Apple has altered the process for its 2019 iPhones, with such simple names. The iPhone 11 looks like an update to the iPhone XS. But it is really the successor to the iPhone XR, the most popular range of iPhone 2018/2019.
The goal is to get away from the suggestion that the iPhone 11 is "cheap," even if it costs significantly less than the newer iPhone Pro phones.
This may all be a semantic trick, but will the iPhone 11 look like a real upgrade over the iPhone XS? In many ways this will be the case, but this comparison is a bit more complicated than expected. Let's dig into that.
iPhone 11 vs iPhone XS design
The iPhone 11 is more eye-catching than the iPhone XS in some respects. First of all, it is a bit bigger. Plus, it comes in six colors instead of three moderate colors.
These shades include purple, white, red, green, black, and white.
The iPhone 11 also has a new milled glass back. The camera housing sticks out slightly and Apple has added contours to a single rear window instead of going the "easy" way. Most companies simply use a separate piece of glass for the camera cover.
The iPhone 11 in its many colors.
(Image credit: Apple)
Both phones are a sandwich of metal and glass. The windows are placed at the front and back, a metal strip runs along the sides to hold them together.
However, the metal used is different. Apple uses aluminum on the iPhone 11, steel on the iPhone XS. This is a classic ultra-high-end case that simply faces "normal" high-end design conflicts. The bezel that surrounds the screen is also slightly thicker on the iPhone 11, as it is on the iPhone XR.
However, the iPhone 11 has a practical design advantage because it features more durable glass than the iPhone XS. The water resistance of both phones was also tested at a depth of 2m for 30 minutes.
iPhone 11 vs iPhone XS screen
The screens on these phones are very different, even if they are very similar. They both have the classic iPhone notching style, which doesn't make comparisons easy.
The new Apple iPhone 11 has a slightly larger screen, from 6.1 inches to 5.8 inches than the iPhone XS. And the technology behind the surface is completely different.
The old iPhone XS has a higher pixel density, with a resolution of 1125 x 2436 pixels compared to the iPhone 11 of 828 x 1792.
(Image credit: future)
The panel technology is also different. Apple's iPhone XS features an OLED panel with perfect blacks and rich, deep colors. The iPhone 11 has a universal backlit LCD screen, which means that blacks will not be perfectly black in a very dark room. Phone LCDs can't match the color depths of OLEDs either.
However, Apple uses some of the best LCD screens available. Don't think this is a reason to bend your fingers on your iPhone 11. The brightness should be similar too. Apple rates the iPhone 11 at 625 nits and most readings indicate that the iPhone XS handles just over 600 nits.
Side by side, the iPhone XS will probably look a bit bolder than the iPhone 11. But you can also claim that the extra size makes the iPhone 11 more powerful, both for video and gaming only, even if they aren't always that clean. like others. .
IPhone X vs iPhone XS camera
Comparing the iPhone generation cameras is a bit difficult. Both phones have dual rear cameras, but where the second camera on the iPhone XS is equipped with a telephoto lens at 2x magnification, the iPhone 11 has an ultra-wide angle lens.
If you want to upgrade a new iPhone, you'll need to upgrade to the iPhone 11 Pro or 11 Pro Max, which costs around € 300 more.
(Image credit: LaComparacion)
All four rear cameras on these phones are equipped with 12-megapixel sensors, but is an ultra-wide zoom better than a zoom? Depends on the context. If you want to capture a large group of people or focus on the size of a building, you want an ultra-wide network. Do you want to get closer to the action without moving? You need a zoom.
Zoom is probably more important in making people's images "better" because many of us still use digital zoom rather than move to cope with a standard 26mm lens.
However, the iPhone 11 has real advantages. It features Apple's new Night Mode, which combines nine exposures to get the same kind of bright, high-dynamic-range shots you can get with a Huawei P30 Pro. Low-light image quality has been a weak point of the iPhone for several years. years.
Its camera app also allows you to see part of the area around the main camera view, which is useful when you're not sure whether you need wide-angle views or not. The wide offers a 120-degree view of the scene, which Apple calls a "2x zoom."
Both rear cameras can also record video at 4K, 60 frames per second, with improved dynamic range. The main camera on the iPhone XS can take a 4K / 60 resolution photo as well, but we're still not sure you'll get the same rendering updates in a software update.
(Image credit: future)
The iPhone 11 also has the advantage of selfies. Its sensor has been upgraded to 12MP, from 7MP on the iPhone XS. And Apple helped create its own term, "slofies." These are idle selfies, mostly slow motion videos that you will probably share on social media or WhatsApp with friends.
iPhone 11 battery vs iPhone XS
The iPhone 11 is based on the model of the iPhone XR, the most durable iPhone 2018, it is also an obvious choice for battery life. Apple says the new phone lasts even longer than the iPhone XR.
Do you want official hours? The iPhone 11 is expected to last 17 hours of video, the iPhone XS 14. It is worth 65 hours of audio, the iPhone XS 60 hours.
Also, Apple generally publishes statistics on the internet and the duration of calls, but this was not the case at the time of writing. But there's no real challenge here, because the iPhone 11 will likely have excellent battery life, while most hard-core users find the endurance of the iPhone XS to be satisfactory at best.
Both phones will also hit a 50% charge in 30 minutes, but the iPhone 11 doesn't come with a charger. That Apple is a bit stingy here should come as no surprise.
iPhone 11 vs iPhone XS power
Apple manufactures its own processors. And that means a quick read of the processor names of these two phones is completely opaque. The iPhone 11 has an Apple A13 Bionic processor, the iPhone XS a Bionic A12. But what is the difference?
(Image credit: future)
Apple is always ready for a bold power claim. But this year, earnings are a bit more conservative than usual.
The processor and GPUs of the A13 Bionic are approximately 20% more powerful than those of the A12 Bionic. This is a very good boost that confirms Apple's claims that it is the "fastest processor in a smartphone" and the "fastest processor in a smartphone." This figure is not as impressive as the 40% that it has been able to boast in previous years.
Apple also claims to have improved the processor's self-learning capabilities, which should help speed up camera and AR processing.
iPhone 11 vs iPhone XS price
The iPhone 11 has launched the iPhone XS on Apple tablets. It is now a traditional model, only the iPhone XR crosses the generations. But we can compare the prices of the iPhone 11 with what the iPhone XS was the day before its arrival.
Apple's new iPhone 11 starts at (relatively) € 699 / AU € 729 / AU € 1,199. This is much more affordable than the iPhone XS launch price at € 999 / € 999 / AU € 1,629.
(Image credit: LaComparacion)
Although a large number of androids are sold at significantly lower prices, the iPhone 11 could have a chance to convert new followers. As is usual with Apple, the cost increases dramatically as you add more storage.
The base model has 64GB. You'll have to pay an additional € 50 / GBP 70 for the 128GB version, and the iPhone 11 256GB costs US € 849 / € 879.
verdict
Apple has cleverly changed its iPhone marketing this year. Where some thought the iPhone XR was the "affordable" iPhone, which could have been less desirable, there is no R-rated stigma on the iPhone 11. And it even launches at € 100 less than the iPhone XR.
This phone is destined to be very popular, and it deserves to be. It has much of the same hardware as the Pro models, at a much more reasonable price.
Compare it to the iPhone XS and what you miss about a true high-end iPhone becomes apparent. There's no ultra-high-resolution OLED screen, no steel sides, no telephoto lens, and the screens surround the thickness of the iPhone 11.
However, the telephoto camera will be lost. The extra power and longer battery life of the iPhone 11 make up for it. Most of the time.