One of the coolest things that has happened to me since starting this site has been when people tell me they actually read the site in person. So Wednesday when I had people coming up to me at work and asking which iPhone they should get, I felt like I had kind of made it. Sadly, the page views of the site tell me I haven’t yet.
I told those asking about iPhones that I would have something up on the site to help them choose which iPhone to get. So if you’re looking at upgrading to a new iPhone 11, I hope this guide helps you out.
Which iPhone should I get?
Best iPhone 11 for most people
Honestly, most people should get the iPhone 11. It offers the best bang for your buck and doesn’t miss anything from the iPhone 11 Pro line.
As you can see below, the iPhone 11 has most of the same specs as the iPhone 11 Pro and comes with more fun color choices. You can see what is exclusive to the iPhone 11 here.
Filmmakers and Zoomers
If you aspire to make mobile films or if you like the telephoto lens of past iPhone, you’ll want to upgrade to the iPhone 11 Pro. Filmmakers will have more options with the three camera choices. If choice isn’t enough, the FilmiC pro app demo on stage was amazing, allowing you to record 4 streams of video using every camera on the device at once.
Personally, I use the telephoto lens all the time when I’m taking snapshots, so I’m not sure that I could do without it anymore. Regardless, the Pro is the only new iPhone model that still offers the telephoto lens.
Movie Watchers
If you find yourself watching videos on your iPhone all the time, you might want to look into the iPhone 11 Pro Max. It offers the biggest screen with the best quality. While the screen of the iPhone 11 isn’t bad (and it’s bigger than the iPhone 11 Pro) it doesn’t offer the same quality as the Pro model.
Small screen
I know there are a few of you out there that like a smaller phone. If that’s the case, your options are limited. The iPhone 8 and the iPhone 11 Pro are the smallest phone that Apple currently sales. If you want to keep that smaller form factor, the iPhone 11 Pro is probably your best bet right now – unless you can find an older and cheaper iPhone X or XS.
iPhone 11 basics
What do the new phones bring to the table? No matter which iPhone you choose, the iPhone 11 or the iPhone 11 Pro -either the 5.8 or the 6.5 version, they all have a few things in common.
Insides
Based on what Apple announced at the event and on their website, all iPhone 11 models will have the chip system on the inside. Unless Apple has changed the clock speed the internals are the same. So the iPhone Pro won’t be any faster than the iPhone 11.
All the same co-processors like the Motion co-processor, the security chip, FaceID system are inside all three new models this year. So the iPhone 11 isn’t missing out on anything on the inside compared to its Pro sibling.
Haptic Touch
Apple has finally moved away from 3D and Force Touch on the iPhones. Last year, if you were a fan of Force Touch on your iPhone, you’d have to get the iPhone XS or iPhone XS Max as the new iPhone XR didn’t offer it. This year, no new model has Force Touch. Instead, Apple has rolled out Haptic touch to all iOS and iPadOS devices.
I personally that I would hate losing Force Touch. I had a few workflows that used it. But since testing out iPadOS this summer, I feel like Haptic Touch works just as well and it more consistent. Instead of trying to learn and repeat a measure press on the screen, you just long press.
Cameras
While the cameras do vary between the models, three of them are the same. The standard camera (called the wide camera now) and the Ultra-wide are the same. The front facing camera on all three models are the same as well.
All three common cameras are seeing upgrades over last years models. The photos you take with be incrementally better than before. The sensors seem larger which will let more light in, which will help make more vibrant colors as well.
Along those lines, all of the new models of iPhones have Night Mode as well. This mode will turn on automatically when you try to take a photo in a dark location that needs more light.
Finally, the videos will be improved too. If you take a lot of videos, Apple will be bringing 4K 60 frames/second to all the cameras on the phone. That includes the front camera. Slow Mo video is also coming to the front camera. Apple is calling them – cringingly – Slofies. I’m sure we’ll have fun with them for about a week and then forget about it, but they are there now.
Battery
This year, battery life has really been improved. The iPhone 11 has an additional hour versus the iPhone XR with the iPhone 11 Pros have 4 and 5 hours extra.
I’m pretty sure that the increased size of the Pros and the rumors running up until the event were right and that Apple was going to try to bring bilateral wireless charging, but sadly that feature didn’t make it. Apple did leave the larger batteries in that were supposed charge other devices.
With the added time, all of the iPhone 11 models have around the same battery life. Last year, the iPhone XR had by far the best battery, but now it’s all similar.
So what’s different?
iPhone 11
Screen
The iPhone 11 starts with a screen size that fits between the two pro-models. The iPhone 11 comes in at 6.1-inches. It also has a LCD screen compared to the OLED screen of the Pro. Finally, the screen has a lower resolution than the Pro.
But what does all this screen stuff mean?
The screen on the iPhone 11 is great. Many complained last year when the iPhone XR came with a 720p screen last year. Really, having used one for a couple of days, I couldn’t really tell much difference at that screen size. So don’t get caught up on that. I would get more caught up with how the screen feels in your hand. If you like the screen size of the XR you’ll like this phone.
Materials
The backs of all the iPhones are glass. The only thing that differs is the band that runs around the phone. The iPhone 11 will come with a color matched aluminum band. It’s maybe not as strong at the stainless steel that comes in the Pro model, but really, iPhones have been made of aluminum for years.
You do get more color options. This year, Apple offers black, white, Product (red), green, yellow, and purple. If you enjoy a colorful phone, you have options now. I will say that I miss the coral and blue colors from last years iPhone XR model (although those are still available).
iPhone 11 Pro
The screen on the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max is the “best screen Apple has ever made.” Apple even changed the name of the display from Super Retina to Super Retina XDR. While the screen has the same resolution, Apple had brought HDR to more aspects of the operating system. It has also increased the brightness when you’re out in the sun or watching an HDR video.
It is also an OLED screen so the individual lights light up instead of needed a backlight like an LED. That means the blacks are darker since they don’t have to light up at all. But that’s just how the iPhone X and XS line worked as well.
Camera
Unlike the camera on the iPhone 11, the cameras on the iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max also includes the telephoto lens. Just like on the past iPhones with dual lens, the telephoto lens allows you to zoom in without losing quality.
If you’ve used any previous iPhone with the optical zoom, you’ll know what you’re getting. The question you’ll need to ask is “Can I live without it?” Myself? I use the zoom pretty often, so I’m opting to continue using it.
Materials
The iPhone 11 Pros are made out of stainless steel aluminum and glass. The glass is frosted this year, unlike the past and the iPhone 11. These devices are heavier in general, partial because of the material, but also because of the bigger battery.
This year Apple has also added in a new Midnight Green color to go with the Space Grey, Silver, and Gold version from the past. It looks pretty interesting, and I can’t wait to actually see it in person.
Price
The major difference between the two iPhones comes down to price. The iPhone 11 starts at $699 and goes up from there. Of course, I usually recommend stepping up a level on storage, but if you don’t take many pictures or videos 64 GB can probably last you a while.
The iPhone 11 Pro starts at $999 and goes way up from there. That’s a big jump for a little better casing, an extra camera lens, and a better screen. So many people will need to think about what they really need in a phone.
My Thoughts
I’m going to try and write more about this later, but I’m pretty torn this year on which iPhone 11 to upgrade to.
I think most people will be happy with the iPhone 11. It is a solid phone and has some fun colors. It doesn’t skimp on anything that really sets the Pro’s apart.
I’m hoping to actually get some things filmed this year, so the Pro with the 3 cameras really appeals to me. Even if that wasn’t the case, I do use the telephoto lens pretty often on my XS Max now.
But I sure would love to save some money. On that front, the service providers are starting to announce their deals, so make sure you check with yours to see if you can get a good trade in deal.
I hope this guide has helped you. I’ll try to update the entire iPhone Buyers Guide soon once I have a moment, but for now I hope this helps if you are planning on updating to the iPhone 11 this year.
