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

[sumsingwong]

I’m guessing you didn’t buy one. If you did, you knew the specs and features well ahead of time. Can’t folks get therapists to vent their resentments on here? The grandstanding is tiresome. And where are these phones produced by all these innovative “competitors”? Ever tried navigating a clumsy Android phone? If you prefer exploding Samsungs or arcane manufacturers with folding keyboards, then why are you posting on an Apple-based forum?

Bringing up exploding Samsung's is tiresome. When was the last time one exploded? When was the last time macbooks were banned from airplanes? What about the swelling batteries of the Apple Watches? Navigating Android is clumsy? Where are the camera settings on the iPhone? That's right, not in the camera app. Having to go into settings just to make adjustments is just straight dumb.

 

[PrecisionGem]

Why is the camera bump ugly? Seems fine to me. And I’m not spending my time looking at it, anyway.

Well, if I want to take a picture, I use a real camera. As far as the weight goes, this phone weighs more than the iPhone X, which already feels like I have a brick in my pocket. For me, the iPhone 6 was a good size and weight. This new phone is approaching the weight of one of my real cameras.

 

[mudflap]

So they removed features, continue to keep displays with PWM, iOS 13 is behind competitors in features and this has virtually the same design as phones from the past 2 years but this is supposed to be a “Pro” model? Wow.

How is iOS 13 behind competitors in features? iOS works seamlessly with my Mac and my iPad. Airdrop works perfectly. So does Continuity. All my passwords are synced on all my devices. Notes. Reminders. Mail. Documents. Desktop. Can't do that natively with ANY competitor.

And what kind of redesign would you like to see? Porsche nailed the design of the 911 decades ago. It has the same basic design to this day. A truly great design is timeless. I don't want the screen to wrap around the sides -- that's a nightmare if you drop it. The only change I would welcome off the top of my head is going back to the old iPhone 4 design, like the latest iPad pros with hard edges instead of those slippery rounded ones.

 

[cmaier]

Well, if I want to take a picture, I use a real camera. As far as the weight goes, this phone weighs more than the iPhone X, which already feels like I have a brick in my pocket. For me, the iPhone 6 was a good size and weight. This new phone is approaching the weight of one of my real cameras.

I have lots of “real” cameras (a7rii, a7s, rx100v, rx100vi) and the iphone 11 pro max i got yesterday is nowhere near as heavy as any of those, and is infinitely more pocketable. And while I will always bring a camera along to special events when I know, ahead of time, that I may want to take photos, in the last couple of years I find a larger and larger percentage of the photos in the photo book i send to family members each year are pics I took on my iphone, simply because I had it handy.

I can also see leaving the a7s, which I mostly use with f1.x lenses for photos at night without flash, at home in most situations now, given that the iphone takes very good low light photos. In a few years, when they add a lens with an equivalent focal length >85, I may use it for nearly all my shots, and reserve the mirrorless cameras for shots that I know I am going to blow up to full page in the photobooks.

 

[PrecisionGem]

A lot of people are not gen X and don't take selfies every few minutes, nor do we post every move we make on social media. A small, thin phone to make phone calls on, maps etc are fine. I seems Apple is catering to teens.

For me, these phones are too big and heavy. You have to take it out of your pocket to sit down comfortably.

 

[IG88]

Exactly! I dread the thought of having to upgrade from my 7 to the 11 Pro to keep the smaller size.

The standard 11 size feels just right to me, but I'm coming from an 8+. YMMV.

 

[cmaier]

A lot of people are not gen X and don't take selfies every few minutes, nor do we post every move we make on social media. A small, thin phone to make phone calls on, maps etc are fine. I seems Apple is catering to teens.

For me, these phones are too big and heavy. You have to take it out of your pocket to sit down comfortably.

The fact that you think it is gen X that is the generation that “take selfies every few minutes” tells us a lot about where you are coming from.

 

[44267547]

A lot of people are not gen X and don't take selfies every few minutes, nor do we post every move we make on social media. A small, thin phone to make phone calls on, maps etc are fine. I seems Apple is catering to teens.

For me, these phones are too big and heavy. You have to take it out of your pocket to sit down comfortably.

I agree a lot of what Apple is doing is catering to a younger demographic, especially if you look at the Animoji and amount of emojis that they’ve added over the last few years, their marketing shows this. I get what they’re doing, they’re trying to demonstrate technology by making it ‘fun’ to a younger demographic. But some of us are more practical, where we don’t need larger iPhones for everything, which is why am hoping Apple does stay in line to release a 5.4 inch iPhone in 2020.

 

[iLLUMI]

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.

When you look at the space gray and green colors side by side you will notice the green coloring more.
On it's own it does appear to be a grayish green, as others have mentioned.
I guess thats why they call it midnight green .... at night green colors appear grayish?

 

[cmaier]

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.

I have the same condition and I am seeing the same thing.

 

[The Game 161]

Took plenty of photos today and boy is this a fun camera. Even with full brightness all day at 20.00 it’s still 24% left on heavy usage

 

[DrApps]

So they removed features, continue to keep displays with PWM, iOS 13 is behind competitors in features and this has virtually the same design as phones from the past 2 years but this is supposed to be a “Pro” model? Wow.

All the new features pretty much all software (small) gimmicks, amazingly multi-millions made on pure hype. Hardware way behind Huawei and Samsung

So they removed features, continue to keep displays with PWM, iOS 13 is behind competitors in features and this has virtually the same design as phones from the past 2 years but this is supposed to be a “Pro” model? Wow.

 

[cmaier]

All the new features pretty much all software (small) gimmicks, amazingly multi-millions made on pure hype. Hardware way behind Huawei and Samsung

Hardware way behind? You mean except for the cpu, the display, the UWB chip, the power controller, the ...

 

[DenisValcke]

I was really into all Apple stuff for years, had nothing but Macs for as long as I can remember, had several iPhones, iPods, iPads, ... But I made the switch from iOS to Android a couple of years ago because I couldn't defend the price of a new iPhone anymore. It seems that every time you buy a new piece of technology, it's obsolete after a couple of months and I just want a phone that lasts a couple of years and doesn't cost me an arm or a leg.

That being said, I do still follow the latest news on new Apple tech and I've grown more and more disappointed with what I see. I don't say this from an "Apple Sucks, long live Android" perspective but more from a perspective where I think that spending this amount of money should also mean something. The iPhone has lost its edge compared to competitors on a lot of fronts and it will be hard for them to catch up after the last two years. They were outrun on edgeless screens, quality camera's (by Huawei when it comes to hardware and by Google when it comes to software), innovative features like in-display camera's/touch-id/... I don't know, it just feels like competitors are trying to find new ways of innovation and Apple is currently stuck in their "old" ways.

It's also sad to see so many people here bashing on each other for having contrary opinions. Apple has created this walled garden and it seems very hard for some people to look outside and participate in objective/civil discussions about their Apple tech. After all, it's just a gimmick, let's be honest. If you want to make phonecalls or send texts, a 100 euro cheapo phone will do, if you are a pro photographer you'll probably use your DSLR, ... A smartphone is just a gimmick and a lot of people here seem to get very defensive when they are being challenged by arguments against why they should spend this amount of money for their gimmicks.

Also realize that competitors being more innovative is not a bad thing for Apple. The years that Apple was more innovative, challenged competitors to step up their game and now Apple is going to get challenged to do the same at some point. This is how tech evolves, by everyone trying to get the edge over the others in their market.

tl;dr do whatever you want, buy whatever you want but also be open to discussions about why it could be interesting to step outside of your comfortzone.

 

[ryanwarsaw]

Just did the setup, transfer via WiFi from 8+ to 11. I'm digging Face ID, it's ready before I have time to swipe up.

I also love the Face ID. I absolutely hated it on my iPad Pro because my hand is always blocking the cam and you never know which position it is in. However on the phone this isn't a problem at all. I also came from an 8+ and the past day or so had to use it to retrieve some things or whatever. When I pick it up I find myself swiping up for Face ID after just one day using the other phone.

Touch ID feels so weird to use now.

Over all I am loving the upgrade and it feels like a modern phone. I have had plus models since the 6 came out so a new design is nice. The last phone I had that felt fresh was a Samsung 7 edge which I loved the look of but absolutely hated using. Nice to have something that feels modern and has an OS that works. The icing on the cake is with the trade in program this phone is a financial pin prick to buy.

128GB fits my entire music collection so no more messing around with playlists. $50 for this seemed reasonable.

The notch doesn't bother me at, neither does the bump. Put it in a clear plastic case from Apple and if the bump still bothers you then you need professional help and should see somebody right away.

For me this is the most significant upgrade since I went from a 4 to a 6+.

Apple should have a very big holiday quarter this year. I actually can afford AirPods at some point. Before I had to choose between accessories and feeding my kids. The kids are delighted we have food for a change.

 

[k1121j]

MY 11 Pro 256GB was DOA. it could not restore from iCloud, another phone or via computer iTunes. Apple instructed a restore from iTunes that bricked it and now its stuck in recovery mode and gets error code 53 from iTunes. Then Apple tried to charge me to have another one shipped to me!!!!! I was like don't start or I will request a new in box unopened replacement. Now just staring out the window for my replacement

 

[MDF314159265]

Went to the  store to play with the new iPhone 11 Pro camera... I am not impressed. The same issues with the camera on the iPhone X that drove me to get a proper camera, are still present on the latest model. Too bad!
Apple truly are no longer innovating on the hardware end. I am glad they are supporting my “old” X model though! iOS 13 is an enjoyable update. A little buggy, but that should be expected anymore.

 

[Jack Neill]

I’m guessing you didn’t buy one. If you did, you knew the specs and features well ahead of time. Can’t folks get therapists to vent their resentments on here? The grandstanding is tiresome. And where are these phones produced by all these innovative “competitors”? Ever tried navigating a clumsy Android phone? If you prefer exploding Samsungs or arcane manufacturers with folding keyboards, then why are you posting on an Apple-based forum?

My Galaxy S9 isn't clumsy, nor has it exploded. In 2019 an iPhone still can't pin a message thread to the top like I can on my Galaxy. Still in 2019 I can't put apps in a drawer and have to look at a grid of icons like its 2007. iOS 13 brings widget to the iPad home screen. Welcome to 2013 Apple. The future is now.

I have a 256 XS and use it every day anyways. The rest of the Apple ecosystem keeps me on iOS.

 

[ryanwarsaw]

All the new features pretty much all software (small) gimmicks, amazingly multi-millions made on pure hype. Hardware way behind Huawei and Samsung

Dr. Evil it' 2019 companies like Apple now deal in billions. Billions and billions and billions with a trillion dollar market cap and a cherry on top.
[automerge]1569095645[/automerge]

All the new features pretty much all software (small) gimmicks, amazingly multi-millions made on pure hype. Hardware way behind Huawei and Samsung

Dr. Evil it' 2019 companies like Apple now deal in billions. Billions and billions and billions with a trillion dollar market cap and a cherry on top.

Something weird happened not going to bother fixing the double quote.

 

[brandsteve]

I have one friend who says his new 11 pro max stops charging at 80% with the fancy new 18w charger.

 

[mi7chy]

I have one friend who says his new 11 pro max stops charging at 80% with the fancy new 18w charger.

Stops or slows down charging? It's not uncommon to fast charge to 80% then slow charge the rest of the way. Tesla does this too.

 

[mudflap]

The fact that you think it is gen X that is the generation that “take selfies every few minutes” tells us a lot about where you are coming from.

LOL, right? Gen X collectively rolls their eyes at millennials.

 

[casavage]

Can you continue testing and reply back? I have a qualcomm iPhone X and i refuse to give it up if the 11 is plagued by the same issues that the XS and XS max had.

After using the phone around town I can confirm my experience with the pro max cell signal is no better than the XS max. It’s really a shame I was so hoping for a rebound from what the X and prior phones used to be.

 

[k1121j]

So they removed features, continue to keep displays with PWM, iOS 13 is behind competitors in features and this has virtually the same design as phones from the past 2 years but this is supposed to be a “Pro” model? Wow.

Pretty sure a shape or look isn't what makes it pro, in this case its the camera, display, IP rating. It's a phone so its not going to make coffee or anything. i'm curious is there a feature your missing?

 

[wigby]

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

It's only 4x if you're counting the new 3rd lens (wide lens) as the starting point but it's just 2x from the normal lens that the X and XS use. Apple usually compares all new features and improvements to their previous phone model but in this case, they are not doing that so it feels a little deceptive.