Apple iPhone XR review

Verdict

We said, in the beginning, the iPhone XR is the most interesting iPhone to have come out this year and we stand by it. Here is an iPhone that does 95% of what the more expensive iPhone XS does but at 75% of the cost.

The important things that make the iPhone XS the phone it is are all here. You get essentially the same software experience powered by the same unparalleled A12 Bionic chipset, which has enough spare juice in the tank to maintain its speed and performance for the next couple of years at least.

The camera experience is also very similar. The front camera is identical and the single rear camera on the back is also the same. Most of the photos and videos you will take on this phone will look the same as they do on the more expensive iPhone XS and even more expensive iPhone XS Max.

You also get the same speakers, the same Face ID system, the same dual-SIM functionality, and wireless charging. Not to mention the same great after sales support Apple is known for.

As an added bonus, the iPhone XR comes in six colors and also has better battery life than both the more expensive iPhones.

As for that missing 5%, the display isn't quite as nice as the iPhone XS's. It's not quite as water-resistant as the iPhone XS. And the missing second camera means no more 2x optical zoom. We also missed not having 3D touch on this phone.

We are not including the fact that the iPhone XR is made out of aluminum in this as that's more subjective and not something everyone will notice or care. The iPhone XR also makes up for being thicker and heavier by having better battery life, which we think is a fair trade.

In the end, the iPhone XR very much felt like a complete iPhone experience in our single week of usage, and not like a cut-down iPhone XS that some may expect it to be. For most people, this is the iPhone to consider this year as you're getting pretty much everything the more expensive phones offer at a much lower price.

Sure, the iPhone XS still exists as an option if you care about the finer things in life but it's not the default iPhone option anymore. The way we see it, the iPhone XS is the slightly nicer version of the iPhone XR, rather than the iPhone XR being the cheap iPhone XS for those who can't afford the real thing.

Even if you can afford the XS, we'd suggest taking a look at the XR instead, saving some cash along the way which will come handy for the Apple chargers, adapters and cables that you'll undoubtedly need.