Success or failure? Why Apple is afraid of real iPhone 11 Pro reviews and comparison?

Western journalists published the first reviews of new iPhone models after the lifting of the embargo from Apple. We studied them and highlighted the most interesting. The main feature: many reviews do not even have comparisons with competitors: Apple is afraid of such comparisons. There are almost no mention of Apple smartphones’ disadvantages. Reviews of the iPhone 11 Pro and its Max-version are identical, so when the text below is about one, it applies to both.

• Is the iPhone 11 Pro camera really good?
• About the high autonomy
• iPhone 11 Pro screen: here is what you overpay for
• Hardware: faster and more powerful
• Verdict

Photo: Sarah Tew / CNET

Is the iPhone 11 Pro camera really good?

It takes time to objectively evaluate the camera’s photo capabilities. Journalists only managed to compare photos with a couple of other smartphones and try out new modes.

Nilay Patel from The Verge compared the camera of the iPhone 11 Pro with the XS, Google Pixel 3 and Samsung Galaxy Note 10: “The iPhone 11 is much sharper, much more detailed. I think the iPhone 11 works a little better than the Pixel 3, and when post-processed, the photos look more natural than on the Note 10.”

Against the background of the XS, the new model works better in difficult conditions. For example, in bright backlight during the day or in low light.

Scott Stein from CNT paid more attention to shooting in low light: “Apple’s night mode turns on automatically, requiring an additional 1-3 seconds to capture more light and collect the picture. In my tests, it turned out to be almost surreal and overly saturated. Photos like HDR retain some nightly effects, but in other cases they may look like normal daylight. If the night mode interferes, you can turn it off by clicking on the appropriate icon, but in almost every case it made the photo better.”

With night mode, the iPhone 11 camera is, in theory, an application for the best camera for shooting in low light and competition with Huawei and Google Pixel. Stein from CNet sees the flaws in the mode: “This is not an ideal tool: faces may be blurry and details may be lost. But still I was amazed. The effects of night mode are the same on the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro, but the Pro also has a telephoto lens that can be used in night mode.”

The review’s author notes that in night mode it is impossible to shoot with an ultra-wide-angle module, but does not see a drawback in this. From this sensor, the photos are darker, plus it does not have optical image stabilization.

The Verge is more loyal to the night mode: “The iPhone 11 camera performs better in bright conditions than the Pixel 3 and Note 10, and with the night mode it often produces better results than the Pixel 3. If, with the help of updates, photography in low light improves to at the level Apple grades, iPhone 11 photos will be better than competitors in any light.”

The indisputable plus of the iPhone camera is its video capabilities. Nilay Patel of The Verge and Scott Stein of CNet write that in iPhone 11 video recording has become even more perfect, in particular, stabilization has improved. Now the maximum video shooting options – 4K / 60 frames per second. With 4K settings of 30 frames per second and below, it is possible to switch between lenses right during shooting. By the way, iPhones do this extremely smoothly.

About the high autonomy

Photo: Sarah Tew / CNET

Apple at the presentation announced that the iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max work 4 and 5 hours more than the XS and XS Max, respectively. There is a quick 18 watts charge putted in the kit. Reviewers noticed changes in practice.

Nilay Patel from The Verge writes: “I have been using the iPhone 11 Pro Max for a week as my primary smartphone. Without recharging, it works continuously from 12 to 14 hours. At the same time, in the battery settings for 24 hours, more than 10 hours of screen time are displayed. The compact iPhone 11 Pro also showed decent results. We watched the video on it all day, tested the photo capabilities for several hours and shot 4K video in the evening, and then left it overnight without recharging. The next morning, 50% of the charge remained in it.”

TechRadar’s Gareth Beavis writes: “In everyday use, we realized that this smartphone is designed to last 24 hours. A quick charge, which is put in the kit (finally), will replenish energy by 20% in about 15 minutes and fully charge the device in an hour and a half.”

iPhone 11 Pro screen: here is what you overpay for

Photo: Sarah Tew / CNET

Mark Spoonauer of Tom’s Guide writes: “If you choose between the iPhone 11 Pro Max and iPhone 11, don’t take smartphones out into the street. There you will notice a huge difference in brightness level. In fact, the screen of the iPhone 11 Pro Max with a diagonal of 6.5 inches Super Retina XDR turned out to be much better than the Galaxy Note 10 Plus when I put both phablets side by side.”

TechRadar’s Gareth Beavis writes: “The new OLED screen seems to have more yellow tint when viewing frames in white or when viewing photos from a phone. However, they are not available when viewing on a large screen, so it seems to depend on the device. The screen as a whole looks good, it’s just noticeable if you keep the 2018 iPhone XS Max nearby. One of the key improvements here is the ability to play content with Dolby Vision. It may not seem like a big step forward compared to the HDR10, but it matters.”

Hardware: faster and more powerful

Photo: Sarah Tew / CNET

In the new generation, much attention is paid to hardware. Smartphones run on the powerful A13 processor and support the new Wi-Fi 6 standard.

The most capacious and understandable advantages of the new hardware were described in Wired: “Smartphones are fast. Applications load quickly, switching between applications is fast, photo processing and editing is fast. Apple Pay is faster on this device, FaceID is faster and has a wider viewing angle. AirDrop is great and could be even better if iOS 13 allows the use of the new Apple U1 chip, which helps nearby iPhones find each other. The new phones also support faster LTE and Wi-Fi 6.”

Verdict

TechRadar’s Gareth Beavis writes: “The iPhone 11 Pro Max is the set of all that Apple can put in a smartphone – a high-quality screen, powerful speakers, an advanced processor – all combined with a massive camera upgrade. However, this phone is designed for fans of Apple. Or someone who really needs this extra lens or a little higher autonomy. The iPhone 11 comes with the best value for money.”

Nilay Patel of The Verge writes: “If you are in the iOS ecosystem and are thinking of upgrading your smartphone, I think the iPhone 11 is an easy choice. It offers almost everything you get from Pro, but with a price tag of $300 less. In this case, you still get an improved main camera, an interesting new ultra-wide sensor, A13 processor, iOS 13 and so on.

How to choose between iPhone 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max and 11?

By paying for Pro, you get a significantly improved display, telephoto lens and improved LTE performance. Or if you want a smaller phone. The iPhone 11 Pro is slightly smaller than the iPhone 11, and it seems unfair to people looking for compact smartphones.

I am extremely demanding on displays and cameras, so I’m going to walk with Pro. The cameras on the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro are so advanced that I think they are worth the transition from last year’s models for the first time in a long time. Add to that the increased autonomy, and in the iPhone 11 Pro you will see a step forward compared to the XS and one of the best flagships of this year.”