Is The iPhone 11 Still Worth Buying In 2021?

iPhones are expensive, no doubt. And if you want to upgrade your old iPhone for cheap, the best bet is on relatively old iPhones like the iPhone 11.

If you’re weighing to get an iPhone 11, it is worth asking if it’s worth your money in the first place. In this article, we discuss: Is the iPhone 11 still worth buying in 2021?

Is the iPhone 11 worth buying in 2021?

Do you still daily drive your old iPhone X, 8, 7, or 6 series in 2021? If so, we bet the old iPhone is getting slow. But wait, you don’t have the budget for the new iPhone 12 series.

Apple launched the iPhone 11 series in 2019, and they are only a generation behind the bigger and better 5G-powered iPhone 12 series. Thanks to the launch date, iPhone 11 series now offer the best bang for your buck.

To answer the question “Is the iPhone 11 worth buying in 2021?” we must consider more than just the price. Importantly, you should look at what your priorities are. Knowing the central pain point that’s causing you to feel the urge to upgrade is essential.

If you’re coming from an iPhone 6, 7, or 8, maybe you want to feel the new design. Granted, you will get that on the iPhone 11. So what things should you consider to gauge if it’s worth buying an iPhone 11 in 2021? Price, battery, software, processor, display, design, and network connectivity.

Price

Always consider the price when purchasing a smartphone, new, refurbished, or used. Apple launched the iPhone 11 at a starting price of $799. But now, in 2021, you can buy an iPhone 11 at a discounted price of $599. That’s 25 percent less. Even better, if you buy a refurbished iPhone 11, you can save even more.

Battery

If you’re coming from an old iPhone, battery life shouldn’t be a thing to worry about. Apple ported over the iPhone XR’s muscular battery endurance to the iPhone 11. Even if you’re upgrading from an iPhone XR, you’ll surely love the iPhone 11 for its stellar battery performance, just like the predecessor.

Display

iPhone 11 sports a 6.1-inch Liquid Retina HD display. Sure, it doesn’t include OLED panels like the iPhone 12, but it is no big issue considering the price. That display has a 1792-by-828-pixel resolution (326 PPI) with 625 nits max brightness.

Design

Relative to iPhone XS and older, getting the iPhone 11 is one sure way to have a taste of Apple’s new iPhone design. You’re getting a refreshed design that doesn’t cost you much.

Processor

An A13 Bionic chip powers the iPhone 11, which is barely two years old. iPhone 12 series runs the A14 Bionic, which is undoubtedly faster, but… for day-to-day usage; you won’t tell the difference. There wasn’t a giant leap in the performance front from the A13 to the A14 Bionic chipset.

And roughly two years down the line, the A13 Bionic is still a very capable chipset. Granted, you can still get a whole lot of milage 3, 4, 5 years to come.

Software

Apple has a strong software update track record which is why many still use the iPhone 6 series. If the iPhone 6 series is still onboard for new iOS updates, what about the relatively more recent iPhone 11? With the iPhone 11, you can be sure of iOS updates until 2025 or later.

See also:

How to wirelessly charge your iPhone

How to Manage Screen Time on Android and iPhone

What is Apple’s new MagSafe and How it Works

What Is Wireless Charging, How Does It Work?

Network Support

Buy the iPhone 11 if you’re OK with a non-5G capable iPhone. As you already know, the iPhone 12 series supports 5G. If 5G is a priority, iPhone 12 or the upcoming 13 series is where you should look at.

Camera

Smartphone photography is undoubtedly a thing these days. It’s no surprise that many consider the camera before buying a smartphone. On paper, iPhone 11 packs dual 12MP ultrawide and wide cameras with ƒ/2.4 and ƒ/1.8 apertures, respectively. Key camera features include Deep Fusion, Night Mode, Optical Image Stabilization (OIS for short), 2x optical zoom and 5x digital zoom, and Smart HDR.

This setup can shoot up to 4K videos at 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps, 60 fps, and 1080p HD at 25 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps.

The iPhone 11’s selfie is a 12MP lens with ƒ/2.2 aperture, an identical one to what you’ll get on the iPhone 12 but with some compromises.

If you’re upgrading from any old iPhone, the iPhone 11 has a massive bump in the camera department. And during its launch, the iPhone 11 was one of the best camera phones at its price.

What’s bad about the iPhone 11?

One of the sloppy sides of the iPhone 11 is the display. The display is not sharp, and you can’t watch videos past 720p. On YouTube, for instance, you can choose higher resolution but keep in mind, the display can’t output crisp video quality. iPhone 11 Pro might be a better option if you want a better display.

Another bad thing, which is relative primarily, is the size. If you prefer a more prominent display, the iPhone 11 will disappoint you. Also, if you want a higher storage option like 512GB, there’s no option for that on the base iPhone 11.