Each year, Apple releases its new, iconic iPhone with bigger specs and better design features than the last (along with a bigger price tag each time). With the hype around the ‘next big smartphone release’ or the ‘next big iPhone feature’, it can be easy to forget about the old Apple iPhones that are no longer in the spotlight but are still just as impressive in terms of performance and price!
In this article, we’re here to remember an iPhone relic, the iPhone 11, and explain why it’s still a top-performing smartphone that you should consider when buying your next phone. Let’s get into it!
Does the iPhone 11 still work in 2025?
The iPhone 11 was released in September 2019, and despite being over 5 years old, the phone still has incredible specifications and features that are fully functioning and work like new. One of the biggest fears people have with buying old phones is worrying that the device will become obsolete. But the iPhone 11 still accept current iPhone updates, it can run iOS 18 and is also new enough to run iOS 19 when it releases late 2025. The only major performance difference for the iPhone 11 is that it doesn’t connect to 5G, as this feature was made available in 2020 along with the iPhone 12 range.
On Envirofone, we have refurbished iPhone 11 smartphones available for less than £150. We also have the other iPhone 11 editions, including refurbished iPhone 11 Pros and refurbished iPhone 11 Pro Maxes, which are both slightly more expensive than the base model.
Another difference between the iPhone 11 and recent Apple iPhones is the difference in the screen. The iPhone 11 uses an LCD display, which has a couple of disadvantages; such as limited viewing angles and the inability to produce true black shades because of the backlight being on. A good thing about LCD screens, however, is that they’re cheaper than OLED, making the phone cheaper.
- Display - Liquid Retina IPS LCD
- Screen size – 6.1”
- Chipset - Apple A13 Bionic
- Main camera – Dual 12MP, ultrawide 12MP lens
- Selfie camera – 12MP
- FaceID – Yes
- Charger – USB-C to Lightning Cable
- Storage – Up to 256GB
- Colour options – Black, Green, Purple, Red, White, Yellow
Let’s discuss the battery life of the iPhone 11, another massive dealbreaker when it comes to buying older phones. With the iPhone 11 being over 5 years old, it can be difficult for us to give an accurate battery health capacity/charge life, but we can attempt to explain it:
In 2019, the iPhone 11 was described to have a battery life of 11-14 hours without a single charge. With this being a long time ago the battery strength will have naturally decreased over time. It’s estimated the iPhone battery health drops around 1% yearly, but this can alter depending on how much the phone is used. Technically, in 2025 the iPhone 11 should have a battery health of around 90%, this means the battery life is probably at around 8-9 hours on a single charge, but like we said possibly less if you’re a frequent smartphone user.
It’s also important to consider when buying a refurbished iPhone, the cheaper grades may feature less battery capacity than higher grades. We offer 5 iPhone 11 gradings, Fair, Good, Excellent, Pristine and As New. Fair and Good models may have a slightly lower battery health of around 80%.
Should I upgrade iPhone 12 or 13?
In this blog, we also wanted to touch on some of the other older iPhones. The iPhone 12 and iPhone 13. These two phones are also great contenders when getting a new smartphone. Although slightly more expensive than the iPhone 11, they have some different (and better) features. Let’s take a look at the specifications of these two phones.
iPhone 12:
- Release date – October 2020
- Display - Super Retina XDR OLED
- Screen size – 6.1”
- Chipset - Apple A14 Bionic
- Main camera – Dual 12MP wide lens, ultrawide 12MP lens
- Selfie camera – 12MP
- FaceID – Yes
- Charger – USB-C to Lightning Cable
- Storage – Up to 256GB
- Colour options – Black, Blue, Green, Purple, Red, White
iPhone 13:
- Release date – September 2021
- Display - Super Retina XDR OLED
- Screen size – 6.1”
- Chipset - Apple A15 Bionic
- Main camera – Dual 12MP wide lens, ultrawide 12MP lens
- Selfie camera – 12MP
- FaceID – Yes
- Charger – USB‑C to Lightning Cable
- Storage – Up to 512GB
- Colour options – Alpine Green, Blue, Midnight, Pink, Red, Starlight
As of November 2025, you can find a Refurbished iPhone 12 available on Envirofone from £149.99, and Refurbished iPhone 13 from £209.99.
Conclusion:
Have we convinced you? Want to check out the iPhone 11? Why not take a look at the phone on our website? Our refurbished options mean you pay even less! Or maybe you have an old phone lying about in your home that you’re considering throwing away. Don’t throw it away! Sell with Envirofone and make cash in return!
