There’s been a lot of reaction to the iPhone 11 since its launch this week – and while there is been a lot of praise there has also been some mixed reactions to Apple’s latest hero product.
There weren’t too many surprises when Apple finally revealed the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro at the launch event at the Steve jobs Theatre earlier this week.
There were plenty of leaks and rumours that were pretty much spot on about the upcoming iPhone but still the expectations were high.
The iPhone 11 and, in particular, the iPhone 11 Pro have now brought Apple level with the competition.
Three lens camera phones were released last year by rival smartphone brands and the iPhone 11 Pro now delivers in that department.
Apple wasn’t first to the table with a triple camera system but we think it will stand up to the competition in terms of quality and ease of use.
iPhone cameras have always been high quality. The company has based entire marketing campaigns around it.
How many times have you seen a billboard with a brilliant photograph and just the words “Shot on iPhone” below it?
Imagine what users can come up with now with the additional lens and computing power.
A lot of the criticism of the new iPhones is for what they don’t have.
One is the in-screen fingerprint reader which are now a typical feature of a cutting-edge flagship smartphone.
The reason Apple hasn’t gone down this path is because its Face ID is the best in the world – fast, accurate and secure and now even better with the iPhone 11 Pro.
So there’s really no need for a fingerprint reader of any kind, in-screen or otherwise.
Face ID on other smartphones is pretty average, and that’s being kind.
We’ve seen videos of other smartphones being locked with a photograph through their respective Face IDs.
Another criticism for the iPhone 11 is its lack of 5G connectivity.
Apple reportedly couldn’t finalise a 5G radio for the iPhone after issues with Qualcomm and Intel.
Last we heard was that Apple was buying Intel’s 5G modem business so they wouldn’t have to be at the mercy of chip maker Qualcomm.
But what Apple will tell you is that 5G is so scarce even in territories where it has been deployed, including Australia, that it’s not really a customer priority.
Samsung, on the other hand, rushed in to be the first company with 5G smartphones in Australia but the 5G footprint is still pretty small with most customers living outside those coverage areas.
Reverse wireless charging is another feature missing from the iPhone. It’s been a feature of other phones from Huawei and Samsung for a year.
But how often would it be used? And when it is, you can barely offer a couple of per cent of charge. We’ve used phones with reverse wireless charging and didn’t use this feature once.
The basic design and shape of the iPhone has barely changed since the iPhone 6 in 2014.
The iPhone X was the biggest recent change with the removal of the home button.
This time out the other incremental change was the addition of the third lens and the square camera bump on the rear panel.
From the front, the iPhone 11 looks identical to the iPhone X launched two years ago.
But the iPhone 11 does have a lot of new features under the hood including improved audio with Dolby Atmos, fast charging, Wi-Fi 6 compatibility and better battery performance.
The biggest critics are saying the iPhone 11 is a catch up device rather than a product pioneering new technology and innovation.
Apple has always and will always be held up to extraordinarily higher standards.
The company’s commitment to design and ease of use of their products has made them a global technology leader.
Apple practically invented the modern smartphone when it released the iPhone back in 2007.
Today there is healthy competition from other brands including Samsung and Huawei among others.
Apple has certainly held its own against these other companies but hasn’t been the first to offer certain features including, in this instance, the triple camera system.
But there is one thing about Apple even though it might not be first to market with a feature or product – its version is often the best.
A great example of this is the iPod back in 2001.
Fast forward to 2019 and the iPhone 11 Pro.
The number of cameras on board is now equal to that of the competition but in our short time with the product we can see the triple camera system is backed by intuitive software that works brilliantly with the hardware.
That’s one advantage Apple has over every other smartphone brand – it makes the software AND the hardware to give the user an excellent experience.
* Stephen Fenech travelled to the US as a guest of Apple
