I decided to go with a black XR 128GB. I'm putting mine in a rugged case anyway so colour didn't matter in the end. Blue would've been my second choice. I am officially coming from a 5S with a pretty shot battery although I've been using a company 6S for the last year, so it'll be a huge upgrade. In my mind, this is one of the most affordable current gen iPhones ever made yet it's packed with power and a lot of features. Sure it lacks a telephoto lens but I want to get a DSLR again anyway so the $460 CAD I saved not getting an XS 256GB will almost pay for one. I'm stoked and can't wait to get mine tomorrow.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
A Day With the iPhone XR: Unboxing and First Impressions
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Too damn big, won't be buying. When will Apple realise that a hell of a lot of people don't want continually bigger screen and would prefer smaller, pocket sized phones that can easily be operated with one hand. Until that point I won't be buying a new iphone.
If it is a minority then it's a LARGE minority. The novelty of the supersized phone (especially in the West) will wear off I'm sure. No surprise the SE was one of Apple's biggest sellers until they ditched it!
The iPhone XR is set to launch on Friday, October 26, and ahead of its release date, we were able to get our hands on a review unit from Apple.
We spent the day with the iPhone XR in New York City, checking out its feature set and doing a quick comparison with the higher-priced iPhone XS for all of our readers who are thinking of picking up Apple's most affordable flagship smartphone later this week.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
The iPhone XR in our video is the black version, which looks fantastic with the glass body and matching aluminum frame, but it's worth noting the XR comes in several colors that are a bit more fun: white, yellow, coral, blue, and PRODUCT(RED).
Apple's iPhone XS features a higher-end sturdier stainless steel frame instead of the lower-cost aluminum frame in the XR, but the XR doesn't feel cheap. It's a premium device, just like the iPhone 8 and other older aluminum iPhones.
Size wise, at 6.1-inches, the iPhone XR is a little bit bigger than the iPhone XS (5.8 inches) and a little bit smaller than the iPhone XS Max (6.5 inches), which makes it the perfect size for those who want a middle ground between the two XS options.
iPhone XR in the center
Like the iPhone XS, the iPhone XR features an edge-to-edge display with no Home button so there's plenty of screen real estate, but the bezels at the sides, top, and bottom are noticeably thicker, which is one downside.
The iPhone XR uses the exact same TrueDepth camera system with Face ID that's in the iPhone XS, which means there's still a notch at the top. Overall, though, the visible display is much larger than what you get with the iPhone 8 and it's almost the same as the XS and XS Max.
iPhone XR on left, iPhone XS Max on right
One of the most notable differences between the XR and the XS is the XR's "Liquid Retina" LCD display compared the OLED display of the XS. If you have both phones side by side, you're going to notice the lower 1792 x 828 resolution, but on its own, the XR's display is perfectly adequate. Basically, it looks totally fine for an LCD display, and, in fact, better than previous Apple LCDs.
There is no 3D Touch in the iPhone XR due to the technicalities associated with implementing an edge-to-edge LCD display, and Apple has replaced it with a Haptic Touch feature. Haptic Touch provides haptic feedback when long pressing on buttons like the camera or the flashlight, but it is in no way as fleshed out as 3D Touch and can't be used in as many places.
For frequent 3D Touch users, there's good news -- Apple plans to make Haptic Touch work with more gestures in the future.
At the back of the XR, there's a single-lens camera which is available in lieu of the dual-lens camera system in the iPhone XS. It features a single wide-angle camera lens, but it can still do much of what the dual-lens camera in the XS can do thanks to some software magic.
The iPhone XR's camera works with Smart HDR, Portrait Mode, and Depth Control, but there are some differences to be aware of. With Portrait Mode, some of the low light photos can look even better than with the iPhone XR because it's using the larger f/1.8 aperture wide-angle lens to capture the image instead of the smaller f/2.4 telephoto lens like the iPhone XS, which lets in more light.
That means Portrait Mode photos in lower lighting on the XR are potentially going to look better than those on the XS, but there's one major caveat - you can only take Portrait Mode photos of people on the XR.
Because there's no multiple camera system to use to calculate depth between the background and foreground for blurring purposes, Apple uses a person's face to determine what to blur and what to keep sharp. That means no rear-facing iPhone XR Portrait Mode images of pets, flowers, food, etc. You'll also get fewer Portrait Lighting options.
Smart HDR is similar between the two cameras, though the feature is a bit more hit or miss when it comes to the handling of highlights and complex lighting situations.
As for the front-facing camera, since it's exactly the same as the camera in the iPhone XS, you can do all of the same things and you have full access to Memoji and Animoji.
Inside, the iPhone XR is using the same A12 Bionic chip as the iPhone XS, which means it's just as fast. And since that chip isn't driving an OLED display, the XR gets way more battery life. In fact, the iPhone XR has the highest battery life of any of the three new flagship iPhones, XS Max included. One thing to note, though: the iPhone XR has 3GB RAM, while the XS has 4GB for the OLED display.
There are a few other differences to be aware of between the XS and the XR: the XR has a slower LTE Advanced connection instead of a Gigabit LTE connection like the iPhone XS, it has an IP67 water resistance rating instead of IP68, and it maxes out at 256GB of storage.
All in all, the LCD display, the aluminum frame, Haptic Touch, and the single-lens camera are the major differentiators between the two devices, and we don't feel like the iPhone XR's shortcomings are going to be a big deal for most consumers.
With the super fast A12 chip, Face ID, edge-to-edge display, glass body for wireless charging, the color options, the lower price tag, the XR is a great smartphone that's going to be an ideal choice for many people.
The question isn't whether the iPhone XR is as good as the iPhone XS -- it's whether the iPhone XS's OLED display and camera features are worth the extra $250 over the XR. Pricing on the iPhone XR, by the way, starts at $749, while the XS is priced starting at $999 and the XS Max is priced starting at $1,099.
Do you have an iPhone XR coming on Friday? Why did you choose it over the XS? Let us know in the comments.
We're going to have in-depth iPhone XR coverage coming next week, including a deep dive into the iPhone XR camera compared to the iPhone XS camera, so make sure to stay tuned to MacRumors for more.
Article Link: A Day With the iPhone XR: Unboxing and First Impressions
I apologized above for my prior comment and reiterate that here. I understand your reasoning.
I am an i-Phone X user now switching to the XR.
Screen quality: I’m not to worried about because like others have stated if I’m going to watch anything in longevity I would rather do it on my 65” 4K TV at my home as well. Watching short videos on the phone will be just fine.
Screen size: I will have to admit the 5.8 on X is a sweet spot. Phone is a good size but I like the 6.1 on the XR and can deal with the size.
Screen Bezel: Not sure any other X user ran into this. Because there is very little bezel I find myself while holding the phone touching the screen and accidentally launching an app, in messaging hitting the dictation icon in the right lower corner, accidentally calling someone, etc....I cant say 100% that the larger bezel on the XR will solve this issue but a little bit larger bezel is a welcome to me.
Camera on the XR: Not worried either. I know some people like to take Portraits beyond just people. But thru my experiences I barely used portrait mode outside of shooting people so its not a big concern. If I actually want to get a rally good bokeh photo effect no matter what I’m shooting, that should be for a photo editing program.
3D Touch: When apple first came out with this I was like heck yes. Guess what, I barely use it and I would predict a lot of others may not too. I will not miss this feature for I never used it.
I will admit, I was surprised Apple didnt put a screen on the XR that was at least 1080p. Most phones have it whether is significant for someone or not. But it will be nice to save the money compared to the XS models and you’re still getting a better screen and technology than the iPhone 8.
My two cents for what its worth.
No matter, everyone have a great day and enjoy the technology that suits YOU and YOUR BUDGET best!!!
Screen quality: I’m not to worried about because like others have stated if I’m going to watch anything in longevity I would rather do it on my 65” 4K TV at my home as well. Watching short videos on the phone will be just fine.
Screen size: I will have to admit the 5.8 on X is a sweet spot. Phone is a good size but I like the 6.1 on the XR and can deal with the size.
Screen Bezel: Not sure any other X user ran into this. Because there is very little bezel I find myself while holding the phone touching the screen and accidentally launching an app, in messaging hitting the dictation icon in the right lower corner, accidentally calling someone, etc....I cant say 100% that the larger bezel on the XR will solve this issue but a little bit larger bezel is a welcome to me.
Camera on the XR: Not worried either. I know some people like to take Portraits beyond just people. But thru my experiences I barely used portrait mode outside of shooting people so its not a big concern. If I actually want to get a rally good bokeh photo effect no matter what I’m shooting, that should be for a photo editing program.
3D Touch: When apple first came out with this I was like heck yes. Guess what, I barely use it and I would predict a lot of others may not too. I will not miss this feature for I never used it.
I will admit, I was surprised Apple didnt put a screen on the XR that was at least 1080p. Most phones have it whether is significant for someone or not. But it will be nice to save the money compared to the XS models and you’re still getting a better screen and technology than the iPhone 8.
My two cents for what its worth.
No matter, everyone have a great day and enjoy the technology that suits YOU and YOUR BUDGET best!!!
That's a positive over the X/XS for my aging eyes.
One of the buzz words for the display from reviewers is ‘if you don’t need’ higher resolution. The OLED would rarely be a real need. It’s just what value a person places on the quality difference. More so probably the overall cost as too what someone wants to pay for a device.
That feature alone makes the XR more usable for me than the X/XS.
[doublepost=1540488668][/doublepost]
That's a great point I had not considered. Were money no issue, I would get the Max. I hadn't thought about the size of web pages on the X/XS, and they can't be zoomed, right? But the XR has display zoom, providing the contexts of the XS but larger than the XS display, if I understand this correctly. I keep my 6s display zoomed, so it will be nice having more content with the XR.
Last edited:
The only thing 3D touch related I use on a regular basis is trackpad mode and they added that to non-3D touch devices. App shortcuts and text selection I have to remind myself it exists, so yea can't say I'll miss the feature too much either.
They can probably put a 4.7" screen in something SE sized, would be pretty sweet.
Right now I have the X. I have no desire to ever have a bigger phone than this. The ONLY thing that I don't like about the XR is the fact that it is bigger. Before it was announced, I was hoping Apple would make a phone the size of the SE, with a screen the size of the 6's. Oh, well.
iOS 7 and 11 were the worst iOS updates ever I believe. iOS 7 was cheesy looking after iOS 6 and iOS 11 was slow as hell.
That’s your opinion and that’s fine. But not everyone feels the same. You can prefer the xs but no need to put down this phone (and the decision of others) just because of how you feel.
Is the xs “better”? Most likely. Is it $250 better? To some yes, to some no. If you want more than 64gb, the difference balloons to $350 and $450 for the xs and xs max. Is that worth it? To many, not really
You say no way you’d recommend it. That’s fine. But there’s no way i’d recommend paying the extra. I’d rather spend my money on something else. Can I afford spending an extra $450 on the max? Easily, but doesn’t mean that’s worth it to me (or many others). Be happy in whatever you choose, but no reason to justify your decision by dampening that of others.
Those reviewers like OLED over LCD and the dual cameras. Seems like you do too. Many of us don’t give 2 s**ts about that. That’s why they chose it and others didn’t. If stuff like that mattered to everyone, sales for the SE, 6, 7, and 8 (and S versions) would be 0, but they weren’t. So not everyone cares about the same things you (and others) do.
ALmost 200less pixels across the screen than 6S+ or 7 or 8...
For more cash.
Same ppi res. Which just means it’s longer and skinnier. Not ideal for web page reading. Or books. Better for movies.
Will still sell heaps as most affordable. But perhaps less value than some earlier models.
An SE sized full screen would be an interesting product for many people if they ever decided to make one. Guessing let the pent up demand slow before we see one in six months time.
Fingers crossed for an iPad mini update in a few days. Still the best travel friendly iPad ever. With more speed and memory it is a long overdue update.
For more cash.
Same ppi res. Which just means it’s longer and skinnier. Not ideal for web page reading. Or books. Better for movies.
Will still sell heaps as most affordable. But perhaps less value than some earlier models.
An SE sized full screen would be an interesting product for many people if they ever decided to make one. Guessing let the pent up demand slow before we see one in six months time.
Fingers crossed for an iPad mini update in a few days. Still the best travel friendly iPad ever. With more speed and memory it is a long overdue update.
I love that this phone exists. Apple did a great job I think. But I take too many portrait mode pictures of things other than humans with my X. I couldn’t do it. And those bezels!! Ahh
It would be like do you upgrade your tv every year? How about your laptop? Phones have hit the period where progress will be slight and incremental.
If it is going to be an edge to edge screen and the user is going to put it in a case, there really isn't room for that much design. And to the extent there is design, it is theoretical since so little of it is seen after the phone is in a case. Once Apple and others can bury the face ID tech behind the screen, these phones are going to look even more similar. The fingerprint scanners at least offered some area for mechanical design features. For example, my Blackberry KeyOne with a physical keyboard put the fingerprint scanner in the space bar. But where phones are going is the simple black slab of glass screen.