If our calendars are right, we are three months away from September which is usually the month Apple announces its new lineup.
This September, we are expecting Apple to launch three iPhones, successors to the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max, and a refreshed iPhone XR. Although few are probably too excited about another LCD-equipped iPhone, Apple’s flagship duo is nicely shaping up.
These iPhones are expected to be;
- the first to boast triple cameras,
- the first to offer USB-C
- the first to ship with iOS 13, which will bring a system-wide dark mode, privacy enhancements and a performance boost.
iPhone 11 rumors are kicking into high gear, promising an abundance of new features and updates in this year’s models. The biggest rumors so far center around triple rear cameras, bigger batteries with reverse wireless charging and fast charging in the box. Here’s what we’ve rounded up everything we know about Apple’s 2019 iPhones so far below.
Naming and Release
The iPhone 11 could launch later than usual this year, with a release seemingly scheduled for the third or fourth week in September. This is According to a leaked marketing calendar from US carrier Verizon. While we’ve been referring to the devices as the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Max, it’s possible that Apple will stick with the Roman numerals styling, branding the devices as the iPhone XI and iPhone XI Max.
Design
The iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Max are expected to be nearly identical to the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max.
The iPhone 11 is expected to measure 143.9 x 71.4 x 7.8mm, which is slightly larger and thicker than the iPhone XS at 143.6 x 70.9 x 7.7mm. The iPhone 11 Max will reportedly measure 157.6 x 77.5 x 8.1mm, which compares to the iPhone XS Max at 157.5 x 77.4 x 7.7 mm.
iPhone 11 series is expected to feature a redesigned camera bump on the back. While the iPhone XS camera bump is vertically oriented and features two lenses, the iPhone 11 is expected to feature three lenses in a new square shape which many have termed to be ugly. As the bump is wider than prior generation iPhones, it is expected to be slightly thinner.
How we know that this is true is because an accessory maker Olixar, who is famous for releasing accessories ahead of a new smartphone launch, sent an iPhone 11 Max and iPhone 11 camera protectors to smartphone accessory retailer MobileFun, confirming that the iPhone XI’s much-leaked ugly square camera bulge is real.
Another change on the design is that the mute switch, side button, and volume buttons are expected to slightly shift. This is most probably due to space constraints caused by the new camera technology. The mute switch is also rumored to have a slightly different shape and be oriented up and down rather than right to left.
Display
Olixar’s screen protectors, also available to buy ahead of the handsets’ September launch, confirm that the notch is here to stay, with Apple sticking with the elongated cutout rather than a punch-hole or infinity display.
Both the iPhone 11 and Phone 11 max will feature OLED panels, with the iPhone 11 measuring 5.8-inches and the iPhone 11 Max measuring 6.5-inches. One bit of information provided by Apple Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo again is that the iPhone 11 will pack a new OLED screen laminate.
However, one display feature that could change this year is 3D Touch. Supply chain analysts have claimed that Apple will eliminate the pressure-sensitive 3D Touch feature this year, having the first beta of iOS 13. In iOS 13, features such as Peek and Pop and Home screen Quick Actions have expanded to non-3D Touch devices, with Apple standardizing the long-press gesture for all contextual actions.
Camera
Numerous rumors have suggested that the iPhone 11 will feature a new triple-lens camera setup on the back, which could offer a range of improvements compared to the current dual-lens design. However some of this reports state that only the iPhone 11 Max will have three rear cameras.
According to Bloomberg, the third camera on the back will feature an ultra-wide-angle lens, allowing users to take images that include a much larger field of view. With a third camera, Apple could also increase the optical zoom of the iPhone. Currently, the iPhone XS offers 2x optical zoom, but it’s possible that could increase this year. Apple may also use computer vision technology to blend data from each of the three cameras together to take more-detailed photos at a standard zoom level
Apple will reportedly bump the quality of the front-facing camera from 7MP to 12MP, and go from a 4-element lens to a 5-element lens. This should offer improvements in photo quality, lighting, and more.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo was first to report on another change, that the iPhone 11 will reportedly use a new coating to make the new ultra-wide lens on the back and the front-facing camera “inconspicuous.” The new coating could make the aforementioned square camera bump look more aesthetically pleasing.
Processor and performance
Apple has been working with Taiwan Semiconductor (TSMC) for years to supply the processors in its iPhones, which doesn’t look like it’s to change anytime soon. The iPhone 11 is expected to feature the A13 processor, which Apple started producing earlier this year with its partner TSMC.
The A13 is being built on a 7nm+ process, and estimates suggest that it should offer notable performance improvements over the A12X processor. That enhanced power usually translates to better processing power and better graphics performance.
Battery power and fast charging
The iPhone 11 is expected to support something called bilateral wireless charging. This would allow you to use the back of your iPhone as a charging mat. Kuo says the new iPhones will offer bi-directional wireless charging that lets the phone charge other devices. It’s a feature that Samsung just added to its Galaxy S10 lineup called Power Share.
To accommodate this bilateral wireless charging feature, the iPhone 11 is expected to pack a larger battery. In a follow-up report published in April, Ming-Chi Kuo said the batteries on the new iPhones will be larger than the 2018 models. The iPhone XS successor will be packed with a battery between 3,200 mAh and 3,500 mAh, while the increase for the successor the XS Max will be more modest at around 3,650 mAh. The new version of the iPhone XR will see little change to its battery, according to Kuo.
Another leak is that the Japanese site Macotakara says that the successors to the iPhone XS and XS Max will come with a USB C to Lightning cable and more powerful power brick for 18-watt fast charging.
Whether or not this turns out to be true remains to be seen, but it would be a much-appreciated change.
