iPhone XR has been on the market for a couple of years now but Apple still displays it proudly at the top of its phones page as a viable option for 2020 – and it’s not wrong. The XR still offers swift performance and decent camera capabilities at a modest price.
Related: Place your vote for the best iPhone you can buy
What we love – Bumper battery life, poppin’ performance and a camera coup
Apple has long had the pursuit of ever-refining style as one of its key goals and it was often to the detriment of battery life. Thin and sleek meant less room for a decent size battery cell. Thankfully, iPhone XR bucked the trend. The XR offers can offer just under a day and a half of use, topping many rivals who often squeak out just a solitary day.
A massive positive for iPhone XR is that Apple doesn’t skimp on performance despite the inviting £629 price tag. You get the same A12 Bionic chip that features on the iPhone XS and XS Max flagship of 2018, while only having a slight reduction in RAM to deal with.
The specs add up to performance that keeps pace with what you’d expect of an iOS device. It’s unlikely you’ll regret not stumping up for the higher specs models solely based on performance – the iPhone XR nails it.
The camera gap between the XR and XS models might seem more obvious than the performance – with just a single camera on iPhone XR – but the cheaper iPhone is still nothing to sniff at. The 12-megapixel solo sensor manages vibrant colours, impressive contrasts and even has its own decent take on Portrait mode – despite the lack of a second camera.
Read this: Check out our full iPhone 11 Pro review
What we don’t like – When cheap iPhones got big and an absent fast charger
iPhones (and most other phones) have been getting larger and larger for years, and the iPhone XR is no different. Despite cramming in far more screen than the iPhone 8, the XR will still disappoint some hoping for a more pocket-friendly size – like the iPhone SE 2.
Some iPhone XR users might feel stiffed when it comes to the charger you get in the box. The iPhone XR can support 18W fast charging but Apple provides you with a rather measly 3W charger in the box. You’ll have to put your hand back in your wallet for another 18W-supporting charger if you want a quicker way to top up your battery.
Verdict
While iPhone XR has now evolved into the 2019 iPhone 11, the older model offers plenty of value at the cheaper £629 price. The cheaper priced model still offers speedy performance and the impressive photography capabilities we’ve come to expect from Apple’s phones.
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