The Colorful iPhone XR is a Better Alternative to the iPhone XS

The Colorful iPhone XR is a Better Alternative to the iPhone XS

It is the best alternative to the expensive iPhone XS

When the iPhone XS and XS Max became available in the Philippines several weeks ago, both Apple and non-Apple fans found their official prices absurdly expensive. With the 64GB iPhone XS selling for almost Php 70k, it is hard to justify purchasing an iPhone with incremental upgrades from last year’s iPhone X.

Those looking for an up-to-date iPhone but do not want to spend a lot have another option with the iPhone XR. Billed as an “affordable iPhone“, the iPhone XR scrimps on some of the iPhone XS and XS Max’s bells and whistles to keep prices low.

As it officially launches in the Philippines today, we think that the iPhone XR is the better 2018 iPhone. Let’s enumerate why it offers better value for money:

One camera? No problem

While you only get a single rear camera setup, the iPhone XR has the same 12-megapixel f/1.8 snapper found on its more expensive siblings. In addition, you still get most of the features of the iPhone XS and XS Max: OIS, Portrait mode, Smart HDR, Portrait Lighting, and 4K video recording.

You only lose a telephoto camera and optical zoom on the iPhone XR, which should not be a big deal for most smartphone users. Remember this: if the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL can capture stellar stellar photos with a single rear camera, the iPhone XR can achieve the same feat as well.

 

It is still a decent LCD display

Instead of an OLED panel, the iPhone XR settles for a “liquid retina” LCD display. While it only has an HD+ resolution, you still get the True Tone feature and gesture-based controls on the iPhone XR. The only feature you are missing out on the iPhone XR’s LCD panel is 3D Touch. While you have thicker bezels on the iPhone XR, you get more screen estate at 6.1-inches (compared to 5.8-inches on the iPhone XS) and still have the same FaceID feature of its more expensive siblings.

 

In our opinion, the coral color is the best out of the six available colors.

A palette of colors to choose from

Those purchasing the iPhone XR have a broad selection of colors to choose from without any compromise on the build, unlike the polycarbonate-bodied iPhone 5C that was launched back in 2013. Like the iPhone XS and XS Max, the iPhone XR has a glass back and the same series 7000 aluminum chassis used on the iPhone 8.

Best battery life on an iPhone

Don’t belittle the iPhone XR being just the “affordable iPhone”: when it comes to battery, the iPhone XR has a bigger battery compared to the iPhone XS at 2942 mAh (compared to the iPhone XS’ 2658mAh unit). Paired with a lower resolution display, the iPhone XR has better battery life than the iPhone XS—at least on paper.

 

Same internals found on the XS and XS Max

While it is considered as a mid-range iPhone, the iPhone XR does not scrimp on specs: you get the same A12 Bionic chip, which means the iPhone XR is just as zippy as its siblings. The 7nm-based chip is one of the best performing processors today, and this means that you can run the most graphically-intensive games on the iPhone XR without compromising on performance.

You should not worry about the iPhone XR’s 3GB RAM either: the iPhone X came with 3GB of RAM, and it is faster than most 2018 Android phones.

 

It is the best value-for-money 2018 iPhone

With a starting price of Php 52,490 for the 64GB model, the iPhone XR is almost Php 18k cheaper than the 64GB iPhone XS. There are compromises here and there, but they are generally bearable, especially those who are invested in iOS. That amount of money you save can be used on a variety of things like getting accessories for your iPhone or saving up for a 2018 iPad to live out the iOS life.

If 64GB is not enough, you can opt for the 128GB model for Php 55,490 or the 256GB model for Php 62,490. Both variants are several thousand cheaper than the iPhone XS with the same storage capacity.

While we wait for a review unit, don’t forget to check out our iPhone-related content on the site:

Reasons Why It Doesn’t Make Sense to Upgrade to the Newest Flagship

Apple Announces iPhone Xs and Xs Max

 

 

 

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