iPhone X users ~ Is it time to upgrade to the iPhone 11 Pro?
November 2017 and the 10th anniversary iPhone has just been released, it’s a new design with a near all screen display, decent rear camera and powerful processor. Now 2 years later and not much has changed and it looks like it won’t change much for at least another year with the iPhone XS and the soon to be released iPhone 11 Pro coming next week.
Back in 2017 I got myself the 256GB silver model and at first glace I was greatly impressed by the build quality and design, it felt solid and the OLED screen was just incredible compared to all the previous iPhones that came with an LCD display.
The biggest leap for me was the screen and face ID which everyone knows about now so I won’t go on about the pros and cons compared to Touch ID but the biggest let down was probably the camera, it was weak compared to the Google Pixel 2 that came out around the same time.
Already off the bat it was behind on the camera front but it still produced great images but just not the best on the market at that time. It worked great for the whole year and when the rumor mill for iPhone XS kicked up we all expected something decent to keep the train running, what we got however was a lack luster model with nothing but slight improvements to tide us over for another year.
Now each year the iPhone gets a slight bump and a new feature to entice an upgrade but aside from the usual spec bumps in 2018 such as an improved camera and antennae arrangement, we got no new feature worthy of an upgrade and that marked the end of the iPhone yearly upgrades for me.
For the first time in 11 years I didn’t upgrade my iPhone to the newest model, I’m not alone in this and it’s saved my wallet that’s for sure but it is disappointing because it means Apple has truely shifted from a hardware company first to a services company first.
Apple TV+, Apple arcade and Apple Music are the main areas Apple is focused on now and iPhones are just a means to get those services into your hands. I’ve now been using the iPhone X since release in 2017 and it’s still doing fine and feels good enough for a daily driver but there are some slow downs and the camera still looks so grainy in low light but it does not look like it’s going to die anytime soon so at least you can always count on Apple’s build quality to shine through.
Am I disappointed with the direction Apple is taking? Sure! but with phones all pretty much equal now in terms of screens, cameras and power I guess there isn’t really anywhere else for them to go on the hardware side right now.
With that said, the 2019 iPhone 11 Pro is yet another slight update as Apple continues these 3 year refresh cycles (Previously the 6, 6s, 7 and currently the X, XS and 11). Announced on September 10th, it looks pretty much the same except for a new triple lens camera set up on the back along with the usual small spec bump internals.
They include the A13 Bionic chip, triple lens camera set up, extra battery life, brighter screen and new midnight green colour are the main features this year on the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max (what a mouthful).
Finally, not once did Apple mention Siri at their event and they glossed over the night mode on the new cameras telling me it maybe isn’t ready yet with an update maybe on the way and their A.I is useless and not improving anytime soon.
Now should you upgrade? If you have an iPhone SE, 6, 6S, 7 or 8 then go ahead, it’ll be a whole new experience for you with some major improvements like Face ID, larger OLED display, greater cameras and a huge speed and power increase. It’ll give you everything you need from a top of the line phone with long security and software updates for at least 5 years and that gives those who don’t upgrade every year some peace of mind.
But if you have an iPhone X? Maybe. I don’t think it’s worth it unless you have money to burn, want the latest and greatest from Apple and maybe a huge photography nut. The camera is the major selling point of the iPhone 11 Pro over the X really, it offers no other major improvements that you don’t have already and will be the last of the X design cycle.
If money is tight this year, the standard iPhone 11 with dual lens camera, same internals as the 11 pro and LCD screen at $699/£729 or a reduced price iPhone XS might be a better fit with improved camera, speeds, RAM and battery over the iPhone X.
And finally, will I upgrade? Possibly, but as strong rumours from multiple sources say 2020 is the next big refresh for the iPhone with 5G, new design, higher res screen and smaller notch, I might be tempted to hold off. Personally, I didn’t fancy buying a new phone that looks pretty dated now compared to others with hole punches or tiny notches but Apple have surprised many and given us an iPhone with the best camera on the market for the first time in years with reviews rolling out currently praising the new night mode and video recording in 4K.
Along with a massive 4 extra hours of battery life on the 11 Pro and 5 extra hours on the 11 Pro Max over the XS and XS Max, these will be major selling points for some people including me.
The iPhone 11 Pro starts at $999/£1049 and ships 20th of September.
