With a new set of cameras and 20% more speed than the iPhone XR, the iPhone 11 starts at AED 2,949 in Dubai. It also has a better battery.
Without the iPhone XS and XS Max being officially sold by Apple, the iPhone XR is the only survivor of the 2018 lineup, starting at AED 1627.75. Find out what’s the same and what’s new between the iPhone XR and iPhone 11 and which might be the best choice for your use.
Vibrant colors are highlights of entry-level iPhones
The iPhones 11 and XR share many similarities in their differences, especially when it comes to design and finish. Both phones retain the Liquid Retina Display, a 6.1-inch LCD screen with more prominent edges on the front.
Smartphones also share four of the six available colors: Black, White, Yellow and (PRODUCT) RED. If color is important, know that the XR has Blue and Coral, while the 11 comes in Green and Purple.
Looking at the back, the finish is still in glossy glass and the sides in aluminum, but it doesn’t take much to notice a second camera on the iPhone 11 and that the Apple is more centralized. The “iPhone” written on the XR does not exist on the top line.
Apple always says that the latest cell phone has the “strongest glass ever placed in a smartphone”, but it is important to remember that it is glass, which scratches and also breaks.
The 11 gets a water and dust certification upgrade: IP68 versus IP67, from the iPhone XR. This allows the newest cell phone to be submerged up to 2 meters for up to 30 minutes. Just in case, don’t drop your iPhone in water, but if you do, you’ll both be safe.
Another new feature of 11 is Spatial Audio, which thanks to the support for Dolby Atmos, brings a 3D sound experience, which allows you to understand where the video or game sound is coming from.
Processing power and internal storage
One of the great highlights of the iPhone 11 is the A13 Bionic processor that has the third generation of the Neural Engine for better use of artificial intelligence and machine learning. The chip impacts the device as a whole, even the cameras – which we will talk about in a moment – but taking only the processing power (CPU, GPU), there is a 20% improvement over the A12 Bionic with the second generation of the Neural Engine, present on the iPhone XR.
It is also important to make it clear that the A12 is as good – not to mention faster – than any processor that runs on Android smartphones in 2019 and even 2020. The A13 Bionic, according to some tests, manages to be 50% superior to the Snapdragon 855 from Qualcomm, the chip that is present in the main top of the line, such as the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S20. So no matter which one you have your eye on, the iPhone will just fly.
If you’re on XR and want to jump to 11, you won’t notice anything with the naked eye and even when placing a cell phone next to the other, both are ready for the heaviest activities.
Regarding storage, iPhones also share the 64GB and 128GB versions. As usual, Apple took the biggest option from the iPhone XR, 256GB, and left it exclusive to the iPhone 11.
Welcome to the new cameras
Let’s start with the iPhone XR. Last year’s cell phone from Apple is the first in the X line to do Portrait Mode with a single camera and I have to say that’s what it did better, even than the XS. With an upgraded 12MP sensor, it can capture 40% more light than the previous generation, bringing more detail-rich photos even in dimly lit environments.
It records in 4K at 60 frames per second, has optical stabilization and is very accurate in the colors being recorded. The selfie camera uses the Face ID TrueDepth system and has 7MP. Selfies are detailed and Portrait Mode can be used with all Studio Lighting functions thanks to advanced facial recognition sensors.
Basically, this iPhone is ready for almost any situation and with Smart HDR and the use of artificial intelligence, Apple can enhance colors and reduce noise in photos.
But there’s a nice leap when it arrives on the iPhone 11. The lenses got bigger and the single 12MP wide-angle camera became two, now with an ultra-wide angle. With this second camera, it is possible to capture four times more information than usual – and it is a trend of the main Androids launched in 2019.
The 11 also features the second generation of Smart HDR, enhancing more natural faces, shadows and skin tones. Thanks to the A13 Bionic chip, the clipping between object and background is even more precise. Details that earlier iPhones sometimes missed, the 11 doesn’t.
There’s also the unique Night Mode, which automatically activates when you’re in a low-light environment. It captures multiple images and stitches them together for clearer photos with natural colors and details.
iPhone 11 also features Deep Fusion technology, which promises more detail when taking photos, and ProRAW, for raw photos ready to be edited.
There’s also a considerable gain in the iPhone 11’s selfie camera, with a 12MP lens that records up to 4K and 60 frames per second and also does the “slofies”, the Slow Motion selfies. For the first time it is also possible to gather more people to take a selfie, just turn the iPhone horizontally and the lens captures more of the environment.
More battery and more news
At first, the iPhone 11 has an extra hour of battery life compared to the iPhone XR. The XR, it’s worth remembering, was Apple’s cell phone with the biggest battery compared to all the company’s other smartphones. This improvement is due, in addition to a bigger battery, due to the energy efficiency present in the A13 Bionic and also in the new iOS software, which the XR can also take advantage of.
Both have fast charging and wireless charging, but neither comes with the fast charger in the box. It’s the same 5W model as always.
iPhone 11 has new standards for Wi-Fi, LTE connection and Bluetooth. Dual SIM technology has also gotten better; it now automatically recognizes lines and switches between them so you never run out of 4G, for example.
The 11 also has a U1 chip, for “spatial recognition”. This function is useful for transferring files by AirDrop giving preference to the devices you point. The function is also available on the 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max and should get even more useful over the next few months.
Conclusion: iPhone 11 or iPhone XR?
It’s funny how the iPhone 11 starts out similar to the iPhone XR and goes away; here, it’s the details that matter, because when you look at the big picture, you’re in front of two super-premium smartphones capable of meeting the needs of any consumer.
As always, there is no right and wrong. At Apple, the iPhone 11 starts at AED 2,949 , while the XR is available from AED 1627.75. In retail, it is possible to find both phones with lower prices, but without a big difference between them.
Depending on whether you can get an XR with more storage for the price of an 11 or an 11 for the full XR price at Apple; it is necessary to evaluate the purchase conditions of retailers and operators.
The simple answer is: do you want the news? iPhone 11. Want a smartphone that will meet you and even exceed expectations, but without having to spend more? iPhone XR.
More information about the new iPhones can be found in Azmi Tech.
