Apple's iPhone 11 is the best phone Apple has ever produced

In This Article:

Apple's iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max have officially hit stores. And the latest versions of the company's flagship device pack a host of improvements including all-new cameras that have consumers asking: Is now the time to upgrade?

After spending time with the three iPhones, I’ve decided it’s hard to deny their superiority to older models. The new cameras alone offer major upgrades over last year's models, the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max. And the updated processors and drastically improved batteries make for a trio of iPhones that are flat-out the best Apple has produced by a long shot.

It's hard to tell someone who just spent $1,000 on an iPhone XS to go out and buy these new phones, though. That device still has plenty to offer as far as performance and usage. In fact, the latest version of Apple's mobile operating system, iOS 13, will run on iPhones as old as the iPhone 6s.

But Apple (AAPL) has made such a compelling case to upgrade with its new iPhones, that it's hard not to recommend making the jump.

The cameras are everything

The standout feature of the $699 iPhone 11, $999 iPhone 11 Pro, and $1,099 iPhone 11 Pro Max is their cameras. The iPhone 11 gets an all-new 12-megapixel wide-angle camera, as well as a new 12-MP ultra-wide angle camera.

The iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max both get those same cameras, as well as a new 12-MP telephoto camera. The lenses for each are housed in a rectangular enclosure on the backs of the phones.

Apple's iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max feature 5.8-inch and 6.5-inch screens, respectively. (Image: Dan Howley)
Apple's iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max feature 5.8-inch and 6.5-inch screens, respectively. (Image: Dan Howley)

The look has inspired plenty of memes already, including one picture that turned the iPhone's cameras into a stovetop. But regardless of how you feel about the design — I happen to think it helps the phones stand out more — there's no denying the beauty of the photos these cameras take.

This week, I walked around Manhattan's Washington Square Park, like a common tourist, taking photos of everything from flowers to the famous Washington Square Arch. The shots looked wonderful. Colors appeared evenly balanced, and minor details were easy to make out. The ultra-wide angle cameras on the phones add an extra dimension to your amateur photography arsenal by letting you capture more of the scene surrounding your subject.

The ultra-wide angle lens lets you take photos of your favorite landscapes by expanding the field-of-view versus the standard wide-angle camera, meaning there's room in your frame for your subject.

Panorama mode will still capture more content by stitching together multiple wide-angle shots into a single, extra-wide photo. However, using the ultra-wide camera is easier, and doesn't require you to keep the phone level while you turn in place to capture a scene.