Apple iPhone XR (64GB) – Review

Apple has built a name that will carry its reputation into generations to come. It is no surprise that with each new launch of a product, something different and intriguing accompanies it.

With the launch of the iPhone XR, debates came up with users saying it is not as good as the iPhone XS and the iPhone XS Max. Irrespective of that, the iPhone XR is a good fit if you are going for a phone that is not too big, and not too small. It is one of the best-selling iPhones.

The price, variety of colors, and good battery life has garnered the XR a lot of admirers. If you are contemplating trying out a new iPhone, this review might influence your decision.

Pros & Cons of Using Apple Products

If you are considering any of the Apple products that are on the market today, it is important to consider the whole Apple ecosystem and the advantages and drawbacks that come with it. Even if you own a single product, you will be pressured to use Apple-exclusive features and services.

While for some this may be a dealbreaker, others will find it beneficial to have such a well-rounded system.

If you want to buy an iPhone XR, you can do so without a contract by purchasing it from Amazon. It will still have all of the features and integration with Apple, but you will not be bound to a contract with any carrier.

Look and Design

Apple launched three iPhones in 2018, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR. The iPhone XR alone comes with a different back design. In comparison to the previously launched iPhone 8 plus, it has a 6.1-inch edge-to-edge display which is a larger screen. It doesn’t come with a home button, and so, it is Face ID enabled using a notch and True depth camera system. iPhone XR comes with an LCD display, and in addition, it is equipped with a glass body which is lighter and less expensive than the stainless-steel back of iPhone XS.

iPhone XR is 8.33mm thick, making it thicker than both iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max. It is 75.7mm wide and 150.9mm tall.

The iPhone XR is not exempt from being fragile when dropped and there is a high tendency of the glass back breaking.

Apple has once again raised the bar regarding the colors available. The iPhone XR comes in red, coral, blue, yellow, and black. Coupled with that, a clear phone case was launched by Apple to showcase the different colors of the iPhone.

Camera

It comes with a single lens 12-megapixel camera, which can compete with other iPhones that have double lenses. Although it doesn’t have a telephoto lens, it can still zoom up to 3×, which is above average. The major challenge faced with the camera is its inability to take portrait photos of objects and can only do this with human subjects.

With the Truedepth control feature, you can adjust the background blur to give your portrait photos a better and more natural look. With a 7-megapixel front camera, iPhone XR takes selfies that are of the same quality with higher iPhones. Portrait mode pictures using all five lightning effects can be taken with this device. You can also make Animoji and Memoji because of the Truedepth camera.

Performance

It comes with the latest 7nm A12 Bionic chipset which is the fastest processor you will ever get on any Smartphone. Gamers will have no difficulties playing the most demanding games with this fast processor. For comparison’s sake, iPhone XR is faster than iPhone X by about 10% in multi-core and about 13% in single-core performance.

It is equipped with 3GB RAM which is enough to handle most files and 64GB of storage which can be upgraded to 128GB.

Battery Capacity

iPhone XR comes with a 2942mAh battery which is higher than the previous iPhones. It is not the largest of the iPhone X series, but it is large enough to sustain you for up to 25 hours talk time, and 15 hours of internet usage.

Another welcome development is that it is a fast charge enabled device. It can charge up to 50% in the space of 30minutes. Following the lineup of wireless charging introduced by Apple in 2017, iPhone XR also supports wireless charging. iPhone XR has a copper coil that speeds up the charging rate because it doesn’t heat up as much as other iPhones.

Security and Privacy

With a 3D facial scan installed in the iPhone XR, it is impossible for the device to be hacked. You must look to the iPhone with your eyes open or it will remain locked.

This feature has helped to reduce cyber crimes and fraudulent acts. The interesting part about facial ID is that it can easily be disabled. In case of a compromising situation, you can quickly turn it off by pressing the volume button and side button together. After that, your Face ID data becomes inaccessible to any unauthorized personnel, including Apple.

Although, the security has been breached a few times, by identical twins it will only happen in rare instances.

Software and Hardware

For reasons best known to Apple, iPhone XR got an updated version of IOS from 12 to 12.1 a week after the release that is for devices that didn’t initially have the update installed.

iPhone XR is IP67 rated, making it dust and waterproof. It can be submerged in 1-meter deep water up to 30 minutes without it damaging it. You can comfortably take your phone for a swim, or even a bath if you want to.

It comes with Haptic Touch which requires users to long press to activate features. It comes with being “fast” as its default setting, but this can be changed.

Final verdict

If you plan on getting an iPhone and you need to minimize cost, or you want an iPhone upgrade, then the iPhone XR is a wise investment. It is a substantial improvement from previous iPhones and has one of the best battery lives of iPhones that Apple has ever launched.

Furthermore, it costs around $749 which isn’t exactly on the pricey side, but it delivers at the same level as other flagships. If you love elegant colors, you might want to go for the yellow or blue because it blends in perfectly with the aluminum sides. In addition, iPhone XR is the perfect size if you are opting for a device not too large and not too small.