The iPhone XR is a fascinating new smartphone that’s reminiscent of Apple’s more colorful past. It comes in six vibrant hues and a few notable upgrades. Nevertheless, it’s the cheapest smartphone in the latest iPhone lineup. But with Apple lowering the price of the iPhone 8, the antiquated smartphone sounds all the more appealing, perhaps even more interesting than the XR.
So, is the iPhone XR worth the upgrade? Or should one stick with an older smartphone?
Design
Last year, Apple decided to split the iPhone design in two distinct directions. The iPhone 8—and its slightly larger sibling, the 8 Plus—retained the iPhone 7’s 16:9 aspect ratio display. It came with a glass rear that supported the phone’s wireless charging capabilities.
Apple went for a different design for the iPhone X. Its stainless-steel frame was built into a slender glass back that also supported Qi-based wireless charging. All of the latest iPhones came with a similar design. However, the XR has an aluminum frame instead of stainless steel.
As mentioned, the XR is available in six different colors. It comes in coral, white, black, yellow, blue, and (Product) red. The iPhone 8 is available in the usual colors. It’s in space grey, silver, and gold, and it also comes in (Product) red.
Specs and Features
The iPhone XR has a 6.1-inch LCD display while the iPhone 8 has a 4.7-inch LCD display. The newer smartphone is equipped with Apple’s latest chip, the A12 Bionic. It is said to be 15% more powerful than last year’s A11 processor, which runs the iPhone 8. That means the XR is more efficient and capable of operating processor-intensive tasks like gaming and immersive experiences like augmented reality.
Both smartphones have single 12-megapixel rear cameras and 7-megapixel front cams. However, the XR’s front camera supports Portrait mode, making it the first single-sensor iPhone to carry such a feature. Thanks to its TrueDepth sensor, the hardware is able to pull this feature off.
Apple says that the iPhone XR’s battery life lasts 1.5 hours longer than the iPhone 8 Plus. One can have 25 hours’ worth of talk time and 15 hours’ worth of Internet use with this phone. As for its predecessor, its battery life is pretty much the same as the iPhone 7. The device offers about 14 hours of wireless talk time and 12 hours of Internet usage.
Price
The iPhone XR starts at $749 for the 64 GB storage capacity. It’s also available in 128 GB for $799 and 256 GB for $899. Again, Apple decided to lower the prices of the iPhone 8. The phone now costs $599 for the 64 GB variant and $749 for 256 GB. For those prices, both phones seem like a really good deal. Ultimately, it depends on your preferences and your needs.
If you’re thinking about getting the iPhone XR, you ought to sell cell-phone units you no longer use as you can preorder an XR on October 19. Shipments start on the 26th of October.
