iPhone Xr Review Cheat Sheet: What You Need To Know
- With a price drop to $499, the iPhone XR is one of the better smart phone values.
- The 6.1-inch LCD is big, bright and colorful, though OLED screens offer better blacks and wider viewing angles.
- The single rear camera offers excellent performance and impressive portraits, but the newer iPhones offers better low-light performance.
- Apple’s A12 Bionic chip delivers fast performance that will satisfy most people.
- The iPhone XR offers nearly 11.5 hours of battery life, which is among the longest lasting phones.
Apple iPhone Xr Review: Camera
The rear camera in the iPhone XS is a wide-angle lens with a 12-megapixel sensor that’s bigger than the one you’ll find in the new iPhone SE , but is the same sensor you’ll find in the iPhone 11’s wide-angle camera.
The difference compared to the iPhone 11 or Pro models is that it only has a single lens. The other models all feature an ultra-wide angle lens as well , and the Pro models also have a 2x telephoto zoom lens.
Having one camera instead of two definitely reduces the flexibility for photography that you have compared to Apple’s more expensive phones. The ultra-wide-angle is great for landscapes and buildings, and it also used to enable Night Mode this takes usable shots in moments when there’s way too little light otherwise, and is sadly missing from the iPhone XR .
And in the iPhone 11 Pro models, the optical zoom adds another way of framing on top, so you can really get the look you want.
However, ignoring the zooming options and Night Mode, you still get excellent photos from this camera. The low-light performance is really strong, the Smart HDR feature means you don’t have to worry about difficult exposures in scenes that mix light and dark, and the rapid focus and response means you won’t miss a shot. Images pack tons of detail even in middling amount of light, and look lifelike.
The iPhone XR’s shot is on the left here, the iPhone XS’s is on the right. Subtle shifts in position aside, they’re the same. This was taken under kitchen spotlights
Apple iPhone Xr Review: What You Need To Know
The good news is that the iPhone XR isnt hugely different from its larger and more expensive siblings, at least not where it counts. It has a similar full-screen notched display to the Xs and Xs Max; its clad in glass at both front and rear; the internals are identical; and it runs iOS 12, just like the upmarket iPhones.
The differences are pretty subtle. At 6.1in across the diagonal, the iPhone XR has a slightly larger display than the iPhone Xs, and that display uses IPS technology instead of OLED. It’s also available in different colours black, white, coral, blue and red and there’s a single camera at the rear rather than two. Thats pretty much it for major differences.
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Everything We Like About The Used & Refurbished iPhone Xr
To sum it up, the used & refurbished;iPhone XR is the perfect phone for you if you find yourself often craving extended battery life and a big screen. Will it take up a fair amount of space in your pocket/bag? Yes, but I think its worth it. There isnt a single thing the iPhone XR doesnt do well, and at $400 on Back Market its quite frankly a steal.
Thanks to Back Market’s quality checks, we’ve made it our mission to make “refurbished” just as good as;”new.” We want your used iPhone XR to feel new in every way except for the price 🙂
The kind of guy that likes technology a little too much and can’t stop talking about it. Good thing I work at Back Market 😀
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iPhone Xr Review: Battery & Memory
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While it lacks an OLED screen so all of those black pixels are lit rather than turned off, the iPhone XR comprehensively beats the XS and XS Max when it comes to stamina and we think that lower-resolution display is the reason.
In normal day-to-day use where we used the phone as our main handset and browsed the web, replied to emails, listened to music, took photos and video and played some 3D games the XR was still full of juice by the time the sun went down. In fact, we were able to forgo charging the phone in the evening and still had some power left the next day something that rarely happens with modern smartphones, and certainly hasnt happened before with any iPhone weve owned.
Of course, the caveat here is that your personal usage will impact the XRs battery life. If you decide to set the screen to maximum brightness and watch two or three films in a single day, then the battery is obviously going to take a battering. Recording 4K video also sucks power at an alarming rate, but this is the same across all phones.
The phone supports both fast charging and wireless charging we tested the latter on our Samsung Galaxy charging dock but sadly the bundled wall charger doesnt quick-charge the phone. Youll need to buy another charger from Apple to do this, which is quite a cheek when you consider that pretty much every other smartphone maker on the planet includes a fast charger in the box.
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How Should You Buy Your New iPhone
- Tech enthusiast? Join the Apple iPhone Upgrade Program. You’ll basically rent your phone with monthly payments, and you can upgrade to a new one after 12 payments. If you do that, you end up paying half price for the phone and you get a new one every year without hemming and hawing;over the cost. T-Mobile has a similar offer, in which you can upgrade as soon as you’ve paid off half of the phone’s entire balance.
- Tech-savvy traveler?;Buy your iPhone unlocked so you can pop in local SIM cards when you travel abroad. To do this, buy from Apple, preferably through the iPhone Upgrade Program. Alternatively, you can buy from T-Mobile or Sprint because they have free international service in 100+ countries.
- Budget hunter?Budget hunter? Check out all the carrier promotions and maybe wait a few months to buy your new iPhone. The cheapest new iPhone is the iPhone 12 Mini for $699. You can also get the iPhone 11 for $599, or the iPhone SE for $399. You could also jump ahead to our Android alternatives section in this buying guide for more cheaper smartphone options.
What Does Certified Refurbished Mean
Heres the official line from Verizon on its process for certifying phones that are to be sold as refurbished units:
Our highly-trained technicians inspect and grade the cosmetic appearance of each used device to indicate if the condition is Like New, Great, Very Good or Good. We conduct extensive functional examinations on all used devices. This includes all internal and external functions such as buttons, audio, battery health, SIM card, camera and touch screen. We only approve used devices that score 100% functionality.
This is why you should ALWAYS buy certified refurbished ;it means the phone will look and function as good as a new one. And the reason they are cheaper is because they cannot be sold as new. Thats literally it.
Its basically an advertising standard. It has nothing to do with the quality, look and/or feel of the phone. This is why I always buy refurbished tech.
My last MacBook? Refurbished. My last iPad Pro? Refurbished.
Its just a better way to buy expensive tech.
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iPhone Se: Should You Still Buy Apple’s Most Affordable iPhone
Apple’s iPhone SE 3 could arrive in early 2022, so is it still worth it to buy last year’s model? Here’s everything to know about Apple’s cheapest phone so far.
Apple’s iPhone SE was released in April of 2020 and it’s still on sale for its $399 launch price.
Apple’s budget-friendly iPhone SE could be getting an upgrade early next year. The new affordable iPhone, possibly called the iPhone SE 3, is rumored to make its debut with 5G and an;A14 ionic chip;from the;iPhone 12 lineup. We won’t know for sure until Apple unveils the phone next year, but it’s speculated the iPhone SE 3 could have a similar size, display and design as the;earlier SE model.;
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Apple launched its updated iPhone SE;in 2020 and at $399 it remains the cheapest iPhone you can buy new, directly from Apple. But the older;iPhone XR; is also still being officially sold, as well as the more recent iPhone 12 Mini;, along with a plethora of affordable rivals running Android. So is the iPhone SE 2020 still worth your time?;
Let’s take a look.
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The iPhone Se Is Cheaper And Faster
The iPhone XR came out in 2018, and by no means is it a bad phone. We reviewed the iPhone XR and loved it however, the iPhone SE changed the game.
The second-generation iPhone SE came out earlier this year, and it delivered on everything it promised it would. It’s small, powerful, and in the context of iPhones, cheap. It starts at $399 and is the cheapest brand new iPhone you can buy, but more importantly, it delivers incredible value.
At its core, Apple’s A13 Bionic chip powers the small yet mighty iPhone SE, which was Apple’s best mobile processor at its launch. It’s more powerful and faster than the A12 Bionic chip that sits at the heart of the iPhone XR, which means you’re going to get more out of it. If you pitted the iPhone XR against the iPhone SE right now to a speed test, the average person might not see much of a difference, but the iPhone SE will age better over time.
Many budget-conscious iPhone users don’t buy a new iPhone every year like the tech-obsessed people might but would rather wait perhaps 3-5 years before replacing their phone. If that sounds like you, the iPhone SE should be right up your alley. If you look long term, the iPhone SE will receive updates longer and perform better with age.
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Is Now A Good Time To Buy
Now that Apple has announced an event for September 14, it isn’t the best time to buy an iPhone. Apple usually announces a new iPhone during its annual September events, and that’s exactly what we’re expecting from the upcoming event.;
We’re not saying that you should wait to buy the new so-called iPhone 13. Rather, it’s best to wait and see what the upcoming iPhone will feature and what kind of upgrades Apple has made over the current iPhone 12. If the iPhone 13 upgrades don’t tempt you as much, the current iPhone 12 will likely still be available for a lower price, just like the iPhone 11 was when the iPhone 12 was launched.;
Indeed, even if you don’t care about having the newest iPhone, you can usually find better deals on the current generation iPhone once the updated version launches.
Apple iPhone Xr Review: Price And Competition
That makes the iPhone XR at £250 less than the Xs clearly the best-value iPhone of Apples 2018 phones.
Let me be clear, though: you still get more for your cash if you switch to Android. The Samsung Galaxy Note 9, for instance, is £799 and includes a dual camera with a 2x zoom and a stylus. Alternatively, the price of the Samsung Galaxy S9 has now fallen to around £500, and its still as stupendously good as when it first launched.
Elsewhere, the Huawei P20 Pro is £600 and gets you three rear cameras; theres the recently launched ; the LG G7, which has fallen to a ludicrously low £420; and the just-launched OnePlus 6T at £499. You have a lot of choice here.
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Used iPhone Xr Screen And Size
The screen is a nice size and crystal clear. Although some reviewers complain about the pixel density not being as generous as higher-tier iPhones, you honestly wont notice it. Are there better screens out there: yes. Do you need one: no. This one is plenty good.
Another thing Id like to mention again is its size. With a case, you may notice this phone feels thick; thicker than most earlier iPhones. But it seems like this is a trend that Apple is trying out: users have reported that they would prefer a device thats slightly thicker but has more battery life, and thats what Apple has given us. Its all about what type of user you are and whats more important to you, but honestly, I feel all of us could use a little more battery life.
The used & refurbished;iPhone XR has a great screen, even though many YouTube tech reviewers gave it a hard time for not upping the pixel density of previous iPhones.
iPhone Xr: Is It Worth Picking One Up In 2021
The iPhone XR marked a new moment at Apple when was first introduced in 2018. Because with the XR model, the company introduced a cheaper alternative to the iPhones of the time. Three years later, the price of the device has fallen sharply and with so many available alternatives today we were wondering if it is still worth buying an iPhone XR in 2021?
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How Is The Camera On A Used iPhone Xr
Pictures are as youd expect: really good. Apple does a great job with their color science, per usual, so expect all of your photos to look pretty true-to-life. The only downside of this camera is its lack of additional lenses so you cant actually zoom for images. Also, portrait mode only works for humans, so if you want to take those iconic blurry background images of your dog, cat, or rocks , youre straight outta luck. But if youre not buying this phone specifically for photography, this camera will be more than enough for your needs. It has an awesome camera, it just isnt as feature-packed as the one on the iPhone 11 Pro.
Did I hear somebody ask for unlocked phones? These are great if you travel a lot, and you can even find one that works for all U.S. carriers!;
How Does The iPhone Xs Compare To iPhone 12
The most obvious difference between the iPhone XS and the iPhone 12, besides the age difference, is that the iPhone 12 has 5G something neither the iPhone 11 nor iPhone XS has.
If 5G is important to you, or it is something you want, youre basically stuck with either an iPhone 12 or an iPhone 13 when that phone launches. Apple didnt start supporting 5G until 2020.
You can, of course, get plenty of Android phones with 5G for not much money at all ;all of these Android phones have 5G and cost less than $300/£300.
Another difference between the iPhone 12 and iPhone XS? Performance ;Apples iPhone 12 uses the companys A14 CPU and it is monumentally powerful.
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The iPhone XS is still a solid performer in most areas, but it cannot touch the iPhone 12 in this regard. If you dont need high-end performance, the iPhone XS is still very capable ;even by 2021s standards.
Physically, the phones look very similar.
Youd have to be an expert to spot any real differences in the physical design. They are there, of course, but theyre very subtle, so much so that most would not notice them.
I think the iPhone XS is still a solid option in 2021, but only if you can live without 5G.
Personally, I dont use 5G just yet ;and it is not because I dont have a 5G phone. It is because it isnt available where I live, as 5G coverage is still patchy in the UK and USA.
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For Small Phone Lovers
If you hate giant phones, this is Apple’s tiniest. The iPhone 12 Mini is smaller than the iPhone SE, but it has a bigger 5.4-inch screen and all the same features you’ll find in the iPhone 12, including Face ID, OLED, 5G, dual cameras, wireless charging, and the fast A14 processor. Its small size does mean some things can feel cramped, like watching a movie or typing. But if you have many screens in your life, this one might actually encourage you to put the phone down more often.
The downsides? The speakers sound tinny, and battery life isn’t great. It barely lasts a full day, though that’s common for many iPhones.