There's no earthquake in the offing, with a famous Steve Jobs-style "One more thing" that sent the high-tech world into a frenzy... Apple has just presented its latest generation of iPhone and the new Watch Serie 5 and theiPad 7 at its traditional back-to-school keynote, with some eagerly-awaited configurations for its smartphones, in terms of both image performance and battery life.
iPhone 11 available in three versions: iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone Max ProThe main aim is to refresh the Cupertino-based company's iPhones in order to catch up technologically with its competitors, such as Huawei or Samsung in terms of endurance and photo and video quality, who have already equipped their latest premium models with triple sensors, all with long battery lives.
Apple, the world's No. 3 smartphone manufacturer in terms of volume, had to react to the fall in sales of its phones over the past year.
Note that Apple has put an end to a steadily rising prices of its flagship products, with the new generation positioned at the same price as its predecessor. The aim? To retain and grow a loyal customer base within the brand's integrated ecosystem of content and services. But the most significant announcement concerns the significant new image features, with the three smartphones in the iPhone 11 range based on the new A13 Bionic processorwhich is more powerful than its predecessor and consumes less energy.
Wide angle and night mode at last
The two top-of-the-range models, with their luminous OLED screens measuring 5.8" for the iPhone 11 Pro and 6.5" for the iPhone 11 Pro Max, feature a block of three lenses comprising a 12MP wide-angle lens (f/1.8 ), a 12MP ultra-wide-angle lens (f/2.4), and a 12MP telephoto lens (Telephoto f/2.0), all with 4x and 2x optical zoom.
All of this is supported by the artificial intelligence embedded in the in-house processor to magnify the rendering. This ensures depth of field and particularly accurate landscape shots, not to mention optimised portraits.
Similarly, the three cameras that have been calibrated in the same way can work together to produce videos in the 4k. While the portrait mode with bokeh effect is still available, a night mode not previously available on iPhones is automatically activated in low light.
On the front, the 12MP front-facing sensor with an f/2.2 aperture allows slow-motion video selfies as well as the traditional Face ID facial recognition. It's all good fun, but it's not all about business.
As well as catching up on the camera front, Apple has improved the battery life of its iPhones compared to their predecessors, the Xs and Xs Max, by taking advantage of its new in-house chip. The result, 4 hours extra autonomy for the 11 Pro and 5 hours for the Pro Max, according to the figures announced by Apple.
In terms of connectivity, this new-generation iPhone is a step ahead of the competition, with support for new WiFi 6 standard. What's in it for you? Surfing and transfer speeds 40% faster than WiFi 5, which professionals on the move will appreciate.
Another new feature is compatibility with 18-watt fast charging, which was not available on the previous generation of premium iPhones. The iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max finally benefit from an 18-watt USB-C charger, supplied with a USB-C to Lightning cable. According to Apple, this means fast charging of up to 50 % in 30 minutes.
The design of these two premium smartphones doesn't offer much in the way of revolution, apart from the rear camera, of course, but they are certainly robust, with a stainless steel casing and resistant glass, all matched by original colours and refined matt finishes. On the waterproofingIP68 protection rating for both models.
The only drawbacks are that these two premium models don't have reversible charging or 5G, while larger storage capacities mean you have to opt for the appropriate, and therefore more expensive, versions. In any case, we'll be waiting for the next generation in 2020 to discover a 'One More Thing' with a wow factor.
