Is the iPhone XR any good?

The market for smartphones has never been more competitive than in the past few weeks. We’ve seen major launches from Apple (iPhone XS and XS Max), Huawei (Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro), and Google (Pixel 3 and 3 XL) — all of which being serious contenders for your next upgrade; but before you sign that next telco contract, there’s one more phone you should consider.

The iPhone XR in all its colourful glory may seem like a lesser choice than the premium XS and XS Max, but at more than $400 cheaper than the cheapest XS — and with much of the same value you will get with the XS — it is certainly more value for money and dare I say, appealing.

The iPhone XR in White

Here’s a look at the iPhone XR next to the other new Apple, Huawei and Google launches. It’s bigger than the XS, but smaller than the XS Max, and is priced lower than all these five smartphones.

Main differences from the iPhone XS and XS Max: 

  • Single 12MP lens (instead of Dual 12MP wide-angle and telephoto cameras)
  • No optical zoom
  • Supports 4G LTE Advanced (instead of Gigabit-class LTE)
  • 1m water resistant (the XS and XS Max is up to 2m)
  • Liquid Retina HD display (compared to a Super Retina HD display)
  • 326ppi (instead of 458ppi)
  • No 3D Touch

What’s the same across all three new iPhones (the important stuff):

  • A12 Bionic chip with next-generation Neural Engine
  • Exact same 7MP front camera
  • Dual SIM (nano-SIM and eSIM)
  • Same operating system

Other good stuff to know about the iPhone XR:

  • 6 colours to choose from
  • 128GB option (but no 512GB)
  • 25 hours talk time (same as XS Max and longer than XS)
  • 15 hours internet use (longer than XS Max at 13 hours, and XS at 12 hours)
  • 16 hours video playback (longer than XS Max at 15 hours, and XS at 14 hours)

It’s nice to have the dual cameras on the XS and XS Max, but if you’re not a photo snob, the iPhone XR could be a better choice — especially considering that its battery life appears to be better. In fact, you won’t even be able to tell a difference with your user experience between the XR and the XS phones (they all feel about the same in hand, and their operating systems are exactly the same as well).

If you’re looking for a 40MP lens, that’s a Huawei. If you’re hoping for something really light, fits perfectly in the hand, and doesn’t get fingerprints all over it, that’s the new Google Pixel. But if you’re an Android user looking to make the switch to iOS, you’ll probably feel the pinch of iPhone XS and XS Max prices, and so the iPhone XR would actually make a more reasonable alternative. The only thing would be… which colour?

The iPhone XR is available for pre-order now at Apple online here, with prices starting from $1,229.