Apple is introducing and releasing three phones at once for the first time this year - the iPhone 11, the Pro and its Max version - and we are priming you with all the major differences between the three new 2019 iPhone models.
Despite the trio of phones, the "tick-tock" design cycle that Apple introduced with its bi-annual "s" marks after the iPhone number is still going strong, and this year is a "tock" one. Well, without the "s" notation, so there is a new naming paradigm but the principle stays the same - no radical design changes but enhanced photography aided by new processor are in store, as usual.
The common themes for the new phones over their predecessors will be upgraded cameras and storage amounts, faster chipsets and new Face ID kits with improved front camera. How has Apple differentiated the three new iPhones from one another, though? Read on...
Apple iPhone 11 vs Pro vs Max design and displays
Apple's event invitation contained a hint for the new iPhone 11 colors
Despite the phones keeping the same 5.8", 6.1" and 6.5" diagonals of their predecessors, there are new design entries still, happening at the rear. when you flip over the 11, Pro and Max, one immediately notices the elevated square camera area in the top left corner.
It makes the new iPhones look like they have more serious photographic abilities than their predecessors with the one or two cameras on the back.
Apart from that, we have a few brand new colors for the iPhone 11 (like purple and that acid green) that the Pro and Max don't have, just like with its predecessor, the XR, but the Pro models get an exclusive Midnight Green, so we can call it quits. That's about all the new things in the design that Apple has let on this time around.
Apple iPhone 11 vs Pro vs Max specs, battery, memory and chipset
Under the hood, however, a powerful A13 chipset makes the phones tick, and you can imaging the benchmark scores of the iPhone 11 with its HD display resolution, coupled with Apple's scorching new processor made with advanced second generation 7nm process. By advanced we mean that analysts peg Apple A13 as being slightly larger than the A12 yet managing to cram 8.6 billion transistors, a whopping 20% increase.
That's not as much as what the crazy fast A12X chipset in the iPad Pro holds, though, and Apple has kept the hexa-core design with two powerful cores, using the spare transistors for machine learning algorithms, artificial intelligence and things like the rumored real-time video editing it will offer.
Apple A12 (left) vs Apple A13 benchmark comparison
All in all, the A13 will likely decimate everything out there in terms of performance benchmarks. Again. Apple is not upping the RAM amount in the iPhone 11 trio, as there will be no 5G connectivity needing more memory and battery to operate in the 2019 iPhones.
Slow (5W) charger in the box Wireless charging support
Fast (up to 18W) charger in the box Wireless charging support
Fast (up to 18W) charger in the box Wireless charging support
Water resistance
Water resistant to a depth of 2 meters for up to 30 minutes3
Water resistant to a depth of 4 meters for up to 30 minutes3
Water resistant to a depth of 4 meters for up to 30 minutes3
A slight bump in battery capacities is warranted, though, and the iPhone 11 battery pack orders are reportedly granted to China's ATL (Amperex) which are the same guys that got the order for non-exploding Galaxy Note 7 packs after the infamous Samsung SDI batteries started catching on fire. The new battery capacitиес аре 5%-15% larger than their predecessors, and it shows in the battery life stats.
Apple iPhone 11 vs Pro vs Max cameras
Apple added one extra camera on the back of the iPhone 11, Pro and Max compared with their predecessors. Besides the obvious advantages of having "ultra-wide" lenses trickle down to the cheapest 2019 iPhone, that type of camera is a first for Apple, and allows it to do its computational photography magic in a three-pronged manner.
Specs
iPhone 11 (successor to iPhone XR)
iPhone 11 Pro (successor to iPhone XS)
iPhone 11 Pro Max (successor to iPhone XS Max)
Main Camera
12MP ƒ/1.8 aperture
12MP ƒ/1.8 aperture
12MP ƒ/1.8 aperture
Secondary Camera
12MP Ultra Wide ƒ/2.4 aperture
12MP Ultra Wide ƒ/2.4 aperture
12MP Ultra Wide ƒ/2.4 aperture
Third Camera
x
12MP 2X telephoto zoom ƒ/2.0 aperture
12MP 2X telephoto zoom ƒ/2.0 aperture
Front Camera
12MP ƒ/2.2 aperture
12MP ƒ/2.2 aperture
12MP ƒ/2.2 aperture
All the cameras on the Pro and Max collect information in their respective sensors in different ways, including zoomed and wide-angled, which is merged in real time so each of the cameras backs the other two in every scenario.
This has allowed Apple to introduce better low-light, zoom shots and straightened-up wide angle shots, avoiding the Achilles heel of each scenario if it only used one of the sensors at a time. Needless to say, you need an incredible computational power to do this on the fly, and the new Apple A13 chipset couplet with the dedicated ISP deliver.
Apple iPhone 11 vs Pro vs Max prices and release
Apple's business model has never been "at cost," but it was masking the prices of its iPhones well while US carriers were eating the difference. Well, the subsidies days when you could get the new iPhone for $200 are long gone, and carriers kept the pricing, so people are much more hesitant to upgrade than they were before, keeping their handsets for three instead of two years on average now.
That's precisely why Apple circled the wagon around all price points, and its new iPhones are now starting from $699 which is only a bit more than the previous low point, but has expanded the price bracket northwards, and this year won't be any exception.
If you want all that wonderful computational photography with main, wide and zoom lens, as well as the brilliant OLED displays, darling, you'll have to pay for it.
64GB
128GB
256GB
512GB
Apple iPhone 11/XR
$699/$599
$749/$649
$849/n/a
n/a
5.8" Apple iPhone 11 Pro
$999
n/a
$1149
$1349
6.5" Apple iPhone 11 Pro (Max)
$1099
n/a
$1249
$1449
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Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena since 2010, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.
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