Apple iPhone 11 and 11 Pro preview: Hands on with new camera, colors

Apple's iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro offer a more durable design, a longer battery life, and enhanced cameras that can take photos with a much wider field of view, among other improvements.

It's yet another sign that smartphones have become so advanced that companies like Apple are focusing more on developing core features, like the camera and the display quality, than integrating new technologies every year.

I spent a few hours with Apple's new smartphones and came away with a few first impressions about the camera and design.

Apple's iPhone launches have become something of a cultural phenomenon since the first model launched in 2007.

They've become synonymous with winding lines that wrap around the company's retail stores all over the world — some of which include customers who have been waiting all night to be among the first to get their hands on Apple's latest smartphones.

Yes, it's true that the new iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro offer important improvements over their predecessors. At their most basic level, the new iPhones will be better at taking photos in various conditions, are built of more durable glass that should give owners more peace of mind when using the devices without a case, and are expected to last longer on a single charge than last year's phones.

But they're just that: new phones. While they bring welcome improvements like a camera that's more skilled at seeing in the dark and can take shots from a much wider perspective, you shouldn't expect the experience to be wildly different and revolutionary. What you can expect are improvements to the core features that matter most in a smartphone, like the camera, the display, and the battery life.

The iPhone 11 starts at $700, while the iPhone 11 Pro begins at $1,000 and the base price for larger iPhone 11 Pro Max is $1,100. The phones are available to preorder and will be in stores on Friday.

I spent a few hours with Apple's new iPhones and came away with some first impressions. A full review with deeper details about camera performance, battery life, and other features is coming shortly.