Apple iPhone 11 Review

The iPhone 11 followed the iPhone XR in September 2019 and fixed the one thing that phone lacked: a second camera. A 12MP ultrawide now sits beside the 12MP wide lens, Night mode switches on by itself in the dark, and the A13 Bionic was the fastest chip in any phone at launch. It also cost 50 dollars less than the XR did, at 699 dollars.

Reviewers agreed this was the iPhone most people should buy. Photos are natural and detailed, Night mode brightens dim scenes without looking fake, video is class leading, and the ultrawide adds real flexibility, though there is no telephoto for portraits. Battery life is well above average, IP68 sealing helps it last, and Apple still supports it with iOS 27 in 2026.

The compromises are what it carries over. The 6.1 inch LCD is bright and accurate but only 1792 by 828, with grayer blacks than OLED and narrower viewing angles. The design is essentially the XR's with a new camera square, most of the new tricks catch up with Android rivals rather than lead them, and only a slow 5W charger came in the box.

It was the smart iPhone of its year, and it went on to become the world's most shipped phone of 2020.