iPhone 11 or iPhone 11 Pro? Are they the same? Which one should you get? We know you have a lot of questions about Apple's three new flagship devices, so we're here to set the record straight.
The truth is that neither phone is necessarily better than the other. It all comes down to your personal needs and what you expect from your smartphone. In this article, we'll look into the key differentiating factors between Apple's new iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro to help you decide which one is right for you.
iPhone 11 vs. iPhone 11 Pro: Performance
Both the iPhone 11 and the iPhone 11 Pro series share the very same A13 Bionic processor. The A13 Bionic chip is a pretty solid upgrade over last year's A12, and it's the fastest CPU and GPU ever in a smartphone, according to Apple. The two handsets also boast 4GB of RAM, which will be great for keeping lots of apps open in the background and running games. Pro or not, you'll have the best performance in the industry any way you slice it.
iPhone 11 vs. iPhone 11 Pro: Camera
iPhone 11 has a dual-camera system while iPhone 11 Pro has a triple-camera system. Let's look at how that impacts camera quality.
Both the basic and Pro models contain wide and ultra-wide lenses. The ultra-wide lens allows you to take stunning photos with wide aspect ratios---no need to move back for a better shot. Both smartphones also come with industry-leading low light capabilities which beat even the Google Pixel 3a, a phone that has been known for being awesome in this regard.
The two models are also slated to receive Deep Fusion at a later date via a software update. Deep Fusion is a feature that will computationally enhance and sharpen your pictures, something that Apple has referred to as "computational photography mad science."
The one camera advantage that the iPhone 11 Pro has over the base iPhone 11 is the inclusion of a third telephoto lens. This third lens will allow you to zoom into images without sacrificing any quality, something which will be very useful if you ever want to take a picture of an object from far away.
iPhone 11 vs. iPhone 11 Pro: Display
- iPhone 11: 6.1-inch Liquid Retina LCD, 1792x828 resolution @ 326 PPI
- iPhone 11 Pro: 5.8-inch Super Retina XDR OLED, 2436x1125 resolution @ 458 PPI
- iPhone 11 Pro Max: 6.5-inch Super Retina XDR OLED, 2688x1242 resolution @ 458 PPI
The iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro have two very distinct display technologies. The Pro models have higher-fidelity OLED displays with inky blacks, high contrast ratios, and HDR10 support. OLED can also display much higher brightness and can help you save battery.
But while OLED may sound like a superior technology, it does come with one major caveat: burn-in. Burn-in is when an image becomes permanently ingrained into your display as a result of usage over time.
While we do have a couple of tricks to avoid screen burn-in, LCD is still much safer. It has a near-zero risk of burn-in because it isn't an organic technology and does not degrade with time. Also, consider that most of us can't tell the difference between higher-resolution OLED and LCD, so OLED may not be that superior after all.
iPhone 11 vs. iPhone 11 Pro: Physical Size
The iPhone 11 Pro comes in 5.8-inch and 6.5-inch models, so there are more options for more people. The base iPhone 11 is in the middle with its 6.1-inch model. If you have medium- or large-sized hands, the iPhone 11 or iPhone 11 Pro Max will be great. If you're on the smaller side though, you'll probably find that those two will feel monstrous in the hand, so the smaller iPhone 11 Pro is probably your best bet.
iPhone 11 vs. iPhone 11 Pro: Build
iPhone 11 comes in an array of splendid pastel colors: Black, Product Red, Purple, Green, Yellow, and White. The Pro models come in much darker and sleeker colorways: Silver, Space Grey, Gold, and Midnight Green.
Like its predecessor---the iPhone XR---the iPhone 11 is built on an aluminum band and a glossy glass back. On the other hand, the iPhone 11 Pro has a luxurious stainless steel band and matte-finish glass back. Thanks to its shiny steel frame, the 11 Pro will be much more durable in drops, as aluminum is prone to chip away when dropped. Of course, you can always combat aluminum damage with a sturdy case.
In terms of water resistance, the iPhone 11 Pro crushes the iPhone 11. The iPhone 11 Pro can withstand up a depth of 4 meters for around 30 minutes, while the iPhone 11 can only withstand 2 meters for 30 minutes.
iPhone 11 vs. iPhone 11 Pro: Battery Life
- iPhone 11: 3,110 mAh battery
- iPhone 11 Pro: 3,046 mAh battery
- iPhone 11 Pro Max: 3,969 mAh battery
All of Apple's 2019 iPhones come equipped with significant battery improvements. iPhone 11 has 1 more hour of battery life than the amazing iPhone XR, the lower-end iPhone that led the pack in terms of battery last year. This year, it's different. The iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max are now leaps ahead of any iPhone when it comes to battery life.
iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max have 4 and 5 more hours of battery life than iPhone XS and XS Max, respectively. This is incredible and beats a wide variety of Android flagships. Additionally, the Pro versions come with an 18W fast charger, which can charge your iPhone to 50% in just 30 minutes!
All things considered, both phones will probably last you the whole day, but the higher-end models simply go above and beyond.
iPhone 11 vs. iPhone 11 Pro: Price
Let's now talk about pricing. This will probably be a key factor for you if you're on a budget. Below are the prices of the three smartphones and their different storage variants:
- iPhone 11: $699 (64GB) / $749 (128GB) / $849 (256GB)
- iPhone 11 Pro: $999 (64GB) / $1,149 (256GB) / $1,349 (512GB)
- iPhone 11 Pro Max: $1,099 (64GB) / $1,249 (256GB) / $1,449 (512GB)
The biggest takeaway here is that for less than what a 64GB iPhone 11 Pro costs, you can get a maxed-out iPhone 11 with 256GB of storage.
iPhone 11 vs. iPhone 11 Pro: It's Your Call
If you just want an awesome smartphone with an advanced processor that's available in fun colors, then the affordable iPhone 11 is your friend. But if you want a cutting-edge phone that has it all, plus an epic display, tremendous battery life, extra camera capabilities, and if you're able to afford it, then the iPhone 11 Pro is for you.
Regardless of which model you go for, you may also want to take a look at our guide to properly buying an iPhone.