The Affordable Yet Powerful iPhone 11: A Comprehensive Review

Design and Build Quality

Visually, the iPhone 11 maintains the familiar appearance of its predecessors, with a construction of ion-strengthened glass on both the front and back, and a brushed aluminum frame. Notably, it introduces a new range of colors, with a glossy finish that may be more prone to smudging and less scratch-resistant compared to the frosted finish of the Pro models. An upgrade in water resistance from IP67 to IP68 enhances its durability, allowing it to withstand depths of up to two meters for half an hour.

New Color Options

The iPhone 11 offers a set of new and vibrant color options, providing users with a fresh and contemporary choice compared to previous models.

Water Resistance

The IP68 rating of the iPhone 11 elevates its water resistance, ensuring greater durability and peace of mind for users in various environments.

Display: A Familiar Yet Capable Screen

The iPhone 11 features a 6.1-inch IPS LCD screen, reminiscent of its predecessor, the iPhone XR. While the display comes with a noticeable notch cutout and slightly thicker bezels compared to OLED screens, it delivers excellent contrast, accurate colors, and the convenience of the True Tone feature for automatic white balance adjustment. However, it lacks HDR10 support and Dolby Vision, which are available in higher-tier models. Nevertheless, the inclusion of low touch latency and 120Hz input polling ensures a responsive and enjoyable gaming experience.

Colorful and Vibrant Display

The iPhone 11's IPS LCD screen offers vibrant colors and excellent contrast, providing an enjoyable visual experience for users.

Enhanced Gaming Experience

With low touch latency and 120Hz input polling, the iPhone 11's display delivers a responsive and immersive gaming experience, despite the absence of HDR10 support and Dolby Vision.

Security and Audio

Unlocking the iPhone 11 is quite secure with Apple's Face ID, which uses 3D facial mapping and is quite fast. However, it still requires a swipe on the screen after recognition.

Stereo Loudspeakers

The iPhone 11 Pro features a pair of stereo loudspeakers that offer a rich sound with very good measured loudness and support for spatial audio. While not as balanced as the Pro model, they still provide an enjoyable audio experience.

Headphone Jack and Adapter

There is no headphone jack on the iPhone 11, and Apple does not bundle an adapter. However, earpods are included in the box, which can be directly plugged into the lightning port.

Software and User Experience

The iPhone 11 runs the latest iOS 13.1, which brings a few new features to the table. One notable feature is the system-wide dark mode, which can turn all white menus into black ones, albeit without power-saving benefits due to the LCD screen. Additionally, the phone now features haptic touch instead of 3D touch for triggering actions with a long press.

Photo Editor Upgrades

The photo editor on the iPhone 11 has received upgrades, offering many new options, filters, and intensity sliders to enhance and customize your pictures with ease.

Powerful Performance and Impressive Battery Life

The iPhone 11 is powered by Apple's new A13 Bionic chipset, delivering exceptional performance that surpasses many Android devices. With 4GB of RAM, the iPhone 11 offers brilliant and unmatched performance, excelling in benchmarks and providing 20% better CPU performance compared to its predecessor. The A13 chipset ensures sustained performance, particularly during heavy gaming, with minimal thermal throttling, thanks to heat dispersing graphene layers.

Battery Life

Equipped with a 3100mAh battery, the iPhone 11 boasts impressive endurance, with a proprietary battery test yielding a rating of 94 hours. This substantial improvement in battery life outperforms even the iPhone 11 Pro, possibly attributed to different power draw from the screens. Additionally, the A13 chip's enhanced power efficiency contributes to the device's exceptional battery performance.

Fast Charging and Wireless Charging

While the iPhone 11 supports 18W fast charging, the device includes only a 5W charger, significantly limiting the initial charging speed. However, with a compatible fast charger, the iPhone 11 can reach up to 55% charge in just 30 minutes. Additionally, the device offers Qi wireless charging capabilities, although users need to procure a third-party charging pad as Apple does not produce its own.

Camera System: Versatile and Capable

The iPhone 11 introduces a dual-camera system, featuring a 12-megapixel main camera and a new 12-megapixel ultra-wide shooter, providing users with versatile photography capabilities. While lacking the third telephoto camera found in the Pro version, the iPhone 11's camera system delivers impressive results across various photography scenarios.

Main Camera Performance

In daylight conditions, the main camera captures photos with rich detail, low noise, and excellent dynamic range. However, there are minor drawbacks, including slightly bland and washed-out colors, as well as some over-sharpening. The "Capture Outside the Frame" feature enhances the user experience by suggesting wider angles to include unintentionally cropped subjects, ensuring comprehensive photo compositions.

Ultra-Wide Camera Capabilities

The ultra-wide camera offers a decent performance, delivering satisfactory colors, contrast, and dynamic range. However, the absence of optical image stabilization (OIS) and autofocus impacts the overall quality, resulting in visible noise and limited detail. Despite these limitations, the ultra-wide camera expands the creative possibilities for users seeking broader perspectives in their photography.

Night Mode Photography

When ambient light diminishes, the iPhone 11 seamlessly activates night mode, capturing exceptional low-light photos through pseudo long exposure shots. These images exhibit outstanding detail, balanced sharpening, vibrant colors, and well-balanced exposure. Notably, the absence of blurry photos and the option to manually disable night mode further enhance the device's nighttime photography capabilities, ensuring consistent and impressive results.

Selfie Camera and Video Recording

The iPhone 11 introduces an upgraded 12-megapixel selfie camera with a wider 23mm lens, offering enhanced versatility for capturing self-portraits. This improved front camera features smart HDR technology, delivering exceptional image quality with ample detail, balanced sharpening, and impressive dynamic range. Additionally, the selfie camera supports video recording up to 4K at 60fps, providing stabilized footage for high-resolution self-captured videos. However, it is important to note that the lack of autofocus in the selfie camera may impact the overall user experience.

Slow-Fees and Selfie Videos

Users can also explore the creative possibilities of slow-fees, Apple's term for slo-mo selfie videos, capturing moments in 1080p at 120fps. While this feature may be considered gimmicky, it offers an entertaining avenue for users to experiment with their selfie video content, adding a touch of fun and creativity to their visual narratives.

Rear Camera Video Capabilities

Furthermore, the iPhone 11's rear cameras support video recording up to 4K at 60fps, accompanied by electronic image stabilization (EIS), smart HDR, and wide stereo sound recording. The main camera delivers high-quality footage with exceptional detail, low noise, precise sharpness, impressive dynamic range, and true-to-life colors. On the other hand, videos from the ultra-wide camera exhibit good colors, contrast, and dynamic range, albeit with a noticeable lack of detail and softness in the corners.

Pros: The iPhone 11's Strengths

The iPhone 11, despite being the budget-friendly option in Apple's lineup, presents a compelling array of strengths that elevate its appeal and value in the smartphone market. From a water-resistant design to a vibrant range of color options, the iPhone 11 offers a visually appealing and durable exterior, catering to diverse user preferences. The device's bright LCD screen, complemented by impressive stereo speakers, contributes to an immersive multimedia experience, enhancing user engagement and enjoyment.

Exceptional Performance and Battery Life

Powered by the A13 Bionic chipset, the iPhone 11 delivers unparalleled performance, surpassing many competing devices and ensuring seamless multitasking, gaming, and overall user experience. Additionally, the device's impressive battery life, attributed to the 3100mAh battery and enhanced power efficiency of the A13 chip, offers prolonged endurance, outperforming even the iPhone 11 Pro. Despite the initial limitation of a 5W charger, the iPhone 11 supports 18W fast charging, enabling rapid recharging for user convenience.

Superior Photo Quality and Night Mode

The iPhone 11 excels in photography, particularly in low-light conditions, with its main camera capturing exceptional detail, balanced sharpening, vibrant colors, and well-balanced exposure. The introduction of night mode further enhances the device's nighttime photography capabilities, ensuring consistent and impressive results in challenging lighting scenarios. These strengths collectively position the iPhone 11 as a formidable contender in the smartphone landscape, offering a compelling blend of features, performance, and imaging capabilities.

Cons: The iPhone 11's Limitations

While the iPhone 11 offers a compelling package, there are certain limitations that users should consider before making a purchase decision. These include the absence of an OLED screen and a telephoto camera, which are available in the Pro versions. Additionally, the glossy finish of the back glass, lack of a frosted texture, and the exclusion of a proper charger in the box may impact the overall user experience. Despite these limitations, the iPhone 11 still delivers a commendable performance and feature set at a more competitive price point.

Conclusion: A Recommended Choice

With its impressive performance, exceptional battery life, and superior photography capabilities, the iPhone 11 emerges as a recommended choice in the smartphone market. Despite its limitations, including the absence of certain features found in the Pro versions, the iPhone 11 offers a compelling blend of features, performance, and value. Whether for multimedia consumption, gaming, or photography, the iPhone 11 presents a formidable option that caters to diverse user preferences, delivering a premium experience at a more accessible price point.

FAQ

Are there any additional accessories included with the iPhone 11?

• Yes, the iPhone 11 comes with earpods that can be directly plugged into the lightning port.

Does the iPhone 11 support wireless charging?

• Yes, the iPhone 11 offers Qi wireless charging capabilities, although users need to procure a third-party charging pad as Apple does not produce its own.

What are the key differences between the iPhone 11 and the Pro versions?

• The iPhone 11 lacks an OLED screen, a telephoto camera, and a frosted finish on the back glass, which are available in the Pro versions.