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

[recoil80]

I'd kill for a red XS .

We didn't have a product red X and I guess we won't see a red Xs. I think it has do to with the chassis. Xr has a different color on the edges because it is aluminium while the back is glass, stain steel on the Xs would look bad I suppose.

 

[BigDO]

It does allow this, yes.

Source? Is this only on XR, or is it iOS 12 across the board?

 

[martin2345uk]

Source? Is this only on XR, or is it iOS 12 across the board?

Don’t know the answer to that but there’s a report somewhere where they check out what 3D Touch gestures you lose on the XR and this was one they said still works with a long press.

 

[MoreRumors?]

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!

I noticed that too and agree with you 100%. I've noticed the hardware for cellular. WiFi and Bluetooth is the least discussed topic here on MR and as well during the Apple announcement. At the these prices, I would want to know if my smartphone can meet the current and, as well as in the future, of the speed over the cellular and WiFi networks.

 

[EugW]

8 - 59 mm
XS - 62 mm
XR - 65 mm
Plus - 68 mm
Max - 69 mm

The numbers may be off by up to half a mm but you get the picture.

PS. I should point out that the XR, Plus, and Max all show the same amount of screen information width-wise. So that means the default screen elements and font size will be smaller on the XR.

Similarly, the 8 and XS will show the same amount of screen information width-wise. So that means the default screen elements and font size will be smaller on the 8.

Screen element and font sizing will be similar between the 8 and XR.
Screen element and font sizing will be similar between the XS, Plus, and Max.

However, one aspect where the 8 and XR may fail IMO is using Zoomed Display mode. The Zooming at least in iOS 11 on the iPhone 6s is not the greatest, and with text you may be able to see the anti-aliasing. I assume it would be same with XR in iOS 12.

 

[martin2345uk]

Does the XR definitely have a zoomed display option?

 

[MoreRumors?]

Can someone describe the difference between LTE advance vs Gigabit-class LTE? The latter is 5G and only being adopted early 2019 in some cities?

I can't find much about the differences between the 2 but saw this article, www.rcrwireless.com/20180716/network-infrastructure/lte/verizon-lte-advanced-tag17.

I noticed this on the Xs and Xr and was trying to search more about it. Hope this shed a little light.

 

[BigDO]

Don’t know the answer to that but there’s a report somewhere where they check out what 3D Touch gestures you lose on the XR and this was one they said still works with a long press.

iOS 12 across the board according to this:
https://ios.gadgethacks.com/news/al...witching-iphone-xr-with-haptic-touch-0187406/

FWIW, I don't think that 3D touch is going away.

 

[recoil80]

I really wonder about the improved wireless charging on these new phones, and how the hell the iPhone Xr does depth mapping for portrait mode with just a single lens. How does it work??

And crazy about the battery life of the R! Insane that it lasts so much longer.

One thing I really didn’t understand quite during the keynote was how the 3D Touch replacement will work. Did they remove all 3D Touch functionality EXCEPT the camera hard press on the lockscreen!? Or does it work everywhere and just feels different?

They're using machine learning to tell what's the subject and everything else is background that can be blurred, that's my guess. Google Pixel phone is able to fake bokeh pretty well with a single lens so Apple with its new A12 and the incredible computing power on the neural engine part of the chip should be able to deliver a similar experience, or even better.

Battery life is better across the board thanks to the new manufacturing process of the A12 (the 7nm value they bragged about on stage).

I think we'll have to wait a review of the Xr in order to understand how they managed to replace 3D Touch. The haptic feedback Schiller was talking about means you'll receive a feedback after a long press and that will help you understand your command (if you meant to long presso on an item) was received and understood.
It doesn't replace 3D Touch at all, as they're not able to sense force. Maybe, but I'm just guessing, they can tell you meant to press harder if the touch surface is wider with some algorithms but it doesn't seem really easy to me.
In iOS 12 they're introducing a feature Xr users will love, it is the equivalent of force touch on the keyboard but you get there by long pressing on the space bar. I guess they'll put some other gesture like that in control center so even without 3D Touch you access to the same features.
That makes me wonder whether 3D Touch will still be a thing in 2019. There was a rumour about the entire lineup ditching the force sensor and since their most popular iPhone in 2018 is missing the feature they could very well remove it from the OLED models as well.
My main usage of 3D Touch is the trackpad, since there is the workaround in iOS 12 I don't really mind if they remove 3D Touch and guess what, maybe they'll add support for pencil next year on the expensive models and will be able to sense force with that.
Sorry for the digression

 

[EugW]

^^^Neither my wife nor I use 3D Touch at all. I tried to like it, and never did, and my wife never even noticed it was there.

Does the XR definitely have a zoomed display option?

I can't see why it wouldn't. Even my wife's 6s has Zoomed Display mode.

I must admit, this does give me pause, because as I get older, I prefer to hold my phone a bit further, meaning larger (zoomed) fonts may be desirable. Mind you, the main reason for me getting a new phone is because my wife wants one. I could just give her the XR instead.

 

[corebeliefs]

Nope sadly not!

Thanks. I guess that's why the word capable was added.

 

[martin2345uk]

^^^Neither my wife nor I use 3D Touch at all. I tried to like it, and never did, and my wife never even noticed it was there.


I can't see why it wouldn't. Even my wife's 6s has Zoomed Display mode.

I must admit, this does give me pause, because as I get older, I prefer to hold my phone a bit further, meaning larger (zoomed) fonts may be desirable. Mind you, the main reason for me getting a new phone is because my wife wants one. I could just give her the XR instead.

The X doesn't have it though does it?

 

[recoil80]

There’s even a debate about lcd vs oled in small screen sizes where some nerds believe lcd is still better suited for the form factor. OLEDs have deeper blacks but they have drawbacks that lcd doesn’t. For a large flatscreen tv in my house I’ll definitely agree oled is amazing, but for a screen that fits in the size of my hand oled and 4K type resolutions are more hype and not what drives my iphone enjoyment all these years.

My only concern is the pixel density. I love my 8+ display, but is 3x. Xr is 2x, so basically the same resolution as iPhone 8. I can see the difference between my phone and my wife's. Sure Xr is cheaper, but still is an expensive device and that resolution is not great, let's call it "fine". If you're used to an iPhone 8 or 7 Xr is a jump ahead, even on the display, but an X user and even a Plus one will likely notice the difference. You can cope with that, but it's a step backwards.

 

[EugW]

The X doesn't have it though does it?

Oh yes, you're right. It's gone on the X for some reason.

That makes me wonder about the XS, Max, and XR now, and wonder about iOS 12. More reason to wait. I'm in no rush.

I think I'm going to start a thread on this. Thanks for the reminder about the X.

 

[michial]

My only concern is the pixel density. I love my 8+ display, but is 3x. Xr is 2x, so basically the same resolution as iPhone 8. I can see the difference between my phone and my wife's. Sure Xr is cheaper, but still is an expensive device and that resolution is not great, let's call it "fine". If you're used to an iPhone 8 or 7 Xr is a jump ahead, even on the display, but an X user and even a Plus one will likely notice the difference. You can cope with that, but it's a step backwards.

I have an 8 Plus and my family have 8’s. I guess my poor vision or bias is in play but it’s just not that big a deal on such a small screen that fits in your hand. Sure 720 p on a tv vs 1080 p above 40 inches makes a big difference but not on a 6 inch screen.

 

[MoreRumors?]

It’s all 4G LTE. It is just about how much data can be poured down through the wireless chip on your phone. Gigabit LTE chips can handle more at a time. Depending on your carrier and the capability of the local network, in real life it probably doesn’t mean much. On a good carrier in a good location you *might* notice the difference.

You're right. They will always say it's the fastest and end off with "theoretical speed". I read an article from this, www.androidauthority.com/verizon-gigabit-lte-network-supported-phones-827173/

Even if it is not available or not capable yet, it is good to know Xs is ready. This may apply for those who plan to keep their phones much longer as opposed to upgrading every year.

 

[recoil80]

I have an 8 Plus and my family have 8’s. I guess my poor vision or bias is in play but it’s just not that big a deal on such a small screen that fits in your hand. Sure 720 p on a tv vs 1080 p above 40 inches makes a big difference but not on a 6 inch screen.

I wouldn't call it a big difference, I don't look at my wife's phone and think is poor quality like I'm watching a pre retina iPhone. I do notice is not the same, even the iPad 3 I use for testing (the one released in 2012) is a Retina display, but I can feel is not the same as my Air 2 or an iPad Pro.
My point is that even the small details should matter when looking for the best device, if I pay a premium price I expect the best of the best. I'm ok if they put the "old" retina in a budget phone, but Xr is not cheap at all.

 

[michial]

We didn't have a product red X and I guess we won't see a red Xs. I think it has do to with the chassis. Xr has a different color on the edges because it is aluminium while the back is glass, stain steel on the Xs would look bad I suppose.

There will be the annual product red Xs and Max in the Spring like they do every year if precedents hold.
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I wouldn't call it a big difference, I don't look at my wife's phone and think is poor quality like I'm watching a pre retina iPhone. I do notice is not the same, even the iPad 3 I use for testing (the one released in 2012) is a Retina display, but I can feel is not the same as my Air 2 or an iPad Pro.
My point is that even the small details should matter when looking for the best device, if I pay a premium price I expect the best of the best. I'm ok if they put the "old" retina in a budget phone, but Xr is not cheap at all.

I agree but I value battery and money more than the best resolution, but I’m a cheapskate. Lol. For just $50 bucks more than buying a Max I could buy an Apple Watch 4 and an Xr.

 

[Baymowe335]

I'm calling it now...the Xr will have 2 sizes next year for people wanting a smaller form factor. The Xr 4.5 or something (same physical size as the old SE but slightly larger screen bc no bezels).

 

[lewchenko]

I love how you describe the XR display as a quality viewing experience. Lol.

Its not even full HD. Its resolution is about as good as a low end Chinese import Android for a fraction of the price. 326ppi at 6.1 inches is laughable. Welcome to pixelville. Not even as good as the 8 plus which has a full HD 1080 display at 5.5inch (440ppi). That's shocking. A regression at your expense.

But yeah, it will have good colours, and it will be fast.

Why couldn't they have used an A11 chip from the old X (still fast) and put a better display on it ???

Let's be clear... Apple really skimped on the XR display. All to get you up to an XS and spend even more.

 

[smartbot]

Not sure if anyone has noticed this, but the Xr behaves similar to the Xs Max in terms of the software. From the preview videos you can see when they rotate it into landscape mode it will behave like the "plus" model. This is also the case in the simulator...

Sure because both iPhones have the same basic resolution of 414*896 points. The Xs Max is only "pumps that up a little more" to the bigger display...(but for the costs of a bigger and more expensive device)

If anything I think this make the Xr a better deal (compared to the Xs Max). You get basically the same "plus" software and same chip (without the high-res screen / extra camera) all for $350 less! And I have no idea why you would get the regular Xs at this point (unless you like the form factor).

 

[michial]

I'm calling it now...the Xr will have 2 sizes next year for people wanting a smaller form factor. The Xr 4.5 or something (same physical size as the old SE but slightly larger screen bc no bezels).

If the Xr dominates sales they will. They should have at least retained an 8 size phone. Two Xr’s, the current one and a smaller 8 size.

 

[GuruZac]

Oh yes, you're right. It's gone on the X for some reason.

That makes me wonder about the XS, Max, and XR now, and wonder about iOS 12. More reason to wait. I'm in no rush.

I think I'm going to start a thread on this. Thanks for the reminder about the X.

Can't vouch for the X/XS/XR Zoomed modes in iOS 12, but I've been running iOS 12 on my 7 Plus for months and just downloaded iOS 12 Gold Master and Zoomed is still an option. I'm 35 and I prefer to keep my phone in Zoomed mode. I like the larger Apps, and I don't find landscape mode useful on a 5.5" display personally so see no reason to not use Zoomed. Plus, the resolution of the Plus model iPhones is 401 ppi so it still looks good Zoomed.

 

[martin2345uk]

I love how you describe the XR display as a quality viewing experience. Lol.

Its not even full HD. Its resolution is about as good as a low end Chinese import Android for a fraction of the price. Welcome to pixelville. Not even as good as the 8 which has a full HD 1080 display. That's shocking.

Blimey, slight hyperbole there! It's exactly as sharp as the 8 which is only a year old!

 

[EugW]

Can't vouch for the X/XS/XR Zoomed modes in iOS 12, but I've been running iOS 12 on my 7 Plus for months and just downloaded iOS 12 Gold Master and Zoomed is still an option. I'm 35 and I prefer to keep my phone in Zoomed mode. I like the larger Apps, and I don't find landscape mode useful on a 5.5" display personally so see no reason to not use Zoomed. Plus, the resolution of the Plus model iPhones is 401 ppi so it still looks good Zoomed.

Thanks. I guess I'll know with the iOS 12 release Monday about Zoomed on the wife's 6s, but that's moot for her since my wife doesn't use Zoomed Display anyway.