Hands-On With the New iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro Max

[oodsigma]

I received my iPhone 11 Pro (64Gb Silver) on Friday, I upgraded from iPhone 8 that I have had for two years. I am actually paying less for the Pro after switching provider. I can honestly say that in comparison with the 8 the 11Pro is in a different league. Yes I am trying to get to grips with FaceID (which has worked every time for me, very quickly, whilst wearing sunglasses) and the gestures to switch apps. I am finding my thumb goes for the home button automatically sometimes too.

But the feel of the phone, the response when using it, and the features of it are excellent value for me and I do not regret the upgrade. I could have saved more with the 11, but wanted a smaller form factor device. I have not taxed the camera yet but it will get used on my holiday in a few weeks, but first impressions of the three lenses are good, especially as I take a lot of indoor shots, having the extra wide angle is good.

I'm sure it's not as good as a full SLR, but I don't care, I want an easy device I can quickly flick on to take pictures of my daughter, without a myriad of setting I don't understand, and know that my pictures are backed up tot he cloud in case I lose it or it get stolen.

So yeah, for me, absolute value for money.

 

[I7guy]

Since the revealed of first-generation iPhone in 2007,  never comprise a product design for newer kind of technology and work out a solution to implement it as flawless as possible and iPhone X as a whole did not follow that fundamental principle at all.

So what the customer buy such as iPhone 11 lineup is a subpar device that looked somewhat dated from a certain point of view.

Okay, in your opinion.

Why was it removed if it was superior?

Why was the headphone jack removed?

 

[Radon87000]

Okay, in your opinion.

Why was the headphone jack removed?

To earn more revenue through the AirPods.

 

[psac]

I received my iPhone 11 Pro (64Gb Silver) on Friday, I upgraded from iPhone 8 that I have had for two years. I am actually paying less for the Pro after switching provider. I can honestly say that in comparison with the 8 the 11Pro is in a different league. Yes I am trying to get to grips with FaceID (which has worked every time for me, very quickly, whilst wearing sunglasses) and the gestures to switch apps. I am finding my thumb goes for the home button automatically sometimes too.

But the feel of the phone, the response when using it, and the features of it are excellent value for me and I do not regret the upgrade. I could have saved more with the 11, but wanted a smaller form factor device. I have not taxed the camera yet but it will get used on my holiday in a few weeks, but first impressions of the three lenses are good, especially as I take a lot of indoor shots, having the extra wide angle is good.

I'm sure it's not as good as a full SLR, but I don't care, I want an easy device I can quickly flick on to take pictures of my daughter, without a myriad of setting I don't understand, and know that my pictures are backed up tot he cloud in case I lose it or it get stolen.

So yeah, for me, absolute value for money.

That's exactly the upgrade that I'll be doing (except 256GB, but that doesn't impact performance), thanks for the impressions!

 

[I7guy]

To earn more revenue through the AirPods.

Did it work?

 

[PrecisionGem]

I've seen plenty. Where someone had an iPhone in their pocket and no "real" camera hanging on their shoulder. You are in a tiny minority.

That is n

I've seen plenty. Where someone had an iPhone in their pocket and no "real" camera hanging on their shoulder. You are in a tiny minority.

That's as silly as saying that Burger King is a better meal than a 5 star restaurant, because you were at Burger King, so it was better food. Tell me when does the iPhone camera out perform a full frame camera? The answer is NEVER!

 

[The Game 161]

Just need more SS watch to match the silver pro max.

 

[SuperMatt]

One minor thing I didn’t think of when I bought a red iPhone 11: the mute switch indicator on the side of the phone is kind of hard to see since it‘s also red.....

 

[adrianlondon]

That's as silly as saying that Burger King is a better meal than a 5 star restaurant

Great. Now I want a Whopper.

 

[agsystems]

What about the so called Atmos sound? I laughed last year when Samsung announced it but now Apple is doing it as well.

it freeking sounds great - if you don't have it to go to the store open youtube 'dolby atmos sample' and you will see - the sounds comes from everywhere (even behind) - and yes from 2 small speakers

 

[Just sayin...]

11 Pro Max here in green. The new phone is noticeably faster than my Xs Max in the areas of facial recognition. It recognizes me much faster and, for apps that use Face ID to log you in, they are open and ready to go MUCH faster (i.e. 1Password). I’ve also noticed that this particular phone shows 3-4 bars of service in my home office, where my previous phone would always report 2-3 bars. Haven’t yet paid attention to the increased battery life...

 

[agsystems]

So night mode is all software?

Apple's implementation is using the wide sensor (with 100% pixels) so no, hardware+software is required - Google is able to do it with multiple phones of various quality but Apple is running a business so if your point is that Apple could do it, yes, they could.

 

[agsystems]

Well, I’m trying to convey that you can’t just ignore areas in which iOS and iPhone are clearly leaders.

Much of the iPhone hardware is objectively leading or among leaders. Name a better chip and GPU combo. Name a better camera system than the Pro Max. Are you arguing the Pro Max screen, cameras, and processor aren’t beating or among leaders, at minimum?

Name a more secure OS. Name an OS with more privacy and support. Name a phone with a longer usable life ( due to the silicon and consistent software updates) than any iPhone.

What features are you talking about that are ahead in competitors? I’m curious.

thank you - and in 3 years or less when all phones house absolutely under screen (camera, microphones, 3d sensors, etc) - then NO changes will be apparent since you will still have to hold the phone in your hands.

 

[jelloshotsrule]

That's as silly as saying that Burger King is a better meal than a 5 star restaurant, because you were at Burger King, so it was better food. Tell me when does the iPhone camera out perform a full frame camera? The answer is NEVER!

when burger king is the only restaurant available, just like with the phone camera.

i've seen so many countless articles by and interviews with top professional photographers who emphasize that it's not about technical specs on a camera, but about availability and using it to capture a moment, which a phone makes much more doable than a full frame camera.

it sounds like you should go with a flip phone in your pocket and a hasseblad on your shoulder

 

[Flight Plan]

I was happily surprised to learn today the new pros are actually 4x optical zoom!

4X, isn't that the equivalent of 200 mm in a 35mm camera? Damn!

The whaling and moaning about the square camera bump. "Horrible. Disgusting. An abomination!"
And it's totally fine. Apple is great at fit and finish. The hardware looks awesome.
P.S. If you don't like the square camera bump, you are out for probably 3-4 years until tech changes.

I agree with your "whale" of a comment; there's nothing to "wail" about here.

I have a slight red/green color blindness. I see red, I see green. Just not certain shades of them. The midnight green looks a little darker than space gray, but still just gray. I have been trying to "will" my eyes into seeing the green for days. I just can't make it happen.

You should probably get a friend to tell you if you actually got a green one. You know, if the person who shipped your phone was also color blind, you might be walking around with a grey phone.

I am freaking loving this IP 11 Max but 10 seconds after taking it out of the box and putting a case on it and I feel is too heavy- way heavier than my previous 8+. I am all for more battery but I don't know what they are going to do next year with the tech we are expecting to get

You'll need a hand truck to carry your phone around next year. And chiropractors will be running sales.

No kidding. I personally have no lost love for Samsung phones but nor do I waste my time going to any Samsung/Android forums bashing it.

I got tired of Samsung phones not letting you uninstall the phone company's useless spam apps.

So I have to explain something to you within your constraints? Ok let’s say for arguments sake iOS 13 is on par with competitors. Which it’s not. The rest of what I said still stands.

Ignore him. He's trolling you and you're falling for it.
Edit: Oh, wait a minute; YOU are the troll. Nevermind!

Honestly for everyone, I have been upgrading my iPhone religiously on launch day every year. This year was not different. But apart of the introduction of the new iPhone which was probably the less spectacular I have seen, the new iPhone 11 (pro in this case) as really nothing fundamentally different from my old one. I am using it today and there is nothing new. It’s like Pepsi and Diet Coke. In a blind test, you wouldn’t see the difference. The same applies here. I don’t see a difference in the phone in my hand from this morning (iPhone 10xs max) to the phone I have this afternoon (11 pro max)

So let's see if I understand here:
"I upgrade my iPhone religously on launch every year!"
"blah blah blah"
Translation: I love it!

Doesn't the 11 still function on a LCD? Afaik the bump in the battery life is because of the A13 processor.
[automerge]1569055475[/automerge]

I am glad they didn't support the 6. It is really slow on the 12 and let's be honest, it's a VERY old phone now. Tech gets outdated very fast.

My 6+ was really feeling slow, so I upgraded it to the XS Max. But will probably skip this upgrade unless I need to start taking more pictures.

Making sure people know the specs and features of an iPhone before they get tricked into buying one.

"Tricked?" You have so little faith in people. Can you even bring yourself to get out of bed in the morning?

...It's always good to load a battery only through 80%...

Hmmm, I call BS on this statement. Yes, even if it's on an Apple product page!

I agree with CNET reviewer, Scott Stein when he says the camera looks dystopian. I've got a liquid crystal case to drive the point home. Big Brother is watching you.

I need to see what a "liquid crystal case" looks like!

It works very well, but you have to buy 9 phones.

You win! I'm just going to log off now because all the late night comedians have died (either that or they're trying to bore me to death) and there's simply nothing that can happen in what remains of today that will be as clever or as funny.
[automerge]1569287716[/automerge]
So the reviewer's comments about the "slow mo selfies" was funny. Smelfies, did he call them?

 

[anthogag]

I demoed a Pro 11 Max.

The grippier back feels good.

Compared to my Xs the Pro 11's screen is brighter.

I like the new cameras.

I didn't test the sound.

It is good it comes with a fast charger. Definitely a selling point.

Perhaps next year iPhone 12 will ship with AirPods.

For me it is good enough to upgrade from my current Xs.

 

[Radon87000]

Did it work?

Yes it did. That’s why the AirPods became a success.

 

[I7guy]

Yes it did. That’s why the AirPods became a success.

Cool. I support that type of innovation from Apple.

 

[I7guy]

thank you - and in 3 years or less when all phones house absolutely under screen (camera, microphones, 3d sensors, etc) - then NO changes will be apparent since you will still have to hold the phone in your hands.

The notch will live on, is my prediction.

 

[Applebot1]

The new phones seem a very solid update and have been generally well received.

Whilst I’m not in the market for one, if you need a new iPhone I wouldn’t hesitate unless you are waiting for 5G compatibility.

 

[Roller]

Watching the NFL games today, I didn't see any of the photographers on the sidelines using phone cameras. For the type of photography I do, there is no phone camera that would be acceptable. I don't take selfies, never have, so for me, the larger cluster and bump on the back is of no value. The camera on the iPhone 4 was fine for my needs.

That's your counter-argument? You said that the iPhone was "approaching the weight" of real cameras, which is patently untrue. Nobody would seriously contend that iPhone cameras can replace a DSLR in every situation, but your dismissal of the former sounds like what I used to hear about Mac computers not being suitable for "serious work" back in the day. And, for many for whom the iPhone (or any other phone) camera is all they'll ever need, I'm certain that the pictures they capture are as meaningful to them as yours are to you.

 

[Abazigal]

Yes it did. That’s why the AirPods became a success.

I bought my AirPods when I was still using a 6S+, which sported a headphone jack. The AirPods won on their own merit for me - a perfect blend of convenience, portability and ease of use.

Apple did away with the headphone jack on the iPhone because they envisioned a future without wires (one where wearables are the dominant form factor for mobile computing, not smartphones). The lesson Apple keeps teaching and which others keep ignoring is - to create true meaningful change in a market, you need to force change. By taking bold unapologetic stances.

Here’s a touchscreen smart phone without the familiarity of a physical Qwerty keyboard. Here’s a large screen tablet without a desktop OS and desktop apps and file system. Here’s a smart phone without a headphone jack. Here’s a laptop with only usb c ports.

The real benefit comes not in me not needing a wired headphone, but in the removal of the jack (hopefully) incentivising companies to come up with better wireless headphones and wireless technologies. By giving them one extra reason to and one less reason not to.

It will be interesting to see what succeeds the headphone jack and if Apple ends up betting on the right horse all along.

 

[digthewell]

My 6+ was really feeling slow, so I upgraded it to the XS Max. But will probably skip this upgrade unless I need to start taking more pictures.

Oh absolutely. My 6 is really dragging and there's no surprise since it's a 5 year old phone and Apple is throttling the performance of the phone due to old battery. I think you're good to go with the XS Max for quite some time since you've made it till now with a 6+

 

[Jordan Klein]

On Saturday, I went to my local Apple store to get a hands-on feel for the new iPhones. I'm currently sporting an 8+ and have been very happy with it. I still like TouchID quite a bit.

I stayed for over an hour and did significant testing of all 3 models. Surprisingly, I ended up walking out with my 8+ and decided to wait until next year.

Reasons:

1. Still using Lightning/USB2.0 connector. That's unacceptable. Will wait for either Lightning/USB3.x or, ideally, USB-C. I assume next year will bring that.
2. On the 11, as with the XR, I do notice the DPI differences, especially in smaller size text. The 11/XR is fuzzy while the 8+ and the Pros are crisp. Video is fine on both.
3. As for the OLED, try as I might, I couldn't discern that the blacks on the OLED devices were noticeably deeper. I know they are but I couldn't tell. I spent a lot of time trying to, as well. Used the same backgrounds and all on mine and the Pros, side-by-side.
4. Swiping between different home pages definitely showed that the 120hz refresh is noticeably better. My 8+ had distinct stuttering when swiping between pages while the Pros were silky smooth. As nice as that is, it wasn't enough on its own.
5. Performance - as for the apps I use, none of them has been suffering any performance problems.
6. Memory - 4GB vs 3GB. Not a huge difference at the end of the day. I doubt I'd notice much improvement. Maybe when they hit 6+ GB.
7. OS - iOS 13.1 runs just fine on the 8+ and the vast majority of features are available to me.
8. AR - Yes, AR will be a LOT better on the 11 series. But, who's yet to take advantage of it in a way that I'd care? I'm still waiting... And the 8+ does a pretty good job as it is.
9. Games - As much as games are probably better on the 11 series, I'd rather play them on a bigger display, such as my MacBook Pro or iPad Pro 10.5. iPhone gaming has little real appeal to me other than simple games when I'm in a waiting room or something. My Kindle app tends to get far more of a workout in those situations.
10. Full screen display. Believe it or not, the way I frequently hold my phone works well with the bezels of the 8+. I lean it in my hand with my thumb bracing the front, across the home button. I tried the same with the 11 series and it was very inconvenient because it was blocking the view of the bottom layer of app icons. I didn't think about this issue until I was holding the phone. That's something that may be a big issue with me, no matter the model. I wonder if it's possible that they'll keep the 8+ form factor available and occasionally upgrade the components, kind of like they're doing with the SE. I'd welcome that, I think.

So, I'll hold out to see what the 11S series looks like. I think the biggest things that would make me upgrade are significant memory upgrade as well as a more modern connector interface. I can't believe they're STILL doing USB2.0. That's probably the biggest issue for me.

 

[OlliFlamme]

I bought my AirPods when I was still using a 6S+, which sported a headphone jack. The AirPods won on their own merit for me - a perfect blend of convenience, portability and ease of use.

Apple did away with the headphone jack on the iPhone because they envisioned a future without wires (one where wearables are the dominant form factor for mobile computing, not smartphones). The lesson Apple keeps teaching and which others keep ignoring is - to create true meaningful change in a market, you need to force change. By taking bold unapologetic stances.

Here’s a touchscreen smart phone without the familiarity of a physical Qwerty keyboard. Here’s a large screen tablet without a desktop OS and desktop apps and file system. Here’s a smart phone without a headphone jack. Here’s a laptop with only usb c ports.

The real benefit comes not in me not needing a wired headphone, but in the removal of the jack (hopefully) incentivising companies to come up with better wireless headphones and wireless technologies. By giving them one extra reason to and one less reason not to.

It will be interesting to see what succeeds the headphone jack and if Apple ends up betting on the right horse all along.

I am surprised to not read in this thread that the removal of the headphone jack had an additional, and perhaps major reason: to make the iPhone what Apple calls "Splash, Water, and Dust Resistant".