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iPhone 11 iPhone X to iPhone 11 display difference

L

leman

macrumors Core
Original poster
Oct 14, 2008
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I've managed to get a really good deal on my old iPhone X and with that money I could basically get an iPhone 11. I don't really care for the stainless steel or the tripple camera of the Pro version, but I am a bit concerned about the display. I really grew accustomed to the sharp OLED of the X and I am wondering whether going to the LCD of the 11 would mean a practical regression in perceivable quality. Maybe some of you folks have went through a similar transition and can share your experiences?

Few relevant (or not) considerations:

- I rarely watch videos on my iPhone, maybe some YouTube here or there
- I mostly view text — I like to read research papers or news during my commute
- I am usually using my phone outdoors
- I am a sucker for display quality

I am sure that there is a significant difference between the 11 and the 11 Pro in terms of display. But I am more interested in the difference between the X and the 11.

Thanks!
 
Last year, I returned my XR and bought a used 8plus because of the noticable ppi difference. And reading small print is 95% of what I do on the phone. 11 has the same ppi as the XR so that would be a nono for me. I love my 8plus and feel no need to upgrade btw.
 
DevinNj said:
You will be hard pressed to notice a difference unless they're side-by-side. Even then, the difference is negligible. My son has an XR and I have a Max, trust me.
Click to expand...

To each their own on this one. I notice a difference, especially now that we have dark mode. Then again, I have always been a screen snob. I will never own a non-OLED display any time soon (TV or Phone).

The best advice I can give is to check the phone out in store before making your decision. It may not bother you, but for me personally it took less than 3 seconds to realize I couldn't do the 11. Like you OP, I do not watch videos, but the contrast OLED provides makes a very noticeable difference across the entire UI.
 
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IMHO it has to do with the intended use and a bunch of other stuff.

I upgraded (well, sorta) from my old iPhone 8 to the Galaxy S10e. HUGE difference between the 8 and S10e screen....but the phone itself was crap.

Traded it in on an XS, and while the screen is obviously better...it's not the enormous difference in everyday usage that the S10e was. Deeper blacks, better resolution, obviously, but even in the store, I didn't notice a *huge* difference.

With that said, evidently I'm one of those bothered by the PWM on the XS, so I'll be trading it in for an 11 128Gb.
 
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I just went from the XS to the 11. If you do side by side comparisons, you’re going to be able to notice some differences. But, after putting my XS away for a few days and using only the 11, I just don’t feel any difference whatsoever. I feel like I’m using an iPhone with a nice screen that is a little bigger than my XS. Maybe once or twice while I was outside, I wondered whether the screen appeared less bright than my XS, but I didn’t bother to bring my XS back out and compare.

If I were you, I’d try out the 11 for at least a week. See what you think at that point. I think the longer you use it, the less any differences will bother you (if they bother you at all).
 
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So, I got a flashy red 11 today and the difference I notice the most is the size... the X was simply more comfortable in my hand while the 11 is awkward to hold. But I have to say that the screen difference is not as big as I expected. Sure, the X had deeper blacks, content appeared slightly crisper and the viewing angles are better. But the 11 is actually brighter and the colours look better. So far, after a day of use, I don't regret my decision. I also looked at the Pro in the store, and I have to say that I wouldn't pay $300 more for it.
 
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DevinNj said:
You will be hard pressed to notice a difference unless they're side-by-side. Even then, the difference is negligible. My son has an XR and I have a Max, trust me.
Click to expand...
This has been my experience as well. I put my Max up against my wife's XR plenty of times and you will only notice a difference if you're comparing side by side and actually looking for it. Just using the 11 day to day you wont feel like you are missing anything. OP should go for it.
 
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coney718 said:
This has been my experience as well. I put my Max up against my wife's XR plenty of times and you will only notice a difference if you're comparing side by side and actually looking for it. Just using the 11 day to day you wont feel like you are missing anything. OP should go for it.
Click to expand...
Couldn't agree more, I love my son's XR, it's a fantastic phone. If the XR/11 had the telephoto lens, I'd be all about it.
 
leman said:
I've managed to get a really good deal on my old iPhone X and with that money I could basically get an iPhone 11. I don't really care for the stainless steel or the tripple camera of the Pro version, but I am a bit concerned about the display. I really grew accustomed to the sharp OLED of the X and I am wondering whether going to the LCD of the 11 would mean a practical regression in perceivable quality. Maybe some of you folks have went through a similar transition and can share your experiences?

Few relevant (or not) considerations:

- I rarely watch videos on my iPhone, maybe some YouTube here or there
- I mostly view text — I like to read research papers or news during my commute
- I am usually using my phone outdoors
- I am a sucker for display quality

I am sure that there is a significant difference between the 11 and the 11 Pro in terms of display. But I am more interested in the difference between the X and the 11.

Thanks!
Click to expand...
My wife had the X and I actually preferred my XR to her display. Her display had a lot of color shift when rotated on a horizontal axis.. from pink to accurate to blue. My LCD seemed more consistent and I liked it better for editing photos. The LCD is a great display. If you read a lot on the web the text (Safari) will be smaller on the XR/11 unless you adjust the Aa % up. Overall, I would say the LCD display of the 11 is 95% of that of the 11P/11PM. I think the 11 is also less warm.
 
You need to compare them for yourself buddy. Go to the Apple store and look at the 11 next to the 11 pro and see if you’re ok with the 11 display. Obviously the 11 pro display is better overall, there’s no getting around that. However, the 11 display is really solid and looks much better than it sound on paper. When I went to the apple store to get my iPhone 11 last Saturday, I put it next to 11 pro max and they looked nearly identical to me. Where the difference is noticeable is when dark mode is on, that’s where the OLED really shine. My girlfriend has an iPhone X and I see absolutely no differences unless dark mode is on and I compare the blacks. In fact, I feel like my 11 is brighter than her X and I’m not exaggerating. I’d go a step further and say that if the 11 had dark as dark as the oled, they would be the same displays. Again, unless dark mode is on I absolutely do not see the difference.
 
So my oldest son is buying his first phone out of his own pocket. He wasn’t sure about going with the 11 with larger display or smaller 11 Pro.

He asked to see my X and my wives XR side by side. Until then I hadn’t done that because I just can see the difference when you know what to look for.

We both concurred using apps / internet wasn’t any noticeable differences when placed side by side.

When playing TV show ‘ Breaking Bad ‘ and ‘Star Wars Solo’ movie in Netflix we could easily see the difference in the blacks, dark areas. On LCD it looks washed out , yellowing at times, where you can’t even make out what’s in it the scene. Where on my X it was clearly visible what was in the darkened scene and with deeper blacks. overall even more vivid.

I do more tv show streaming I care to admit on my and going back to LCD would be a visible down grade to me.

After the comparison my son ordered the 11 Pro. He’d rather have a smaller OLED display over the a larger LCD.

In the end, get what makes you happier for your needs and likes.
 
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I prefer the 11 LCD screen to the X OLED. Much less juddering when scrolling, much less flickering in the dark. Resolution isn't as bad as it looks on paper in comparison, since the subpixel arrangement of the LCD is RGB, vs diamond pentile for the OLED. Black levels are pretty great for an LCD. In daytime they will have almost identical contrast ratios.
 
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The difference is there and it’s not that hard to find out. It’s just a matter of whether you can accept it or not. In the XR (and 11), black is more washed out, text is a bit more grainy than the XS/11 Pro.
 
Resolution and "true blacks" aren't important to me, but the smaller and harder to read font is a deal breaker. Kind of odd that the 8+ still have a few upgrades over the XR/11
 
I have the XS but ordered the 11 because of PWM. I get really bad migraines from the OLED screen so I don’t have much choice. I love everything about the XS aside from this issue though. Unfortunately it’s a dealbreaker.
 
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The display of your X was far superior to the display of the iPhone 11 due to the 11’s old LCD panel. The black and contrast ratio will never be as good as it was on the X
 
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Everyone’s different. Like others have said go to the store and play with it a bit. I myself had a XR and too me the screen was horrible I’m sorry. But you might think it’s fine and then the iPhone 11 is a great deal for you.
 
Benz63amg said:
The display of your X was far superior to the display of the iPhone 11 due to the 11’s old LCD panel. The black and contrast ratio will never be as good as it was on the X
Click to expand...
Black levels and contrast in dark are not the only metrics of quality in a display.

For many the peak brightness matters (X Oled not as bright as 11 LCD). For others the method of dimming matters (LCD far superior to all apple OLEDs).
 
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FuzzMunky said:
Black levels and contrast in dark are not the only metrics of quality in a display.

For many the peak brightness matters (X Oled not as bright as 11 LCD). For others the method of dimming matters (LCD far superior to all apple OLEDs).
Click to expand...
If you truly believe that LCD technology is superior to OLED then you are seriously delusional. Can LCD displays go brighter? Sure but that is far from an optimal display for cellphones these days and there’s a reason why Apple uses OLED on all it’s high end devices for the past 2 or so years. MicroLED is an upcoming technology that will bring best of both worlds in one (LCD’s peak brightness threshold and OLED’s contrast and absolute blacks) but that tech isn’t ready for primetime yet.
 
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Benz63amg said:
The display of your X was far superior to the display of the iPhone 11 due to the 11’s old LCD panel. The black and contrast ratio will never be as good as it was on the X
Click to expand...

Sure, the blacks on the X are deeper but the 11 has a brighter display (important for outside use) and better colors. I wouldn’t say that X was far superior. I do prefer the OLED display, but in my opinion it’s not worth the premium.
 
I'm not saying lcd is superior to oled, but I wouldn't say inferior either. To me for reading, lcd is much easier on the eyes (if the ppi is sufficient). And it's more true to colour. What some call vivid colours on a oled panel, is cartoonish to me.
 
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