iPhone XS vs. iPhone XR: Design, Tech Specs, and Price Comparison

[Ree8]

Apple on Wednesday introduced the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max, its new flagship smartphones, and the lower-priced iPhone XR.

iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max are the latest and greatest models with the most features. That also makes them the most expensive, starting at $999 and $1,099 respectively in the United States, versus the iPhone XR at $749 and up.

To make the buying decision easier, we've put together a comparison of the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR below.

Just the Tech Specs

iPhone XR​

6.1-inch LCD display
1792×828 resolution (326 PPI)
True Tone
Single 12-megapixel rear camera (wide-angle lens)
Single 7-megapixel front camera
Portrait Mode with Depth Control
Smart HDR photos
A12 Bionic chip
Face ID via TrueDepth sensors
Lightning connector
Fast charging capable: up to 50% charge in 30 minutes
Qi-based wireless charging
IP67-rated water resistance to a depth of 1 meter for up to 30 minutes
64GB / 128GB / 256GB
Dual SIM (Nano-SIM and eSIM)
LTE Advanced
VoLTE
802.11ac Wi-Fi with MIMO
Bluetooth 5.0

iPhone XS​

5.8-inch OLED display
2436×1125 resolution (458 PPI)
True Tone
Dual 12-megapixel rear cameras (wide-angle and telephoto lenses)
Single 7-megapixel front camera
Portrait Mode with Depth Control
Smart HDR photos
A12 Bionic chip
Face ID via TrueDepth sensors
Lightning connector
Fast charging capable: up to 50% charge in 30 minutes
Qi-based wireless charging
IP68-rated water resistance to a depth of 2 meters for up to 30 minutes
64GB / 256GB / 512GB
Dual SIM (Nano-SIM and eSIM)
Gigabit-class LTE
VoLTE
802.11ac Wi-Fi with MIMO
Bluetooth 5.0
HDR display
3D Touch

iPhone XS Max has a larger 6.5-inch OLED display and one-hour-longer battery life, but otherwise identical tech specs as the iPhone XS.

What do I lose with the iPhone XR?

With a $250 lower price point, the iPhone XR doesn't have all of the bells and whistles of the iPhone XS or iPhone XS Max. Apple had to make some trade-offs to get the price down, but not as many as one might expect.

We've explained the differences between the iPhone XR and iPhone XS in more detail below, but from a bird's eye view, expect some compromises related to the display, cameras, and overall design. Apple has also replaced 3D Touch on the iPhone XR with a new haptic feedback solution named Haptic Touch.

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Article Link: iPhone XS vs. iPhone XR: Design, Tech Specs, and Price Comparison

From what I’m reading, I should be making a decent jump from the 6s to the XR.

Can anyone confirm?

 

[AppleFan910]

The 8 Plus had a 5.5 inch screen and it was 440ppi.

The XR is 6.1 inches and only 326ppi

So yeah I meant the 8 plus.

But the comparison is obvious. One is going to look decent , the other a turd of a screen.

The 4.7 7 and 8 have a 326 ppi LCD.
Plus models have 401 ppi.

I’ve used both and you cannot tell the difference.
[doublepost=1537106765][/doublepost]

Using that 2/3 number, let's do the calculations.

1242x2688 = 3338496 pixels x 66.67% = 2225664 pixels = 1014x2195 = 372 ppi

That 372 calculated number seems a bit low to me for comparison to LCD IPS screens. Obviously it's not the same as a hypothetical LCD's 458 ppi, but it's probably somewhere in between, because of how we perceive the diamond pentile matrix, esp. given that there are more green subpixels than that number suggests.


I don't think the Zoomed Display mode was ever there on the X.

People all have to understand that Apple isn’t a company based on maxing out specs on phones for bragging rights.

 

[martin2345uk]

From what I’m reading, I should be making a decent jump from the 6s to the XR.

Can anyone confirm?

Yes. It’s what I’m doing. You’re losing 3D Touch and Touch ID but gaining a bigger screen, better camera, Face ID, new design, best battery of all the iPhones, etc etc.

 

[Spizike9]

When you consider the price difference and already have an iPhone X, the best option is to not buy a new phone.

This is what I was thinking

 

[chatin]

This is what I was thinking

The A12 neural engine is a full order of magnitude upgrade over old X. 6T vs. 600M. Those who have been waiting for the X fix are in for a treat. I also like how Apple is positioning steel over aluminum as a high-end metal.

 

[Ree8]

Yes. It’s what I’m doing. You’re losing 3D Touch and Touch ID but gaining a bigger screen, better camera, Face ID, new design, best battery of all the iPhones, etc etc.

Thank you for the confirmation. I don’t use the touch anyway so losing it is moot for me.

My daughter got an X a couple of months ago. The difference in her pictures and mine were.... astounding.

 

[markrath]

I think the screen will look bad, but have to see it first. It certainly isn’t an option for me as I have an X already. The XS is mildly tempting but they haven’t really improved Face ID so I might stick with the X.

I had the same concern about the quality of the screen with the low PPI. I can’t image the quality would be less than anything currently on the market. I haven’t heard any negative feedback from the various hands on reviews. So I’m hopeful. My fear is I wait a month for the Xr, decide to go with the Xs, then have to wait another month for Xs supplies to be available.

 

[EugW]

Thank you for the confirmation. I don’t use the touch anyway so losing it is moot for me.

My daughter got an X a couple of months ago. The difference in her pictures and mine were.... astounding.

Even the camera on the 7 Plus is a noticeable improvement over the 6s.

The XS gets a much improved camera over the 7 Plus, at least on paper. The X's camera is supposed more of an iterative evolution over 7 Plus, but the XS gets a significant spec change.

 

[Return Zero]

Using that 2/3 number, let's do the calculations.

1242x2688 = 3338496 pixels x 66.67% = 2225664 pixels = 1014x2195 = 372 ppi

That 372 calculated number seems a bit low to me for comparison to LCD IPS screens. Obviously it's not the same as a hypothetical LCD's 458 ppi, but it's probably somewhere in between, because of how we perceive the diamond pentile matrix, esp. given that there are more green subpixels than that number suggests.


I don't think the Zoomed Display mode was ever there on the X.

Sure, it’s actually about 0.7 (1/sqrt2) and for solid greens, 458ppi is a fair count. But for reds and blues (and whites/mixes) it comes out to the same ppi as the LCD. Apple chose that number way back with the iPhone 4 because that’s exactly where, at “normal” viewing distances, resolution is perceived to be perfect. Why do people want more pixels taking up more of the device’s resources for no perceivable benefit? It’s the same reason 12MP cameras are still used.

 

[EugW]

Sure, it’s actually about 0.7 (1/sqrt2) and for solid greens, 458ppi is a fair count. But for reds and blues (and whites/mixes) it comes out to the same ppi as the LCD. Apple chose that number way back with the iPhone 4 because that’s exactly where, at “normal” viewing distances, resolution is perceived to be perfect. Why do people want more pixels taking up more of the device’s resources for no perceivable benefit? It’s the same reason 12MP cameras are still used.

I think 326 ppi is fine for most phone usage. However, as an owner of both a 326 ppi iPhone and a 401 ppi iPhone, I can confirm a perceivable benefit in specific circumstances. Whether that matters to your usage is a different question and YMMV.

I don’t own a X but from what I remember from checking in the store, the X’s perceived pixel density is significantly higher than the 326 ppi models in mixed usage.

 

[Return Zero]

I think 326 ppi is fine for most phone usage. However, as an owner of both a 326 ppi iPhone and a 401 ppi iPhone, I can confirm a perceivable benefit in specific circumstances. Whether that matters to your usage is a different question and YMMV.

I don’t own a X but from what I remember from checking in the store, the X’s perceived pixel density is significantly higher than the 326 ppi models in mixed usage.

I own the X, and it’s more of the “dirty” effect that’s noticeable, since the diagonal pixel arrangement doesn’t quite strike the eye the same way an LCD would. My wife has the 8 Plus, and I can definitely say hers looks sharper (or less dirty) than my X, but I can only tell in either case when I hold the screen much closer to my face than I normally would.

 

[EugW]

I own the X, and it’s more of the “dirty” effect that’s noticeable, since the diagonal pixel arrangement doesn’t quite strike the eye the same way an LCD would. My wife has the 8 Plus, and I can definitely say hers looks sharper (or less dirty) than my X, but I can only tell in either case when I hold the screen much closer to my face than I normally would.

I'll have to look for that then to see if I can see what you're seeing.

As for the 6s, the edges of some text are slightly fuzzier, but it's hard to appreciate that at 12".

 

[AlexJoda]

Yes. It’s what I’m doing. You’re losing 3D Touch and Touch ID but gaining a bigger screen, better camera, Face ID, new design, best battery of all the iPhones, etc etc.

Think so too. The only thing that I regret is the size and weight of the Xr. For 4.7" users this is a big difference. Never wanted a Plus iPhone because of that. Hope the Xr is noticelably smaller than the Plus iPhones...

 

[TVreporter]

Given the ridiculous prices I dread what they might charge for an updated iMac - been without mine all summer and holding out for an October release. If not, I’m not sure what I’ll do - the 2017 needs to drop in price.

 

[PickUrPoison]

Given the ridiculous prices I dread what they might charge for an updated iMac - been without mine all summer and holding out for an October release. If not, I’m not sure what I’ll do - the 2017 needs to drop in price.

Like the MacBook Pro that was just released in July, I’m not expecting any price increases in iMac. Nor for the MacBook.

Mac mini is rumored to be more expensive due to upgrades in storage and CPU specs. The MacBook Air replacement will almost certainly be priced no higher than $999, it’s an important price point. It could come in even lower.

 

[tooloud10]

[doublepost=1537073134][/doublepost]The price leap for all these phones is so precipitous that it looks worryingly like an act of greed on Apple's part.

These are luxury products, so how is it 'greed' for Apple to make them however they like and for consumers to decide if the cost of entry is worth it them?

I swear some people think Apple should run their business as a charity, or should somehow be compelled to offer devices for whatever someone is willing to pay for them. That's not how it works.

These things should be priced at the upper limits of whatever Apple thinks consumers will pay for them without costing them too many lost sales. This is Business 101.

 

[tooloud10]

Yeah sure, if you want to start comparing Android phones, you will always be able to find phones with better paper specs for cheaper. That's been true for almost a decade now, but that doesn't factor in the other variables such as the fact that often the Android phones in question have poorer manufacturer support, poorer phone QA, poorer cross-model OS and software support, and of course lack of support or iOS and the Apple ecosystem.

Thank you for acknowledging this. To compare the iPhones to the cheap Android models, you're saying that you think they're comparable devices, so why *wouldn't* you just buy the cheaper one? And if you continue buying iPhones despite thinking that cheap devices are comparable, aren't you actually just refusing to acknowledge that it's not as simple as comparing hardware specs?
[doublepost=1537131236][/doublepost]

"Had to make trade-offs"

Not at all. They very carefully curate the features on each product so it matches in with the price bands they set.

But...that's pretty much the definition of 'trade-off': 'a balancing of factors all of which are not attainable at the same time'.

Apple made a trade-off between feature set and profit margin to appease *itself*, not the consumers.
[doublepost=1537131368][/doublepost]

"Apple had to make some trade-offs to get the price down."

They certainly didn't have to. They chose to, so their profit margins would remain huge.

Yes, that's exactly what 'trade-off' means.

Fair enough, they are a company out to make money, but it annoys me when I hear pundits talk about how Apple had to skimp on this or that feature to get the cost down. They have 100%+ profit margins and $300bn in the bank. They could give them away at this point and survive.

None of that is true, or really even makes any sense.

 

[neoelectronaut]

4” is long gone dude. Let’s move on.

I feel like I heard this years back when I bemoaned the death of the 12" Powerbook, but now we have the 12" MacBook, so y'know, whatever.

 

[GuruZac]

Think so too. The only thing that I regret is the size and weight of the Xr. For 4.7" users this is a big difference. Never wanted a Plus iPhone because of that. Hope the Xr is noticelably smaller than the Plus iPhones...

Here you go, a side by side of the XR and Plus model iPhones. Not too much of a difference in size but wow, the screen size is noticeably larger with the XR. I am one of those who use 3D Touch literally for multiple uses. I use it all the time and I’ve shown many friends and family unaware of the feature it’s many benefits. I am hoping after testing an XR in person, I can evaluate the screen resolution and the Haptic Touch. If both are good enough, I’m definitely pulling the trigger on an XR. Battery life, A12 processor, Face ID, same wide angle rear camera and camera processing, same front facing camera, touch to wake screen, wireless fast charging, better storage options for me as 128GB is perfect, and a perfect compromise in size between the XS and XS Max seem a worthy upgrade from my 7 Plus. And, the Product Red XR quite frankly is a stunning phone.

 

[H.E. Pennypacker]

I feel like I heard this years back when I bemoaned the death of the 12" Powerbook, but now we have the 12" MacBook, so y'know, whatever.

Ya

I feel like I heard this years back when I bemoaned the death of the 12" Powerbook, but now we have the 12" MacBook, so y'know, whatever.

ya back in what 2003? So ya you can keep hoping that in the next 15 years you’ll see you 4” iPhone again.

 

[gnomeisland]

Comparing the resolution of a pentile display to a full RGB display is an Android trick. When looking at the density of sub pixels the two phones are very close.
[doublepost=1537141234][/doublepost]

I think 326 ppi is fine for most phone usage. However, as an owner of both a 326 ppi iPhone and a 401 ppi iPhone, I can confirm a perceivable benefit in specific circumstances. Whether that matters to your usage is a different question and YMMV.

I don’t own a X but from what I remember from checking in the store, the X’s perceived pixel density is significantly higher than the 326 ppi models in mixed usage.

Perhaps, but that perceived sharpness may be more about the increase in contrast rather than actual pixel density. The OLED screens will have better contrast. That's the nature of the technology.

 

[neoelectronaut]

Ya

ya back in what 2003? So ya you can keep hoping that in the next 15 years you’ll see you 4” iPhone again.

Better late than never.

 

[EugW]

Comparing the resolution of a pentile display to a full RGB display is an Android trick. When looking at the density of sub pixels the two phones are very close.
[doublepost=1537141234][/doublepost]

Perhaps, but that perceived sharpness may be more about the increase in contrast rather than actual pixel density. The OLED screens will have better contrast. That's the nature of the technology.

No, it's the pixel density. It can be seen with the Plus models too, at least if you look hard for it.

Honestly, I don't think the OLED models look any better than the Plus models in a bright environment, but both can look better than better than the 326 ppi models in certain circumstances. (But the 326 ppi models still look good.)

 

[AppleFan910]

No, it's the pixel density. It can be seen with the Plus models too, at least if you look hard for it.

Honestly, I don't think the OLED models look any better than the Plus models in a bright environment, but both can look better than better than the 326 ppi models in certain circumstances. (But the 326 ppi models still look good.)

I preordered my XS Max. This will be my first Apple oled phone. I’ve had the 4, 6, and 7 Plus. I see a little difference when my phone is next to a friends X. The blacks are definitely more pronounced and the overall sharpness is a little better, Maybe I just don’t see the difference that much.
[doublepost=1537142137][/doublepost]

Here you go, a side by side of the XR and Plus model iPhones. Not too much of a difference in size but wow, the screen size is noticeably larger with the XR. I am one of those who use 3D Touch literally for multiple uses. I use it all the time and I’ve shown many friends and family unaware of the feature it’s many benefits. I am hoping after testing an XR in person, I can evaluate the screen resolution and the Haptic Touch. If both are good enough, I’m definitely pulling the trigger on an XR. Battery life, A12 processor, Face ID, same wide angle rear camera and camera processing, same front facing camera, touch to wake screen, wireless fast charging, better storage options for me as 128GB is perfect, and a perfect compromise in size between the XS and XS Max seem a worthy upgrade from my 7 Plus. And, the Product Red XR quite frankly is a stunning phone.

I really like the xR model, I’m upgrading from a 7 Plus too. But I figured hey what the hell go big or go home. I take such good care of my phones. Dad still uses my 6 (new battery installed) and Mom will get my 7 Plus to get rid of her SE. I’ve never even cracked a screen on any of my iPhones. Plus the monthly payments definitely makes the price not seem so high. Lol. Or so I tell myself.

 

[EugW]

I preordered my XS Max. This will be my first Apple oled phone. I’ve had the 4, 6, and 7 Plus. I see a little difference when my phone is next to a friends X. The blacks are definitely more pronounced and the overall sharpness is a little better, Maybe I just don’t see the difference that much.

The #1 defining feature of OLED is true black with infinite contrast ratio.

However, if you're in a bright environment, that's not very obvious, because it's too bright to appreciate true black. In that context the differences will be mild. OTOH, if you are looking at these phones in relative darkness, the better blacks of OLED should be easy to see.

IMO, for movies in the dark, this is great, but for daytime usage it's almost irrelevant.