The iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max have been announced with faster processors, better screens, and new double and triple camera systems for us all to savour, but are they keeping up with the competition?

Apple has announced its latest iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max smartphones, and recognising the importance of photo and video within their devices, they feature all-new camera systems, better screens, faster processors and that long-awaited longer battery life. But are they going to stand up to the competition?

Announced yesterday at Apple’s HQ in Cupertino, California, the new iPhone 11 series carries on where the iPhone XS, XS Max and XR left off last year. The new devices highlight familiar designs and screen sizes, which is sure to please die-hard Apple fans, with slim bezels and the Face ID notch at the top, which was first introduced in 2017 with the iPhone X, [10]. The new phones will be available in two sizes; a 5.8-inch and a 6.5-inch screen version. 

The big news, [so far as we’re concerned] is the new triple camera system on the back of the new devices. The three 12 megapixel cameras work together in a comparable way to the dual-camera system of the earlier iPhones, linking an ultra-wide angle, a main and a telephoto camera for zooming from 0.5x to 2x, similar to some of their rivals’ products. Apple has said that it has combined all three cameras for colour and exposure in the factory, presenting the new iPhones as film-making solutions that are capable of capturing and editing pro-level video content. iOS 13 is also set to introduce a set of new video editing tools that allow you to rotate, crop, increase exposure and apply filters to videos instantly. Apple says that these adjustments are easy to apply and review at a glance in the Photos app.

Tim Cook, Apple’s chief executive, said: “For those that want something that truly pushes the limits, this is the iPhone 11 Pro. The most powerful and advanced iPhones we’ve ever produced in a stunning new design.”

The new cameras also promise better low-light performance with a new night mode, which is a function that’s been sorely missing from iPhones of late and is also something that the brand has been trounced on by the likes of Huawei and other prominent smartphone manufacturers. Apple has said that the new phones’ cameras will produce better all-round, more precise stills using advanced computational photography and that their new HDR system enables superior lighting.

Another upgrade has been with the ‘TrueDepth’ selfie camera, which is now beefed up to 12 megapixels, allowing for wider shots and filming up to 4K at 60 frames per second, with the bonus of being able to shoot slow-motion video with the selfie camera.

What seems ultimately odd, is the fact that there’s no support for the latest 5G networks, which have recently been rolling out in the UK, US and other parts of the world. Sure, the availability of the new, faster mobile networks is limited right now, the rollout is expected to reach lots of major towns and cities by the end of this year. So what are Apple playing at? Surely these new devices will be deemed obsolete pretty quickly if they’re not prepped for 5G? Maybe that’s the plan?

Samsung, OnePlus, Huawei and other [predominantly Chinese] smartphone manufacturers all have at least one 5G model available, giving them a notable advantage in the new era of modern mobile connectivity.

The iPhone 11 is the entry-level version of the three new phones launched by Apple and replaces the iPhone XR. The body is 6.1″ and houses a dual-camera version of Apple’s new system, replacing the single-camera from last year and adding a 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera to the traditional 12-megapixel camera.

This new iPhone promises to capture video from both cameras at up to 4K at 60 frames per second. Something we’re keen to test. Apple has declared that it shoots the highest quality video in any smartphone. That is unless you take the iPhone 11 Pro into account, of course. The iPhone 11 is, all in all, pretty similar to the iPhone XR. It has the same aluminium and glass build, but now has tougher glass, so we would hope it will suffer less from devastating cracks from the lightest of knocks.

All of the new iPhones have the new, quicker A13 ‘Bionic’ chip, which Apple states is both the fastest CPU and GPU in any smartphone. Ever.

The battery on the iPhone 11 has been suggested, [by Apple] to be able to last one hour longer than the iPhone XR, which was already the longest-lasting iPhone. Apple said the iPhone 11 Pro would last four hours longer than the iPhone XS, and the iPhone 11 Pro Max five hours longer than the iPhone XS Max.

So what can we expect from these new iPhones? Well, with the trade war between the US and China gathering momentum and apparent animosity, it seems likely to affect Apple’s growth in the Chinese market. This is a factor that could potentially increase the cost of the iPhone elsewhere, thanks to newly imposed tariffs. Aside from the strong competition that Apple now has in the smartphone market, the next few years could well prove difficult. Apple will surely be speculating on the top-end appeal of its most expensive iPhone 11 Pro to continue where the iPhone XS Max left off, while the cheaper iPhone 11 appeals to a wider market by competing more directly on price with their competition? One thing’s for sure, we’re keen to see what these new cameras can do and so will report back as soon as we get hands-on!

Pricing and availability

The iPhone 11 will set you back £729. The iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max will cost from £1,049 and will ship on 20 September 2019. More info at Apple’s website and you can re-watch the keynote HERE.