I recommend it as my first iPhone (and specifically, it's my first Apple device). For so many years, I had and still have Android phones; I once had a Windows Phone too.
I am rewriting the review since I have had the phone for over 2 years as my main phone, and I am considering switching to the iPhone 16 since the 15, while it brought Type C, has a bad reputation with overheating and bugs that keep occurring; after all, the phone has been working well so far.
Having listened to and seen so much over the years about Apple devices and software, I ended up with this little gem from Apple because I want 3 simple things, and Apple offers them at the cost of high prices: 1) a smooth user experience without lags and bloatware, 2) flawless collaboration between software and hardware and among devices, 3) premium well-crafted design and build quality.
Let's go to the positives of the iPhone 11 (256GB) the RED model, with a Spigen case on it.
= The differences with the iPhone 12 regarding speed, cameras, and user experience are very small or negligible, but with the 14 and 15, they are significant enough to switch to another IF you are a very demanding user...
- Very good build quality and beautiful design. / IP68 certification.
- The screen is Liquid Retina, and although it is LCD and not OLED, it is decent and satisfactory; of course, if you are used to AMOLED screens, it might seem a bit lacking...
- The phone does not lag at all and runs smoothly no matter what I do to it, even though it has only 4GB of RAM (it manages resources well, logically since both software and hardware are designed by Apple to run everything). It was tested with heavy games on Ultra settings, and it feels lag-free.
- It receives software updates, meaning it will get updates up to iOS 19; just imagine it started from iOS 13 in 2019 and has long support.
- The front and back cameras, especially the two on the back of the phone (wide and ultra-wide 0.5), are simply excellent to the point that after this, you go for a DSLR camera; the night mode is very good too. The video comes out stable, cinematic as if you have the phone on a gimbal; however, in low-light shooting, the video could have a better night mode, but it's not a big deal.
- FaceID is incredibly convenient and impressively capable; it unlocks the phone instantly even in complete darkness.
- A much safer and smoother operating system with an impeccable user experience compared to Android, but also very limited and closed in terms of customization and other practical uses; as a programmer/automation specialist, I have an Android phone as a second device for those tasks...
- It synced my contacts, Gmail, Outlook; everything works as it should from social media and phone.
- Flawless and bidirectional collaboration with the MacBook and AirPods and generally with all Apple devices.
Now let's move on to the negatives and newer impressions...
- I wish the battery lasted longer; it lasts a day for me with heavy use; a high-end phone (with a 3110 mAh battery, it's a bit of an issue) could last 2 days with heavy use, but generally, all smartphones have this issue. However, it is still a very quality battery since I have had the phone new from July 2021 until now, November 2023, with 90% health; it's incredible; of course, I don't play games, nor am I on social media all day, and I charge it from 30% to 90%.
- It does not include a charger, only the cable, which is unacceptable; even devices costing €150 had a 22W fast charger in the box, so you need to buy the original Apple 20W fast charger for about €25 to charge it, or a quality 20 ~ 30W charger with a Type C port that supports Power Delivery.
- Transferring mp3 files, photos, pdfs, and zip files from the PC (Windows 10) was difficult; iTunes didn't help as much as I thought, and I was looking for third-party apps to transfer them to the iPhone from a Windows 10 PC. While on Android, you just copy and paste and you're done. Here, try 3utools.
- The price is a bit steep, but if you bought it in early 2020 or 2021 and have kept it until now and maintain it until the end of 2024, it has paid for itself; the processor, software, and cameras are undeniably superior.
- The upgrade to iOS 15 made the phone noticeably faster, and the battery lasts a bit longer; along with the new features it brings, iOS 16 initially caused the phone to lag, but it stabilized from 16.4 onwards.
- The Lightning charging port is an issue when all Android phones and now the iPhone 15, as well as many gadgets, have USB Type C, so you have one cable for everything instead of many different ones.
- The phone doesn't lag at all and runs smoothly no matter what I do from 2021 until now in 2023, even though it only has 4GB of RAM (it manages resources well, which is logical since the software and hardware are designed by Apple to run everything). It was tested with heavy games on Ultra settings and feels lag-free. Everything opens and runs like a bullet.
- In Benchmarks (November 2023 tests) with iOS 17.1.1, the phone performs surprisingly well; the A13 Bionic from 2019 surpasses many mid-range Android phones from 2023 with 8GB of RAM, and in Geekbench 6 and Antutu v10, it’s a very powerful processor. Sometimes I think the A13 is wasted in a phone, let alone the A17 Pro in the iPhone 15 Pro Max, which has so much power that it far exceeds the average processing power of desktop computers used by many businesses and homes in Greece and other countries. The iPhone 11 still holds up today if you have it; it will comfortably meet the needs of the average user until the end of 2024. However, if you are a demanding user, go for the iPhone 14 Pro and above, where you will see significant differences. If you want to buy a good phone in the mid-price range, it’s not worth getting it even as refurbished since it won't have the original good battery from Apple but an imitation that will definitely have a shorter lifespan than the original and may not have the special adhesive applied around the edges for the phone's waterproofing by the technicians, or lack an OLED display, 120Hz, 5G support, and updates beyond iOS 19. If it gets iOS 19, the 4GB RAM and overheating will start to become an issue. I recommend the Samsung Galaxy A54 / A55 for the money you would spend on the old 11, but if you want the Apple ecosystem or are willing to spend more, you should at least go for the iPhone 14 to make it worth the money...
The iPhone 16 Pro with the new USB Type C port and 8GB of RAM that will come out will be a worthy successor with significant differences, but still, I have loved my 11 just like many others who have acquired it; it is a historic phone in sales...