What's new with the iPhone and should you upgrade?
Happy iPhone Season!
As of last Friday morning at 5am PST, the new iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro are available for pre-order.
Maybe you’ve pre-ordered one already. Or maybe you’re one of many people who are still on the fence about upgrading. After all, these phones aren’t cheap and for the last few years, smart phones have gotten really good at lasting longer.
In this post, I wanted to briefly chat about what’s new with the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro and where it might make sense to upgrade your existing phone.
iPhone 11 vs iPhone 11 Pro
The iPhone 11 is the everyday person’s iPhone.
It looks like Apple took note and realized that the iPhone XR was the perfect entry point for someone who just wanted an iPhone. Rather than market it as the budget option, Apple made the iPhone 11 default for people looking for a new iPhone. And yeah, it’s pretty cool.
- It comes in 5 colors, so there’s options for everyone
- It includes an additional ultra-wide camera
- It comes with Night mode, which lets you take better pictures in low light
- It has all the features you would want in a new iPhone
- It costs $699
That last one is the killer point here. The default iPhone 11 for many is cheaper than last year’s iPhone XR.
If you’re looking to upgrade your phone, this is probably going to be your first option and for many, its the best option. It has the latest features and a reasonable price. What’s not to like!?
Now let’s take a look at the Pro.
What does “Pro” mean anyway?
MacBook Pro, iPad Pro and now iPhone Pro.
The iPhone 11 Pro has all the bells in whistles you would imagine on a premium phone. Three cameras, stainless steel and glass design and of course, the premium price tag.
The iPhone 11 Pro starts at $999 and the iPhone Pro 11 Max starts at $1099. Pony up enough money and you could be paying $1449 for a maxed out iPhone 11 Pro Max.
Is it worth the price tag?
What makes this iPhone Pro? Is it just the cameras? Unless specifically asked to do so, I don’t think professional photographers or cinematographers are using an iPhone as their main camera.
However, it’s obvious that this year, at least, Apple is hoping the cameras justify the Pro label and the $300 jump from the iPhone 11.
During Apple’s Keynote, they spent a majority of the time talking about the iPhone 11 Pro’s cameras and it’s clear its where Apple hopes to win customers over. There’s an extra telephoto lens and the photos they showed that were taken on an iPhone 11 Pro looked amazing. But, they were also taken by professionals, who know which settings to adjust to make an ordinary photo look breathtaking.
Most people just take their iPhone out and snap a quick picture. Many rely on quick preset iPhone and Instagram filters for their editing needs.
If you take the time to compare the specs, though, you’ll notice that if you want a good camera and are okay not having the phone with the highest specs, the iPhone 11 does the job pretty well.
But in the end, people are going to justify the upgrade. There’s that saying: “the best camera is the one you have with you” and for some people, that’s going to be the iPhone 11 Pro.
Should you upgrade?
It depends on what you have. Gone are the days where upgrading iPhones every year is worth the higher price.
I have an iPhone X. I got it on release day two years ago and recently got a replacement unit because I shattered the black glass. As much as I love having the latest and greatest, I’m going to fight the hype and not upgrade. We’ll see how that goes.
If you’re rocking an iPhone X or higher, you might not notice that big of a difference. If you’re still rocking that iPhone 6/6s that still has the headphone jack (RIP), you might want to consider an upgrade.
Apple is offering trade-in credits as well. So if trading in your existing phone for a discount on your new phone sounds appealing, that’s also an option!
If you’re considering upgrading because of battery life, look into replacing your battery.
Battery life is one of the main reasons people upgrade phones. Their phone can’t hold a charge, it suddenly turns off on them and won’t make it through the day without being tethered to the wall or your computer.
Around this time, it might seem justified to ditch your current phone and get the new one. However, you could save yourself some cash and get the battery replaced.
If you’re phone is running iOS 11.3 or later, there’s a battery health feature that lets you see your battery’s capacity. You can find it by going to Settings > Battery > Battery Health.
If you currently have Apple Care on your iPhone, getting your battery replaced is free. But even if you’re out of warranty, replacing your battery is $69 for an iPhone X or newer and $49 for an iPhone 8 and older. Still way cheaper than a new phone if you ask me.
Decided you want to upgrade? You have options!
Not only did Apple announce the new iPhones, but they also reduced the price of existing iPhones that are still pretty good.
If you’re looking for a new phone, but don’t like the big screen sizes of the iPhone XR and iPhone 11, you can pick up a new iPhone 8 for $449.
The iPhone XR, Apple’s most popular phone last year, is $150 cheaper than it was last year at $599.
What do you think? Are you going to upgrade to the latest and greatest? Holding out until your current phone runs its course?
