iPhone 11 first impressions: yes, I’m impressed
20.9.2019
The iPhone 11 is available in stores since today. I got my hands on one and will share my first impressions with you. An in-depth review will follow in a few weeks. My verdict? Looks very good – with one exception.
The iPhone 11 is Apple’s attempt to please the masses. It’s the most affordable one of the three smartphones that were launched today, but has many of the features the other two have. A compelling offer.
Want to buy the phone? The page above takes you to Andrea's page, which lists all new iPhone models at a glance.
First look: look and feel of the new iPhone 11
If you're hoping for an in-depth review, I need to disappoint you. I promise I'll publish a review in a few weeks, but this article is only about my first impression. I need to experience the phone in my everyday life for a few days before I can judge it: on the bus, on the train, at work, on the toilet. In everyday situations I can't even anticipate right now.
So what is my first impression of the iPhone 11? Apple got a lot of things right. Starting with the price. The 64 GB version costs 809 francs. I'm testing the 128 GB version, which costs 879 francs. For the first time, a new iPhone is less expensive than its predecessor upon market launch.
Moreover, if you consider its specs, the iPhone 11 comes at quite a fair price. It features the new A13 Bionic processor, for example, which is exactly the same as in the iPhone Pro/Max. The A13 Bionic is said to be twice as fast as the Snapdragon 855, which is built into the Galaxy S10. But that's what Apple says – so treat it with caution.
What I liked most was the camera app. It controls the 12-MP selfie cam and the dual camera system on the rear, which features two 12-MP cameras: one with a wide-angle lens and one with an ultra-wide-angle lens. Switching back and forth between the two modes is «ultra» fast via touch. With the zoom wheel on, you can even switch back and forth between the two lenses if you like. Nice!
If you're in camera mode and press the shutter button without releasing it, it automatically goes to video mode. What a great feature! I've missed out on quite a few cute cat videos in the past because I didn't have this feature and lost too much time switching from camera mode to video mode.
I haven't tried out more features than these. So far, so good. Apps open without jerking or hesitating. That's how I like it.
Doesn't look too bad either
With its 194 grams, the iPhone 11 sits comfortably in your hand. The glazed aluminium rear looks elegant, even though it's probably impossible to keep away fingerprints.
Anyway, I like the way the rear side of this phone is designed. I'm with the Apple designers on this one; the camera bump isn't as bad as people all over the internet claim. I can only judge by the double camera system of the iPhone 11, of course, but I actually quite like it. No clue why everyone else doesn't.
Have you seen the rear side of the newly introduced Huawei Mate 30 Pro [/en/page/huawei-mate-30-pro-huawei-sagt-hold-my-beer-trotz-allm-13441]?
What I'm not impressed with is the thick black frame around the display. In my opinion, an Apple phone launched in the year 2019 should have an infinity display. Kevin, our computer editor, even said this made it look like a plastic toy phone for kids. And he has a two-year-old son, so he'll know.
The display is a Liquid Retina HD. This means it's an LCD touch screen with weaker contrast than OLED screens. I've been told that it's also less bright than an OLED screen, which seems unusual to me. It's generally the other way around. When I was taking the pictures you see in this article, I had no problem recognising what was going on on the screen.
Initial verdict: I’m impressed
As I mentioned, I will thoroughly test this phone in the next few weeks, but my initial impression is that the iPhone 11 is a lot of fun and doesn't cost as much as I feared it would. I'm especially looking forward to testing the camera with the ultra-wide-angle lens.
Luca Fontana
Senior Editor
Luca.Fontana@digitecgalaxus.chI'm an outdoorsy guy and enjoy sports that push me to the limit – now that’s what I call comfort zone! But I'm also about curling up in an armchair with books about ugly intrigue and sinister kingkillers. Being an avid cinema-goer, I’ve been known to rave about film scores for hours on end. I’ve always wanted to say: «I am Groot.»
