My next iPhone
How to withstand upgrade pressure, and when to give into it
We are spoilt for choice.
Not only is technology evolving rapidly, but Apple consistently releases a new phone every September and sometimes, such as with the 2020 iPhone SE, there is another released during the year.
You know that when you buy your phone, you will only have the best of the best for so long. No one wants to feel left behind months after forking out one thousand dollars for the newest iPhone.
I’ve felt left behind for a few years now. I have the 2016 iPhone 7 Plus. I love it. It does everything I need it to do. Battery life is good, photo quality is great and it’s perfectly quick for everything I need, but I can’t shake the fact that there is something better out there.
My photos could be better, Facebook could load more quickly, I could have three cameras instead of two! Do I need these things? No. Do I want them?
YES. So much so that I have scoured the Apple website and read and watched endless strings of reviews for every phone that has come out since my own.
I have never upgraded.
Why? Because it is never worth my money. My phone works perfectly well, I simply cannot justify spending that much to fix something which isn’t broken.
A part of me does not want to get swept up in Apple’s brilliant marketing campaign and toxic upgrade culture more so than I already have been.
However, it’s been a few years and I think I deserve to treat myself.
I’m going to upgrade, but to which phone?
Let’s take a look at the contenders.
- iPhone 11
This phone is a very strong choice. There is almost nothing I don’t like about it. It looks great, has a powerful processor, upgraded sound, an IP68 rating (can be 4 metres underwater for 30 minutes), wireless charging, great cameras including a 12mp front-facing camera and new features such as Night Mode.
The price point is fantastic. Apple actually reduced the price compared to the iPhone XR down to $1199 AUD, sitting above the SE ($749) but well below the 11 Pro ($1749).
The phone does not scrimp on features and is a fantastic option. The question I ask myself is; does it do anything that would change my experience for the better?
The iPhone 11 would be more responsive, have better photo quality, and I wouldn’t rush to put it in a bowl of rice every time it touched water. However, I would forget about these things within a week.
Apple markets its phones very well, and I am made to feel as though every feature they advertise will revolutionise my interactions with my phone, with other people and that my productivity and happiness will skyrocket.
The novelty would be fun and yes, the iPhone 11 would be a better phone, but do its features add $1199 of value to my life that my iPhone 7 cannot satisfy? Probably not.
2. iPhone 11 Pro
How is the iPhone 11 Pro better than the iPhone 11?
- Premium materials (matte-glass back and a stainless steel side band)
- An additional telephoto lens
- Dual optical image stabilisation
- Two sizes, a 5.8-inch screen or a 6.5-inch screen on the iPhone 11 Pro Max
- OLED display (the iPhone 11 has an LCD)
- 18 hours of battery life on the iPhone 11 Pro, and 20 hours on the Pro Max in comparison to 17 hours on the iPhone 11
The price of this phone starts at $1749.
Although these features help make up one of the best phones on the market, the iPhone 11 would be more than sufficient as my daily driver and I would probably not pay the extra $550 to bump myself up to the Pro version.
3. iPhone SE
Apple’s newest budget iPhone looks like an iPhone 8, but has the same A13 Bionic processor as the iPhone 11 Pro. Not only does this mean that transitions will be silky smooth, but that the phone is not going anywhere. It should be able to withstand software updates for many years to come and it should see pretty good battery life. The iPhone SE is not just a cheap phone that you’ll want to replace in a year.
Also, it has support for wireless charging, a 12mp rear camera and water resistance.
It starts at $749.
Some negatives:
- The front-facing camera is ok, but still a bit grainy
- There is only one rear camera and it lacks features on the iPhone 11 such as Night Mode
- Touch ID is still being used instead of Face ID
- There is only one size option, a 4.7-inch display
The iPhone SE is a great budget phone, with its main selling point being the A13 chip. It really is perfect if you just want a phone that just works.
I want drama, that new-phone feeling. I have gotten used to my 5.5-inch screen and do not want to go much smaller. The iPhone SE flies under the radar but if I am going to upgrade, I want more in terms of build quality and ingenuity; I want it to stand out.
iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro or iPhone SE?
If my trusty iPhone 7 Plus decided to call it quits today, I would go to the Apple Store and get myself an iPhone 11.
It has great battery life, a nice big 6.1-inch screen, awesome cameras, Face ID and a good selection of colour options. Most of all, it is very reasonably priced.
The iPhone 11 would give me the premium feel I need over the iPhone SE, and I just genuinely do not need a telephoto lens or the matte-finish on the iPhone 11 Pro.
However, there is a fourth option, the future iPhone 12.
4. iPhone 12
This phone requires waiting, a skill which I do not possess. It certainly loses some points for that. I have decided that the iPhone 12 is worth testing my patience.
My biggest reason for waiting is that we are only 4 months away from the probable September launch date, and I do not want to buy an expensive new phone when an improved version will be available so soon.
Also, I am sincerely hoping that the new iPhone 12 will have squared-off edges, just like the iPad Pro. I love the feel and look of this style and analysts have been speculating that this is a real possibility.
It is looking like there will be 4 models released, with some of the main features including:
- New design
- A14 chip
- 5G connectivity
- OLED displays
- Triple-lens 3D camera
(see MacRumors for more detailed analysis of these features)
There are also new colours to look forward to, a possible increase in storage space and hopefully increases in battery life and camera improvements.
So I am going to wait.
I want to see what Apple brings out in September, largely due to the probable physical design change. I am willing to wait a few more months to make sure I can get my hands on the newest tech, and then settle down with that phone for the foreseeable future.
However, Apple currently has some great options, and I would be more than happy to make the iPhone 11 my new device.
I will withstand the pressure to get the latest and greatest for now, because I know my phone works perfectly well; but 4 years might just prove to be too long to go without getting my hands on a new iPhone.
