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

[GuruZac]

Coming from anything other than an 8 Plus or a X, the XR seems the better option vs the XS. You give up OLED, slightly better camera, and 3D Touch. Functionally speaking, I don’t see the XS offer a whole lot more, especially for the $250-$450 more.
[doublepost=1536980077][/doublepost]

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.

With all due respect, what would prompt you to buy an XS or XR when you have an X? You gain nothing. I can understand if you were wanting the XS Max for the extra screen, but the X users ought not be tempted at all. Nothing new hardware wise. Really really minor update. I was initially not impressed by the phones, but I am pretty sure I am going to get the Producr Red XR in 128GB and trade in my 7 Plus. That will be a nice upgrade other than screen res.

 

[Dizzy Slip]

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...

Do people actually use 3D Touch?

 

[PlainviewX]

Nope.

iPhone 6s Plus: 1080x1920, 401 PPI
iPhone Xr: 828x1792 (subtract rounded corners and notch), 326 PPI
iPhone Xs Max: 1242x2688 (subtract rounded corners and notch), 458 PPI

This page is a useful resource for comparing iPhone screen res / PPI.

For context, although the iPhone 4 had a smaller screen, the PPI is no better on the Xr. And Apple just introduced a brand new iPhone in 2018 with a lower screen PPI and resolution than an iPhone that was introduced in 2014 - at the exact same price point.

While I can agree the initial price is not cheap, I don't think it's exorbitant. When compared to the S and the Max, the value prop shines imo. OLED is state of the art? 2015 maybe. 3D Touch? An under-supported feature that's only going to be come eve more obsure. Dual Cameras? Apple took pages from Google and Samsung to accomplish (hopefully) better photos though software and a single lens. The R is so close to the S/Max that the supposed differentiating features really don't differentiate that much. Imo, the only true difference is the screen res. If the consumer is coming from a 5-8 (none plus), the R's resolution is an upgrade.

To me the R is an off-the-wall triple. A little higher res would have made it a home run. The S is a single - bog standard s year iteration. The Max is a single + stolen base cuz 1.5 hr battery improvement and screen size.


Don't the 7 and 8 pluses have 1080p screens? Isn't the R around 828p?

My mistake. The website I looked at had the resolution for the 7 as the resolution of the 7 plus.

 

[michial]

Coming from anything other than an 8 Plus or a X, the XR seems the better option vs the XS. You give up OLED, slightly better camera, and 3D Touch. Functionally speaking, I don’t see the XS offer a whole lot more, especially for the $250-$450 more.
[doublepost=1536980077][/doublepost]
With all due respect, what would prompt you to buy an XS or XR when you have an X? You gain nothing. I can understand if you were wanting the XS Max for the extra screen, but the X users ought not be tempted at all. Nothing new hardware wise. Really really minor update. I was initially not impressed by the phones, but I am pretty sure I am going to get the Producr Red XR in 128GB and trade in my 7 Plus. That will be a nice upgrade other than screen res.

I’ll be doing the same, but trading my 8 plus for the same 128gb red Xr. The new form factor, extra storage from my 64gb and extra 90 minute battery life will be awesome. I’m
Unique though. I need a lot of battery but don’t need hi res. I have a nice tv for HD watching. On these little screens I’ve never complained about the quality differences between the plus size and non plus size. I watch Blu-rays on my big screen so don’t really care if the Xr isn’t OLED or full or super HD, and it’s not worth 250-350 extra dollars on a little screen. To each his own.

 

[Baymowe335]

Coming from anything other than an 8 Plus or a X, the XR seems the better option vs the XS. You give up OLED, slightly better camera, and 3D Touch. Functionally speaking, I don’t see the XS offer a whole lot more, especially for the $250-$450 more.
[doublepost=1536980077][/doublepost]
With all due respect, what would prompt you to buy an XS or XR when you have an X? You gain nothing. I can understand if you were wanting the XS Max for the extra screen, but the X users ought not be tempted at all. Nothing new hardware wise. Really really minor update. I was initially not impressed by the phones, but I am pretty sure I am going to get the Producr Red XR in 128GB and trade in my 7 Plus. That will be a nice upgrade other than screen res.

You get the A12, better photo processing, new larger sensor, better contrast screen, IP68, better battery life, more RAM, 512GB storage, and a gold color option.

No one said it’s a lot, but “you gain nothing” is flatly wrong.

 

[randomplaydo]

I almost bought the Xs on preorder today....and then thought harder about the Xr and figured I'd just go with that and save money. But I knew something was not quite right with it being $250 and having nearly all the same features...

Until I saw the screen resolution. Not even 1080, 326ppi, and chunky bezels. No thank you. I can't go from OLED retina to that.

 

[ratigator]

Ordered XS Max 64gb. X R looks intriguing, though. Whichever way I go, after the newness wears off and regret inevitably sets in, I think I would have more regrets not spending a little more to get the optical zoom and better screen. Then again, my last big phone was the 6S plus and I can’t say I have missed having a phone that barely fits in my hand or pockets. X R may just be the perfect size... ugh.

 

[pipis2010]

Seems that many, tech sites, YouTube reviewers, etc., et al., are recommending iPhone XR!

I think they'll sell like hot cakes!

Xr will definitely overshadow the Xs...
[doublepost=1536988154][/doublepost]

I almost bought the Xs on preorder today....and then thought harder about the Xr and figured I'd just go with that and save money. But I knew something was not quite right with it being $250 and having nearly all the same features...

Until I saw the screen resolution. Not even 1080, 326ppi, and chunky bezels. No thank you. I can't go from OLED retina to that.

You could of course just wait to see the phone LIVE first, before deciding...
[doublepost=1536988556][/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. 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.

But if they do that, how will they ever reach $2 trillion??? Hahaha
[doublepost=1536988804][/doublepost]

I have an Essential PH-1.
If Essential does not make a second phone, my next phone will be an Xr.
I don't particularly like OLED and over saturation. I prefer a good LCD.
Camera just has to be good enough. I own three APS-C cameras so I'm not looking for a phone to replace them.
Other than that, the Xs/X max cost too much. After about $700 for a phone, you lose me.
Not because I can't afford it; I just refuse to pay it.

Just wait until next September, once new iphones come out, prices of Xr will be slashed and most probably Xs/Xs Max replaced by the new models... besides, even next year these phones will be way ahead of what average people need and use.
[doublepost=1536988941][/doublepost]

I don’t doubt that most people have no idea and don’t care about tech specs. But the screen is the centerpiece of smartphone interaction. The first videos didn’t really convince me that the “downgrade” of a streched low PPI 6,1” won’t be noticeable.

The point i tried to make was more about european pricing, because it is quite frankly a high price tag for such omissions. This leaves previous Plus owners between a rock and hard place, either loose features or pay even more for XS Max. This might happen or they don’t buy it and simply keep their phone a little longer. But we will find out soon if people like it. The techbubble clearly hypes it (for no apparent reason).



Good know, so the Verge just had bad luck or rotation lock or whatever problem with their unit.

For anyone who wants to have a laugh, check The Verge’s video on YT on how to build a $2k computer... dropped laughing hahaha!! So entertaining!!!
[doublepost=1536989162][/doublepost]

Anyone with an iPhone Plus will notice the difference. Things simply look more crisp on the Plus, even despite the fact that the 6 / 6s / 7 / 8 Plus all run at a non-native resolution (1242x2208 which gets downsampled to the 1080x1920 physical resolution).

Sure someone could get used to the lower PPI, but we're talking about a $749 iPhone from 2018 being a partial downgrade from a $749 iPhone from 2014, with something as important as the display quality...

Apple just has to f@&$k up something every year, they just can’t hold themselves regarding their margins... right now, the 8 Plus seems like a great buy with its full hd display... liquid retina my a$$

 

[Ethan Coohill]

No one seems to be mentioning the XR is nearly the same size as the Max. For people that refuse to have a bigger phone, they will have to go with the XS or the 8

 

[Muzzakus]

Yes, ArsTechnica did a hands on and they said the Xr DOES have the Plus-style landscape mode.
[doublepost=1536958342][/doublepost]

Yes, see my previous comment. Check my comment above.

Here is a link:
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/09/hands-on-with-the-iphone-xs-iphone-xs-max-and-iphone-xr/

and the quote....

Finally some useful info and not just the colour range a billion times over. Thank you.

 

[iSayuSay]

I am definiently going XR between the two because I want the X form factor without the $250 difference.

I concur. I think XR will be the most popular iPhone of 2019. Share the same processor minus the camera, and display. But it's still bigger than XS which costs $999. People would take the middle ground and willing to compromise.
[doublepost=1536992699][/doublepost]

Xr will definitely overshadow the Xs...

Yes I agree. I think it was dangerous for Apple to make rather long introduction for the XR. Hence it was placed at the last session with 5 - 10 minutes to spare, while they spend lots of spotlight for XS. But for $749 and the same A12 chip (instead of $999 with smaller display), XR needs only minutes of introduction to steal XS' thunder.
[doublepost=1536993841][/doublepost]

No one seems to be mentioning the XR is nearly the same size as the Max. For people that refuse to have a bigger phone, they will have to go with the XS or the 8

XR is about the same size of an iPhone 8 plus only about 8 mm taller. But the width is about the same, meaning you get the same width of 8Plus display, but taller. So if you're already a user of 7+ or 8+ then using the XR will take no time to adapt.

 

[scotsmandc]

the bezels on the XR is too thick

 

[Scottsoapbox]

The XR misses out on some of the nice bits - stainless steel, OLED, telephoto camera, but it still got some very nice treatment and features and I think has excellent value at $750. And just $50 to jump to 128GB right? I was quite surprised to see all of the photo stuff, including Portrait Mode come to the XR.

Why does the steel matter? Less scratches if you don't use a case? Less bendy if you sit on it? (I am asking seriously)

 

[jcshas]

I pre-ordered a Xs 64GB GLD, no regrets. 64GB is ample for my usage as I have 2TB of cloud storage. I was considering the Xr, however I do quite a bit of photography and video work, don’t really care for the AMOLED. 3D Touch I use it if the device supports, its neither a make or break. The biggest difference was the screen resolution and the second camera.

The question is will I notice, possibly considering the display is the device. I have to see it in-person to know for sure. I love the colour options. I am not looking to upgrade for another 2-4 years, so I hope this serves me well.

I usually upgrade every year, and thinking about this more

Coming from anything other than an 8 Plus or a X, the XR seems the better option vs the XS. You give up OLED, slightly better camera, and 3D Touch. Functionally speaking, I don’t see the XS offer a whole lot more, especially for the $250-$450 more.
[doublepost=1536980077][/doublepost]
With all due respect, what would prompt you to buy an XS or XR when you have an X? You gain nothing. I can understand if you were wanting the XS Max for the extra screen, but the X users ought not be tempted at all. Nothing new hardware wise. Really really minor update. I was initially not impressed by the phones, but I am pretty sure I am going to get the Producr Red XR in 128GB and trade in my 7 Plus. That will be a nice upgrade other than screen res.

I realize going from an X to an Xs is only a small incremental update but I just enjoy new gadgets. I previously owned the iPhone 7 Plus before the X but I’ve gotten use to the smaller size so of the X so I’m not really interested in the Xs max.

 

[BigDO]

You get the A12, better photo processing, new larger sensor, better contrast screen, IP68, better battery life, more RAM, 512GB storage, and a gold color option.

No one said it’s a lot, it “you gain nothing” is flatly wrong.

Yep. Typical S cycle upgrade. I don't know why people are acting like it's something unexpected when it's been like this since the 3GS.

 

[manu chao]

It really bugs me that Apple labels any of its devices as having an "edge-to-edge display." None of them have that.

They do, they just have edges with different thickness.

 

[cappo3]

For many people, the iPhone XR is the one to get.

No.

 

[Whathappened]

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...

LOL 3D Touch is dead.

 

[TomOSeven]

With these insane screen sizes, I guess my next phone will be the iPhone 7.

Kind of sucks that the only options for iOS are: super expensive, huge phone and slightly less expensive but still super expensive, even bigger phone.

 

[manu chao]

With all due respect, what would prompt you to buy an XS or XR when you have an X? You gain nothing. I can understand if you were wanting the XS Max for the extra screen, but the X users ought not be tempted at all. Nothing new hardware wise. Really really minor update.

It was the iPhone 7 (so technically not a mere 's' update) when Apple lauded ten improvements over the 6s. The Xs offers a similar number of improved features (some of those points might be merged into one, eg, all processor speed related one or all camera improvements):

1. Faster processor
2. Faster FaceID
3. Faster wireless radios
4. Larger (wide-angle) camera sensor
5. Higher dynamic range camera (due to larger number of images being merged)
6. Improved portrait mode (I think partly due to more focus pixels)
7. Improved True-Tone flash
8. Faster FaceTime camera
9. Better waterproofing
10. Higher dynamic range display
11. Wider stereo sound (+ stereo sound recording for video)
12. Faster wireless charging
13. (Slightly) longer battery life
14. Even more robust glass
15. Available with 512 GB
16. Available in gold

That is not to say that the sum of all those points would be compelling enough for iPhone X owners to upgrade, just that 's' upgrades (or even whole number upgrades like the iPhone 7) often have similar rates of progress. And if you made that same list for the iPhone 8 (vs the iPhone 7), you'd end up with an even shorter list.

 

[EugW]

No one seems to be mentioning the XR is nearly the same size as the Max. For people that refuse to have a bigger phone, they will have to go with the XS or the 8

Yes, ArsTechnica did a hands on and they said the Xr DOES have the Plus-style landscape mode.
[doublepost=1536958342][/doublepost]

Yes, see my previous comment. Check my comment above.

Here is a link:
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/09/hands-on-with-the-iphone-xs-iphone-xs-max-and-iphone-xr/

and the quote....

I find it a bit odd that everyone like this article chooses to compare the XR mainly against the XS. I guess that makes sense from a price perspective but not really from a design prospective.

Given what we know now about the XR, it is expected that the XR would have the Max OS design features like the fancy landscape mode because the XR and Max have the exact same amount of screen real estate. Both are designed to display 370944 points on screen. That’s 22% more than the 304500 points of the iPhone XS.

Basically the XR is a Max in LCD clothing, with a missing camera lens. Yes I realize there are some other differences like the radio but they will be way less of a concern to average consumers.

However, despite the fact that the XR has way more screen real estate than the XS and is the exact same as the Max in that regard, it’s actually way, way cheaper than even the XS. That makes the XR a great value in comparison. But note. The XR is not cheap. It’s just cheap in comparison to its horrendously priced 2018 brethren. This is especially true if you want more than 64 GB storage.

My intent is to buy a 128 GB red XR. My only concern at this point is the missing telephoto lens. The good news is the XR has Portrait Mode, but we don’t know how well it works yet in the real world. Portrait Mode on previous iPhones has used the telephoto for potentially more pleasing face shots but we shall see just how well the transition to wide angle portraits becomes on the XR.

 

[PickUrPoison]

LOL 3D Touch is dead.

3D Touch is a flagship feature that’s not available on non-flagship devices. No different from an OLED display, dual rear camera, thin bezels, 4GB RAM, gigabit LTE, etc.

You don’t get what you don’t pay for.

 

[AlexJoda]

While I can agree the initial price is not cheap, I don't think it's exorbitant. When compared to the S and the Max, the value prop shines imo. OLED is state of the art? 2015 maybe. 3D Touch? An under-supported feature that's only going to be come eve more obsure. Dual Cameras? Apple took pages from Google and Samsung to accomplish (hopefully) better photos though software and a single lens. The R is so close to the S/Max that the supposed differentiating features really don't differentiate that much. Imo, the only true difference is the screen res. If the consumer is coming from a 5-8 (none plus), the R's resolution is an upgrade.

To me the R is an off-the-wall triple. A little higher res would have made it a home run. The S is a single - bog standard s year iteration. The Max is a single + stolen base cuz 1.5 hr battery improvement and screen size.


Don't the 7 and 8 pluses have 1080p screens? Isn't the R around 828p?

The screen res is not really of importance any more since the original retina display renders the "points" (the virtual pixels that are used to create the basic image information) twofold to 326ppi. That creates the retina effect. Everything above that (e.g. the 3-fold rendering of the iPhone+, X, Xs and Xs Max) is nice to have but not that important.

To understand that relation look at the following page:
https://www.paintcodeapp.com/news/ultimate-guide-to-iphone-resolutions

The main to thing to look at is the amount of points. That defines the "real" image size. Everything after that (the rendering, sampling) blows it only up to the physical pixels of the device. For me the important thing is the width of the display in points, because that gives the impression of a bigger or smaller display. To have some more vertical points is nice but not that much important for me.

If you the compare the different amounts of horizontal points for all iPhones you get an idea of the real proportions. The first iPhone had 320 points. That continues until the iPhone 5c and SE. The next level was the iPhone 6 with 375 points. This goes on with the 6s, 7, 8, X and Xs. So the iPhone X and Xs is not really bigger than the iPhone 6 if you look at the horizontal points!

If you really wanted something larger than the iPhone 6 you need to go to the next level, the 414 points iPhones. This started with the 6+ and goes on with the 6s+, 7+, 8+, 10s Max and 10r. So the Xr has the same amount of horizontal points than the Plus iPhones and the Xs Max, but in a much smaller device! That makes it the killer iPhone for me!

This size increase in horizontal points was what I hoped for the original iPhone X, but Apple did not deliver at that time. So the Xr is the real successor and the real improvement after the 375 points iPhones (the Plus models and the Xs Max were always physically too large for me).

 

[iSayuSay]

No.

Quoted for the future. My bet XR will be the most popular iPhone of 2019. Let’s wait it up.

 

[manu chao]

"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.

Though that matching worked on both sides:
1) Cost side (ie, using cheaper components)
2) Value side (offering to some degree lesser features)
[doublepost=1537003710][/doublepost]

The screen res is not really of importance any more since the original retina display renders the "points" (the virtual pixels that are used to create the basic image information) twofold to 326ppi. Everything above that (e.g. the 3-fold rendering of the iPhone+, X, Xs and Xs Max) is nice to have but not that important.

To understand that relation look at the following page:
https://www.paintcodeapp.com/news/ultimate-guide-to-iphone-resolutions

The main to thing to look at is the amount of points. That defines the "real" image size. Everything after that (the rendering, sampling) blows it only up to the physical pixels of the device. For me the main thing is the width of the display in points, because that gives the impression of a bigger or smaller display. To have some more vertical points is nice but not that much important for me.

If you the compare the different amounts of horizontal points for all iPhones you get an idea of the real proportions. The first iPhone had 320 points. That continues until the iPhone 5c and SE. The next level was the iPhone 6 with 375 points. This goes on with the 6s, 7, 8, X and Xs. So the iPhone X and Xs is not really bigger than the iPhone 6 if you look at the horizontal points!

If you really wanted something larger than the iPhone 6 you need to go to the next level, the 414 points iPhones. This started with the 6+ and goes on with the 6s+, 7+, 8+, 10s Max and 10r. So the Xr has the same amount of horizontal points than the Plus iPhones and the Xs Max, but in a much smaller device! That makes it the killer iPhone for me!

This size increase in horizontal points was what I hoped for the original iPhone X, but Apple did not deliver at that time. So the Xr is the real successor and the real improvement after the 375 points iPhones (the Plus models and the Xs Max were always physically too large for me).

To be clear, moving to '3x' rendering doesn't change the physical size of the standard UI elements, it just makes them sharper (as in having more detail). For non-standard content, eg, a webpage, it might render the content smaller (thus allowing more content on screen) using the same number of pixels per content element (eg, individual letters). In that way, the iPhone X (and Xs) can for some types of content show more of it despite having the same number of horizontal points as the iPhone 6/7/8.
[doublepost=1537004001][/doublepost]

I find it a bit odd that everyone like this article chooses to compare the XR mainly against the XS. I guess that makes sense from a price perspective but not really from a design prospective.

Given what we know now about the XR, it is expected that the XR would have the Max OS design features like the fancy landscape mode because the XR and Max have the exact same amount of screen real estate. Both are designed to display 370944 points on screen. That’s 22% more than the 304500 points of the iPhone XS.

Basically the XR is a Max in LCD clothing, with a missing camera lens. Yes I realize there are some other differences like the radio but they will be way less of a concern to average consumers.

That applies only to standard UI elements but not to all scaleable content including text and images. With 3x retina screen you can select a smaller font size and have more text shown in the same physical space with the number of pixels per letter being the same.