iPhone 11 Pro Hands-On Impressions

Apple announced their 2019 iPhones at an event in the Steve Jobs Theater on their Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California today, and IGN was there for the unveiling. The iPhone 11 is the new standard-bearer for the company, and it boasts a Liquid Retina display, six new colors (including compelling newcomers like purple), and, of course, a new camera.

But I was much more interested in Apple's flagship smartphone and I got to try out the iPhone 11 Pro (see some photos of it in action below) for a few minutes after the event. It's the new top-of-the-line phone in the iPhone lineup, boasting a 5.8-inch OLED display in the regular Pro model, or a 6.5-inch OLED screen on the Pro Max. I checked out the former.

iPhone 11 Pro Hands On

Physically, its body is almost exactly the same as my iPhone X, at least as far as dimensions. The biggest difference comes from the matte finish backing, which in my opinion definitely has a beautiful, premium look and feel to it. It feels like Apple is doing their damndest to try and tempt me to not use a protective case and instead opt for Apple Care+ to guard my investment. But I digress...

It otherwise feels exactly the same as the X, in its height, width, and thickness (take a look at all of its available colors in the gallery below). Obviously, the tri-camera raised hump on the back is the major difference, and a quick test of the camera revealed that it is indeed capable of some fancy new tricks when compared to my two-year-old model.

The telephoto and wide-angle options are conveniently just a tap away from the camera screen, as is another very welcome new feature: holding down the shutter button to transition straight into a video without having to swipe right to get to it.

iPhone 11 Pro Colors

Personally, I'm still pretty happy with (and still paying for) my iPhone X and will probably wait at least one more year before upgrading. However, the Pro's and Pro Max's upgraded cameras -- including a front-facing camera that can do slow-motion selfies -- might be enough to tempt some folks.

Later, I'll be taking a closer look at Apple Arcade, which will launch with over 100 games on September 19 at a price of $4.99 per month for a family subscription. Stay tuned for that coverage soon on IGN.

Ryan McCaffrey is IGN’s Executive Editor of Previews. Follow him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan, catch him on Unlocked, and drop-ship him Taylor Ham sandwiches from New Jersey whenever possible.