iPhone 11 rumours, features, release date and everything we know
Summer is here and that means one thing: there’s a new iPhone coming out in a few months. Excitement is already building in anticipation of Apple’s next flagship phone, which will likely be released just after the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 in September.
There are rumours abound about what exact new features, specs and tricks Apple will take to speed up sales of its new 2019 iPhone and how it’ll differ from the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max.
Here to help we’ve collected all the latest and on-going iPhone rumours into one handy guide, making it quick and easy for you to find out what to expect from Apple’s next flagship.
iPhone 11 – what we expect
- Apple unveils its new iPhone in September, with a release following a week or two after. We’re expecting the iPhone 11 to continue this trend to be announced and available to buy in September 2019.
- The iPhone 11 will almost certainly be the first phone to run using Apple’s latest iOS 13 software. Older will be able to update to the new software too.
- Nearly every rumour suggests the iPhone 11 will have a triple-camera setup (similar to the Samsung Galaxy S10 and Huawei P30) though none of the rumours have revealed any definitive specs for the new snapper.
- The iPhone 11 is expected to run using a new Apple-made A13 chipset.
- The iPhone 11 probably won’t be 5G-capable due to issues with Intel’s modem business, according to rumours.
- Issues with Japan and South Korea’s current trade policies mean the iPhone 11’s screen may be made by a different manufacturer to past iPhones.
- Rumours suggest it might have the biggest battery ever included on an iPhone.
iPhone 11 release date − When is the next iPhone out?
We’ve had a September iPhone launch in each of the past seven years, and we’d be shocked if that trend didn’t continue this year. Though an alleged marketing calendar from the US mobile network Verizon Wireless (leaked by Evan Blass) suggests the next iPhone will arrive in late September rather than mid-September.
Here’s when the last few iPhone models have been announced:
- iPhone 5 − September 2012
- iPhone 5S − September 2013
- iPhone 6 − September 2014
- iPhone 6S − September 2015
- iPhone SE − March 2016
- iPhone 7 − September 2016
- iPhone X/iPhone 8 − September 2017
- iPhone XS − September 2018
So we think September 2019 looks pretty likely.
iPhone 11 price − How much will the new iPhone cost?
Last year’s iPhone XS had an initial RRP of £999/$999, just like the iPhone X that came before it. It would seem a safe bet to assume that the iPhone 11 will cost a similar amount.
An apparent pricing leak broke via Evad3rs in early May, claiming that Apple will offer the iPhone 11 on undisclosed contracts for $399 (128GB), $499 (256GB), and $599 (512GB) from September 20, 2019.
SIM-free pricing was claimed to be $999 (128GB), the $1099 (256GB) and the $1199 (512GB).
And the report added that the 128GB iPhone 11 Max would set you back $1099, with the 256GB and 512GB models retailing for $1199 and $1299 respectively.
However, since none of this has been confirmed by Apple, we’d recommend taking it with a hefty dose of scepticism. Apple is notoriously secretive about its next iPhone, to the point there are rumblings that even its advertising and paid search agencies don’t get much information on them ahead of the actual launch event.
However, with the ongoing trend of rising smartphone prices, one thing the iPhone 11 almost certainly won’t be is any cheaper than its predecessors. Sorry.
iPhone 11 − Performance and software
The iPhone 11 will almost certainly pack an A13 CPU but exactly how capable that processor will be no one quite knows. Though we can expect a healthy boost over the A12 of the iPhone XS.
The A13 entered production in May, according to Bloomberg, and it’s expected to have a 7nm node like its predecessor, with the 5nm upgrade waiting until 2020.
Given that the A12 remains one of the most capable mobile chips on the market, we’re expecting the iPhone 11 to absolutely fly.
Apple Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reckons that the iPhone will pack 4GB of RAM, just like the iPhone XS.
Image Credit: Weibo
As for the software, it’s arguably the most concrete aspect of the iPhone 11 experience that we know of. Following WWDC19, Apple showcased all manner of new functionality coming to iOS 13 – the next major release.
- Its smart dark mode includes light and dark versions of the same wallpaper, with the ability to fade between the two on command or when tied to sunrise and sunset times.
- The whole UI also gets a darker lick of paint when the mode is activated too.
- Even before you fold the forthcoming A13 chipset into the equation, Apple has promised significant performance improvements thanks to this latest version of iOS.
- The company’s Craig Federighi stated that face unlock will be up to 30 percent faster while fundamentals like app updates will up to 60 percent smaller in size.
- The introduction of ‘Sign in with Apple‘ will also help streamline signup for various first and third-party services, with Face ID integration and anonymous credential functionality.
- Alongside the addition of some new Aniomji characters, Memoji will benefit from a heap of new customisation options, like piercings, additional makeup options, hats and alternate teeth designs.
To round things out, one of the lesser-known additions that will unquestionably resonate with gamers is forthcoming native support for both PlayStation DualShock 4 and Bluetooth-enabled Xbox controllers.
iPhone 11 – Design and display
Numerous leaks have suggested that the iPhone 11 will have a giant, inelegant camera bump on its back (more on the camera in the next section).
In May, 9to5Mac published a series of case renders, allegedly for the next iPhone. They each feature a giant hole that’s designed to house the iPhone 11’s new tri-camera. And over the past few weeks, this has been corroborated by numerous leaks.
It appears that the bump on the iPhone 11 will be markedly bigger than the small protrusions you’ll find on competing Android phones, such as the Galaxy S10 and Huawei P30 Pro, which both have similar multi-sensor camera setups.
It’ll be interesting to see where Apple goes with the iPhone 11’s screen design. The iPhone X proved massively influential with its notched display, but its rivals are already moving on to alternative − and many would say more elegant − solutions.
Could Apple follow suit? An alleged USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office) filing spotted by LetsGoDigital suggests that it might be. The filing claims that Apple is proposing “apparatus, systems or methods for camera integration with cover glass and for processing cover glass to provide a camera window for an electronic device”.
This would seem to suggest shaped lens glass that would be inlaid into the standard display glass of the phone or a method by which the camera sits under the display panel itself.
Patent applications don’t mean all that much, of course, and Ming-Chi Kuo believes that Apple will indeed stick with its notched design for at least another year.
In terms of the screen technology itself, there’s little reason to think Apple will deviate from the 5.8- and 6.5-inch screen sizes currently used by the XS and XS Max. Nor are we likely to see the 11 series jump from OLED technology back to LCD.
One tidbit of information provided by Apple Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo again is that the iPhone 11 will pack a new OLED screen laminate.
The only other question we have is around who will make the screen. Reports recently emerged suggesting a trade war between Korea and Japan may force Apple to source the iPhone 11’s panel from a different manufacturer to past iPhones, which traditionally use Samsung or LG screen tech.
iPhone 11 – Camera
Reliable mobile tipster @OnLeaks has taken to Twitter to provide schematics of a triple camera system on the rear of the next Apple phone. This design is already proving a little controversial for its boxy, asymmetrical nature. It’s certainly not a looker.
It would make sense for the new iPhone to have a tri-camera setup. Multi-sensor cameras have been a staple sight on Android flagships for the last couple of years, and the systems on the Galaxy S10 and Huawei P30 Pro we reviewed earlier this year are among the best we’ve seen – a definite step up on the iPhone XS and XS Max’s cameras.
Other rumours suggest the front camera might be in for a big update too. Apparently, the next iPhone could pack a 12-megapixel TrueDepth selfie camera.
iPhone 11 – Battery life, USB-C and 5G
Rumours (again) from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggested in April that the iPhone 11 will pack a huge battery. We’re talking about a 25 percent capacity boost.
However, more recent leaks have suggested that the capacity boost will be closer to 5 percent. 3110mAh is a figure we’ve seen bandied around but that’s something we’d advise taking with a pinch of salt.
That enlarged power pack will apparently drive two-way Qi wireless charging, so you’ll be able to power up your new AirPods 2 off the back of the phone, not unlike Samsung’s S10 series and the Galaxy Buds which launched alongside them.
Apple shifted from Lightning to a complete USB-C solution for the iPad Pro last year and has also chosen the standard for all of its modern MacBooks, but Kuo doesn’t think that this is the year for Apple to switch to the USB-C charging on its phones, so keep hold of those spare Lightning cables for the time being.
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