depth look at each model, comparing and explaining the differences between each model, highlighting the pros and cons of each. Below you can find a comparison table between the Apple iPhone 11, Apple iPhone 11 Pro, and the Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max. Below the table is an in-depth look at each main category.
| Apple iPhone 11 | Apple iPhone 11 Pro | Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Released: | 20 September 2019 | 20 September 2019 | 20 September 2019 |
| Colours: | Black, Green, Yellow, Purple, (Product) Red, White | Gold, Space Grey, Silver, Midnight Green | Gold, Space Grey, Silver, Midnight Green |
| Storage: | 64GB, 128GB, 256GB | 64GB, 256GB, 512GB | 64GB, 256GB, 512GB |
| Display: | 6.1-inch Liquid Retina LCD, 326 PPI |
5.8-inch OLED Super Retina XDR, 458 PPI |
6.5-inch OLED Super Retina XDR, 458 PPI |
| Processor: | Apple A13 Bionic | Apple A13 Bionic | Apple A13 Bionic |
| Memory: | 4GB | 4GB | 4GB |
| Cameras: | 12MP wide camera, 12MP ultra-wide camera, 12MP front-facing camera |
12MP wide camera, 12MP ultra-wide camera, 12MP telephoto camera, 12MP front-facing camera |
12MP wide camera, 12MP ultra-wide camera, 12MP telephoto camera, 12MP front-facing camera |
| Battery: | 3,110mAh | 3,046mAh | 3,969mAh |
| Operating system: | iOS 13 (Upgradable to iOS 14) | iOS 13 (Upgradable to iOS 14) | iOS 13 (Upgradable to iOS 14) |
| Weight: | 194g | 188g | 226g |
| Release price: | £729 / $699 | £1,049 / $999 | £1,149 / $1,099 |
| Apple iPhone 11 on Amazon | Apple iPhone 11 Pro on Amazon | Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max on Amazon |
Which Apple iPhone 11 should you buy? - Design
The standard Apple iPhone 11 comes in six different colours, these colours are black, white, green, yellow, purple, and (Product) Red. It seems Apple has taken on more of a pleasant pastel look with the standard Apple iPhone 11. Below is an image of how each colour looks.
When it comes to the Apple iPhone 11 Pro and the Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max, these colours aren’t available. The Apple iPhone 11 Pro and Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max share the same four colours, these are gold, space grey, silver, and midnight green. Below is an image showing how each of these four colours looks on the Apple iPhone 11 Pro or Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max models.
These four colours are much more dull and boring when compared to the colours available with the standard Apple iPhone 11, but it’s a safe bet for Apple as all four of these colours look great.
When compared to last year’s Apple iPhone XR, the design of the Apple iPhone 11 looks near identical with pretty much the only difference being the new cameras. However, there have been a few small changes to the Apple iPhone 11. With the addition of the dual or triple 12MP cameras, the camera housing design has added a slightly raised, rounded glass square. Along with this, the iPhone logo has been moved downwards a little, giving it a more central look. In addition to this, the word ‘iPhone’ has also been removed.
In terms of durability, at the Apple September event in 2019, it was said that the Apple iPhone 11 glass is the “toughest ever in a smartphone, on the front and back.” This is great news if you’re prone to dropping things. As well as this, the Apple iPhone 11 is rated IP68 meaning it is splash, water and dust resistant (maximum depth of 2 metres up to 30 minutes, or up to 4 metres on the Apple iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max). And finally, at the bottom of the Apple iPhone 11, you’ll find that the Lightning connector remains, this is a huge let-down.
Inside the box of the standard Apple iPhone 11, you’ll find it comes with a measly 5-watt charger. This 5-watt charger takes multiple hours to charge from 0% to 100% and when compared to similar smartphones such as the Samsung Galaxy S10, which can go from 0% to 100% charge in around 90 minutes, it really does put the Apple iPhone 11 to shame.
Although this is a huge disappointment, there is a faster charger you can use with your Apple iPhone 11. If you don’t want to wait multiple hours for your Apple iPhone 11 to charge, we suggest you look into the Apple 20-watt plug and the USB-C to Lightning cable. The only problem with this is it will set you back quite a bit of money.
With this being said, the Apple iPhone 11 Pro and Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max both include an 18-watt charger inside of the box. This is a huge reason why we recommend users to buy the Apple iPhone 11 Pro or Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max instead of the standard Apple iPhone 11.
Which Apple iPhone 11 should you buy? - Display
The display on the standard Apple iPhone 11 hasn’t changed since the Apple iPhone XR. The standard Apple iPhone 11 still has a Liquid Retina LCD display, the screen size is still 6.1 inches, and still has the same 1792 x 828 pixel resolution at 326 PPI. Although this display still looks great, it can easily be improved with an OLED screen. The problem with still having the Liquid Retina LCD display is that it’s just not as colour rich as other phones using an OLED screen.
Along with using the same screen as the Apple iPhone XR the previous year, the Apple iPhone 11 still has a pretty big bezel around the screen. This is yet another disappointment as most modern phones now come with edge-to-edge displays at the very least. As well as this, the Apple iPhone 11 still only has 326 PPI, or pixels per inch, which is once again disappointing. Generally speaking, the higher the PPI, or pixel density, the more detail you can see on your display.
If you’re looking for a better display, then take a look at the Apple iPhone 11 Pro or the Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max. The Apple iPhone 11 Pro features a 5.8-inch OLED Super Retina XDR display and a 2436 x 1125 pixel resolution at 458 PPI. This is a huge improvement over the LCD Liquid Retina display found in the standard Apple iPhone 11 model. Despite this much-needed display upgrade, the Apple iPhone 11 Pro still includes a sizeable notch and pretty big bezel going around the screen.
Similarly, the Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max features a 6.5-inch OLED Super Retina XDR display and a 2688 x 1242 pixel resolution at 458 PPI. This is a huge improvement over the standard Apple iPhone 11, and the biggest difference between the Pro and Pro Max is the screen size. Along with the two other Apple iPhone 11 models, the Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max still includes a sizeable notch and pretty big bezel going around the screen.
Here are the screen-to-body ratios for each Apple iPhone 11 model:
- The Apple iPhone 11 has a screen-to-body ratio of 79%.
- The Apple iPhone 11 Pro has a screen-to-body ratio of 83.7%.
- The Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max has a screen-to-body ratio of 88.3%.
Which Apple iPhone 11 should you buy? - Performance
The system-on-chip found in all three Apple iPhone 11 models is the new A13 Bionic. It features a very powerful CPU (Central Processing Unit) and GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) and allows for features such as Deep Fusion, Apple’s new image processing system. The A13 Bionic chip is the fastest Apple has ever made.
All three Apple iPhone 11 models come with iOS 13, Apple’s “most personal and secure mobile operating system yet.” There are quite a few new additions with iOS 13, but the main addition is dark mode. Dark mode kind of speaks for itself, it changes the colour scheme to darker colours, perfect for at night or low-light environments. When enabled, this won’t strain your eyes as much and might help you fall asleep faster, not to mention it doesn’t drain your battery as fast.
To see everything new with iOS 13, click here.
Update:
On September 16, Apple released iOS 14. All three Apple iPhone 11 models can be upgraded to iOS 14. Check out everything new with iOS 14.
The standard Apple iPhone 11 comes with three internal storage options: 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB. This is compared to the Apple iPhone 11 Pro and the Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max, which both offer these three internal storage options: 64GB, 256GB, and 512GB. Although Apple iPhone competitors are starting to offer storage up to 1TB, 64GB is usually enough for the average user. All three Apple iPhone 11 models also have 4GB of RAM (Random Access Memory), which in most cases is more than enough for day-to-day activities.
Which Apple iPhone 11 should you buy? - Battery
The standard Apple iPhone 11 has a battery size of 3,110mAh. This is pretty disappointing, but a 3,110mAh battery isn’t the worst size. However, when compared to competing phones, such as the Samsung Galaxy S10, which has a 3,400mAh battery, it would’ve been nice to see the battery a little bigger.
According to Apple, the standard Apple iPhone 11 lasts up to 1 hour longer than the Apple iPhone XR. It’s also reported that the Apple iPhone 11 can last up to 17 hours of video playback, up to 10 hours of streamed video playback, and up to 65 hours of audio playback.
One huge issue we have with the standard Apple iPhone 11 is charging. Inside the box of the Apple iPhone 11, you’ll find it comes with a 5-watt charger. This charger takes multiple hours to charge from 0% to 100%. When compared to similar smartphones such as the Samsung Galaxy S10, which can go from 0% to 100% charge in about 90 minutes, it really puts the Apple iPhone 11 to shame.
Although this is a huge let-down, there is a charger Apple offers which will charge your Apple iPhone 11 much faster than the provided 5-watt charger, although this charger will set you back a decent amount of money. If you don’t want to spend multiple hours waiting for your Apple iPhone 11 to charge, we suggest you look into getting the Apple 20-watt plug and the USB-C to Lightning cable.
On the other hand, the Apple iPhone 11 Pro has a 3,046mAh battery. Again, this is pretty disappointing, especially for a “Pro” model. Although technically it’s a small size battery compared to the standard Apple iPhone 11, it does actually last longer than the standard model, this is many due to the screen size difference.
According to Apple, the Apple iPhone 11 Pro lasts up to 4 hours longer than the Apple iPhone XS. It’s also reported that the Apple iPhone 11 Pro can last up to 18 hours of video playback, up to 11 hours of streamed video playback, and up to 65 hours of audio playback.
The biggest upgrades with the Apple iPhone 11 Pro when compared to the standard Apple iPhone 11, is the charger. Unlike the standard Apple iPhone 11, the Pro doesn’t come with a measly 5-watt charger, instead, it comes with an 18-watt charger. This is a huge improvement and will go from 0% to 100% in around 90 minutes. This is a huge reason why we recommend users to buy the Apple iPhone 11 Pro instead of the standard Apple iPhone 11.
And finally, the Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max has a 3,969mAh battery. This is very impressive and is a huge increase of almost 1,000mAh over the Apple iPhone 11 Pro.
According to Apple, the Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max lasts up to 5 hours longer than the Apple iPhone XS. It’s also reported that the Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max can last up to 20 hours of video playback, up to 12 hours of streamed video playback, and up to 80 hours of audio playback.
Just like the Apple iPhone 11 Pro, the Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max also comes with an 18-watt charger, unlike the standard Apple iPhone 11 which comes with a measly 5-watt charger. This, alongside its huge battery, makes the Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max so easy to recommend.
Which Apple iPhone 11 should you buy? - Rear Cameras
The cameras on the Apple iPhone 11 models have clearly been the main focus for this Apple iPhone launch. The standard Apple iPhone 11 features dual 12MP wide and ultra-wide lenses, while the Apple iPhone 11 Pro and Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max feature triple 12MP wide, ultra-wide, and telephoto lenses, not to forget the 12MP front-facing camera found on all three models. This is a much-needed step up from last year’s Apple iPhone XR which only had a single 12MP wide camera and 7MP front-facing camera.
The rear 12MP dual/triple cameras are housed in a slightly raised, rounded glass square. This design may take some getting used to and is much more noticeable if you tend to use your phone on a flat surface, especially when typing.
The ultra-wide lens brings a 120-degree field of view, making it great for landscape shots, capturing tall or wide objects, and essentially allows you to zoom out without having to move. This is great for tight environments such as the indoors where you may not have any room behind you.
With the addition of the new ultra-wide camera, it opens up the possibility for so much more. When you’re using the standard wide camera, under the user interface you can actually see what you could capture if you were using the ultra-wide camera. This small, yet great feature helps you know when you should be making use of the ultra-wide camera.
As well as this, there’s also a great option that allows your ultra-wide camera to take a picture at the same time as the standard wide camera. This acts as a backup in case the standard wide photo doesn’t capture everything that you was hoping to capture, these backup images last 30 days if not used.
Alongside the ultra-wide lens, the Apple iPhone 11 Pro and Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max also feature a 12MP telephoto lens that offers a 2x optical zoom. This telephoto lens is similar to the telephoto lens found in the Apple iPhone XS, with the main difference being that the telephoto lens has a larger aperture. This larger aperture allows for 40% more light, making it much better in environments that don’t include bright sunlight.
One of the new features the Apple iPhone 11 models bring is night mode. The long-awaited night mode greatly improves low-light performance and allows for incredible night shots. This is made possible because your Apple iPhone 11 will ask you to hold the phone as steady as possible for a few seconds so that the shutter can take multiple pictures, all at different sharpness and exposure levels, for it to then merge the data together, which results in an incredible low-light photo.
Another huge step for Apple has been Deep Fusion. Deep Fusion is Apple’s new image processing system which works in certain environments. Apple describes it as “an advanced image processing system that uses the A13 Bionic Neural Engine to capture images with dramatically better texture, details, and reduced noise in lower light.” This new feature is completely automatic and has no indication to show when it’s being used. There are a few scenarios where Deep Fusion won’t be used. Deep Fusion won’t be used when you’re using the ultra-wide lens, shooting burst photos, or when you have the feature “Photos Capture Outside the Frame” turned on.
Which Apple iPhone 11 should you buy? - Front Cameras
All three Apple iPhone 11 models feature the same front-facing camera. The front-facing TrueDepth 12MP camera is a great upgrade from the 7MP TrueDepth front-facing camera on the previous year’s Apple iPhone XR. As well as this came an improvement to the Smart HDR, with Apple referring to it as “Next-generation Smart HDR,” resulting in more balanced images. The front-facing camera also allows for additional features such as Animoji and Memoji, not to mention the new feature Apple is calling ‘slofies’ – slow-motion selfies.
Which Apple iPhone 11 should you buy? - Video Recording
All three Apple iPhone 11 models have very impressive video recording capabilities. The rear cameras on the Apple iPhone 11 are capable of 4K video recording at 24fps, 30fps or 60fps (frames per second). Not only this but if you’re recording in 4K at anything below 60fps, you can change between the standard wide and ultra-wide camera without experiencing any exposure changes or colour shifts. In addition to this, you can also record in 1080p at 30fps, 60fps, 120fps, and 240fps.
The front-facing camera also has impressive video recording capabilities. The front-facing camera on the Apple iPhone 11 is capable of recording in 4K at 24fps, 30fps, and 60fps. As well as this, it’s also capable of recording in 1080p at 30fps, 60fps, and 120fps.
Which Apple iPhone 11 should you buy? - Pricing
The Apple iPhone 11 was released on 20 September 2019, below are the prices of each model at release.
- The Apple iPhone 11 started from £729 in the UK, and $699 in the US.
- The Apple iPhone Pro started from £1,049 in the UK, and $999 in the US.
- The Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max started from £1,149 in the UK, and $1,099 in the US.
Since the release of the Apple iPhone 11, the price has dropped and below are the current and best deals from Amazon.
Apple iPhone 11
Apple iPhone 11 Pro
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Quick Answers
How much does the Apple iPhone 11 cost?
The Apple iPhone 11 was released on 20 September 2019. At release, the Apple iPhone 11 started from £729 in the UK, and $699 in the US.
How much does the Apple iPhone 11 Pro cost?
The Apple iPhone 11 Pro was released on 20 September 2019. At release, the Apple iPhone 11 Pro started from £1,049 in the UK, and $999 in the US.
How much does the Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max cost?
The Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max was released on 20 September 2019. At release, the Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max started from £1,149 in the UK, and $1,099 in the US.
What are the differences between the Apple iPhone 11 and the Apple iPhone 11 Pro?
The Apple iPhone 11 Pro has a smaller but much better OLED display, has a bigger display resolution, comes with a telephoto lens, has a slightly smaller battery size, and is available in grey, silver, gold, and Midnight Green.
What are the differences between the Apple iPhone 11 Pro and the Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max?
The Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max has a bigger display, a slightly bigger display resolution, and includes a much larger battery size.
Is the Apple iPhone 11 worth buying?
If you're upgrading from the Apple iPhone XR, we don't believe there's been enough change to recommend the Apple iPhone 11. However, if you're still looking to upgrade, we recommend you check out the Apple iPhone 11 Pro or the Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max. If you didn't buy the Apple iPhone XR and you're looking for a great reasonably priced smartphone, we recommend the Apple iPhone 11.
Is the Apple iPhone 11 Pro worth buying?
If you're not a fan of the standard Apple iPhone 11, then we think you'll love the Apple iPhone 11 Pro. The Apple iPhone 11 Pro brings many great improvements over the Apple iPhone 11, and we believe it's worth the price increase. If you're looking for a bigger display and battery size, take a look at the Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max.
Is the Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max worth buying?
If you have the money to spare and are a fan of big displays and the best battery life, the Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max is the phone for you. Although it's very similar to the Apple iPhone 11 Pro, the Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max brings a much larger display and a great battery size increase.
Which Apple iPhone 11 should you buy? (Apple iPhone 11, Apple iPhone 11 Pro, Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max)
Now that we’ve compared all three Apple iPhone 11 models, it’s time to decide which model is best for you. If you’re struggling to decide, let us help you pick by summing up each model.
The standard Apple iPhone 11 is the cheapest model, its 6.1-inch display is disappointing, the battery life isn’t the best, it comes with an incredibly slow 5-watt charger, and it lacks the telephoto camera. For us, this Apple iPhone 11 model is too similar to the Apple iPhone XR to recommend.
The Apple iPhone 11 Pro costs a bit more than the standard Apple iPhone 11, its 5.8-inch OLED display is much better than the standard Apple iPhone 11 display, it includes the telephoto camera, comes with a fast 18-watt charger, and despite a slightly smaller battery size, it lasts a little longer than the standard Apple iPhone 11 model. This is the model that we recommend, it’s got the best balance between price and features, and is definitely worth the upgrade.
The Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max includes all of the upgrades from the Apple iPhone 11 Pro but also includes a much bigger screen size and a much bigger battery life. This Apple iPhone 11 model is the best option if you’re willing to pay a little more for a bigger screen and a long-lasting battery life.
For a more in-depth review of each model, take a look at our Apple iPhone 11 review, our Apple iPhone 11 Pro review, and our Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max review.
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