Apple iPhone XR Prints: Much Less Impressive in Person

I was really excited for the iPhone XR. But after spending time, I'm not sure I can recommend it, especially at its $ 750 price.

On paper, the iPhone XR seems to be the best deal compared to the iPhone XS, which starts at $ 1,000.

Both phones are powered by the same brain: Apple's new A12 Bionic chip.

Both phones have almost identical camera systems.

Both phones use the same software.

But the iPhone XR has obvious advantages: a larger screen, better battery life, more colors and $ 250 cheaper.

This would give the impression that the iPhone XR is the big winner on the iPhone XS, is not it?

I've been fortunate to use these two phones in person recently, and after spending quite a bit of time with them, I could not imagine being excited enough to buy an iPhone XR. Of course, this is a decision you will have to make yourself, but I would personally recommend spending a little more on the iPhone XS, if your options are just these two new iPhones, or something less expensive if you try to save money.

The iPhone XR looks cheaper than the iPhone XS

You touch your smartphone dozens, even hundreds of times a day. In my opinion, it is worth getting a phone that you really like.

But the first thing I noticed when I held the iPhone XR in my hands was the screen and its dull appearance.

The colors seemed muted. It was very weak in general. And the screen seemed almost sunken, which was probably due to the fact that the telescope, or border around the screen, was thicker than on the iPhone X and XS.

Read more: 9 reasons to buy an iPhone XS instead of an iPhone XR

Now I have personally got used to the OLED screen of my iPhone X, which becomes very bright and offers excellent contrast. OLED screens, in general, are more aesthetic than LCD screens and the iPhone XR has an LCD screen. But for some reason, seeing the iPhone XR in person, with the same edge-to-edge display as that of the iPhone X, but with an LCD instead of an OLED , just do not get excited; on the contrary.

On paper, this screen is technically superior to the LCD screen of the iPhone 8. And it's still a very powerful phone that leverages Apple's ecosystem. But I think that many customers would have a hard time choosing the iPhone XR instead of the iPhone XS if they had seen both phones. The startup cost of the iPhone XR is $ 250 less than that of the iPhone XS, but the display quality gap clearly reveals how Apple managed to get that price.

New colors are not all that

I was personally happy to see the six new colors of the iPhone XR. But then I saw them in person.

One of the main strengths of the iPhone XR is that it is available in more colors than any other iPhone. But I would say that in general, the most beautiful iPhone XR models that you can buy are the black and white models, which are colors that you can get on any other iPhone.

After that, I would say that your best choice is the new coral color, which is nice, but you have to agree with a very orange iPhone. Then come the blue and yellow models, which are related in my mind, because they both have the same childish appearance. Unfortunately, I would categorize the bright red iPhone XR last; the hue is good, a bit like a Ferrari, but for me it's a little lively and aggressive. I'm not sure I want to look at it daily.

Read more: Here's how to choose between the red, blue, yellow, white, black and "coral" versions of the iPhone XR

Personally, I think Apple would do better to offer more mature colors for its iPhones – to make them distinctive but also desirable. The colors of the iPhone XR are too vivid and slimy, in my opinion.

I think the iPhone XR could have looked amazing in deeper tones, like navy blue or forest green. Even a dark red "wine" color would have been superb. Last year, Apple even made a case for iPhone X "dark aubergine", which is this beautiful purple color. Why could not it be on an iPhone? Heck, I'd like a dark brown XR iPhone, almost chocolate. I will continue to hope that Apple's design team will look into this one.

The iPhone XR is in a delicate position

At $ 750 to start, the iPhone XR is cheaper than the other new iPhones announced this year, the iPhone XS and XS Max, but it's still not one of them. " cheap phone ". After the taxes and, hopefully, some sort of insurance (AppleCare + from Apple if you are a smart cookie), you are still spending over $ 900 for the iPhone XR. It's very expensive.

Of course, I'm not saying that the iPhone XR is a "bad phone". This is an excellent phone. But this clearly looks a step back from last year 's iPhone X and the iPhone XS this year. And for many of the same features, you can get the iPhone 8 at $ 150 less – it starts at $ 600 at the moment.

If you're just looking for an affordable iPhone, for cons, I would opt for the iPhone 7. A "seven" may seem old compared to a "ten", especially when you talk technology, but the iPhone 7 is actually only two years old, and it starts at $ 450. As an owner and lover of his iPhone 7, I would call it a theft.

I am sure that many people are still interested in the iPhone XR because it is so similar to the iPhone XS, but more affordable and available in more colors. Money will be a primary consideration for many people. But if you have the extra money, I would advise you to splurge on the iPhone XS because it is really better to watch and use, or even save even more and to get you an iPhone 7. I'm not sure if I can recommend a phone that looks cheap, but is not it.