The iPhone 11 has an LCD screen with a universal backlight, which means blacks won’t look perfectly black in a very dark room. Apple’s iPhone XS features an OLED panel with almost infinite blacks and very deep, rich color with plenty of pop. Both achieve a ‘Retina’ screen, meaning a real difference in sharpness will not be noticeable to the naked eye from a distance, but those looking close for one will find it. The older iPhone XS has a higher pixel density, with 1125 x 2436 pixels to the iPhone 11’s 828 x 1792. And the tech behind the surface is completely different. Both have the classic iPhone notch style, first begun by the iPhone X, which doesn't help comparisons.Īpple’s new iPhone 11 has a slightly larger screen, at 6.1 inches to the iPhone XS’s 5.8 inches. The displays of these phones are very different, even if they do look similar at arm’s length. Both phones also have water resistance tested at 2m depth for 30 minutes. There is one practical design benefit to the iPhone 11, though, as it has tougher glass than the iPhone XS. The bezel surround the screen is also slightly thicker in the iPhone 11, just as they were in the iPhone XR - though this is a byproduct of the LCD screen technology used. As aluminium is softer than steel, the iPhone 11 is also a little more susceptible to scuffs and dings than the iPhone XS. This is a classic case of ultra-high-end meeting simply 'normal' high-end design clashing.
Apple uses aluminium in the iPhone 11, stainless steel in the iPhone XS. Glass panes sit on the front and back, a band of metal runs around the sides holding them together. The iPhone 11 in its many colors (Image credit: Apple)īoth phones are a metal and glass sandwich.