iPhone XR review: how does it compare to the new models?

Like every year at the beginning of September, Apple unveiled new iPhones. For 2019, these are the new iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max. They have moved into the iPhone range, replacing the iPhone X, XS and XS Max. The iPhone XR, released in 2018, like these, remained in the catalog. It has therefore been presented since then as the mid-range iPhone, between the iPhone 8, without Face ID, and the new models, with their OLED screen and a double/triple photo sensor.

Find the complete technical sheet of the iPhone XR here.

It is then interesting to wonder if the iPhone XR is worth the detour, and if, in terms of its performance, it is closer to the 2019 models than to those of 2018 and previous years. This is how we carried out a test of the machine in recent weeks to see if what it offers is still relevant, a year after its release.

Design

The iPhone XR uses the design of the other iPhone to Face ID.

The screen takes up almost the entire front, with a small black band going around it. We are not here in 100% edge to edge.

On the sides, no surprises: there is a power button, a switch for silent mode and two volume buttons “+” and “-“.

On the bottom edge, two speakers can be seen, on either side of the Lightning socket.

On the back, a single camera is visible, in the upper left corner, above the flash.

Note the absence of a Home button and jack on the iPhone XR.

In red version, pure beauty

The iPhone XR is currently available in 6 colors: blue, black, coral, yellow, white, and red or Product RED. We had in our hands the Product RED version, which is, it must be admitted, extremely attractive to the eye.

The red is neither too dark nor too light, quite classy in fact. In addition, the impeccable finish of the case makes a smartphone as pleasant to look at as it is to hold in your hands, really.

Not for little hands?

The iPhone XR with its 151 mm height and 76 mm width is not a small smartphone. It's larger than the iPhone 11 Pro, but smaller than the iPhone 11 Pro Max. For dimensions and weight, see the image below. Also do not hesitate to consultthe complete technical data sheet of the machine, here.

Personally, I struggle with large phones. And this is the case for the iPhone XR. It's too big for me, despite my big hands. I sometimes struggle to write a message, or even hold and use the phone with one hand, which can be distracting in many situations.

iPhone 6 Plus on the left, iPhone XR on the right © iPhon.fr

I advise you to try the machine in store to see the size and how you can use the iPhone XR with one hand.

From left to right, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone XR, iPhone 6s, iPhone 4s. © iPhon.fr

De bas en haut, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone XR, iPhone 6s, iPhone 4s. © iPhone.fr

No OLED, is that serious?

The iPhone XR is equipped with a 6.1-inch LCD panel with Liquid Retina technology and a resolution of 1792 x 828 pixels. So certainly, by putting the device next to a smartphone with a very high resolution OLED screen, differences will be seen. But taking the iPhone XR alone, we must admit that the screen appears magnificent, the colors very beautiful and the contrast powerful enough for pleasant use in everyday life. Frankly, the iPhone XR's screen is more than satisfactory.

Performances hardware

On paper

The iPhone XR is equipped with an Apple ARM A12 Bionic chip clocked at 2.49 GHz and 3 GB of RAM. Our test model obtains the following scores in the Geekbench 5 app,available here on the App Store:

Test CPU simple coeur : 1 114 points
Multi-core CPU test: 2,511 points
Test GPU : 4 489 points

The iPhone XR easily beats the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus and ranks alongside the iPhone XS and XS Max. The iPhone 11 and 11 Pro obviously do better, in all three cases, single-core, multi-core and GPU, driven by a more recent ARM chip (A13 Bionic).

In practice

What a joy to use the iPhone XR every day. I am not a video, audio or image specialist, performing heavy tasks on the phone. I can simply certify that for classic use, messaging, telephone, music and video streaming, photos, etc. the iPhone XR, despite its purple color, has nothing to be ashamed of.

It is comfortable in all the applications tested and does not suffer from any slowdown, helped by an iOS 13 optimized to the smallest extent for the iPhone, obviously.

So on iPhone XR, everything goes quickly. While you can be sure that you have a high-end phone in your hands by looking at its case, its daily responsiveness confirms this status with optimal performance.

Photo and video performance

The iPhone is equipped with a 7-megapixel front camera and a 12-megapixel rear camera. It benefits from portrait mode with bokeh effect and portrait lighting modes. It must be admitted that the photographs of faces with the iPhone XR are quite striking.

In other situations, landscapes, short distances and other images of everyday life, the iPhone XR fulfills its contract perfectly.

iPhone XR forest path photo. © iPhon.fr

Once again, I am not a professional photographer or videographer and could not tell you about the more advanced uses in both areas for the iPhone XR. But in the context of classic use, corresponding to the majority of buyers, the iPhone XR is a very good camera phone.

Photo champignon iPhone XR. © iPhon.fr

It will simply fish in night video and photos, a point that has been improved with the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro.

Photo building at night iPhone XR. © iPhon.fr

iPhone XR night street photo. © iPhon.fr

In any case, during the day, outdoors or indoors, the iPhone XR is equipped with a camera that is capable of filming or photographing memories with friends or family, and even more. And then many photographers around the world take magnificent photographs with the iPhone, including this XR model.

Sky and forest photo iPhone XR © iPhon.fr

iPhone XR stones photo. © iPhon.fr

iPhone XR beach photo. © iPhon.fr

Autonomy

The iPhone XR battery packs 2,942 mAh. On paper, Apple certifies an autonomy of 25 hours in voice communication, 15 hours in internet surfing, 16 hours in video playback and 65 hours in audio playback.

Beyond these ultimately very theoretical figures, for my part, the autonomy of the iPhone has never ceased to surprise me. I've gotten into the habit of charging my smartphone at night, especially my aging 6s. But when I missed nighttime charging with the iPhone And all this, with normal use, or even a little more sustained use of the phone, particularly during the test.

My final opinion

Having had an iPhone 6s in my hands before (and other older models), the transition to the iPhone XR was extremely pleasant for me. Face ID works particularly well, it's a real pleasure to use it on a daily basis. I use it to unlock the phone, but also to pay with Apple Pay or to open 1Password and log in to my online accounts. In addition, Face ID works perfectly in the dark, in the evening, lying in bed.

Two small quirks, however, required a little adaptation. On the one hand, I was a fan of landscape mode for the GPS in the car. Except that the iPhone's Face ID does not recognize the user in landscape mode. I then have to either tilt my head to the side to unlock the iPhone hanging on the dashboard, or change its orientation permanently to portrait, which fortunately its auto holder allows.

Otherwise, Face ID struggled a few times with sunglasses worn on the face. Apart from that, nothing to report for the beard, long or short, or for a change of haircut or a hat worn on the head.

In the photography and video field, frankly, in the context of classic use, as mentioned above, I am very satisfied with the results provided by the iPhone XR. Apart from at night, in my opinion it does well enough in most situations, always for non-professional use of course.

Generally speaking, ultimately, it is difficult to find bad points for this iPhone XR. I have only two criticisms to make about it. On the one hand I still sorely miss the Jack socket. I have several models of earphones and headsets with headphone jacks at home, in my bags and pockets, and rarely the Lightning-Jack adapter with me. I really had a hard time getting used to this absence, several times taking headphones in my hands and trying for just a second to plug them into the non-existent iPhone XR jack port, simply by reflex. …

Second criticism, the size of the beast. The iPhone XR is too big for my taste. I think the iPhone 11 Pro is a more suitable size for me. Because by adding a protective glass and a shell to the iPhone XR, we end up with a fairly massive package.

But, unlike the lack of the Jack port, the size is a question of taste. Some particularly appreciate large smartphones unlike others, who are more fond of small formats.

Finally, before giving my final verdict, let's move on to a point not covered during the test, the audio, which in my opinion does not deserve a dedicated paragraph. The iPhone offers Lightning headphones, the EarPods, and I still love them. They're certainly not the best from a sound quality perspective, but their shape underpins a good fit in the ear. Additionally, audio coming directly from the iPhone's speakers can reach a good level. For quality at this level, needless to say, unless you have no other listening system, it is better to avoid listening to music through speakers.

In conclusion, the iPhone XR is a device that I really like. He has many qualities. Its few faults are also far from being prohibitive. The iPhone XR should satisfy many iPhone buyers, especially since it is priced more affordable than the 11 and 11 Pro models. That said, I think the iPhone 11 Pro/XS form factor may be more suitable for smaller hands. But once again, it is better to test in store before buying, just to see the format of the different models once in hand.