IPhone Week: Are New Apple Products Worth the Money

“Show, show three cameras! - demanded by everyone who found out that the iPhone 11 Pro came to me for a test. “Well, does the truth look ugly when they try to fit three circles into a square?”

I still could not understand why people are so fascinated by the location of the cameras on the back of the smartphone: the whole week I spent with the new flagship from Apple, I looked mainly at the camera viewfinder, and not at it myself. Well, smartphones have long ceased to be exclusively functional devices - their design is discussed as hotly as the latest fashion trends, the design of the rear lights of cars or international politics. Therefore, every fall after the release of the next iPhone in the world, "sleeping" design experts for cameras, screens and "monobrow" are activated.

I'm certainly not a design expert, but these three eyes behind me didn’t bother me, but rather reminded me of a series of Splinter Cell video games (the protagonist there wore a night vision device of a similar design). It is even more embarrassing that the camera module still sticks out strongly from the body, and the lenses - from the module. However, these are the laws of optics: to shoot a high-quality image, a certain distance between the lenses is necessary.

Before proceeding to a detailed analysis of the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro, I will describe the general feelings of using smartphones and thoughts about their price.

Apple is doing the right thing, which links the release of new models to an update to the operating system: even if the new iPhone has not changed much compared to the previous model, users will have a feeling of more ambitious changes. First of all, due to the speed of work. Switching and launching applications, shooting and video processing is even faster than last year’s XS models. And the earlier you used the iPhone model, the more striking this increase in speed will be.

I noticed that more often than usual, I began to use a new smartphone for work tasks - for example, to edit the text right on the road - simply because the "responsiveness" of the gadget became almost lightning fast. He “thought” only at times when the application’s operation depended on the speed of mobile Internet (to download data, I needed a confident reception, and I was in a tunnel or in another place with limited access to the network).

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FaceID began to work 30% faster - in most cases, I did not even have time to see the unlock animation. Now the phone is easier to unlock if you look at it at a sharper angle than before (for example, when it lies flat on the table, and you look from above).

A fly in the ointment was the replacement of the familiar tactile 3D Touch with Haptic Touch technology. In fact, to get access to the necessary functions, now instead of the amplified pressing, you need to make an ordinary long press. Apparently, there were few fans of 3D Touch technology in the world ... But I was one of them - I liked the tactile sensations of tapping the screen.

In general, the iPhone 11 Pro in combination with the new iOS 13 is a balanced smartphone that solves, including tasks that go beyond the needs of the average user. Therefore, Apple for the first time in the history of the iPhone and added the prefix Pro - "for professionals." Previously, professionals had only a MacBook and iPad Pro.

Alas, you have to pay for everything: wide functionality and power come with a price tag, which many will surprise and even outrage.

64 GB - 90 thousand rubles.

256 GB - 104 thousand rubles.

512 GB - 122 thousand rubles.

64 GB - 100 thousand rubles.

256 GB - 114 thousand rubles.

512 GB - 132 thousand rubles.

64 GB - 60 thousand rubles.

128 GB - 65 thousand rubles.

256 GB - 74 thousand rubles.

The iPhone 11 has exactly the same A13 processor as in the Pro versions, the screen (6.1 inches) is even larger than the 11 Pro with its 5.8 inches (but smaller than the Pro Max with 6.5 inches) There is also an ultra-wide camera in addition to the usual one. But there is still a difference between these phones, and it is not only in their cost.

• The iPhone 11 Pro uses a LED display (OLED), and the iPhone 11 uses a liquid crystal display. OLED displays allow for deeper blacks and wider viewing angles.

• The iPhone 11 case is made of glass and aluminum, the iPhone 11 Pro is made of glass and stainless steel.

• In addition to the conventional and ultra-wide cameras, the 11 Pro has a third, providing double optical zoom.

• The case and frames around the screen of the iPhone 11 are slightly thicker than the Pro versions.

• The maximum capacity of the iPhone 11 is limited to 256 GB, 11 Pro can handle up to 512 GB. But the iPhone 11 can be bought with 128 GB, but the Pro version is not.

• The 11 Pro battery, according to Apple, will last up to 18 hours of video playback, 11 Pro Max - up to 20 hours, and the iPhone 11 - up to 17 hours.

• The 11 Pro comes with a quick charge adapter and a Lightning-USB-C wire (it can be connected to new MacBooks directly, without adapters), and the iPhone 11 comes with a standard flat adapter and a Lightning-USB-A cable.

• In iPhone 11, Apple promises protection against water penetration up to 30 minutes at a depth of two meters, and in versions of Pro - up to four meters.

It is difficult to unequivocally answer the question of whether all these differences are worth the extra 30-40 thousand rubles that are asked for for the iPhone with the Prefix Pro. For me, the defining differences from this list would probably be a more capacious battery and a third lens.

Now I will talk about the features of the new models in more detail.

Exterior

The front panel of the iPhone does not seem to have changed since the release of the tenth model. The eleventh iPhone can be recognized only from the back or from the side - by the massive block of rear cameras, the new colors of the case, the logo that has moved to the center of the back panel, the absence of the iPhone inscription, frosted glass.

The camera module still protrudes from the back of the iPhone. But this is not enough - the lens of each of the three sensors is also slightly raised above the main module. The first few days you get a little nervous when you put the phone without a case on a flat surface with the camera down, but then you stop paying attention to it. For a week of using the smartphone without a cover, no scratches appeared on the case.

In 11 Pro, a strict dark green was added to the standard color set from silver, space gray and gold. But the old colors look a bit different - including because of the matte rear window. In each case, the color of the steel edging “rhymes” with the color of the glass back panel.

The regular iPhone 11 is available in six colors: purple, yellow, green, black, white and red.

In the hand 11 Pro does not seem like a remnant - its back panel is covered with frosted, slightly rough glass. The iPhone 11 has a glossy back cover, but you can't call it too slippery.

Three 11 Pro lenses

The main updates of the iPhone 2019 are concentrated in the camera.

Although there are three cameras on the back of the phone, from the point of view of the application it is one. At the bottom of the viewfinder you will find three buttons - 0.5, 1 and 2. Pressing each of them turns on the corresponding lens. By default, the camera application starts with a standard 1x lens.

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• Three 11 Pro lenses
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If you wish, you can click on one of these buttons and drag your finger across the screen - a virtual zoom wheel will appear, allowing you to zoom in or out. During this action, switching between the lenses is “seamless” - unless the exposure of the picture changes slightly.

Three lenses - three different photos from one point. As we saw at the presentation, iPhone 11 Pro can process streams simultaneously from all four of its cameras (including the front). This will certainly open up many opportunities for bloggers who just need to hold one phone in their hands to simultaneously take pictures of what is happening in front of themselves and their loved ones. However, this feature of the Filmic Pro application is not yet available, so I could not test it.

The ultra-wide 120-degree lens, available in all versions of the eleventh iPhone, turned out to be a fun toy. I love taking GoPro on trips as an optional camera. Thanks to the fisheye lens, many objects shot in the vicinity look unusual; even routine items can be captured in unexpected angles. The camera in the new iPhone gives a similar effect.

A wide-angle camera is good for obvious action shoots, and for creative photography: large-scale graffiti on the walls, skyscrapers, statues fit well into the frame. But, as is the case with all such lenses, fingers are desperately climbing into the same frame - you have to intercept the phone to prevent them from being seen.

The composition has become easier and more interesting to build: the camera application interface at the edges has become translucent, and now it is clear what is happening outside the viewfinder.

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• Examples of photographs taken with an ultra-wide lens
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An image captured at the edges of a “normal” frame can be used to edit an image after the fact. Usually, cropping is achieved by trimming the excess information, it immediately produces a kind of “reverse cropping”, when thanks to the “redundant” information you can get the corrected picture without cropping. The “edges” of photos and videos are stored in memory for up to 30 days. This function is disabled by default, it must be enabled in the camera settings.

Even newer iPhones learned how to record 4k video at 60 frames per second. The interface in iOS 13 was changed, bringing it closer to instagram: the recording will begin after a long press on the shutter button. A series of photos can still be taken if, after pressing the shutter release, pull your finger to the left.

Night mode

"Night mode" is perhaps the most important innovation in the iPhone. Many competitors on Andorid have been offering advanced modes for shooting in the dark for a couple of years. By this indicator, the eleventh iPhone finally caught up with them and even surpassed them in some way.

The "night mode" works as follows: the camera evaluates the lighting in the frame and turns on the mode automatically, without user intervention, immediately offering a certain exposure time - from 1 to 3 seconds. In the corner of the frame, the corresponding icon marked with yellow lights up. By clicking on it, you can change the exposure time or completely disable the mode.

After you press the shutter release, you need to hold the camera still for the selected exposure time - during this period the iPhone will take a series of shots with different exposures and glue them together, choosing the optimal illumination of different objects in the picture. In parallel, an analysis of moving objects in the frame is under way so that nothing superfluous is blurred in the final image. The result is detailed images with natural colors.

• On the left - shooting in "night mode", on the right - without
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I tried night mode in different conditions. It works best on the street, where there is at least a little natural or artificial lighting - the photos are bright enough and practically no noise. In a completely dark room, where only weak light penetrated, the camera was able to extend the detail of objects, but the noise spoiled the final picture.

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Selfie camera

The viewing angle of the front camera on both the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro is also expanded - the image will automatically zoom out to capture more space if you rotate the phone horizontally. This is especially useful for group photos. There is also a button that allows you to return to the previous viewing angle.

Selfie camera can now shoot slow motion videos. So, wait for the advent of slowfoot (as the developers themselves called them) on Instagram. On previous iPhones, when trying to select “slow-motion”, the camera automatically switched to the back.

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Battery

Both phones - 11 and 11 Pro - successfully lived in my test all day without recharging, even with more than an average load: watching videos, calls, chatting in instant messengers, navigating maps, streaming music and taking photos. Apple traditionally does not disclose mAh indicators, because a longer operating time compared to previous models is achieved due to many factors: a more energy-efficient processor and display, software optimization, and more.

An 18-watt adapter with a USB-C connector and a corresponding cable were included in the kit for the Pro versions. For half an hour he charges the device by 50%, a full charge takes about two hours. Owners of the iPhone 11, if necessary, will need to buy such an adapter.

Competitors

The new iPhones, of course, have more competitors available in the Russian market. These models are in many respects similar in technical characteristics, but are offered in different combinations of internal and random access memory - therefore, listing all possible options does not seem reasonable.

In addition, in the case of smartphones, it is sometimes ineffective to compare certain technical specifications directly - for example, the quality of images is achieved not only due to the higher resolution of the camera’s sensor, but also by the existence of the so-called “computing photo”, when the built-in software processes each received image hundreds of times, in order to get rid of noise and get a better result.

In general, the choice of a consumer tired of gigahertz and milliamp-hours most often rests on which ecosystem he prefers - from Apple or from one of the manufacturers of Android phones. After all, buying a smartphone, we actually acquire not only hardware, but also software, services and access to other features through the platform’s ecosystem.

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