iPhone 11: Apple upgraded everything except for one thing

Among the three new iPhone models, the iPhone 11 is the most affordable of the lot. The device is the iPhone XR replacement and it’s RM1,500 cheaper than the iPhone 11 Pro models. Despite the lower price tag, the new entry-level iPhone still packs proper flagship features. Apple has practically upgraded everything from the iPhone XR except for one thing which is quite annoying.

In terms of design, the overall build remains unchanged with a familiar glass and aluminium construction. Apple has refreshed the iPhone 11 colours with softer pastel options. Under the hood, it is powered by Apple’s latest A13 Bionic chip with third-gen Neural engine, so it’s just as capable as the more expensive iPhone 11 Pro.

At the rear, you’ll spot a huge square bump that house two 12MP cameras. You get a 12MP f/1.8 main camera while the secondary shooter is a 12MP f/2.4 ultra-wide-angle unit. This allows you to “optically zoom out” by 2X and it gives you 4X the scene. The main camera still has OIS and it can support 4K video recording up to 60fps with HDR.

Like the Pro models, you also get a newer Smart HDR feature as well as support for Night Mode. Since the iPhone 11 has two cameras, you also get a total of six portrait lighting modes instead of just three on the previous model.

The iPhone 11 also gets the same 12MP f/2.2 TrueDepth camera that can shoot 4K selfie videos and “slofie.” Even the stereo speakers are also upgraded to spatial audio playback with Dolby Atmos.

Want better water resistant? The device now gets upgraded from IP67 to IP68 which is tested to be submerged up to 2 metres deep for up to 30 minutes. Even the battery life has been improved with an extra hour longer than the iPhone XR.

The only thing that’s not upgraded is the 6.1″ Liquid Retina Display. It’s the same IPS display that pushes a 1792×828 pixels resolution. Better than the Mi A3’s 720p resolution but not quite 1080p.

To be honest, 326ppi for a Retina Display is still somewhat okay in this day and age unless you put it side by side with a Super Retina iPhone. If you’re upgrading from an iPhone 6, 7, 8 or XR, the 11 has the same pixel density for the display and you should do just fine.

What’s even more interesting is that the starting price is much lower now with the 64GB model going for RM3,399 and the 128GB unit is priced at RM3,599. The largest 256GB option is priced at RM4,099. As a comparison, last year’s iPhone XR starts from RM3,599 for the 64GB storage model.

The iPhone 11 will be sold in Malaysia from 27 September 2019 and we expect pre-orders to start as early as next week from our local telcos. You can compare the official pricing with the iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max here.

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