A review of the iPhone XR or how does a budget smartphone work on the Apple issue?A review of the iPhone XR or how does a budget smartphone work on the Apple issue?

Talking about the iPhone XR that it is cheap, we could be accused of a big abuse. The fact is, however, that this model is cheaper than its "better" brothers by almost $ 200. But is the iPhone XR really weaker than the rest of this year's models? Not looking only at the dry numbers in the specification, I decided to check it out.

I decided to start the test by evaluating the standard categories for me describing each smartphone. These categories are: comfort of use, durability of materials, screen quality, camera and battery life. In each of these categories, I decided to examine the XR compared to two other Apple smartphones.

The natural choice for comparison is the iPhone XS and the less obvious iPhone 7 Plus. Why so? Many people wanting to change their phone to an iPhone from the X family wonder if it's really worth it and whether the difference in the use of the equipment is so high. Therefore, I will also try to answer this question by making a direct comparison.

Taking the opportunity that on the day of writing this article, there was a greater frost and the first snow, I decided to perform my favorite battery test in my test. We know how a cold environment can affect the operation of a smartphone on the battery, so it's worth checking if the iPhone XR will work in our climate.

Ending this lengthy introduction, let me add that my review is based only slightly on the numbers given in the specs. To a large extent, I describe here my own feelings and impressions of using the phone. Without further ado, I invite you to the report from the test.

Important information before buying

Even before buying a smartphone, we have to decide on its color and capacity. iPhone XR is available in six colors: white, black, blue, yellow, coral and red - (PRODUCT) RED and in three capacities: 64 BG, 128 GB and 256 GB.

An interesting fact is that this is the second "budget" smartphone from Apple and the second one characterized by a colorful design. The previous iPhone 5c also boasted a large palette of colors on its housing.

iPhone XR comes with a standard 5W charger, EarPods with a Lightning connector, and a Lightning cable. The whole thing is packed in a white, characteristic cardboard box from Apple with documentation and instructions.

Price? Well, for the version with a capacity of 64GB, we will have to pay PLN 3,729 in the Apple store in Poland. If we decide to buy on Allegro, we can find new models from around PLN 3,500. It is always worth choosing a case for a smartphone and if we decide on a high-quality model, we must take into account the cost of about PLN 100. The important fact is that initially Apple did not release an official case for the iPhone XR. These were initially offered only by licensed producers. Recently, however, Apple released its case in a transparent version for PLN 199.

iPhone XR - specification

Before I share with you the full specification of the phone, I would like to point out a few important elements. The iPhone XR has a screen in LCD technology, which is actually a little larger than that of the iPhone XS. We are talking here about only 0.3 "in favor of the cheaper model. However, it was thanks to the use of the LCD panel that the overall price was lower.

In addition to the big difference in the display itself, we will also see differences in the cameras. iPhone XS has a dual-lens camera, which adds a wide angle and greater physical zoom. In terms of the matrix, aperture and stabilization, these are the same components.

Let's look at the specifications of the iPhone XR itself:

Looking at the above list, it can be said at first glance that the biggest savings in this model went to the display. This is true, but even these savings do not make the use of the phone any less satisfying.

iPhone XR and iPhone XS - main differences

As you can see, the biggest differences affect the display. For fans of the 3D Touch function, this can be a significant barrier to choosing the iPhone XR. In practice, the quality of the displayed elements on the XR screen does not differ from those of the XS. The only noticeable difference is the slightly lower screen brightness in the XR.

iPhone XR - first impressions

After opening the box, we see a solid and large smartphone. Both the front panel and the rear glass finish are impressive. The phone makes a very good visual impression. Its housing is compact, solid and fits well in the hand. The most attention is drawn to the rear, glass finish of the smartphone, which shimmers with a delicate gloss.

Constructively, the phone does not differ much from its peers from the X family. The phone has slightly, but noticeably larger bezels around the screen. In my opinion, this is not its disadvantage, but its advantage. Thanks to this, the smartphone lies well in the hand and the fingertips do not overlap the screen when holding it. At first glance, we notice a slightly protruding rear camera lens. Apple has accustomed us to this state of affairs in previous models. The side frames and buttons have not changed their position and are still very easily accessible. On the bottom edge of the phone we find a hole in the housing where, among other things, the speaker and the microphone are placed.

The most characteristic element of the phone, i.e. the controversial indentation in the screen, is probably identical to that in the iPhone X and XS. The front camera, sensors, FaceID projector and speaker are placed in the notch. After starting and configuring the phone, we are greeted by the standard iPhone wizard, thanks to which we can import data from the previous phone or configure the iPhone as a new one. On board we will find pre-installed iOS 12 and if a newer version is detected, the phone will automatically update.

An interesting fact is that each iPhone has a default wallpaper set in the colors of its case. When buying an XR in blue, we will also see a blue wallpaper right after starting the phone. The same goes for the other colors in this series.

Comfort of using the iPhone XR

Of all the iPhones that I had in my hand, the ones from the iPhone 4 to 5S series were the worst to use. The series from 6 to 8 was quite a comfortable choice for me because of the rounded edges. The X series, on the other hand, and especially the discussed iPhone XR is the most convenient smartphone in this respect. First of all, thanks to large roundings and a well-fitted housing, the phone fits really well in the hand.

The position of the side buttons sometimes causes me to accidentally take a screenshot, but generally not that often. In addition, the mute button and the two volume buttons work exactly as they should.

I have also heard opinions that large smartphones are hard to use with one hand. On the example of the iPhone XR, you have to admit that there is some truth in this. The unfortunate location of the return button in the upper left corner of each application makes it difficult to use the smartphone with one thumb. Unfortunately, we have to get used to it or choose models with smaller screens.

Durability of materials

The iPhone XR housing is made of aluminum and glass. The use of glass on the back made me happy to turn the phone to enjoy the sight of the shiny back. And here's a piece of advice - I don't recommend buying a case that will cover this cool effect. In this case, it is better to reach for a transparent case that will reveal the entire design of the phone. If we were to look at the durability of the phone through the prism of the materials used, we should not be afraid of anything. A large amount of glass may arouse fear at first glance, but the whole is perfectly fitted. There are no moving parts, gaps or less durable elements. Having the phone in hand, we feel as if it was made of one piece of material.

If we look at the durability of the device from the perspective of experience, the case is similar. I have been using this smartphone quite intensively for two months and, despite two hard landings on a wooden surface, absolutely nothing has happened to it. It is known - a fall on concrete or stone can end very badly, but let's agree - this applies to every smartphone nowadays.

The minus of the overall assessment is definitely affected by the quality of the accessories. These, as you know, do not belong to the top shelf. The Lightning cable rubs just looking at it. Similarly, the charger itself should be assessed, which is solidly made, but unfortunately does not allow for the fast charging function.

If we are able to accept inferior quality accessories, the standard of the iPhone itself should not raise our concerns. This is the highest class among mobile devices.

IPhone XR screen and camera quality

We've said almost everything about the screen itself. This is a weaker model than the one used in the iPhone XS and made in older technology, which is not used in flagship smartphones from the top shelf. However, for the average user, this should not matter.

All elements displayed on the screen are very sharp, accurate. The matrix shines brightly, although not as brightly as in the case of OLEDs. Whether viewing photos, videos or reading texts, this screen will cope perfectly. If we are not technological freaks, for whom statistics are the most important, the screen of the iPhone XR will definitely meet our needs. As for the camera, I would compare it to the iPhone 7 with a clear improvement. The iPhone XR is great at taking photos during the day and in good lighting. In the evenings and at night, like every iPhone, it has delicate problems and "humming" quite a lot.

An interesting fact is that despite having only one lens, the iPhone XR can take pretty good portrait photos. Background blurring, white balance and colors are selected extremely accurately. Undoubtedly, this is due to the improved software.

How long does the iPhone XR last on a single charge?

As I mentioned at the beginning of the article, thanks to the winter weather, I was able to conduct a "cold battery" test. In addition, I also have some thoughts after ordinary, everyday use of the phone. In short - the iPhone XR battery does the job!

Under normal smartphone use, the battery lasts almost a full two days of use. By normal I mean a small amount of playing games, mainly browsing the internet and listening to music for 1-2 hours a day. If we add an hour of work with a demanding game or program during the day, this time will be reduced to 1.2 - 1.5 days. I have not yet managed to discharge the phone in less than one day. And this is a very good result by today's standards. I got similar performance on one battery when testing the Google Pixel 2 XL.

I will now move on to the results of my favorite test. The assumption was to take the iPhone for a frosty walk during which I used the navigation that was still on. The result is surprisingly good. The iPhone, during a 2-hour walk with navigation turned on and occasional use of iMessage, used only about 20% of the battery.

iOS 12 on board and Google Assistant

It is obvious that iOS 12 was tailor-made for iPhones from the X family. Therefore, you cannot fault any problems with use. The question is whether iOS 13 will look just as good, which is to bring a big change in the interface? We'll have to wait a little longer for that.

In the face of a lot of confirmed information about the planned availability of Google Assistant in Polish, I decided to buy the Google Home Mini speaker. Thanks to the availability of most Google solutions for iOS phones, I paired the iPhone with the Home Mini without any problems. The only thing left to do is allow Google to install the Google Assistant application from the Polish App Store. At the moment, it is only possible through a market with a location in the USA.

Thanks to Siri shortcuts, the Google Assistant app for iPhone and Google Home speakers, we can easily enrich the Apple ecosystem with the service of a great competition assistant. But this topic is a story for another article.

Summary

The iPhone XR is a top-shelf phone, despite the use of slightly cheaper components. Comparing this smartphone with other Apple phones, I would place it in the TOP 3 best smartphones to buy in 2018. The lower price while maintaining such high performance makes it a phone that breaks the flagships of many other manufacturers.

The lowering of the score is due only for the use of average accessories and the lack of a fast charger in the set. In the phone itself, I did not find a component that would stand out from other Apple flagships. For some users, the lack of 3D Touch may be a big downside, but for me it is an imperceptible lack that I can easily reconcile with.

Reviewed by Robert Miroszewski

Review of the iPhone XR, or how does the budget smartphone in the Apple edition work?