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MISHAWAKA – Apple has recently released its new smartphone, the iPhone 11, and proved two things in the process: the developers still haven’t learned to count, and if there’s a price tag on something, someone will buy it.
To be fair, the iPhone 11, at launch, costs less than its predecessor at its debut: a $999 iPhone X upon release versus a $699 iPhone 11, according to the website. Though the $300 price drop looks nice on paper, many consumers with functioning frontal lobes are wondering if the iPhone 11 offers anything new. Not least because, after the 11’s announcement, all the older iPhone prices took a steep dive, with the iPhone X sitting $100 lower than the newest addition to Apple’s phone-based family.
So, in a few words, the iPhone 11 is sporting some new features. Most noticeably the, by now, extensively mocked dual cameras on the base version and the triple cameras on the Pro and Pro Max. These cameras can apparently record different videos simultaneously, as well as add widen the shot of pictures. Now, this is a pretty useful addition; older models of the iPhone had cameras with field-of-view like the business end of a plastic straw. Not only have the people over at Apple given consumers 200% more cameras than your average smartphone, they have added new lighting controls like “Night Mode.” On the subject of Night Mode, the Apple website says, “there’s no need for flash, colors are more natural, and photos are brighter.” Credit where credit is due: Apple has optimized the snuffing out of its cameras.
Not much else about the phone, on the other hand, differs from the previous iteration. The only piece worth noting is the new A13 Bionic chip in the phone, allegedly the fastest of any smartphone. With the new chip, Apple has managed to refine a decent amount of the phone’s operations like Face ID and new haptic shortcuts and menus. The latter meaning you really appreciate how smoothly you can slide from one Snapchat story to the next.
Summarily, if you’re a corporate ATM for Apple, chances are you’ve already bought this phone. If you are really into photography and videography, you might like this phone. If you’re a broke college kid, who if asked couldn’t describe the difference between the iPhone X and 11 without surreptitiously checking the Apple site like yours truly, you’re likely to pass on it. However, if you decide to ignore your bills, you’ll have no problem using your new phone while you’re drowning in student debt. So long as you’re drowning at two meters or less. For no more than 30 minutes. Per the water-resistance guidelines. Enjoy.
Corey Bridgeman is a volunteer student writer for The Beacon and does technology and game reviews.
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