Apple IPhone XR 128GB Review

The 3-Minute iPhone XR Review

Apple Makes a Splash with the New XS

By Graeme Messina | September 26, 2018

The Specifics:

Features & Design: 4/5 ● Performance: 4/5 ● Value: 4/5 ● Sound Quality 4/5

The Best:

Apple shocked everyone this year when they revealed a more affordable iPhone that appears to be using the current hardware. This means that instead of using old fabrications like the iPhone 8, the iPhone XR is running, at least in theory, the same generation hardware as the current XS and XS Max flagship devices.

The Bugs:

The camera setup is a standard single lens setup, so your depth of field might appear a little pedestrian when compared to the great camera setup that is found on the iPhone XS Max and iPhone XS. The battery life can be a little less than Apples competitors, which could be a concern if you need a phone that will last for a day and a half to 2 days of use.

Is it for you?

Apple is well aware of who their market share is comprised of, and with this in mind they have released the Apple iPhone XR, a more reasonably priced smartphone device, The colour styling is a nice touch too, and harks back to the days of the iPhone 5C, which was available in cheerful colours.

Meet the Apple iPhone XR

The Apple iPhone XR is a mix between old and new, with a more traditional, older style camera setup. There is a notch on the top of the screen, which can take some getting used to, but is not really a big deal to be honest. The screen is unfortunately a standard IPS LCD screen with quite a low DPI of around 326. The display is still good to look at though, as long as you are not comparing it to a flagship device.

What we like

The Apple iPhone XR comes with a scratch resistant glass, as well as a oleophobic coating on the phone. The whole unit is covered in glass, plastic and aluminium, and is built to last. It is 6.1 inches long, and has a 79% body to screen ratio. Some bezel-less zealots might object to this ratio, but in all honesty it still looks quite good, proportionally speaking.

Apple pay is a feature on this phone as well, with support for Visa, MasterCard and AMEX being available at the time of release. The IPS LCD screen is a capacitive touchscreen, and can reproductive up to 16M colours.

The fun new colours are a departure from the clinically sterile aesthetic that Apple normally goes with for its products, which is sure to attract more Apple fans to the company once these phones are noticed by potential iPhone buyers.

What we don’t like

Apple could have maybe put a little bit more RAM in this phone, as the 3GB seems a little on the low side, even for a mid-level smartphone. Competitors are releasing 4-6GB models of their mid ranged phones, so it should be something that Apple needs to address next year when it launches the next iPhone models to the rest of the world.

Should you buy it?

It is always difficult to recommend a specific type of phone to the average user, as there are so many different facets that need to be taken into consideration. If you are already an Apple user, and you are familiar with iOS and how it works, then this is an excellent device. If you are coming from a relatively modern smart device like a Samsung Note 8 or similar, then the XS models might be a better match for you.