Analyst says U.S. launch of Apple iPhone 11 series "appears strong"

Apple released the new 2019 iPhone models a week ago tomorrow and UBS analyst Timothy Arcuri already notes that the new iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max are seeing "decent" demand. The analyst, whose comments were posted by Seeking Alpha, says that sales of the new model have been "strong at least in the U.S." As a result, he doesn't expect to see "the type of short-falls in sales that we saw last year." The analyst did temper his enthusiasm by pointing out that expectations are low and that the supply chain is still in a conservative mode in terms of churning out parts and components.

Apple looked to improve certain important aspects of its phones for 2019 while keeping the same screen sizes. First, it improved the rear cameras by adding an Ultra-wide sensor to the new models. That gives the iPhone 11 two cameras on the back (12MP primary + 12MP Ultra-wide) while the Pro models now have three cameras on the back (12MP primary + 12MP telephoto with 2x optical zoom + 12MP Ultra-wide. Apple also added a Night Mode and already the new feature is challenging similar capabilities found on Google and Huawei flagships. A software update will soon deliver "Deep Fusion." Using AI, the iPhone camera will go through 24 million pixels from nine long and short exposures to stitch together the best possible picture possible with less noise and more detail.

The new iPhone models are endowed with larger capacity batteries. Whether this was done in anticipation of bilateral wireless charging is in dispute, but the bottom line is that compared to the iPhone XR, the iPhone 11 runs up to an hour longer between charges; the iPhone 11 Pro battery lasts up to four hours longer than the one on the iPhone XS and you can get up to five hours of additional battery life from the iPhone 11 Pro Max compared to the iPhone XS Max.

Apple also made the new phones more resistant to water. The iPhone 11 can be submerged to a depth of 6 and a half feet for as long as 30 minutes and emerge unscathed. The two "Pro" models can be submerged to a depth of a little over 13 feet for half an hour without sustaining any damage. Unfortunately, the phone's warranty still doesn't cover water damage so you still submerge the phones at your own risk.

Even though the 2019 iPhones have just been released, there already is plenty of talk about the 2020 models. Earlier today, we passed along renders of the iPhone 12 Pro Max created by noted concept designer Ben Geskin based on leaks. The device is expected to carry a notchless 6.7-inch AMOLED display and the sensors inside the notch could be placed inside a thin top bezel. According to top Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPhone 12 Pro could feature a smaller 5.4-inch AMOLED screen with a footprint equal to the iPhone 8. The iPhone 12 could have looks similar to this year's iPhone 11 Pro. Besides the lack of a notch, there might be another big design change; a metal frame will reportedly surround the 2020 iPhones in a design reminiscent of the iPhone 4, released in 2010. That helped to give the handset the look of  "a beautiful old Leica camera" according to then Apple CEO Steve Jobs.

Some or all of the 2019 iPhones could support 5G and feature a Type-C USB port instead of the proprietary Lightning port. Will we finally see Apple Pencil support arrive with the 2020 models? And could the bilateral wireless charging that is or isn't disabled inside the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro could actually be a thing next year? Get ready for 11 months of rumors, leaks, and renders.

As for the newly released phones, at least in the states, they are off to a "strong" start.