iPhone Xr Review: Performance
No surprise here: The A12 Bionic processor in the iPhone XR is just as fast as those in the iPhone XS and XS Max, which means you’re getting a phone that beats the best Android flagships for hundreds of dollars less. I enjoyed silky-smooth performance when playing the augmented reality puzzle game AR Blast, which has you shoot colored blocks in front of you. Plus, other people can join in on the AR action for multiplayer fun, something you can’t do on Android .
On Geekbench 4, which measures overall performance, the iPhone XR scored 11,312, which is comparable to the scores from the iPhone XS Max and iPhone XS . That beats scores from the Galaxy Note 9 and OnePlus 6 and blows past the Pixel 3 XL’s result .
The Galaxy S10e, which has a fast Snapdragon 855 processor, scored 10,513 on Geekbench 4.
The iPhone XR also excelled in our video-editing test, taking just 40 seconds to convert a 4K clip to 1080p. That’s only a second behind the iPhone XS and way faster than the Pixel 3 XL , Galaxy S9+ and OnePlus 6 . The Galaxy S10e finished in 2:26.
On 3DMark’s Slingshot Extreme Unlimited test, which evaluates graphics performance, the iPhone XR notched 4,416. The Pixel 3 XL was just a bit behind, at 4,396, but the Galaxy Note 9 reached a higher 4,639.
What Should I Know About The New A12 Bionic Processor
The A12 Bionic is Apple’s latest and greatest in-house system-on-a-chip . Like its predecessor, it uses a combination of multiple high-energy processing cores for more intensive tasks, as well as multiple high-efficiency cores for light work like checking email and browsing the web. It’s a six-core CPU, and uses a new, eight-core Neural Engine to power the machine learning systems on the iPhone XR that can process up to five trillion operations per second.
The processor allows for more powerful graphics performance, better photo processing, and real-time machine learning.
iPhone Xr Review: Verdict
The iPhone XR has shockingly few trade-offs compared to pricier iPhones. You get a big and bright display, very good cameras, fast performance and long battery life for a very affordable price. Overall, we prefer the newer iPhone 12 because of its better cameras, OLED display and 5G, but if you’re on a budget you should be very happy with the iPhone XR.
A tougher choice is between the $499 iPhone XR and even cheaper $399 iPhone SE 2020. The iPhone XR offers a larger screen and Face ID, but the new iPhone SE has a faster A13 Bionic chip and better cameras in a more compact design. See our iPhone XR vs iPhone SE face-off for more info.
Some may want to wait to see if Apple launches a new iPhone SE 3, but that’s apparently not being launched this year. And while the iPhone 13 is on the way this fall, we expect prices to continue to start at $799. Overall, the iPhone XR is one of the best iPhones out there if you don’t want to pay a flagship premium.
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iPhone Xr Vs iPhone Se 2020
Our iPhone SE vs iPhone XR face-off has more details, but here’s the gist if you’re on the fence between these two phones. The cheaper $399 iPhone SE is faster, thanks to its A13 Bionic processor, and that same chip enables several photography features, including Portrait mode for the rear and front cameras and Smart HDR. The iPhone XR makes due with an older A12 Bionic chip.
On the other hand, the iPhone XR has a larger display than the iPhone SE , longer battery life and Face ID. The iPhone SE uses a Touch ID sensor.
Should I Get An iPhone With A Large Or Small Display
We recommend choosing an iPhone that feels comfortable in your hands. You’re going to be using your iPhone a lot so the last thing you want is a device that’s difficult to hold.
Our favorite small-screen iPhone is the 2nd Generation SE. The iPhone SE 2 has a 4.7 inch Retina HD Display. This size is significantly smaller than other iPhones to have come out in the past few years, making it more reminiscent of earlier iPhone generations. Regardless of its compact footprint, the new iPhone SE packs a punch thanks to its A13 processor and its 1821 mAh battery.
Our favorite large-screen iPhone is the iPhone 11. While it’s not the largest iPhone on the market, its 6.1 inch screen is still more than large enough to enjoy text and video while staying connected with your friends and colleagues. It pairs well with the built-in Dolby Atmos speakers for the ultimate media consuming experience. Thanks to its Liquid HD Retina display, you can easily look over any pictures you take with the iPhone 11 Pro’s 12 MP Ultra Wide lens.
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iPhone Xr Review: Audio
With wider stereo sound, the iPhone XR’s dual speakers delivered excellent audio quality when streaming Post Malone’s “Better Now.” The vocals and instruments were rich and full, so good that my family told me to keep it down. More importantly, there’s a true volume boost over the iPhone X, which I appreciated when getting turn-by-turn directions via Google Maps while I was driving. I could even hear the directions over my car stereo played at moderate volume.
iPhone 13 Pro & 13 Pro Max Screen Sizes
Then there are the two ‘Pro’ models. The iPhone 13 Pro has a few upgrades over the regular iPhone 13 such as a 120Hz refresh rate, better cameras, and longer endurance. However, its screen size is exactly the same at 6.1-inches. Compared to other top-tier flagship phones, the iPhone 13 Pro is certainly on the smaller end of the spectrum. The Google Pixel 6 Pro has a 6.7-inch display, the OnePlus 9 Pro also has a 6.7-inch screen, and the Galaxy S21 Ultra’s display clocks in at 6.8 inches. For someone who wants all the bells and whistles without getting an outrageously big screen, the iPhone 13 Pro strikes that balance with grace.
But, of course, not everyone wants a flagship with a smaller screen. For people who want to go all out with the biggest display possible, that’s where the iPhone 13 Pro Max comes into play. It has a screen size of 6.7-inches and is the largest iPhone available for purchase. Having such a big display is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it makes content consumption and multitasking a thing of beauty. Games are easier to play, movies look more impressive, and it’s more convenient to handle endless work emails. At the same time, that enormous size can also make the iPhone 13 Pro Max large and unwieldy to use especially for people with smaller hands.
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Face Id And The Truedepth Camera System
Face ID, introduced in 2017 with the iPhone X, is the biometric authentication system used in the iPhone XR, which features a notch housing the TrueDepth camera system that enables Face ID.
Face ID performs the same role as Touch ID, except it uses a facial scan instead of a fingerprint, and Face ID in the iPhone XR is identical to Face ID in the iPhone X with the exception of speed improvements. With the new A12 Bionic chip and Neural Engine improvements, Face ID is able to detect your face and unlock your device faster than before.
Face ID is used across the iOS operating system for tasks like unlocking your iPhone, allowing access to third-party passcode-protected apps, confirming purchases in iTunes and the App Store, and authenticating Apple Pay payments.
Face ID works through a set of sensors and cameras built into the front of the iPhone XR, called the TrueDepth Camera system. To create a facial scan, a Dot Projector projects more than 30,000 invisible infrared dots onto your face, which are then read by an infrared camera.
This depth map of your face is then relayed to the A12 Bionic processor where it is transformed into a mathematical model that the iPhone uses to make sure it’s you attempting to access your iPhone.
Comparing iPhone X And iPhone Xr
Both phones are worth buying even some years after their release. The iPhone X and iPhone XR have their pros and cons, so it might not be easy to decide between the two. Luckily, we compared these two Apple smartphones to help you decide which one is the right device for you. Continue reading and find out if your next smartphone could be the iPhone X or XR.
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iPhone Xr Review: Ios 14
The iPhone XR runs iOS 14. The top features of iOS 14 include widgets on the home screen to give you more info at a glance, as well as App Library for automatically organizing your apps. Other enhancements include compact incoming call notifications (so they don’t take over your whole screen, picture in picture, pinned conversations in Messages, a Translate app and more.
iPhone Screen Sizes Compared
- iPhone 12 Pro Max 6.7in OLED display
- iPhone 12 Pro 6.1in OLED display
- iPhone 12 6.1in OLED display
- iPhone 12 Mini 5.4in OLED display
- iPhone SE 2020 Size 4.7in LCD Display
- iPhone 11 Pro Max Size 6.5in OLED Display
- iPhone 11 Pro Size 5.8in OLED Display
- iPhone 11 Size 6.1in LCD Display
- iPhone XS Max Size 6.5in OLED Display
- iPhone XS Size 5.8in OLED Display
- iPhone XR Size 6.1in LCD Display
- iPhone X Size 5.8in OLED Display
- iPhone 8 Plus Size 5.5in LCD Display
- iPhone 8 Size 4.7in LCD Display
- iPhone 7 Plus Size 5.5in LCD Display
- iPhone 7 Size 4.7in LCD Display
- iPhone 6s Plus Size 5.5in LCD Display
- iPhone 6s Size 4.7in LCD Display
- iPhone 6 Plus Size 5.5in LCD Display
- iPhone 6 Size 4.7in LCD Display
- iPhone SE Size 4in LCD Display
- iPhone 5s Size 4in LCD Display
- iPhone 5 Size 4in LCD Display
- iPhone 4s Size 3.5in LCD Display
- iPhone 4 Size 3.5in TFT Display
- iPhone 3GS Size 3.5in TFT Display
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Water And Dust Resistance
The iPhone XR is IP67 water and dust resistant, which means that it is impervious to dust and can withstand immersion in water up to one meter deep for 30 minutes in laboratory conditions.
Though the iPhone XR can withstand splashes, rain, and brief accidental water exposure, intentional water exposure should be avoided. Apple warns that water and dust resistance are not permanent conditions and could decrease as a result of normal wear.
Apple’s warranty also does not cover any kind of water damage to iOS devices, so it’s best to use caution when exposing the iPhone XR to liquids.
How To Set A Wallpaper That Fits Perfectly On Your iPhone Background
Setting a wallpaper that fits the phone background perfectly is a relatively straightforward process. If you have managed to get the right screen resolution, the next thing is to choose a wallpaper and display it in the background. To do this:
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All The Latest Apple News Delivered To Your Inbox It’s Free
Then there’s the iPhone XR, which has a 6.1-inch LCD display and an aluminum and glass body instead of the stainless steel and glass of the XS and XS Max. The iPhone XR comes in white, black, coral, yellow, blue and red and costs $749, £749 or AU$1,229. That’s $50, £50 or AU$150 more than the iPhone 8 cost when it launched in 2017. The XR’s colors are a callback to the iPhone 5C.
iPhone Size Guide Biggest To Smallest
Below is a quick breakdown of all the iPhone models you can currently buy the newest are, of course, the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Mini, as well as the flagshipiPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max Models.
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But dont go thinking you need to rock an iPhone flagship to get killer performance. I tend to buy older iPhone flagships because theyre cheaper . And if youre interested in how Apples iPhone has developed over the years, check out our MEGA LIST that compares the specs of every iPhone ever released.
Below is a quick breakdown of each iPhone model, from biggest to smallest:
All of Apples iPhone 13 models will run faster 5G too so youll be able to connect to the fastest, next-generation mobile data.
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Apple iPhone Size Chart Faqs
How do you calculate screen size?
Screen size is the measure of the length from one corner of the screen to the opposite diagonal. A ruler is used for measurement in inches.
Why are Apple iPhones smaller in size?
Apple phones have remained smaller compared to the other competitor phone companies. Apple prefers the small and thin outlook for single-handed use however, there is a preference for large phones, but Apple maintains the smaller size in their phones as a trademark.
What is the best resolution for an iPhone?
The best Resolution is very user and case specific. As an example, iPhone 11 and 11 Pro are good for shooting videos and taking photos. The two iPhones give images that are truer to life compared to other phones. The iPhone can record at 720p, 1080p and 4K resolutions. For the absolute best video image quality, 4K resolution is the best choice. If you are concerned about phone storage, the recommended is 1080p or even 720p. Check all iPhone screen resolutions in the above Size Chart
What is the best iPhone size?
iPhones initially did not have a significant variation in sizes, but lately, they vary from below 4 inches to about 7 inches. The iPhone XR to the most recent iPhone 12 are unsuitable for one-hand operation but are suitable for providing a large view. 5-6inches is smaller in size and thus provides easy single-handed operation. 3-5 inches are mostly the old iPhones, and they use LCD, which makes them inferior to the latest iPhones.
Is Oled The Future Of The iPhones Display Technology
OLED panels are more efficient, they look better, have vastly superior contrast, and require less battery power to run. Apples also added dark mode inside iOS 13 too, so that kind of tells you everything you need to know about its commitment to OLED.
As OLED becomes more common inside phones, manufacturers and suppliers will begin to produce OLED panels in larger quantities. This will drive down the price, making OLED more accessible and bringing it to cheaper iPhones in the future. Right now OLED is very costly for phones and TVs. But increased demand from the likes of Apple and Samsung will, in time, help reduce the associated costs of producing these types of panels.
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For the first time EVER, all of Apples iPhone 12 models feature OLED displays from the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Mini to the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max.
They also have 5G too. This is a pretty big deal for Apple users too, as OLED displays up until the iPhone 12 were usually considered a flagship feature by Apple for its iPhones.
With the iPhone 12, whatever model you go for, youll get an OLED screen and 5G connectivity. And that is pretty significant, as it means Apple has now completely switched from LCD to OLED for ALL of its iPhones from here on out.
Itll be interesting to see if the iPhone SE 2021 has an OLED panel too, though I wouldnt hold my breath on that count Apple will likely base that model on the outgoing iPhone 11.
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How To Measure Your Apple iPhone Screen Size
The screen size does not affect the quality of an iPhone, but it is important to note a few parameters like the iPhone display size, which is the measure of the diagonals of the phone screen in inches. Another consideration is the iPhone screen size, which is the size the device uses for coordinates, and it is useful when using CSS and JavaScript. iPhone rendered pixels are the complete number of pixels rendered, and it is the value when the multiplier is applied to the screen size in points. Finally, the iPhone physical pixel is the resolution of the screen.
iPhone Size Comparison: Xr Vs Xs Vs Xs Max
A bigger screen means youll also end up with a bigger and heavier phone. Which is exactly the case with the iPhone XR. It will feel slightly bulkier in your hand than its counterpart the iPhone XS. And the iPhone XS Max will feel bigger and heavier than both of the previous models.
Testing them out with one in each hand is helpful and informative, but to adequately set expectations here, its unlikely the size and weight will make or break your decision.
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