First New Phone in 4 Years

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Jul 8, 2012
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Location
Dickson, TN.
Mom and sister surprised me with a new iPhone 11 for birthday and Christmas. It's pretty awesome!

I've had only iPhones since 2008 when I got the 3G. Then the iPhone 4 in 2010, iPhone 5 in 2012, and iPhone 6S in 2015.

The 6S was an awesome phone for me, and I'd planned on hanging on to it for another year at least, but the battery life had gotten pretty bad. Showed 83% of max capacity. Still, it did everything I needed it to, and i didn't think the improvements since 2015 justified buying a new phone yet. It used to be that there were big updates every year or two, but the pace of advancement with the iPhone has slowed since the 6S came out. The fact that the iPhone 6S can still run the latest iOS software (it's the oldest phone that can still do that) made my decision to wait.

But then I received the iPhone 11 as a gift, and I've been really enjoying it over the last couple of days.

The biggest thing that stands out is battery life. I had the battery on my iPhone 6S replaced under a warranty program Apple did a few years ago (I think the phone was 2 years old at the time) because it had this problem where, in lower temperatures (even as warm as like 50°), the charge level would go from like 80% down to like 20% if I left it in the car for an hour or two, or even in my pocket while outside. Anyway, after 2 years, it got to where it would go from 100% down to the 25% range or so after a 10-hour shift at work, and I don't even use it much at work - just a few texts, and doing some Facebook and web surfing on my breaks.

But this iPhone 11's battery life is impressive. From the first time I charged it, it lasted almost 30 hours before getting down to 15%, when I charged it again. Yesterday and today, I also used it to run Waze (GPS nav app) and Escort Live (radar detector app) without plugging in, and, while it did put a small dent in the battery, it was nothing compared to my 6S, which I had to plug in when using GPS apps or it would be killed completely. I read that the 11 has double the battery capacity of the 6S. And, so far, it seems to be the best of all the iPhones I've had so far.

The Facial Recognition feature has been cool so far. One thing I like is that it only shows the preview of a notification, such as a text, when it can "see" my face looking at the screen. Otherwise it just says "notification". With the 6S, you can set it to just say "notification", or to show the preview.

I thought I'd miss the "Home" button, but so far I haven't. It didn't take long to get used to not having it.

I like the overall size of the iPhone 11. The 6S is pretty compact, which I liked. The 11 isn't that much bigger, but the screen is a lot bigger, because it doesn't have the black bars at the top and bottom that are non-functional as a screen.

The main camera, so far, seems very good. Definitely better than the 6S, but not "worlds" better. Selfie camera is far better. Haven't tested video yet, but it should be much better.

Other than that, the speaker is much louder. The speaker on my 6S had lost a lot of its volume, both for music as well as aural notifications.

Screen resolution does seem somewhat better, but not tons better.

I really like the Blackvue silicone protector I got ($15) at Walmart. The same exact one was $39.99 plus tax at the Apple Store. I also really enjoying the Onn brand glass screen protector I also got at Walmart ($5). In fact, I like it so well, I'll probably make another thread about it. I've seen people periodically ask about screen protectors. Several years ago I had one of the plastic ones, and didn't like it. The feel wasn't smooth and slick like the glass screen, and it started coming off. But this glass one feels just like the actual screen.

And, of course, the faster processor does make the phone snappier on apps that took a long time to open on my 6S (weather app) as well as just general web browsing.

So, overall, I could have lived with my 6S for another year, but the battery thing would have been annoying.

So far, really enjoying it!
 
My favorite upgrades iPhone 7 to 11:

Battery life, wireless charging on neat pad on my work desk, and pictures improved . Lastly it was not a ton of money to get decent storage 128GB ($50).
 
The apps I am interested in don't work with an iphone. Too bad as it limits my choices going forward.
 
Originally Posted by madRiver
My favorite upgrades iPhone 7 to 11:

Battery life, wireless charging on neat pad on my work desk, and pictures improved . Lastly it was not a ton of money to get decent storage 128GB ($50).


Oh yeah! I forgot about wireless charging. I haven't looked at any wireless chargers yet.

Also forgot about the water resistance of the iPhone 11, whereas the iPhone 6S didn't claim ANY water resistance.
 
Originally Posted by sloinker
The apps I am interested in don't work with an iphone. Too bad as it limits my choices going forward.


What apps are those?
 
Night mode is amazing with the iPhone 11 camera, first shot is no flash no night mode, 2nd shot is a 3 second exposure with no flash. Please excuse the mess... just got the last 2 things from our move lol

As for the water resistance... it works. My kids made sure to test that one
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Originally Posted by Skippy722
Night mode is amazing with the iPhone 11 camera, first shot is no flash no night mode, 2nd shot is a 3 second exposure with no flash. Please excuse the mess... just got the last 2 things from our move lol

As for the water resistance... it works. My kids made sure to test that one
spankme2.gif


[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]



That's impressive! I'm looking forward to doing some testing with this cam! Now, yours is the regular iPhone 11 and not the iPhone 11 Pro, right?
 
Originally Posted by john_pifer

That's impressive! I'm looking forward to doing some testing with this cam! Now, yours is the regular iPhone 11 and not the iPhone 11 Pro, right?


Correct! The 11's have a stabilized wide angle camera and an ultra wide angle camera with no OIS. The third camera for the Pro models is a stabilized 2x optical zoom camera. Night mode does not work if you're using the ultra wide lens though.
 
Originally Posted by john_pifer
Originally Posted by sloinker
The apps I am interested in don't work with an iphone. Too bad as it limits my choices going forward.


What apps are those?

They have to do with DPF regeneration for a VW specific engine.
 
Originally Posted by sloinker
Originally Posted by john_pifer
Originally Posted by sloinker
The apps I am interested in don't work with an iphone. Too bad as it limits my choices going forward.


What apps are those?

They have to do with DPF regeneration for a VW specific engine.


I see.
 
Nice review. I'm thinking of upgrading from my 6. It too is experiencing a weak battery. I have to plug it in 3-4 times a day. Apple is now offering interest free payments on new iPhones via their Apple Card.
 
Originally Posted by PimTac
Nice review. I'm thinking of upgrading from my 6. It too is experiencing a weak battery. I have to plug it in 3-4 times a day. Apple is now offering interest free payments on new iPhones via their Apple Card.


It was the same for me with my 6S.

The battery life on this iPhone 11 is amazing.
 
Originally Posted by PimTac
Nice review. I'm thinking of upgrading from my 6. It too is experiencing a weak battery. I have to plug it in 3-4 times a day. Apple is now offering interest free payments on new iPhones via their Apple Card.


The nice thing is that you can at least replace a battery on an iPhone. I replaced mine for $75 bucks a couple of days ago. Like new.
 
Last edited:
Jim
Did you get the new battery online, or at the IPhone/Carrier Store?

So many purchasers seem unhappy buying from places like Amazon, EBay......etc.
 
Originally Posted by PimTac
Nice review. I'm thinking of upgrading from my 6. It too is experiencing a weak battery. I have to plug it in 3-4 times a day. Apple is now offering interest free payments on new iPhones via their Apple Card.


The battery in 11 is either much larger or far phone more power efficient. The firs smartt phone I can stretch 2 days with usage. 6 was terrible for me. 7 a bit better but 11 and XR both new worlds for wife and I.
 
Still loving my 6S. A co-worker has the 11 and I messed around with it for a bit. Nice phone for sure. I'm just not really into spending $1000 to upgrade something I like. Even after all this time, my battery still operates at 80% capacity.

Great review. Good read.
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Originally Posted by SevenBizzos
Still loving my 6S. A co-worker has the 11 and I messed around with it for a bit. Nice phone for sure. I'm just not really into spending $1000 to upgrade something I like. Even after all this time, my battery still operates at 80% capacity.

Great review. Good read.
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The iPhone 11 is $699-$849, the 11 Pro starts at $999.
 
Originally Posted by SevenBizzos
Still loving my 6S. A co-worker has the 11 and I messed around with it for a bit. Nice phone for sure. I'm just not really into spending $1000 to upgrade something I like. Even after all this time, my battery still operates at 80% capacity.

Great review. Good read.
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The 6S is a great phone. I read a comment recently where someone said that the iPhone 6S was pretty much the first of the "modern generation" of iPhones. And I agree.

If I hadn't received my iPhone 11 as a Christmas gift, I would have hung on to my 6S for another year, at least.
 
4 years out of a smartphone is a rather good run. My BlackBerry Z30 run the longest at a bit over 3 years. I would've kept it longer but BlackBerry dropped support for android apps. The phone worked fine otherwise and the battery was still good.

Funny enough, the latest iPhones have pretty much exact gesture swipes as my BlackBerry did with no physical home button. I liked that feature.
 
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