iPhone 11 vs. iPhone 11 Pro vs. iPhone 11 Pro Max: Which should you buy?

· The iPhone 11 Pro will be replaced soon, so we don't recommend buying one at this time.

· Apple in September 2019 unveiled the new iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max with triple-lens cameras, A13 chips, faster Face ID, Night Mode, shatter resistant glass, improved water resistance and more. iPhone 11 Pro starts at $999, iPhone 11 Pro Max starts at $1099.

iPhone 11 Pro Highlights:

• Triple-lens cameras w/ new ultra wide-angle lens

• More durable, water resistant body

• Matte finish and new dark green color

• Night Mode for better low-light images

• Haptic Touch instead of 3D Touch

• Ultra Wideband support

• A13 chip

• Faster WiFi and LTE

Can you tell the three iPhone 11 models apart? Our iPhone 11 vs iPhone 11 Pro vs iPhone 11 Pro breaks down all the key differences so you can decide which one is right for you?

Back in 2018, the iPhone XR introduced a price gap between Apple's entry-level smartphone and its more feature-rich models, and that gap only widened with the iPhone 11 family's debut. Thanks to the iPhone 11's starting price of $699, there's now a $300 gap between it and the base model iPhone 11 Pro, which starts at $999. Even the most expensive iPhone 11 model — one that comes with 512GB of storage— costs $150 less than the cheapest iPhone Pro model.

To encourage existing iPhone users to upgrade to the new models, Apple offers rebates if you trade-in your current phone. At the beginning of August 2020, you can expect to save up to $220 on the iPhone 11 and $280 on the iPhone 11 Pro models, though you'll need a pretty recent phone to see that kind of return. Nevertheless, trading in your phone when you buy a new iPhone from Apple can save you a little bit of cash.

Don't Buy an iPhone 11 Pro Right Now:

The iPhone 11 Procame out in September of 2019 -- about one year ago. Apple updates their iPhone line once every year, usually in September. This year Apple is expected to release the new iPhone 12 a little later than usual. Right now, all rumors point to October as the launch date.

Now would be the worst time to buy an iPhone 11 Pro. When the iPhone 12 comes out, Apple will reduce the price or eliminate the iPhone 11 Pro entirely. Therefore, we strongly recommend you don't purchase an iPhone 11 at this time.

There is no Home button, no bottom bezel, and no Touch ID fingerprint sensor, with the two devices using Face ID for biometric authentication purposes. The left side of the iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max houses a standard mute switch and volume buttons, while the right side features a side button that doubles as a power button.

There is no Home button, no bottom bezel, and no Touch ID fingerprint sensor, with the two devices using Face ID for biometric authentication purposes. The left side of the iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max houses a standard mute switch and volume buttons, while the right side features a side button that doubles as a power button.

You definitely won't confuse the iPhone 11 with its Pro counterparts. The iPhone 11 features an aluminum and glass body and comes in a rainbow of colors — purple and green are the newcomers, joining the black, yellow, white and red variants that are held over from the iPhone XR.

Apple emphasized the durability of the iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max when it introduced those phones last year. All three new iPhones boast IP68 dust- and water-resistance ratings, though not all IP68 ratings are apparently created equal. The iPhone 11 can survive a 30-minute dunk in up to 2 meters of water, while the Pro models can go a bit deeper to 4 meters.

No matter which model you pick up, you're going to get a noticeable camera bump. It's precision milled to fit in with the rest of the phone, whether you've got an iPhone 11 or one of the Pro models in your hand.

The same dimensions you saw with the iPhone XS, XS Max and XR are back with the current models. The iPhone 11 Pro Max is the tallest and widest of Apple's new phones, and it weighs the most. The next tallest phone, the iPhone 11 is also the thickest, though only by a fraction of an inch. The iPhone 11 Pro is the most compact model. As with recent iPhones, there's no headphone jack to be found on any of member of the iPhone 11 family.

Triple-Lens Rear Camera

A triple-lens rear camera, a first for an iPhone, is the hallmark feature in the iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max. There are telephoto and wide-angle lenses like before, along with a new ultra wide-angle camera lens.

All three lenses are 12-megapixels and the differences between them are detailed below:

Ultra Wide-Angle Camera

• 12-megapixel sensor.

• 13mm focal length.

• f/2.4 aperture.

• 5-element lens.

• 120 degree field of view.

• The ultra wide-angle camera is the right most lens.

Wide-Angle Camera

• Larger 12-megapixel sensor that lets in more light

• f/1.8 aperture.

• 6-element lens.

• Optical Image Stabilization.

• 100 percent focus pixels.

• The wide-angle camera is located at the top left of the iPhone.

Telephoto Camera

• 12-megapixel sensor

• f/2.0 aperture.

• 6-element lens

• Optical Image Stabilization.

• 2x zoom

• 40% more light capture than in XS

• The telephoto camera is the bottom left lens on the iPhone.

According to Apple, with the new ultra wide-angle lens, iPhone users can capture up to four times more scene, which is ideal for landscape shots, architecture shots, group portraits, and tons more.

Apple recommends using the ultra wide-angle lens for an "artful perspective" when taking a close up shot, as it offers up unique angles thanks to the short focal length.

Also, Fast charging, an iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max feature, allows the iPhones to charge to 50 percent power from dead in just 30 minutes using a higher power charger.

For the first time, Apple is including the hardware needed for fast charging with the iPhone, so the iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max charge up faster than ever.

Verdict:

Which iPhone 11 should you buy?

Having tested all three new iPhones, it's clear that the iPhone 11 Pro Max is the best iPhone you can buy and one of the best phones overall, thanks to its expansive screen and long battery life. But not everyone is going to want to pay $1,099 for those kinds of features.

Good thing, then, that the iPhone 11 is $400 cheaper and offers comparable performance and good battery life of its own. As for the iPhone 11 Pro, it's a good model to get if you like your phones a little more compact.

Even with a delayed launch Apple will release new iPhones in the fall, raising the question of whether it's better to hold off until the expected October launch for the iPhone 12. If you can afford to wait, the iPhone 12 is likely to come in four different models with faster processors and OLED panels all around. Those phones will also support 5G connectivity, something missing from the iPhone 11 lineup.

If you must get an iPhone prior to October, though, deciding between the iPhone 11 vs the iPhone 11 Pro vs the iPhone 11 Pro Max is a can't lose proposition. All three of Apple's current iPhone models are top phones.