top of page
Writer's pictureMehul Arora

Being honest about the iPhone 11.

Yes. I know what you all have got to say. Everybody has that one complaint, the one I have to hear nearly everywhere I go:


“THEY MESSED UP WITH THE LOOKS!”
“THE CAMERA BUMP IS YUCK.”
“SQUARE BUMP? TRIANGULAR ARRANGEMENT? SERIOUSLY, THAT LOOKS DISGUSTING”

So much so that the topic has become a sensitive one for me to talk about.

(Some of my friends are still not talking to me because I “offended” them by praising the iPhone’s looks.)


So let’s talk about it.


This year, the iPhone was all about changes. We had seen gradual shifts from the iPhone 7 to iPhone 8 in terms of looks, and then a shift from iPhone 8 to iPhone X, introducing a few new features, keeping the looks somewhat of a constant. iPhone 11 is a whole new thing. And I mean it seriously. Every year, Apple gets away with making small changes, and they make them sound revolutionary. That is the visual distortion field that was used by Steve Jobs and has become an ingrained part of the iPhone event, as even Rajeev Makhni pointed out. Every year, there is a standing ovation for the iPhones at the launch event. However, I believe that this time, the iPhone really deserved it. They massively, I repeat, MASSIVELY pumped up the battery life, introduced a plethora of new photography and filmography tools, including and not limited to Ultra Wide Angle photography, inbuilt video editing, and shooting natively in 4K, and they also introduced the much asked for Dark Mode.

But the looks were not something that everybody would accept.


The camera bump.


The cameras on the iPhone this year are phenomenal. Apple just one-upped itself and went to accommodate three cameras on of the flagship phones best known for its photographic features. And the ultra-wide-angle and telephoto lenses are totally what a photographer would want on his iPhone. But, what many don’t appreciate is the camera bump and arrangement. Apple took a shift this year from the oval glass camera bumps they had been using on since iPhone 7, and they replaced it with an aluminum, square one. And they fitted the cameras triangularly on the iPhone 11 Pro and Max, and linearly on the iPhone 11. They also rimmed the camera lenses with a silver metal frame.



iPhone 11 Pro Midnight Green


I personally think that the design is quite classy in its own sense. Looking first at it, one might not be able to quite appreciate it, as we have grown used to the glass-oval bump for years now. It was something unique from Apple, not the classic “shibui” kind, but a new form of classy style that Apple has experimented with. The silver metal frame around the cameras quite complements both the square bump and the three cameras.

And given the fact that it could be worse, this is the best we could have.


The renders.


Every year, before the launch of every flagship phone, we have graphics designers, mobile enthusiasts, and tech columnists and bloggers come up with their own renders: visual interpretations to how the design will be. Some of the renders are based on statements by company officials, some on the creativity of the designers themselves, and some on designs that have been “leaked”. There is a theory that these leaks might be fueled by tech companies themselves to get public opinion on design and create a bit of hype. I earlier said that the design could have been worse. If you have seen some of the earliest renders, you might know what I’m talking about. The earlier renders showed the square arrangement too, but the bump was made of black glass, which made it look even weirder. Here are some of the renders for you to get an idea of what I mean:





It won’t be a surprise if it is revealed one day that Apple planned on these designs earlier. They might as well have had the designs tweaked in mid-production!


Colours!


Apple went really colourful this year. We have a variety of new colours of iPhone to chose from: including the new Purple iPhone 11, the Sea Green iPhone 11 Pro, and the Midnight Green iPhone 11 Pro Max. Some people think that the colours are way too bright and unclasp, but I think they are pretty nice, and help expand the choice the customer has. The Midnight Green iPhone 11 Pro Max is a personal favourite for me :)


Finally…,


I believe that Apple will be rocking their sales this year, and the design haters won’t much influence the market. Some have also started supporting the design, and given the whole new bunch of features that the 11 sports, consumers will continue on buying the iPhones. The Google Pixel is due to launch this week, and may provide strong competition, yet Apple has a brand value that has always put it ahead of competitors, and will also do so this year.


Comments, Criticism, and Opinions are greatly appreciated.

14 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Comments


bottom of page