The new $700 iPhone 11 is almost identical to the $600 iPhone XR, but there are 10 major differences between the two

Advertisement
The new $700 iPhone 11 is almost identical to the $600 iPhone XR, but there are 10 major differences between the two

Advertisement
iphone xr vs iphone 11 2x1

Apple announced the iPhone 11 on Tuesday - the successor to the popular iPhone XR that was released in 2018. 

One of the most surprising things that Apple announced during its annual September event was the iPhone 11's pricing. It starts at $700, which is $50 cheaper than the iPhone XR's $750 starting price when it was first launched.

And the price of the iPhone XR is now $600, which makes it a pretty tempting option, even if it is a smartphone from 2018. 

But then again, an extra $100 gets you the latest iPhone 11 that comes with some notable improvements over the iPhone XR, especially with the camera.

Advertisement

For anyone checking in to see if the iPhone 11 is worth an upgrade from the iPhone XR, that's a decision for you to make. Apple will let you trade-in your iPhone XR in good working condition for up to $370 if you want the iPhone 11, bringing the iPhone 11's price tag down to $330. You'll have to gauge whether the iPhone 11's extra features will be worth $330 on top of what you paid for the iPhone XR in 2018. 

Here are the most important things to consider when choosing between the iPhone XR and the iPhone 11:

Exclusive FREE Slide Deck: Top 3 Biggest Smartphone Trends by Business Insider Intelligence

{{}}

Battery: iPhone 11 lasts up to one hour more than iPhone XR.

Battery: iPhone 11 lasts up to one hour more than iPhone XR.

Apple doesn't list battery sizes, but the iPhone 11's battery is slightly bigger at 3110mAh compared to the iPhone XR's 2942mAh battery, according to GSM Arena.

Screen: Both the iPhone XR and iPhone 11 have exactly the same screens. Same 6.1-inch size, same 828p resolution, same bezels, same everything.

Screen: Both the iPhone XR and iPhone 11 have exactly the same screens. Same 6.1-inch size, same 828p resolution, same bezels, same everything.
Advertisement

Design, size, and weight: Both the iPhone XR and iPhone 11 are exactly the same size and weight. Both look identical, except for the iPhone 11's rear camera system.

Design, size, and weight: Both the iPhone XR and iPhone 11 are exactly the same size and weight. Both look identical, except for the iPhone 11's rear camera system.

Power: iPhone 11 runs on Apple's new A13 chip, while the iPhone XR runs on last year's A12 chip. The A12 might be older, but it's no slouch, either.

Power: iPhone 11 runs on Apple's new A13 chip, while the iPhone XR runs on last year's A12 chip. The A12 might be older, but it's no slouch, either.

The iPhone XR runs on Apple's 2018 A12 chip with 3GB of RAM, while the iPhone 11 runs on 2019's A13 chip with 4GB of RAM. Apple doesn't list how much RAM each phone has, so the RAM number is according to GSM Arena.

It's tough to gauge the difference the iPhone 11's specs will make. New iPhones are always more powerful and faster than older iPhones, but the performance gap between the old and new is narrowing more and more every year.

Advertisement

Face ID: Apple says Face ID on the iPhone 11 is 30% faster than the previous generation, including the iPhone XR.

Face ID: Apple says Face ID on the iPhone 11 is 30% faster than the previous generation, including the iPhone XR.

Rear cameras: iPhone XR has a single lens 12-megapixel camera, and iPhone 11 has a 12-megapixel dual-lens-camera system. See the differences below.

Rear cameras: iPhone XR has a single lens 12-megapixel camera, and iPhone 11 has a 12-megapixel dual-lens-camera system. See the differences below.
  • The extra lens on the iPhone 11 is an ultrawide camera with a 120-degree field of view.
  • The iPhone 11 can do 2x optical zoom and 5x digital zoom. The iPhone XR can only do 5x digital zoom. Digital zoom is artificial and isn't as good as natural optical zoom.
  • The iPhone 11 can take portrait mode photos of pets and objects, while the iPhone XR could only take portrait shots of people.
  • The iPhone 11's portrait mode has Apple's lighting effects, like studio, stage, and high-key mono. The iPhone XR's portrait mode doesn't have those effects.
  • The iPhone 11 has Apple's new Night Mode for better low light shots.
  • The iPhone 11 has Apple's "next generation" Smart HDR for photos, which Apple says is better than the iPhone XR's Smart HDR.

Source: Apple. A photo taken with the iPhone 11's ultrawide camera.

Advertisement

Selfie camera: The iPhone XR has a 7-megapixel selfie camera, while the iPhone 11 has a 12-megapixel selfie camera. See more differences below.

  • The iPhone 11's selfie camera can take 4K video up to 60 frames per second. The iPhone XR takes 1080p video up to 60 frames per second.
  • The iPhone 11's selfie camera can take slow-motion "slofies" videos at 1080p resolution and 120 frames per second.
  • The iPhone 11's selfie camera comes with Apple's "next generation" Smart HDR.

Video recording: Both the iPhone XR and iPhone 11 have similar video recording capabilities, with a few differences outlined below.

  • iPhone 11 can record video with its ultrawide camera.
  • iPhone 11 has 2x optical zoom and 3x digital zoom. iPhone XR only has 3x digital zoom.
  • iPhone 11 has "audio zoom" to focus on a subject's audio.
  • iPhone 11 has video stabilization for 4K resolution, while iPhone XR did not include stabilization for 4K.
Advertisement

Storage: Both the iPhone XR and iPhone 11 are available with 64GB and 128GB, but the iPhone 11 has an extra 256GB option.

Storage: Both the iPhone XR and iPhone 11 are available with 64GB and 128GB, but the iPhone 11 has an extra 256GB option.

Water resistance: The iPhone 11 has IP68 water resistance (2 meters, 30 minutes), which is slightly better than the iPhone XR's IP67 water resistance (1 meter, 30 minutes).

Water resistance: The iPhone 11 has IP68 water resistance (2 meters, 30 minutes), which is slightly better than the iPhone XR's IP67 water resistance (1 meter, 30 minutes).
Advertisement

Data speeds: iPhone 11 has "gigabit-class LTE" for faster data than the iPhone XR, depending on your carrier and which area you're in. iPhone 11 also supports WiFi 6.

Data speeds: iPhone 11 has "gigabit-class LTE" for faster data than the iPhone XR, depending on your carrier and which area you're in. iPhone 11 also supports WiFi 6.

Apple says you can download things up to 38% faster on WiFi 6, but you'd need a WiFi 6 router, and the internet speeds to take full advantage of WiFi 6.

AirDrop: iPhone 11 has an improved AirDrop function powered by Apple's new U1 chip that lets you AirDrop things more easily to specific Apple devices when you're pointing the iPhone 11 towards other Apple devices with the U1 chip.

AirDrop: iPhone 11 has an improved AirDrop function powered by Apple's new U1 chip that lets you AirDrop things more easily to specific Apple devices when you're pointing the iPhone 11 towards other Apple devices with the U1 chip.
Advertisement
Next StoryFrom $915 million in total revenue to 1.4 million members, here are the numbers Peloton is using to try and win investors over