The Best iPhone 11 Deals (and Which Model to Pick)

Apple’s latest iPhones are here. There are three new iPhones to choose from: the iPhone 11 Pro Max, the smaller iPhone 11 Pro, and the standard iPhone 11. If you’re wondering which one is right for you and where to buy them, look no further. We’ve broken down all your options and parsed out everything you need to know.

If you need to enter the reality distortion field and hear all about Apple’s latest pocket-size technological marvels, check out our full recap of Apple’s big event.

Updated September 20, 2019: We’ve added some more iPhone deals and updated our links. The iPhone 11 models went on sale at 8 am Eastern/5 am Pacific time on September 20.

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Picking the Right iPhone 11 for You

There are a few key differences between the new iPhones. Apple has a side-by-side comparison you can look at here, complete with all the specs if you’re a spec junkie. You can also read our iPhone Buying Guide to learn why you should consider an iPhone XR.

Our quick take is that all three phones are impressive pieces of hardware. The form factor hasn’t changed much beyond the new camera layout (more on that below). The main hardware improvement is the new A13 Bionic processor. Apple claims its A13 chip has the fastest-ever CPU and GPU in a smartphone, and you can read all about it here.

All models also start at 64 GB of storage. If you can swing it, go for 128 GB. If not, backing your photos up to iCloud can clear up a lot of space.

The iPhone 11 ($699) is the best phone for most people: The iPhone 11 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is very nearly as nice as its Pro siblings at a fraction of the cost. It has the same high-end chip set and a very similar size screen, and all of the software improvements work just fine on the iPhone 11. It can shoot the same 4K video at 60 fps, and Apple claims it gets an extra hour of battery life compared to the iPhone XR. What the iPhone 11 lacks is the brighter, sharper, HDR screen and the telephoto (2x zoom) camera of the Pro models. The 11 still has all the software upgrades like Night mode, which reduces noise in low-light situations, Portrait mode improvements, and a new lighting effect called High Key Mono, which produces black and white images. You also get Smart HDR, Slo-mo selfies, and all the rest of Apple’s photo and video software upgrades.
The iPhone 11 Pro ($999) has a nicer screen and third camera: If you want a flagship piece of hardware and don’t mind paying for it, this is your phone. The iPhone 11 Pro (9/10, WIRED Recommends) adds a third, telephoto camera (2x zoom) with a 52mm f/2.0 lens. The Pro models get a 2x optical zoom-in, along with a 10x digital zoom. Together these extras open up some additional photographic possibilities. Combine the extra camera with the brighter HDR screen, and the 11 Pro feels more like a camera that happens to take calls than a phone that takes pictures. It gets 4 hours more battery life than the XS and is waterproof up to 4 meters, instead of 2 meters like the 11.
The iPhone 11 Pro Max ($1,099) is the over-the-top phablet: The iPhone 11 Pro Max (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is mostly identical to the Pro, but larger. Its 6.5-inch Super Retina XDR display is notably bigger than the plain Pro’s 5.8-inch display. Otherwise, though, it’s the same phone, just turned to 11. It gets 5 hours more battery life than an XS Max from last year, according to Apple.

Accessorize (and Buy a Case)

No matter which phone you end up with, get a case. The iPhone 11 line is mostly glass. Sure, Apple has ads showing the new iPhone dropping and bouncing off the ground in slo-mo, and the company claims it’s the most scratch-resistant glass ever, but trust me, glass does shatter.