iPhone 11 Pro & iPhone 11 Pro Max -- Hands on and first impressions

Posted:
in iPhone edited December 2019
AppleInsider goes hands with the new iPhone 11 Pro and the iPhone 11 Pro Max -- including a look at the the updated three-camera system.

iPhone 11 Pro
iPhone 11 Pro


Apple's new iPhone lineup comes in the same sizes that the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max from 2018 did. Available again are a smaller 5.8-inch in the iPhone 11 Pro, and a 6.5-inch iPhone 11 Pro Max.

Both the iPhone 11 Pro and the iPhone 11 Pro Max are slightly heavier than the respective model of the previous generation. Fortunately, the new matte finish on the back isn't slippery at all as we've seen with matte glass in the past.

The glass back looks slightly thicker than that of the iPhone XS line, which could contribute to the added strength Apple touted during the unveiling.






A lot of the new iPhone we weren't able to test right away such as the wide-angle Face ID though it did seem slightly quicker by what we saw demoed. We also didn't have the opportunity to test the low-light photography prowess. Both of these topics will wait until we get to test the new iPhone models at more length on September 20.

iPhone 11 Pro Max in black
iPhone 11 Pro Max in black


We did get to try the new camera app, with all three new lenses. It is impressive how smooth Apple has made the entire experience. It is easy to quickly jump between ultra-wide, wide, and tele or to smoothly zoom.

Overall, they look and feel like they should -- iPhones with a refreshed design and new features. The cameras were impressive, and the bump isn't near as intrusive as we expected.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 55
    Yawn
    I need a better phone, not a computer, not a tracker
    better battery , rugged , not burdened by complications that drift attention far from the tasks at hand
    Privacy
    without "features" that only add complexity.
    Get the core solid
    it ain't
     I don't walk around staring into my hand , like Narcissus into the pond.
    Go back to the Design philosophy you abandoned years ago.
    You are high on your own gas








    bluefire1argonautbigtdschemengin1
  • Reply 2 of 55
    Yawn
    I need a better phone, not a computer, not a tracker
    better battery , rugged , not burdened by complications that drift attention far from the tasks at hand
    Privacy
    without "features" that only add complexity.
    Get the core solid
    it ain't
     I don't walk around staring into my hand , like Narcissus into the pond.
    Go back to the Design philosophy you abandoned years ago.
    You are high on your own gas








    Curious what in your opinion is needed for a better "phone." I can't think of many improvements that are left for phone functionality, but I could missing your point.
    StrangeDaysJordanf1ronnguscattwokatmewpscooter63watto_cobraDeelronSoundJudgmentjony0
  • Reply 3 of 55
    stoneyg said:
    Yawn
    I need a better phone, not a computer, not a tracker
    better battery , rugged , not burdened by complications that drift attention far from the tasks at hand
    Privacy
    without "features" that only add complexity.
    Get the core solid
    it ain't
     I don't walk around staring into my hand , like Narcissus into the pond.
    Go back to the Design philosophy you abandoned years ago.
    You are high on your own gas








    Curious what in your opinion is needed for a better "phone." I can't think of many improvements that are left for phone functionality, but I could missing your point.
    Basically he wanted a flip phone. But what do I know. I think 11 Pro is a solid phone with just the right amount of everything: excellent battery life, best processor, better AI engine, better water resistant, excellent screen and one thing I really like to play more: the camera.
    edited September 2019 StrangeDayslolliverronnCarnagewatto_cobraDeelronSoundJudgmentjony0
  • Reply 4 of 55
    Yawn
    I need a better phone, not a computer, not a tracker
    better battery , rugged , not burdened by complications that drift attention far from the tasks at hand
    Privacy
    without "features" that only add complexity.
    Get the core solid
    it ain't
     I don't walk around staring into my hand , like Narcissus into the pond.
    Go back to the Design philosophy you abandoned years ago.
    You are high on your own gas
    Nah. 
    lolliverronnfastasleeppscooter63watto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 5 of 55
    mac_dogmac_dog Posts: 1,069member
    Yawn...
    “Bitter, table of one!”

    i believe there are flip phones still available. 
    lolliverronnStrangeDaysjony0
  • Reply 6 of 55
    That camera design is absolutely atrocious... Apple design really going downhill :neutral: 
    kestralargonautbigtdschemengin1
  • Reply 7 of 55
    DAalsethDAalseth Posts: 2,783member
    Yawn
    I need a better phone, not a computer, not a tracker
    better battery , rugged , not burdened by complications that drift attention far from the tasks at hand
    Privacy
    without "features" that only add complexity.
    Get the core solid
    it ain't
     I don't walk around staring into my hand , like Narcissus into the pond.
    Go back to the Design philosophy you abandoned years ago.
    You are high on your own gas








    You are describing a feature phone. I had one of those. Would go a week on one charge. Never crashed. Never had any problems. Always worked when I needed it to.

    But that is a feature phone. They don't do much, but they do it very well. This is a smart phone. It does everything pretty bloody well, but there are a few compromises.

    You might as well whine that that a watermelon isn't as convenient as a sandwich. That a car isn't as fuel efficient as a bicycle. If you don't want a smart phone, that's fine. But tot come around here trolling that a smart phone is doing what a smart phone does, just makes you look really clueless.
    edited September 2019 gilly33lolliverronnrundhvidtwokatmewStrangeDaysmuthuk_vanalingamfranklinjackconpscooter63urahara
  • Reply 8 of 55
    rinosaur said:
    That camera design is absolutely atrocious... Apple design really going downhill :neutral: 
    LOL. What do you expect when you have multiple lenses? There's only so much you can do when your design is made up of three round lenses. Takes about ten minutes to figure out the design.
    ronnStrangeDayszoetmbradarthekatcapt. obviouswatto_cobraDeelronSoundJudgmentjony0
  • Reply 9 of 55
    rinosaur said:
    That camera design is absolutely atrocious... Apple design really going downhill :neutral: 
    On the contrary, for what it is I can’t imagine it looking nicer. To me 3 lenses look excessive and overly obtrusive, but Apple owned it and made it look as good and elegant as it could possibly look. I haven’t used the camera so I can’t say whether it is worth it or not, but it is firstly about the function of the camera and not the looks, so I’m fine with what Apple did as long as the camera really adds value.

    It’s the same deal with the X/XS. Apple owned the dual lens and turned it into something nice looking (for what it is), especially compared to previous designs.
    randominternetpersonlolliverronntmayguscatStrangeDaysargonautpscooter63watto_cobraDeelron
  • Reply 10 of 55
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,092member
    Yawn
    I need a better phone, not a computer, not a tracker
    better battery , rugged , not burdened by complications that drift attention far from the tasks at hand
    Privacy
    without "features" that only add complexity.
    Get the core solid
    it ain't
     I don't walk around staring into my hand , like Narcissus into the pond.
    Go back to the Design philosophy you abandoned years ago.
    You are high on your own gas








    *yawn*
    lolliverronnStrangeDaysspace2001zoetmbwatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 11 of 55
    sflocal said:
    Yawn
    I need a better phone, not a computer, not a tracker
    better battery , rugged , not burdened by complications that drift attention far from the tasks at hand
    Privacy
    without "features" that only add complexity.
    Get the core solid
    it ain't
     I don't walk around staring into my hand , like Narcissus into the pond.
    Go back to the Design philosophy you abandoned years ago.
    You are high on your own gas








    *yawn*
    *yawn*

    That's just hideous, the first time I've seen someone who gets angry when the hardware improves.

    You may also hold your 6502 and throw away your i7 craps, they're horribly inefficient, who the heck needs GUI when you can run BASIC programs in a loop?
    edited September 2019 lolliverguscatStrangeDaysargonauturaharawatto_cobra
  • Reply 12 of 55
    DAalseth said:
    Yawn
    I need a better phone, not a computer, not a tracker
    better battery , rugged , not burdened by complications that drift attention far from the tasks at hand
    Privacy
    without "features" that only add complexity.
    Get the core solid
    it ain't
     I don't walk around staring into my hand , like Narcissus into the pond.
    Go back to the Design philosophy you abandoned years ago.
    You are high on your own gas








    You are describing a feature phone. I had one of those. Would go a week on one charge. Never crashed. Never had any problems. Always worked when I needed it to.

    But that is a feature phone. They don't do much, but they do it very well. This is a smart phone. It does everything pretty bloody well, but there are a few compromises.

    You might as well whine that that a watermelon isn't as convenient as a sandwich. That a car isn't as fuel efficient as a bicycle. If you don't want a smart phone, that's fine. But tot come around here trolling that a smart phone is doing what a smart phone does, just makes you look really clueless.
    Not sure what he’s going on about? Just go back to a feature phone. 
    ronnguscatwatto_cobra
  • Reply 13 of 55
    rinosaur said:
    That camera design is absolutely atrocious... Apple design really going downhill :neutral: 
    Apple has been accused of form over function for a very long time and in some instances I agreed. But they’ve turned around by balancing that a bit more. Think the new Mac Pro - which is back to more function versus an overly fixation on design with the ‘wine bottle cooler generation’ that in the end pros didn’t want.

    The same is visible in the iPhone. The phone cameras has become a primary reason to buy or skip a phone. It is a camera I take 90% of my photos with, despite a DLSR that I have with 5 professional lenses. 
    Function over form is completely justified. People were complaining about the bump Apple introduced years ago, but I don’t expect that same mass critique in 2019 at all. The alternative would be to lose out to Android systems and to offer a subpar photo taking quality / experience. These are the laws of physics. A bump is needed and lenses need to be exposed. What is the alternative, really?
    guscatStrangeDaystmaymuthuk_vanalingamargonauturaharawatto_cobraDeelron
  • Reply 14 of 55
    rinosaur said:
    That camera design is absolutely atrocious... Apple design really going downhill :neutral: 
    Apple has been accused of form over function for a very long time and in some instances I agreed. But they’ve turned around by balancing that a bit more. Think the new Mac Pro - which is back to more function versus an overly fixation on design with the ‘wine bottle cooler generation’ that in the end pros didn’t want.

    The same is visible in the iPhone. The phone cameras has become a primary reason to buy or skip a phone. It is a camera I take 90% of my photos with, despite a DLSR that I have with 5 professional lenses. 
    Function over form is completely justified. People were complaining about the bump Apple introduced years ago, but I don’t expect that same mass critique in 2019 at all. The alternative would be to lose out to Android systems and to offer a subpar photo taking quality / experience. These are the laws of physics. A bump is needed and lenses need to be exposed. What is the alternative, really?
    You don't just think that Functions only means performance?  I'll say that the Mac Pro is a special case -- they haven't done anything for five or six years.
  • Reply 15 of 55
    stoneyg said:
    Yawn
    I need a better phone, not a computer, not a tracker
    better battery , rugged , not burdened by complications that drift attention far from the tasks at hand
    Privacy
    without "features" that only add complexity.
    Get the core solid
    it ain't
     I don't walk around staring into my hand , like Narcissus into the pond.
    Go back to the Design philosophy you abandoned years ago.
    You are high on your own gas








    Curious what in your opinion is needed for a better "phone." I can't think of many improvements that are left for phone functionality, but I could missing your point.
    It sounds like he's looking for a better flip phone.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 16 of 55
    guscat said:
    stoneyg said:
    Yawn
    I need a better phone, not a computer, not a tracker
    better battery , rugged , not burdened by complications that drift attention far from the tasks at hand
    Privacy
    without "features" that only add complexity.
    Get the core solid
    it ain't
     I don't walk around staring into my hand , like Narcissus into the pond.
    Go back to the Design philosophy you abandoned years ago.
    You are high on your own gas








    Curious what in your opinion is needed for a better "phone." I can't think of many improvements that are left for phone functionality, but I could missing your point.
    It sounds like he's looking for a better flip phone.
    Just Hysteria, simply hysteria.
    StrangeDayswatto_cobra
  • Reply 17 of 55
    rinosaur said:
    That camera design is absolutely atrocious... Apple design really going downhill :neutral: 
    I think you forgot to mention 'in my personal opinion...' because from what I can see the design is perfect. It's all in the details. Take a closer look.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 18 of 55
    The silver is gorgeous! That will be my pick for sure ! I dont get the green.. maybe in person it looks better.. it kind of looks like an Military phone.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 19 of 55
    k2kwk2kw Posts: 2,075member
    I think it is great that Apple lowered the Price of the iPhone 11 from the iPhone XR.   I think it will motivate many to upgrade.   Now is DED going to do an editorial attacking Tim Cook for lowering the Price.   I imagine they couldn’t lower the price of the 11Pro because of what they pay Samsung for the OLED screen.
    muthuk_vanalingambigtds
  • Reply 20 of 55
    Yawn
    I need a better phone, not a computer, not a tracker
    better battery , rugged , not burdened by complications that drift attention far from the tasks at hand
    Privacy
    without "features" that only add complexity.
    Get the core solid
    it ain't
     I don't walk around staring into my hand , like Narcissus into the pond.
    Go back to the Design philosophy you abandoned years ago.
    You are high on your own gas








    Agree for the most part. I can’t imagine Steve Jobs ever approving a camera protrusion that looks like that.  Overall, I was disappointed. As the singer Peggy Lee once sang, “Is that all there is?”. In the years after 2007, Apple could get away with this super modest upgrade, but the competition has clearly caught up. I’ll get the new Apple Watch 5 but sadly will wait until 2020 to get my next iPhone.
    argonaut
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