Apple launched three new smartphones in one of their biggest events of the year. The tech giant announced the new iPhone XS, XS Max, and the more affordable iPhone XR.
The iPhone XS is the successor to the iPhone X of last year, so Apple had to discontinue the latter. This new device offers a slew of improvements over its predecessor. It comes with a more powerful processor, longer battery life, a smarter camera, and more. Apple also kept the thick notch on the screen and the glass back with a stainless steel frame.
On the other hand, Apple also came up with the iPhone XR for those who can’t afford the iPhone XS. This one appears to take the spot that used to be occupied by the iPhone 8 Plus. Obviously, it has toned-down hardware due to its cheaper price tag.
So, what are the actual difference between the iPhone XX and iPhone XR? Let’s figure that out.
| iPhone XS | iPhone XR | |
|---|---|---|
| Operating System | iOS 12 | iOS 12 |
| SIM | Single SIM Dual SIM (Select markets) | Single SIM Dual SIM (Select markets) |
| Body | Front/Back Glass panel Stainless Steel frame | Front/Back Glass panel Aluminum Frame |
| Display | 5.8-inch Super Retina OLED 2436 x 1125 pixel resolution ~458ppi Dolby Vision, HDR10 Tru Tone 3D Touch | 6.1-inch Liquid Retina (LCD) 1792 x 828 pixel resolution ~326ppi Tru Tone 3D Touch |
| Processor | A12 Bionic Next-Gen Neural Engine | A12 Bionic Next-Gen Neural Engine |
| RAM | 4GB | 3GB |
| GPU | Apple GPU | Apple GPU |
| Storage | 64GB/256GB/512GB | 64GB/128GB.256GB |
| Front camera | 7-megapixel f/2.2 TrueDepth system Portrait Mode, Depth Control Animoji, Memoji | 7-megapixel f/2.2 TrueDepth system Portrait Mode, Depth Control Animoji, Memoji |
| Rear Camera | 12-megapixel (wide, f/1.8) + 12-megapixel (telephoto, f/1.8) dual OIS Quad-LED True Tone flash 2x optical zoom Portrait Mode, Depth Control Smart HDR 4K Video recording 240fps slow-mo | 12-megapixel f/1.8 OIS Quad-LED True Tone flash 5x digital zoom Portrait Mode, Depth Control Smart HDR 4K Video recording 240fps slow-mo |
| Others | IP68 water and dust resistant | IP68 water and dust resistant |
| Audio | Stereo Speakers | Stereo Speakers |
| Security | FaceID | FaceID |
| Connectivity | HSPA+, 4G LTE, VoLTE WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Bluetooth 5.0 GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS | HSPA+, 4G LTE, VoLTE WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Bluetooth 5.0 GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS |
| Dimensions | 143.6 x 70.9 x 7.7mm | 150.9 x 75.7 x 8.3mm |
| Weight | 177g | 194g |
| Colors | Gold, Space Gray, Silver | Black, White, Coral, Blue, Yellow, Product Red |
| Battery | Talk time: 20 hours Video playback: 14 hours Qi wireless charging Fast-charging | Talk time: 25 hours Video playback: 16 hours Qi wireless charging Fast-charging |
| Price | 64GB: $999 (~Php53,800) 256GB: $1,149 (~Php61,900) 512GB: $1,349 (~Php72,600) | 64GB: USD749 (~Php40,500) 128GB: USD799 (~Php43,200) 256GB: USD899 (~Php48,600) |
One of the key differentiating factors between these two devices is the design. As stated earlier, the iPhone XS inherits the build and aesthetic of the iPhone X. This thing is sandwiched with glass in the front and back, which is then held together by a stainless steel material on the sides.
Meanwhile, iPhone XR do have an identical look to the XS. There’s the thick notch on the display and it’s covered with glass in front and back. But as a compromise, Apple used a high-grade aluminum to serve as its chassis, instead of stainless steel.
And since it’s the more affordable option, the iPhone XR comes in new funky colors that might appeal to the younger crowd. Other than the traditional Black, White, and Product Red color options, the handset is also available in Coral, Yellow, and Blue.
Speaking of the notch, the iPhone XS has a 5.8-inch Super Retina OLED screen, with a sharp resolution of 2436 x 1125 pixel resolution. It also has a few extras like Dolby Vision and HDR10. Meanwhile, the iPhone XR uses the traditional LCD panel with only a 1792 x 828 pixel resolution on a larger 6.1-inch screen. This is definitely one of the main compromises that the XR has over the XS.
But surprisingly, despite being the more affordable option, the iPhone XR appears to have a better battery performance than the iPhone XS. According to Apple, the XR has a talk time of 25 hours, while the latter only has 20 hours. They also have 14 hours and 16 hours of video playback, respectively.
However, the iPhone XS regains control thanks to its dual cameras on the back. It has an extra 12-megapixel telephoto lens that provides 2x optical zoom, while the iPhone XR only has a single 12-megapixel shooter.
Related: Apple iPhone 7, 7 Plus and iPhone 8, 8 Plus new price list
Other than those few differences, these two phones feel like the same device. The iPhone XR might only have a single rear camera, but it still has some of the camera features that the XS has. This thing has an optical image stabilizer, quad-LED flash, Portrait Mode with the new Depth Control feature and Smart HDR.
Both devices also share the same 7-megapixel selfie camera with a TrueDepth sensor for its Face ID security feature.
The iPhone XR and iPhone XS also come with Apple’s new A12 Bionic processor and the next-gen Neural Engine chip. However, the XS has an extra 1GB of RAM over the iPhone XR, so it should perform significantly better in multitasking and other memory related tasks.
They also come with an IP68 durability rating, stereo speakers, and Qi wireless charging compatibility.
With that, it all boils down to the price. The iPhone XS start at a price of USD999 (~Php53,800), which is the same with the iPhone X when it was initially released. On the other hand, the iPhone XR comes at a more reasonable price tag of USD749 (~Php40,500).
Between these two handsets, it feels like the iPhone XR offers far better value for the money. At a cheaper price, you have an iPhone with the same performance, identical design, and almost equally great cameras similar to the more expensive model. Whether the extra $250 (~Php13,500) is worth it or not, it depends on the priorities of the consumer.
There’s no 3D Touch for the Xr and it’s also only IP67.