I got to spend some time with both the iPhone 11 Pro and the 11 Pro Max after the reveal yesterday, and generally, I walked away impressed. Yes, it sticks with the same design we saw on the XS, but Apple also made significant improvements to the hardware, and you can feel their impact quite clearly.
The 5.8-inch and 6.5-inch OLED screens appeared more vibrant and nuanced than on past iPhones. The brightness was noticeably higher when i used the device indoors, but I’m really eager to test it outside, because the specs (1,200nit capability) indicate it will also perform very well in daylight.
As for the three cameras on the back, they really are a triple threat. You can easily switch on-the-fly between wide, ultra-wide and telephoto with a simple tap, and it’s very handy being able to simultaneously see what the other lenses frame up using the updated interface in the camera app.
The test shots came out quite good. I was particularly impressed by how wide I was able to get my frame using the ultra-wide lens. And while it might look like you’re farther back, you can still zoom in enough to see the details.
The automatic Night Mode feature leverages the power of AI and Apple’s image processing tech to perform very well in low-light situations. I saw a few shots that were taken in complete darkness, and it not only increased the brightness, but did so without losing detail, allowing me to zoom in and still clearly identify all the elements in the photo.
I tried typing, playing a few games and opening other apps, and the performance was smooth. On paper, as noted above, the A13 Bionic chip seems like a really powerful processor. I’m excited to dive deeper into that with more extensive testing in in my full review, coming in a few weeks.
Preorders kick off Friday at 8AM EST and the 11 Pro starts at $999.
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