As expected, Apple launched the iPhone 11 Series of handsets at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, California. The series consists of three devices, the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max. We’ll talk about the iPhone 11 -- the successor to last year’s iPhone XR -- in a separate story, and here we’ll learn how the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max are different from last year’s. Apart from a new name scheme, Apple has included a new processor, an extra camera sensor and has manufactured the chassis of the phone from a single block of metal. But do you need to sell your kidney to buy this year’s iPhones? Read on to know more.
We all know that the kidney selling jokes trend when Apple launches new iPhones every year. Well, if you are not aware, Apple caters to a niche audience and prices its devices accordingly. People joke that they need to sell their kidneys to purchase one, however, this time, these jokes have little impact on people.
What is same as previous generations?
Apple has priced the new phones exactly the same as the previous two generations, that is, Rs 99,900 for the iPhone 11 Pro and Rs 1,09,900 for the iPhone 11 Pro Max. The overall design and the size of the displays are the same as they are in the iPhone X, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max. The cameras have the same 12MP camera sensors, however, the number of sensors has increased. Further, the cameras are claimed to be more powerful as compared to the previous generations of iPhones.
What has changed?
As you must have noticed, the most evident change is the name of these devices. After iPhone 8, it was the first time that Apple has used numbers in their devices. The previous models were called iPhone X, iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max. In fact, the affordable variant carried iPhone XR moniker. The second noticeable change is the triple rear camera setup in a protruded square module -- a first for the iPhone. Apple has also launched four colours: midnight green, space gray, silver and gold. Both the phones are offered in 64GB, 256GB and 512GB onboard storage options.
Apart from these striking changes, there are a string of new changes under the hood. Firstly, this year’s handsets are equipped with the indigenously developed A13 Bionic chipset. The OLED panel on the phones have been upgraded and carry a new name: Super Retina XDR display. As mentioned, the latest iPhones now ship with a triple rear-camera setup with a wide angle camera, an ultra-wide one, and a telephoto lens.
Both the phones are similar barring the display size and battery capacity. The iPhones feature a textured matte glass back with a polished stainless steel band. During the event, Apple claimed that this is the ‘toughest glass ever in a smartphone.’ The phones carry an IP68 rating, which means that they can survive for up to 30 minutes at a maximum depth of 4 meters in water. While the iPhone 11 Pro comes equipped with a 5.8-inch display, the Max variant sports a 6.5-inch panel. The displays are HDR-enabled OLED panels with a 2 million to 1 contrast ratio.
Under the hood, the iPhones are fitted with Apple’s A13 Bionic chip, which is claimed to be the fastest CPU and GPU ever on a handset. The new chip comes with the third-generation Neural Engine for an ‘improved machine learning performance’. Apple says that the latest SoC is the most power-efficient chipset they have ever made. It is claimed to deliver an additional four hours of run-time on the iPhone 11 Pro and five hours of battery life on the larger variant.
When it comes to the camera, both the iPhone 11 Pro and the iPhone 11 Pro Max are equipped with three 12MP cameras. This is probably the most striking and highly-leaked change that people noticed. One of the three cameras has a 12MP sensor with wide f/1.8 lens, the second 12MP sensor is paired with an ultra-wide lens that has f/2.4 aperture and 120-degree field of view, and the third 12MP sensor features an f/2.0 aperture telephoto lens. The upgraded camera is capable of shooting images with 2x optical zoom, and up to 10x digital zoom. On the front sits is a 12MP sensor which can record slow motion and 4K videos. The rear camera also consists of a dedicated Night Mode for clicking well-lit images in low-light conditions.
