A VW Golf R can get you around town quickly. They’re speedy little hatchbacks with character and all wheel drive. Many enthusiasts would prefer one over a Porsche. You could decide to buy the Porsche Cayman S, a fast but entry-level Porsche, but you’ll pay more than you would for the Golf R, and performance will be surprisingly close in some key areas.
Why am I talking about cars? Because, given the above facts, you’d probably say, “I’d rather save $25,000 and get the Golf R!” When performance is close, you’re (basically) paying for small differences by moving up to the Porsche.
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iPhone XR vs iPhone XS
That’s what you get from going from the iPhone XR to the iPhone XS. In fact, the names of the devices were meant to invoke the idea of car naming schemes. The differences between the iPhone XR and iPhone XS are easier to measure though:
- The iPhone XS has a secondary rear camera, for 2x optical and 10x digital zoom (5x digital zoom only on the iPhone XR).
- The iPhone XS has a higher resolution OLED display.
- The iPhone XS has 3D Touch, and the iPhone XR uses long presses instead.
- The iPhone XS has a steel band.
- The iPhone XS comes in two screen sizes: neither are the perfect for everyone.
- The iPhone XS goes up to 512GB, the iPhone XR “only” goes up to 256GB.
- The iPhone XS supports the fastest gigabit LTE speeds, and the XR does not. Most people won’t notice the difference.
- The iPhone XR has the best battery life.
- The iPhone XR comes in a wide variety of beautiful colors.
- One of the iPhone XR colors (Product Red) contributes to charity.
- The iPhone XR comes in one size, between the iPhone XS and XS Plus that will be “just right” for many people.
- The iPhone XR starts at $749, $250 cheaper than the cheapest iPhone XS.
You might have noticed that—for a few of those points—the iPhone XR came out on top. In fact, that’s what reviewers are saying too. The iPhone XR isn’t the “cheap” iPhone, it’s the iPhone most iPhone users should be using.
Here’s a roundup including key points from popular review sites.
The Verge
Portrait Mode on the iPhone XR is Better than the iPhone XS
“The [iPhone] XR portrait mode is actually really good. In fact, I prefer the [iPhone] XR’s portrait mode to the XS because shooting using the brighter, wide-angle lens means it works better in low light and takes more interesting photos.”
– Nilay Patel, The Verge
Because the iPhone XR uses the wide angle lens, not the zoom lens that the iPhone XS uses, you can be close to your subject and capture more of the background. It also allows the photo to capture more light and detail, because the wide angle lens and sensor are much better than the zoom lens and sensor. Portrait mode for capturing photos of people is, without a doubt, better on the iPhone XR, despite the fact that it doesn’t capture as much depth information.
Photo: Brian X. Chen/New York Times
However, there is one downside to the portrait mode on the iPhone XR. Apple’s using machine learning, rather than something like Google’s technology that uses the movement of your hand to enhance details. It recognizes human subjects and blurs the background accordingly. As such, the blur is not more realistic than the iPhone XS, it’s not a direct depth map, and you can only blur the background of photos with human subjects. It won’t work for taking cute photos of your dog. This is a strange limitation for Apple, as the single lens on the Google Pixel has been capable of doing this for years now.
HDR Photo Mode
The HDR mode, like the one in the iPhone XS, squashes lighting detail too much. Shadows are brightened too much to create a flat image. More detail can be captured, but it flattens them unrealistically. It’s as though Apple’s over-filtering images, and it ruins some dramatic shots. Fortunately, you can turn it off.
NY Times
“The cheaper iPhone, which becomes available this Friday, is the model that most people should buy.”
– Brian X. Chen, NY Times
Durability
“The XR is slightly less durable than its more expensive cousins. Its glass back is not as tough as the one on the XS. Its casing, or chassis, is composed of aluminum instead of the more robust stainless steel on the costlier phones.”
– Brian X. Chen, NY Times
The iPhone XR will be slightly less durable than the iPhone XS. However, as most of our phones have been made of aluminum and glass for years, it’s not a difference you’re likely to notice. Furthermore, if you care about durability, you likely use a case.
Screen
“I confess that I struggled to see a difference between the Liquid Retina screen and the OLED on an iPhone XS. The distinction is most evident in blacks: If you look at a photo taken in the dark, you will notice that the blacks on the XR’s screen have a faint blue glow, which is coming from the backlight used to illuminate the screen, while the blacks on the XS look darker and more realistic because the OLED technology turns off individual pixels to make them black.”
– Brian X. Chen, NY Times
The display on the iPhone XR definitely isn’t as good as the one on the iPhone XS. However, it’s better than past LCD displays on the iPhone, including the displays on the iPhone 8. It’s still a retina display, so it’ll be difficult to see the individual pixels, and color reproduction is still good. However, it won’t have the same contrast and rich dark colors of the iPhone XS. Reviewers also like how Apple curved the edges of the LCD screen, making it blend seamlessly into the edges of the phone.
Wired
Photo: Phuc Pham/Wired
Broken Review Device
“The glass on the back on the iPhone XR is not as strong as the glass on the back of the iPhone XS. The glass on the front of the iPhone XR, however, is the same glass as the kind used on the front of the iPhone XS.”
“Update: Hours after this review was published, the case-free iPhone XR was accidentally dropped on a concrete floor from about 3 feet up. The back is now shattered.”
– Lauren Goode, Wired
The iPhone XR may cost less to repair, but it’ll still break. Not only does the aluminum absorb impact worse than the stainless steel of the iPhone XS, but the glass on the back is also more fragile.
Battery Life
“The iPhone XR’s battery lasted me almost an entire weekend, from early Saturday morning through Sunday evening.”
– Lauren Goode, Wired
The battery in the iPhone XR can last 1.5 hours longer than the iPhone 8 Plus. That’s phenomenal battery life, and better than what you can get on the iPhone XS Max.
Gizmodo
The Screen
“The notch is nice, but the lower pixel density on the LCD display is noticeable.” Photo and quote: Alex Cranz/Gizmodo
“The pixels are evident if you’re looking for them— you’ll need a macro lens, magnifying glass or excellent close-range visual acuity, but they’re there!”
-Alex Cranz, Gizmodo
Phone Size
“To get more specific, it’s about a third of an inch taller than the XS, and a third of an inch shorter than the XS Max.”
– Alex Cranz, Gizmodo
From left to right: iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, iPhone XS. Photo: Alex Cranz/Gizmodo
“Personally, I was put off by the size of the XR immediately, but after a long weekend with the device, I’ve found myself much less annoyed. Would I like a smaller budget phone that doesn’t compromise speed or display quality? Absolutely! Do I find the XR unusable in my teeny tiny hands? Nope!”
– Alex Cranz, Gizmodo
It seems as though some reviewers are not happy with the “just right” approach to the size of the iPhone XR. Really, these people would have been much happier with an iPhone SE-sized device with Face ID and slim bezels. I imagine many budget iPhone shoppers would agree.
LCD vs OLED HDR Display
The iPhone XS (right) has an HDR OLED display, and a much better picture than the iPhone XR. Photo: Alex Cranz, Gizmodo
“The XR is good enough that I don’t miss the XS. Apple undercut itself, and we’re all better off for it.”
– Alex Cranz, Gizmodo
Wall Street Journal
Haptic Touch vs 3D Touch
” It’s true, I thought 3D Touch was as useful as a pet rock when it was first introduced, but now it’s muscle memory to hold down on a button in Control Center to get to deeper settings. Apple’s 3D Touch replacement—called Haptic Touch—is more limited, and was slow to respond to my presses.”
– Joanna Stern, Wall Street Journal
Design
“The XR’s bright color options (it comes in six different hues) make it seem like it belongs in a candy store, but the red version I’ve been testing is one of the coolest-looking Apple products I’ve used in years. Given that it’s glass, I’d still stick a case on it.”
– Joanna Stern, Wall Street Journal
Value
“On paper, the XS is a more premium product than the XR, but I don’t know who I would recommend the XS to. OK, maybe animal portraiture artists and screen obsessives. Anyone else willing to spend up to $1,450 for the top-spec iPhone XS Max is putting status over substance.”
– Joanna Stern, Wall Street Journal
I think that sums the iPhone XR up perfectly. The screen isn’t as good, and the rear camera isn’t as versatile, but what the iPhone XR can do, it does well, and it does so longer than the iPhone XS thanks to its excellent battery life. The iPhone XR might be the “budget” model, but, for those willing to give up 3D touch, an HDR screen, non-human portraits, and some durability, the iPhone XR is the best bet. You’ll save $250, get more color options, and gain hours of battery life. Apple tried to make a budget phone, but they instead made something that, in many ways, beats their high-end phone.