November 26, 2018 3 min read
According to some quarters, this is the first time in a long while when Apple’smost exciting new product will be its cheapest. The iPhone XR was launched simultaneously with the premium iPhone XS and the captivating and, of course, expensive iPhone XS Max. However, the iPhone XR seems to have retained the best features of its peers for a much lower asking price, which leads to the common question of which is the better option – the iPhone XS or the iPhone XR.
The differences between the two models are briefly highlighted below to help you make an informed decision as to the iPhone that best suits you.
iPhone XS - 19.5:9 aspect ratio, 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, 2436 x 1125 pixels (458 PPI), True Tone, and 82.9% screen-to-body ratio
iPhone XR - 19.5:9 aspect ratio, 1,400:1 contrast ratio, 1792 x 828 pixels (326 PPI), True Tone, and 79.0% screen-to-body ratio.
It can be clearly seen that the iPhone XR has downgraded features compared to the iPhone XS, as the iPhone XR cannot even display Full HD 1080p videos, somewhat surprising for a device with 6.1 inches screen size.
While both phones look identical, they actually have different features in terms of their design. The iPhone XS measures 143.6 by 70.9 x 7.7 mm, weighing 177g. The iPhone XR, on the other hand, measures 150.9 x 75.7 x 8.3 mm with a weight of 194 g. The iPhone XR, therefore, comes with a larger display and obviously weighs more than the iPhone XS.
While the iPhone XR seems to have been shortchanged compared to the iPhone XS, it remarkably runs the same cutting-edge chipset as the XS.
iPhone XS, iPhone XR – Apple A12 ‘Bionic’ chipset: Four-Core GPU, Six-Core CPU, M12 motion coprocessor
The major difference here is that while the iPhone XS has 4GB RAM, the XR comes with 3GB of RAM. This provides a slight improvement in multitasking, allowing users to hold more app in memory without the need to reload.
Both phones have the same optics as well as a dual rear camera. The rear camera is probably the second most obvious difference between both phones, with the iPhone XR having one rear camera as opposed to the XS with double rear cameras
One major advantage of the XR’s LCD display is that its lower resolution and larger size allow for lesser power consumption and offers more space for a bigger battery.
iPhone XS - 2,658 mAh
iPhone XR - 2,942 mAh
This consequently means that the iPhone XR can outlast its XS counterpart by as much as 25%.
Both phones are great and practical, thanks to their amazing features and functionality. Therefore, the choice of phone is highly dependent on your preference as an individual and, of course, your budget.