iPhone 11 vs XR
 2_e25b80c4d9d141ae92f44b267fe6b124.png)
Released less than a year after the XR, Apple’s iPhone 11 looks a lot like its predecessor, but there are some significant changes to features and technology that may make the iPhone 11 a “must-have” for many users. After introducing the iPhone XR at a more affordable price than the iPhone X, Apple again lowered the introductory price of its newest phone, offering the iPhone 11 for just $699 at the time of release.
Specs
The table below highlights the differences in specifications between the iPhone XR and iPhone 11
iPhone XR | iPhone 11 | |
| Release date | October 2018 | September 2019 |
| CPU | A12 Bionic Chip with 2nd generation Neural Engine | A13 Bionic Chip with 3rd generation Neural Engine |
| Water resistance | Resistant up to a 1 meter depth for up to 30 minutes | Resistant up to a 2 meter depth for up to 30 minutes |
| Splash and dust resistant | Rated IP67 | Rated IP68 |
| Front-facing camera | 5x zoom & 7MP | 5x zoom; 2x optical zoom, 12MP |
| Front-facing video | 1080p HD, 30fps or 60fps | 4K video recording, 30fps or 60fps |
| Back-facing camera | Single 12MP Wide | Dual, 12MP Wide & Ultra Wide with night mode |
| Back-facing camera flash | True Tone flash with Slow Sync | Brighter True Tone flash with Slow Sync |
| Back-facing video | 1080p HD video, 30 or 60 fps, extended dynamic range for video up to 30 fps; 3x digital zoom | 4K video, 24 fps, 30 fps or 60 fps, or 1080 HD video at 30 fps or 60 fps, 2x optical zoom; 3x digital zoom, and audio zoom |
| Portrait lighting (front & back) | Natural, studio, contour | Natural, studio, contour, stage, stage mono, High Key Mono |
| Photo HDR (front & back) | Smart HDR | Next gen Smart HDR |
| Audio playback | Wider stereo | Spatial |
| Battery power | 2942mAh | 3110mAh |
| Video playback (battery) | Up to 16 hrs | Up to 17 hrs |
| Internal storage | 64GB, 128GB | 64GB, 128GB, or 256GB |
| WiFi | 802.11acWi-Fi with MIMO | 802.11acWi-Fi 6 with MIMO |
| Operating system at release | iOS 12 | iOS13 |
| Finish | Red, yellow, white, coral, black, blue | Black, green, yellow, purple, red, white |
| Network | LTE Advanced | Gigabit-class LTE |
| Price, at time of release | $749+ | $699+ |
| Current price, new | $599* | $699* |
| Current price, pre-owned | $600*, $426** | $700-950*, $N/A** |
*Best Buy
**UpTrade
Although there are several differences between the iPhone XR and the iPhone 11 that may impact a buying decision, it’s important to note that the two share many characteristics as well. They both share a 6.1” screen size, with the screen extending to the edges of the device. Here are some other specifications that the two phones have in common:
| Operating system | iOS |
| Screen size | 6.1” |
| Height & width | 5.9” x 3” |
| depth | .33” |
| weight | 6.84 oz |
| Display | Retina HD display with True Tone, wide color display (P3) |
| Display type | LCD with Liquid Retina HD display |
| Display resolution | 1792×828 |
| Brightness | 625 nits max |
| Security | Face ID |
| Pixel density | 1792 x 828‑pixel resolution at 326 ppi |
| Contrast & color | 1400:1 contrast ratio |
| Front-facing camera flash | Retina flash |
| Back-facing camera flash | True Tone flash with Slow Sync |
| Cameras | True Depth for facial recognition |
| Video | Optical image stabilization |
| Video playback | Supports Dolby Vision & HDR10 content |
| Audio playback (battery) | Up to 65 hrs |
| Battery | Built-in, rechargeable Lithium-ion |
| Body | Glass and Aluminum |
| Charging | Via USB, supports wireless charging & fast-charge capable |
| Audio Output | No headphone jack; comes with EarPods with lightning connector |
| SIM | Dual SIM (nano SIM & eSIM), Not compatible with existing micro-SIM cards |
| Sensors | Accelerometer, Ambient Light Sensor, Proximity Sensor, Three-axis Gyro Sensor, Digital Compass, Barometer, Gyro Sensor |
| Touch | Haptic Touch |
| Data | GSM/EDGE, UMTS/HSPA+ |
| Carrier | DC-HSDPA |
| Network | LTE Advanced |
| WiFi | 802.11ac Wi-Fi with MIMO |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Other (cellular & wireless) | Built-in GPS/GNSS, VoLTE, NFC with reader mode, Express Cards, WiFi calling |
| Connector | Lightning |
Overview
Most of the most significant differences between Apple’s iPhone XR and Apple’s iPhone 11 lie in camera functionality. With the iPhone 11, Apple introduced a new dual-lens camera which provided a marked improvement over the single-lens camera. The rear-facing camera setup in the iPhone 11 features a standard wide-angle camera and a new ultra wide-angle camera with a 120 degree field of view, replacing the need for telephoto.
Additionally, spatial audio offers users a much more immersive sound experience, and supports the Dolby Atmos surround-sound technology. The iPhone 11 also offers a new feature in audio zoom, allowing the microphone to zoom in on speakers when recording video.
Finally, Apple says that the phone is made with the toughest glass ever in a smartphone, not only improving overall durability, but offering improved water resistance.
Body
The iPhone XR and iPhone 11 are identical in terms of their size and shape. They both feature a 6.1 inch LCD display, and both have edge-to-edge displays. The front-facing camera is housed in a small notch at the top of the displays, and neither phone has a home button or headphone jack, which allow for a greater durability for both phones.
Both phones also feature a glass body, but the iPhone 11 is manufactured with much tougher glass, not only improving overall durability, but offering improved water resistance. The new iPhone 11 is water resistant to 2 meters depth (as compared to the XR’s 1 meter) for 30 minutes. The newer glass also raised the iPhone 11’s splash and dust resistance rating to IP68, compared to the XR’s IP67.
Both phones are available in 6 colors, but Apple has replaced the iPhone XR Blue and Coral with Purple and Green in the iPhone 11.
Display
The iPhone 11 display is identical to that of the iPhone XR, a marked improvement over prior versions of the phone. Apple claims that the display is the most advanced LCD that has been introduced in smartphones to date. Both phones have a pixel resolution of 1792 x 828.
Camera
The improvements in the camera functionality is one of the clear distinctions between the iPhone 11 and the iPhone XR.
The major new feature of the iPhone 11 is an upgraded dual-lens camera system on its rear facing cameras. The new phone boasts both a wide-angle lens and a new ultra-wide angle lens, allowing users to capture four times more scene. This makes it ideal for landscape photos, detailed architecture images, and much more.
The interface on the iPhone 11 has been modified to allow users to see and capture the area outside of the frame using the ultra wide-angle camera if desired. 2x optical zoom out is supported, as is digital zoom up to 5x.
Additionally, Apple has added a new Night mode, designed to take advantage of the iPhone’s processing capabilities and the new camera sensor to capture crisp, clear, bright photos even in very low light.
4K video recording with extended dynamic range and both of the cameras can be used for recording video. There is a new QuickTake video mode, allowing you to hold down the shutter button in the camera app to automatically record video with subject tracking and an Audio Zoom feature matching the audio to the video framing for more dynamic sound.
The front facing camera in the iPhone 11 has also been updated, and now offers a 12-megapixel camera, compared to the iPhone XR,s 7 megapixel, This means that Face ID is up to 30 times faster and can work from more angles. The front camera also now supports slo-mo video for “slofies”.
Performance
Both phones run on Apple’s iOS operating system. The iPhone XR was released with iOS12 and the 11 ran iOS13 at its launch. Both phones are now supported by Apple’s newest iOS13. Both phones are currently capable of updating to the newest operating system, assuming the system continues to run as it currently does, the iPhone XR will age out of being able to receive iOS updates sooner than the iPhone 11 will.
The iPhone 11 runs on a more powerful CPU than the iPhone XR. The XR has an A12 bionic chip with a neural engine, while the 11 has an A13 bionic chip with a 3rd generation neural engine, making it a faster and more efficient device. The iPhone 11 should operate about 20 percent faster than the iPhone Xr, while using less power.
The iPhone 11 is available in 64G, 128G and 256G, while the XR offers only 64G and 128G from Apple, with 256G options available from 3rd-party retailers.
Both phones have very similar battery life. They both use built-in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries and offer 65 hours of audio playback; the iPhone XR offers up to 16 hours of video playback, and the 11 can support 11 hours of video. Although the difference is fairly small, if you need to use the phone extensively for video playback, you may want to take into consideration that the battery deteriorates the more it is on the charger. For other users, the small difference may not make a significant difference.
In conclusion, based on the significant improvement in the camera functionality, the audio experience, and the overall performance, the iPhone 11 is probably the winner between the two phones.
