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

[Mad Mac Maniac]

Except that the Xr is nearly the size of the 8+.

Actually it's almost exactly in-between the 8 and the 8 Plus. Similarly it's almost exactly in-between the XS and XS Max. Unless you have a specific need/desire for the smallest or largest iPhone possible, it should about hit the sweet spot. It might not be your personal favorite size, but I'm confident that this is what Apple has determined (through their own market research) is the median desired size for smartphones.

 

[AlexJoda]

Actually it's almost exactly in-between the 8 and the 8 Plus. Similarly it's almost exactly in-between the XS and XS Max. Unless you have a specific need/desire for the smallest or largest iPhone possible, it should about hit the sweet spot. It might not be your personal favorite size, but I'm confident that this is what Apple has determined (through their own market research) is the median desired size for smartphones.

That’s a nice illustration! But it definitely shows that the Xr is much closer to the 8+ than to the 8 (especially in the width).

 

[Abstract]

I think the X-R is a great alternative to the Xs Max, not the Xs, which is not only much smaller, but will display content more like the iPhone 8 than the iPhone 8-Plus. If you want more content like on the 8-Plus, you need to get the Xs Max or X-R.

Check out this site:
https://www.paintcodeapp.com/news/ultimate-guide-to-iphone-resolutions

You can see that the X-R and Xs Max will have the same canvas size, and so the on-screen app layout and design should be the same (?). The difference is that the Xs Max will display everything at a higher PPI and (presumably) look a bit crisper. The X-R will look as crisp as an iPhone 8 or earlier. Not too bad at all, but not amazing.

Meanwhile, like the X before it, the Xs will be more like the iPhone 7 and 8 in terms of what is displayed on-screen.

 

[AlexJoda]

I think the X-R is a great alternative to the Xs Max, not the Xs, which is not only much smaller, but will display content more like the iPhone 8 than the iPhone 8-Plus. If you want more content like on the 8-Plus, you need to get the Xs Max or X-R.

Meanwhile, like the X before it, the Xs will be more like the iPhone 7 and 8 in terms of what is displayed on-screen.

That might me true comparing the dimensions of the phones, but the Xr took the place of the 8 in the recent lineup comparing prices. There is (sadly) no smaller alternative if you don't want to pay much more than the 8 before with the recent technology. I wish the bring out a LCD-based "Xr Min" in the dimensions of the X/Xs (which might cost even less than the Xr).

 

[recoil80]

I found a paper that google published about how they achieve bokeh on their Pixel phones. It’s pretty interesting, as it appears to be an even smarter solution than the dual camera setup because it works just as good and saves up space in the phone. They are using the dual pixel autofocus system to create a depth map basically, of course in conjunction with ML, but it’s not just that the neural engine understands what’s foreground and what’s not, but there is still a depth map in play, just not from a second lens but created by the AF system somehow. Fascinating stuff!

Source: https://www.dpreview.com/news/48503...ulate-shallow-dof-from-a-single-mobile-camera

Interesting, thank you for sharing this.
I think the main advantage of having the dual camera setup is being able to zoom without losing quality. I think the 2x isn't enough though, I'd rather have a 1x and 3x, or maybe somewhere in between 2x and 3x as the telephoto lens.
Since they're able to fake the bokeh with a single lens they could give a us a much better zoom option that would be great for portraits and for catching something really far

 

[kyykesko]

I'm waiting for the next courageous version that'll finally break the 2000e price boundary. They almost made it through the $2000 boundary, but not quite. The Xs Max 512GB version is 1679e (~$1951). Or maybe they'll surprise us and announce a iPhone Pro that'll be $4000, with dual GPUs and display on both sides?!? And for those who suggest the XR - even that starts from >$1000 for us. Thanks, but no thanks.

 

[czoli]

I pre-ordered an iPhone Xs (256 GB Silver) this morning, but after reading the technical comparison of Xs vs. Xr, I wonder if I should have just waited for the Xr next month. I own an iPhone X which I love, but giving up OLED display and 3D touch is not exactly a deal breaker for me. Especially when you consider the price difference.

TBH if you have an X I do not see much of a reason to upgrade to any of the new ones. The XR would be a downgrade while the other too would be a slight upgrade (if we exclude the CPU which is faster but, honestly, who cares, A11 was plenty fast already). Sad to see that still Apple is so sticky on the RAM ... XR is the affordable one but actually it is very expensive for what it provides.
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I agree 100% and which I why i'm second guessing the decision to pre-order the Xs this morning. For most the Xr is worthy upgrade, but for me going from an X to Xr feels like about a half-step backwards.

X to XR is a downgrade .... the XR looks like a 499 Bucks phone to me ... a Sub FHD LCD screen at that price? no thanks

 

[selore]

Or even my iPhone 6s Plus from 2015. The lack of 3D Touch and lower pixel density make the iPhone Xr a partial downgrade from a three-year-old iPhone...

iPhone 6S: 4.7-inch, 1334 x 750 resolution, 326 pixels per inch (ppi)
iPhone Xr: 6.1-inch, 1792 × 828 resolution, 326 pixels per inch (ppi)

It sounds to me like the size of the display and resolution increased but the ppi remained the same.

P.S.:

iPhone X: 5.8 inches, 2436 x 1125 resolution, 458 ppi

 

[BigDO]

iPhone 6S: 4.7-inch, 1334 x 750 resolution, 326 pixels per inch (ppi)
iPhone Xr: 6.1-inch, 1792 × 828 resolution, 326 pixels per inch (ppi)

It sounds to me like the size of the display and resolution increased but the ppi remained the same.

P.S.:

iPhone X: 5.8 inches, 2436 x 1125 resolution, 458 ppi

Yep. It's the same thing as going from a 4 to 5 to 6 - resolution increases, PPI stays the same so there are no distinguishable improvements or deterioration when looking at the screen (other than gamut, etc).

If you're using a 4/4.7" iphone, you won't notice any drop in quality. It you're using a Plus or an X, you will.

 

[SoN1NjA]

And I'm afraid the XR is dead meat and will be a discontinued device, i still do not understand his position in the lineup, the price is not amazing, it looks pale near his elder brothers and it reminds me the iPhone 5c and iPhone SE that were one trick pony.

And Mr Genius, what will come after? Obviously not everyone has iPhone Xs money, and there needs to be another option ― which will have to come with an all-screen design

 

[Labyrintho]

I don't care about 3D Touch at all, and the second camera would be nice but is not too important, and while OLED is great, in some ways it's inferior to LCD (higher power drain and less bright with white backgrounds, hence all the focus on "dark mode", i.e., "OLED mode").

But it's really too bad that the XR has less RAM and apparently a lower clock speed (?) than the XS. Excellent but lower performance, especially for multitasking. (This may explain the longer battery life.)

I would like the XR a lot more if it had none of the frills but all of the substance.

 

[Ramchi]

And Mr Genius, what will come after? Obviously not everyone has iPhone Xs money, and there needs to be another option ― which will have to come with an all-screen design

That's probably a trap to get you onto the ecosystem like SE, with a cheap offering later give you limited expensive options -mmmmmmm....... sorry, XR is never a cheap offering! So my above statement is wrong!

 

[potaco]

iPhone 6S: 4.7-inch, 1334 x 750 resolution, 326 pixels per inch (ppi)
iPhone Xr: 6.1-inch, 1792 × 828 resolution, 326 pixels per inch (ppi)

It sounds to me like the size of the display and resolution increased but the ppi remained the same.

P.S.:

iPhone X: 5.8 inches, 2436 x 1125 resolution, 458 ppi

I think you misread. redheeler was referencing the iPhone 6s Plus, which was a 1920 x 1080 display with 401 ppi.

 

[cocoua]

The XR doesn't have 4x4 MIMO. That's probably tied with the camera for being the biggest difference, so should really be on the comparison chart!

What does it means in real world? Worst signal? Wifi? Lte?
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I wish they would have retained the 3D Touch on the Xr. Don't like it when they remove features just to beef up their profit margins.

Doesn’t the new haptic force would be similar for most scenarios? I use hard press in some apps, but never used diferent pressure for different behaviour, I think most developers implement just one touch and maybe hard press, but diferent levels? .. even the instagram feature to peek a boo and pop works in 2 steps, that feature works in iphone 6 without 3d touch, it just take a few miliseconds more to pop, is based on time but in real world works pretty quick

 

[SoN1NjA]

That's probably a trap to get you onto the ecosystem like SE, with a cheap offering later give you limited expensive options -mmmmmmm....... sorry, XR is never a cheap offering! So my above statement is wrong!

I agree, the Xr is not a cheap phone, the Galaxy S9 released for $720 and was at the time of release Samsung's flagship phone

I feel like either another SE is coming or there's going to be another phone smaller and cheaper than what we've got now, coming at some March event when we see the updated 9.7" iPad

 

[FelixDerKater]

Does it accept more than 7.5W wireless charging?

 

[cocoua]

I agree, the Xr is not a cheap phone, the Galaxy S9 released for $720 and was at the time of release Samsung's flagship phone

I feel like either another SE is coming or there's going to be another phone smaller and cheaper than what we've got now, coming at some March event when we see the updated 9.7" iPad

Apple is already offering cheaper options, iPhone 7, and 8 still very competent, smartphones have reach certain tech point which for most people there are no difference at all, I had iPhone 3G, 4, and 6, now I upgraded few months ago to an iPhone 7, which specs are just quite awesome and is very cheap, camera, size and performance in real world has no big difference with 8 or X (camera aside), and I prefer Touch ID as face ID doesn't works in same circunstantes importan to me, as peek a boo from pocket when in a table with people, driving or looking it when is in my night table. My wife's X doesnt do this well, and sometimes even normal situations fails.

it impossible to say what picture has been taken with iPhone 7 or 8, even X advantage shows only very subtle in low light conditions.

Speed performance's bottleneck now a days is the internal memory speed, processors are far far too fast already for opening apps, invoke camera, etc...

"edge to edge" screen with that format has no real world advantages, as wide size is what determines how big text is represented, and X and 7,8 are just 2 mm difference it means text is same size in both devices, video in landscape is almost same size because this same principle, so the extra screen in real world means almost nothing.

of course gamers are people who demands always more and more, but real world... they don't care anymore, battery, camera and screen are the only real important features.

https://www.apple.com/iphone/compare/

 

[theskog]

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.

Click here to read rest of article...

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

Overpriced garbage

 

[SoN1NjA]

Apple is already offering cheaper options, iPhone 7, and 8 still very competent, smartphones have reach certain tech point which for most people there are no difference at all, I had iPhone 3G, 4, and 6, now I upgraded few months ago to an iPhone 7, which specs are just quite awesome and is very cheap, camera, size and performance in real world has no big difference with 8 or X (camera aside), and I prefer Touch ID as face ID doesn't works in same circunstantes importan to me, as peek a boo from pocket when in a table with people, driving or looking it when is in my night table. My wife's X doesnt do this well, and sometimes even normal situations fails.

it impossible to say what picture has been taken with iPhone 7 or 8, even X advantage shows only very subtle in low light conditions.

Speed performance's bottleneck now a days is the internal memory speed, processors are far far too fast already for opening apps, invoke camera, etc...

"edge to edge" screen with that format has no real world advantages, as wide size is what determines how big text is represented, and X and 7,8 are just 2 mm difference it means text is same size in both devices, video in landscape is almost same size because this same principle, so the extra screen in real world means almost nothing.

of course gamers are people who demands always more and more, but real world... they don't care anymore, battery, camera and screen are the only real important features.

https://www.apple.com/iphone/compare/

Edge to edge does have an advantage? The iPhone Xs Max is slightly shorter (and not any wider) than the iPhone 8 Plus yet the screen is much larger ― totally think you didn't take that comment into effect

Also, those are older models that Apple just doesn't want anymore, is it really hard asking for a phone released in 2018 that isn't $750

 

[toughboy]

So this 750 USD “budget” device dont even have a 1080p display??

IS THIS SOME SORT OF JOKE, APPLE!?!

What’s this, 2014?.. Cmon...

 

[BC2009]

I didn't see any mention of the Plus-like landscape view on the Xr.

From the ARS Technica hands-on article....

The phone's sides are made of aluminum—a less ostentatious alternative to what you'll find in the XS and XS Plus. But the back and the front are still all glass. In my hand, the XR felt just like an iPhone 6S Plus but with more screen real estate. Like the XS Max, the XR supports the Plus' higher-density app views in landscape.

 

[cocoua]

B

Edge to edge does have an advantage? The iPhone Xs Max is slightly shorter (and not any wider) than the iPhone 8 Plus yet the screen is much larger ― totally think you didn't take that comment into effect

Also, those are older models that Apple just doesn't want anymore, is it really hard asking for a phone released in 2018 that isn't $750

But apple is a premium brand they necer will offer cheaper options than competition.

 

[SoN1NjA]

B

But apple is a premium brand they necer will offer cheaper options than competition.

The iPhone SE was a premium phone that didn’t cost $750

The OnePlus 6T is a premium phone that doesn’t cost $750

The Galaxy S9 is a premium phone that doesn’t cost $750

 

[cocoua]

The iPhone SE was a premium phone that didn’t cost $750

The OnePlus 6T is a premium phone that doesn’t cost $750

The Galaxy S9 is a premium phone that doesn’t cost $750

IPhone SE wasnt a premium phone but a special edition apple did for new markets as india, with old hardware and smaller form factor. Same as buying an iPhone 7 today.
It was sold 6 months after iPhone6s (and 6 months earlier thsn iPhone 7) with 80% of its features ( no touch id2, no 3dtouch, 1,2mp front canera, smaller disk size capacity...)


Samsung doesnt sell themselves as a premium brand, all their products are plastic based, they know androod market change devices every 2 years, while apple’s are 3 years, and then you are entering in the android vs ios discussion.
Compare android to android or ios to ios, because if not, you are talking about hardaware + software+ ecosystem+user experience+tech support+second market life+ etc etc etc , not just components on paper
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IPhone SE wasnt a premium phone but a special edition apple did for new markets as india, with old hardware and smaller form factor. Same as buying an iPhone 7 today.

Samsung doesnt sell themselves as a premium brand, and then you are entering in the android vs ios discussion.
Compare android to android or ios to ios, because then you are talking about hardaware + software+ ecosystem+user experience+tech support+second market life+ etc etc etc , not just components

Or are you blaming BMW because their cara are more expensive than Skoda? (Sorry car european comparation)

 

[dukebound85]

Apple is already offering cheaper options, iPhone 7, and 8 still very competent, smartphones have reach certain tech point which for most people there are no difference at all, I had iPhone 3G, 4, and 6, now I upgraded few months ago to an iPhone 7, which specs are just quite awesome and is very cheap, camera, size and performance in real world has no big difference with 8 or X (camera aside), and I prefer Touch ID as face ID doesn't works in same circunstantes importan to me, as peek a boo from pocket when in a table with people, driving or looking it when is in my night table. My wife's X doesnt do this well, and sometimes even normal situations fails.

it impossible to say what picture has been taken with iPhone 7 or 8, even X advantage shows only very subtle in low light conditions.

Speed performance's bottleneck now a days is the internal memory speed, processors are far far too fast already for opening apps, invoke camera, etc...

"edge to edge" screen with that format has no real world advantages, as wide size is what determines how big text is represented, and X and 7,8 are just 2 mm difference it means text is same size in both devices, video in landscape is almost same size because this same principle, so the extra screen in real world means almost nothing.

of course gamers are people who demands always more and more, but real world... they don't care anymore, battery, camera and screen are the only real important features.

https://www.apple.com/iphone/compare/

except that apple will drop support for those older phones years earlier than the others being offered.....
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IPhone SE wasnt a premium phone but a special edition apple did for new markets as india, with old hardware and smaller form factor. Same as buying an iPhone 7 today.
It was sold 6 months after iPhone6s (and 6 months earlier thsn iPhone 7) with 80% of its features ( no touch id2, no 3dtouch, 1,2mp front canera, smaller disk size capacity...)

huh?

the se had the latest chipset as the 6s at the time, hardly older hardware (that mattered from an iOS support standpoint) and NOT the same as buying a iPhone 7.