A shiny new iPhone isn’t worth the price

Carley Sonju
Staff Writer

All Apple users are familiar with the effect that Apple has on people. 

Once you buy a single Apple product, you get sucked into buying more. It starts with an iPhone, then you want to get the Apple Watch or the AirPods, and eventually you want a Mac. 

The price tag on Apple products can be scary, but there is a reason why the cost is so high. Apple is constantly changing the technology game and creating products that are high-quality and attractive to users of any age, especially when it comes to the iPhone. 

As many of you already know, Apple released the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max in September. With every new iPhone release, a new debate rises: is upgrading to the new iPhone really worth it?

For me, getting the newest iPhone is never really a priority. I have the iPhone XS Max right now, and I don’t plan on getting rid of it any time soon. It does everything I need a phone to do and more. The iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max’s starting prices are $699, $999, and $1,099 respectively, which isn’t a price college kids are necessarily eager to shell out for a phone. However, there are some unique things that the iPhone 11 offers that previous models do not that draw people into buying it.

One of the unique aspects is the Ultra Wide camera. It gives you the ability to capture more of the scene in a photo. The images you can capture using this camera are unlike any photos taken before on an iPhone. The iPhone X does not have this feature, which sets the new iPhone apart from the rest.

The new dual camera on the 11 and the triple camera on the 11 Pro are one of the things that makes me consider shelling out the money for the new iPhone. It seems like Apple tries to upgrade their camera in some way for every new release, and it always seems to attract new buyers. 

 The iPhone 11 also comes in six colors – green, yellow, purple, red, and as always, black and white. The color options allow you to have a phone that stands out from the rest. For the iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max, there is a brand-new color called Midnight Green. This color is unlike anything Apple has made before.

Freshman Jorie Ziegeldorf recently upgraded to the iPhone 11. She chose the red-colored phone. When asked if upgrading to the new iPhone is worth it or not, she replied, “Yes, I really like the camera and the extra features for editing pictures and video.”

I searched Apple’s website to compare the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro to the iPhone XS. The 11’s do have a better front-facing camera, equipped with a 12-megapixel camera versus only 7-megapixel on the XS. The 11’s also have Apple’s A13 chip, whereas the XS has the A12.

When it comes to water resistance, only the iPhone 11 Pro has an increased depth of 4 meters, while the 11 and the XS both are only water resistant up to 2 meters. There are also the slightly better dual and triple cameras on the 11’s that were previously mentioned. I’m no tech expert by any means, but these are just the basic specs I look for when comparing iPhones.

At the end of the day, the decision to upgrade to the new iPhone depends on your own needs and wants. They’re not cheap products, but they are super sleek and powerful for an object you can fit in your pocket. I might consider upgrading to the iPhone 12 whenever it comes out. But as for now, my iPhone does the job just fine.

Header photo courtesy of Flickr.