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iPhone XR Reviews Roundup: Best LCD Display Yet, Decent Single-Lens Camera, Excellent Performance and Battery Life

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The first round of iPhone XR reviews were published by media outlets this morning. Below we've highlighted some of the key takeaways from around the web ahead of Apple's official iPhone XR launch day this Friday.

Priced starting at $749, the iPhone XR is Apple's lowest-priced flagship iPhone and is available in several colors. It features Face ID, an edge-to-edge LCD display, a single-lens camera, a glass body for wireless charging, and an A12 Bionic processor.

iphonexr.jpg

On the 6.1-inch Liquid Retina LCD display:
[*]The Verge's Nilay Patel:
The display on the iPhone XR is... fine. It's fine! It has lower resolution and pixel density than the OLEDs in new flagship phones like the iPhone XS, Galaxy S9, and Pixel 3, but it's the same 326 pixels per inch as Apple's previous non-Plus LCD iPhones. Anyone coming to this phone from any iPhone save the iPhone X will not notice a huge discrepancy in resolution.
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[*]Matthew Panzarino writing for TechCrunch:
While the screen is one of the best LCDs I've ever seen, it's not as good as the other models. Specifically, I believe that the OLED's ability to display true black and display deeper color (especially in images that are taken on the new XR cameras in HDR) set it apart easily.

That said, I have a massive advantage in that I am able to hold the screens side by side to compare images. Simply put, if you don't run them next to one another, this is a great screen.
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On the iPhone XR's single-lens camera:[*]Engadget's Chris Velazco:
The XR's single camera is a very good one: It's the exact same 12-megapixel wide-angle camera Apple uses in the XS and XS Max, and it still produces some lovely photos. You'll find a lot of detail and some excellent colors in the resulting stills, and it's been surprisingly handy in low-light thanks to its f/1.8 aperture and sensor with deeper tranches between those pixels.
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[*]Wired's Lauren Goode:
Since the iPhone XR only has a single-lens rear camera (it has a wide-angle lens, but not a telephoto lens), it doesn't capture as much depth information as the dual-lens camera on the iPhone XS.

This means that when you swipe to Portrait mode in the Camera app, the background-softening effect will only work if you're snapping a picture of a person, since Apple has decided to train the camera's machine learning on human shapes. Try to snap a Portrait photo of your food, or your cat, or a pumpkin (because it's pumpkin season) and "No person detected" will appear at the top of the photo frame. The iPhone XR also only has three lighting options in Portrait mode, versus five on the iPhone XS.
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Regarding Haptic Touch:[*]iMore's Rene Ritchie:
When and where it works, it feels enough like 3D Touch that I sometimes find myself forgetting it's not 3D Touch. Until I try to use 3D Touch in other places -- which I've gotten used to using fairly often over the last few years. Yeah, I'm the one. You're welcome.

It uses a system closer to the MacBook Trackpad, but with the Taptic Engine that still makes most competing haptics seem totally crude by comparison, but it only works on the Lock screen icons for Flashlight and Camera, the Control Center icons that spring up additional options, and the keyboard when you long-press the space bar to switch to trackpad mode.

Everything else, from Live Photos on the Lock screen to shortcuts on the Home screen to peek and pop... are simply not there. Like you might as well be using an iPhone 6 or iPhone SE or, yeah, iPad, not there.
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On the A12 Bionic processor's performance:
[*]Pocket Lint's Stuart Miles:
Since getting the phone in the office we've been playing Fornite and Asphalt 9 to put it through its paces with no issues whatsoever. Having extensively used the iPhone XS prior to testing the iPhone XR, it's clear there is no difference in terms of processing power or capabilities. The experience hasn't been subdued in terms of power or performance.
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On battery life:
[*]TechRadar's Gareth Beavis:
Apple believes you'll be able to get 90 minutes more battery life out of the iPhone XR than the 8 Plus, which is a big jump in real terms.

Well - and we don't want to spoil the surprise a little later - we'd say it's even better: the iPhone XR finally achieves the holy grail of all-day battery life in an iPhone.
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[*]Mark Spoonauer writing for Tom's Guide:
On the Tom's Guide Battery Test, which involves continuous web surfing at 150 nits of screen brightness, the iPhone XR lasted 11 hours and 26 minutes. That beats the times from the iPhone XS Max (10:38) and iPhone XS (9:41) by a significant margin. The Pixel 3 XL lasted only 9:30, while the Galaxy Note 9 also endured for 11:26.

In everyday use the iPhone XR's endurance also impressed. After unplugging at 100 percent at 7 a.m., I used the phone intermittently to play games, check Facebook and email, and stream Spotify and capture photos and videos, and I still have 24 percent battery left at 9 p.m.
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Be sure to check back, as we'll be adding more links below to online reviews of Apple's iPhone XR as the day goes on.

Article Link: iPhone XR Reviews Roundup: Best LCD Display Yet, Decent Single-Lens Camera, Excellent Performance and Battery Life
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2018/10/23/iphone-xr-reviews-roundup/
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MacRumors said:



The first round of iPhone XR reviews were published by media outlets this morning. Below we've highlighted some of the key takeaways from around the web ahead of Apple's official iPhone XR launch day this Friday.

Priced starting at $749, the iPhone XR is Apple's lowest-priced flagship iPhone and is available in several colors. It features Face ID, an edge-to-edge LCD display, a single-lens camera, a glass body for wireless charging, and an A12 Bionic processor.

iphonexr.jpg

On the 6.1-inch Liquid Retina LCD display:
[*]The Verge's Nilay Patel:
[*]Matthew Panzarino writing for TechCrunch:

On the iPhone XR's single-lens camera:[*]Engadget's Chris Velazco:
[*]Wired's Lauren Goode:

Regarding Haptic Touch:[*]iMore's Rene Ritchie:

On the A12 Bionic processor's performance:
[*]Pocket Lint's Stuart Miles:

On battery life:
[*]TechRadar's Gareth Beavis
[*]Mark Spoonauer writing for Tom's Guide:

Be sure to check back, as we'll be adding more links below to online reviews of Apple's iPhone XR as the day goes on.

Article Link: iPhone XR Reviews Roundup: Best LCD Display Yet, Decent Single-Lens Camera, Excellent Performance and Battery Life
Click to expand...

The XR should of been the iPhone 7. The iPhone X should of been the iPhone 8. And the XS should of been the iPhone 8s.

The iPhone 7 and 8 were a waste of phones. Just another iPhone 6.
 
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Just read Gruber’s review at daring fireball. Really enjoyed his breakdown on the differences between the XR and XS.

Actually what’s very interesting is how the XR uses the wide angle camera (it’s only camera lens) for portrait shots. It ends up getting much better portrait shots in very low light compared to the XS (as it’s using the telephoto lens which has a much smaller sensor).

Essentially what I was expecting. Excellent option for anyone not needing the additional luxuries of the XS (SS, OLED, 3x retina as opposed to 2X4, retina and telephoto camera sensor).
 
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Sounds like this will be a hugely successful line. I'm even considering downgrading from my XS Max to an XR if they can't get their LTE reception/speeds figured out. I haven't had LTE speeds this bad since... well, since before LTE was even a thing. I thought the problem was overblown, but then I started noticing it more and more. It's bad.

Glad to see the battery reports are everything we hoped they'd be. Not to mention that this has the most performance of any phone, on a per-pixel basis, by a landslide :D
 
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I know there is a fragmentation argument against the growing number of iPhones and size and storage options, but I actually think Apple has done a good job of making three excellent phones with well thought out differentiators to provide something for just about everyone.
 
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profets said:
Just read Gruber’s review at daring fireball. Really enjoyed his breakdown on the differences between the XR and XS.

Actually what’s very interesting is how the XR uses the wide angle camera (it’s only camera lens) for portrait shots. It ends up getting much better portrait shots in very low light compared to the XS (as it’s using the telephoto lens which has a much smaller sensor).

Essentially what I was expecting. Excellent option for anyone not needing the additional luxuries of the XS (SS, OLED, 3x retina as opposed to 2X4, retina and telephoto camera sensor).
Click to expand...

Would be nice if Apple updated XS line to offer option to use wide angle sensor for portrait - I find the need to be closer to get shot a limitation in general of that otherwise awesome feature.
 
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gigapocket1 said:
I think people should just give it up. It’s not going to happen.
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I think it will eventually. Not in the next couple of years, though. Everything is cyclical. This fad of big will wear out. They will also need something new to bring to the table design wise after a few years. Maybe we can get one then. I just got my new SE after seeing what apple has to offer.
 
profets said:
Just read Gruber’s review at daring fireball. Really enjoyed his breakdown on the differences between the XR and XS.

Actually what’s very interesting is how the XR uses the wide angle camera (it’s only camera lens) for portrait shots. It ends up getting much better portrait shots in very low light compared to the XS (as it’s using the telephoto lens which has a much smaller sensor).

Essentially what I was expecting. Excellent option for anyone not needing the additional luxuries of the XS (SS, OLED, 3x retina as opposed to 2X4, retina and telephoto camera sensor).
Click to expand...

That was very interesting. Basically the only time my phone camera fails to capture an adequate picture is low light. Having an advantage in that situation is huge. But after reading this I now know to never turn on Portrait mode in low light situations on my XS. I shoot a lot of my pictures in portrait mode so this is important to keep in mind for me.

He also points out that you can get the storage size you need (128gb) for $450 less than the Max's 256gb. Since one should pretty much never buy any model at the 64gb (if only for the resale value to be high), this is a very big difference. And you get two features of the Max in screen size and battery life in the XR. Seems like the Max is really going to be the phone left out in the cold in 2019 when it has to compete against the XR.
 
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Naimfan said:
Still laughing at the pricing - $749 for the basic version of an "entry level" phone? Talk about about taking the piss!

But lots of people will buy it . . .
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Trouble is there are a lot of people who believe that the real “taking the piss” is the iPhone XS & MAX. I have a friend who is still on an iPhone 6. She earns over £100,000 per year and has just spent £40,000 on a new car. So money is hardly the issue. When I asked why she hasn’t upgraded yet the answer is basically - “£1,000 or more on a phone. And no 128GB version. That’s taking the piss!”. She is getting an XR. I think that there a a lot of people like that.
 
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tromboneaholic said:
As long as you haven't already been using an OLED screen, you won't miss what's not there.
For anyone who is coming from an iPhone 6s, 7, or even 8 this phone is a massive upgrade.
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Massive is correct. It's a very big smartphone. And for (6S) 7, 8 Plus owners, the upgrade path isn't so great. PPI Downgrade, loss of 3D Touch and dual cameras. And outside of the US it is priced in the premium segment. I have trouble recommending this model to friends and family.
 
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SBG88 said:
I love the size of my SE but bought the Xr.
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This! I had the 6plus and then 7plus but eventually grew tired of them downsized to the SE and love it but got an XR for more screen in a slightly smaller than plus package. I got my cases in and they feel great. Can’t wait for Friday!!!!
Plus no PWM from OLED for me bonus! My SE will become my iPod touch for yard work and runs/bike rides.
 
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