The reign of the Apple iPhone 11 models might have ended since the release of the iPhone 12 models, but it is very much still relevant. To make matters worst, Apple announced that it would discontinue the production of the iPhone 11 and three other iPhone variants following the release of the iPhone 14 models. This makes many iPhone lovers on a low budget wonder if the iPhone 11 is still relevant in the Apple world. If you find yourself in this category, then all you need to make the right decision is a review of the Apple iPhone 11. Today, we will focus on this topic to provide you with reasons to buy or avoid the iPhone 11. However, if you are eager, you must know that the iPhone 11 is still worth every penny spent.
Before we delve into discussing the unique features of the Apple iPhone 11, let’s quickly check out the full specifications of the iPhone.
Specifications Of The iPhone 11
|
Features |
iPhone 11 |
|
Display |
6.1 inches |
|
Resolution |
828 x 1792 pixels |
|
Weight |
194g |
|
Brightness (nits) |
625 nits |
|
Dimension |
150.9 x 75.7 x 8.3 mm |
|
Processor |
iOS 13 (upgradable to iOS 17) |
|
Storage |
64GB, 128GB, 256GB |
|
Memory |
4GB |
|
Camera |
12 MP, f/1.8 (wide) 7 MP, f/2.2, 32mm (standard) |
|
Battery & Charging Power |
3110 mAh & 18W (wired) and 7.5W (wireless) |
Design And Display
As we have explained in our comparison of the iPhone XR and iPhone 11, the iPhone 11 is simply an update to the former released in 2018. The two phones share similar display features and body design, with both featuring a 6.1-inch Liquid Retina IPS LCD screen. The iPhone 11 also takes the same round corners and aluminum body structure as the iPhone XR.
However, when we critically performed a review of the Apple iPhone 11, we discovered that the design and display are better than that of the XR with enhanced water-resistance capacity and 3D Touch technology. You should check out the full comparison of the iPhone XR vs. the iPhone 11 to see if it is really worth spending some extra bucks to get the iPhone 11.
If you deeply care about the display, the iPhone 11 is not any different from the iPhone XR, unlike the obvious display upgrade seen in the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max.
Camera Configuration
When the iPhone 11 was released, its camera configuration was one of the main features that probably caught the public attention. The iPhone 11 takes two 12MP cameras at the back with entirely improved features compared to those of the single back camera of the iPhone XR. You will be thrilled to know that this is the same camera configuration that Apple included in the iPhone 11 Pro, except for the telephoto camera. So, you can enjoy the same picture quality at a discounted price with the iPhone 11.
Even when we compared the pictures taken during our iPhone 11 review with that of other top Android phones released in the same period, the iPhone 11 exceeded them by a wide gap, with only the Samsung S10 coming a bit closer. Apple did not forget to improve its Smart HDR system with the introduced semantic rendering feature, performing beyond expectations and making pictures appear more realistic.
It was not only the back cameras that were significantly improved as the selfie camera also took a boost to 12MP with a sensor with a slightly wider landscape field of view than the iPhone XR. Also, shooting videos with the iPhone 11 turns out just OK, all thanks to the 4K60 HDR capture. However, as we proceeded in our review of the Apple iPhone 11, we discovered that the ultra-wide can still use further improvements as it dramatically lags behind the main camera even though Apple claims both cameras are 12MP.
Chipset And Processor
Our next stop in the review of the Apple iPhone 11 was the processor, which paved the way for the introduction of Apple’s A13 Bionic chipset. The A13 Bionic chipset is quite an upgrade from the A12 Bionic chipset featured in the iPhone XR and some other early iPhones, although it is not entirely bad too. According to Apple, the A13 chipset with the seven nm+ architecture can provide four high-efficiency and two high-performance cores that are 20% faster, 30% more efficient, and consume 40% less power than the A12 chipset. This improved performance and efficiency was slightly noticed in the iPhone 11 and came into play in the iPhone 11 Pro.
Some other reviews of the Apple iPhone 11 also suggest that the A13 directly impacts the improved security (Face ID) and battery life of the Apple iPhone 11. We also observed this, although many iPhone lovers might notice enhancements of the Face ID.
Similar to the chipset, the iPhone 11 also runs on iOS 13, which was in beta mode when released, but since you can now upgrade it as high as iOS 17, it should not pose much of a problem.
Memory And Storage
The all-around development of Apple also applies to the memory as the Apple iPhone 11 included 4GB RAM and edged over the 3GB of the iPhone XR. You can easily spot the upgrade as the performance of the iPhone 11 is superb and just as far as that of the iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max. There is no significant improvement to the storage as the iPhone 11 is only available in 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB, which is more than enough to handle your large files.
Battery Life
The battery life of iPhones has been a significant concern for iPhone lovers, and fortunately, Apple decided to step up the game and included a 3110-mAh battery for real this time. The closest of the older iPhones to the iPhone 11 in terms of battery is the iPhone XR, whose battery life is nothing short of exceptional considering Apple’s history. The iPhone 11 battery is expected to last about 12 hours under constant web browsing, which outranks the 11 hours runtime of the iPhone 11 Pro.
On the other hand, many users have been displeased with including the 5W lightning charger in the box of iPhone 11, which takes up to 4 hours to fully charge the phone, although the phone supports up to 18W wired charging. You can get an 18W charger to save you from waiting that long while charging.
Conclusion
So, does the Apple iPhone 11 worth the money?
We can boldly say a big YES from our observations from the review of the Apple iPhone 11. Apple opened up to its plan with the iPhone 11 and showed how much the company is capable of in just a year. There is not much difference between the iPhone 11 and other models in its lineup, but for the display since the telephoto camera will not hold much significance to many iPhone users.
Hence, if you are considering an upgrade for your iPhone or on a low budget, the iPhone 11 is still a wise choice.