Friends+Design
- Continues the gorgeous, premium design language of last year's iPhone X - the only change here from the XS models, is that the frame is 7000-series aluminium and not stainless steel - but the build quality is still absolutely top-notch
- Ditching the home button and moving to a face-based login was a bold move from Apple last year - and its mostly ended up working (with just a bit of a learning curve for previous iPhone users), and thus allowed modern iPhones to go nearly all-screen - the new iPhones this year continue the trend
- Comfortable body - the XR isn't iPhone XS size, or XS Max size - it's right in the middle, and that looks likes a sweet spot - it feels much more comfortable to hold than the wider XS Max, and easier to use with one hand
- Water and dust resistance
- The XR also comes in a wider array of fun color options - lighter blue, coral, red and bright yellow - all look cheerful and well done - and for many iPhones users, it might be a refreshing break from silver, black and gold, if they want something new (these colors options are not available on the iPhone XS/Max)
- Face ID is now faster than before
Display
- The LCD display is fantastic - large, vibrant, and bright - arguably the best LCD display on any phone - though it's a (small) step behind the OLED one on the XS models in terms of contrast (it's also lower resolution on paper, but you are unlikely to notice that in regular use)
- Uses a durable, scratch-resistant glass (as per Apple's claims, the front display glass is as strong as the XS, while the rear glass is "better than the iPhone X, " but not as strong as what the XS)
- Larger screen than the iPhone XS
- No HDR support (which is there on the XS series) - which means very high-contrast videos won't look quite as good as on the XS - but this is of course nit picking - you will only really know the difference if you keep the phones side-by-side
Software
- The new iOS 12 brings a number of new features like group notifications and most importantly makes deep performance improvements - Apple is known for regularly tuning its software to perform optimally with the hardware - overall, this as refined and polished a software experience on a smartphone as you can hope for
- One of the best things about iPhones of course is that you are pretty much guaranteed updates for many years to come (even the best Android phones top out at about 3 years), so as long as you take care of your phone physically, the longevity factor here is really high!
- No 3D touch support, that's present on the XS series - though if you are like most iPhone users, you are unlikely to miss this little-used feature
Performance
- The iPhone XR is a performance monster - there is no other way of putting it - it still blows the best Android phones away - and the new A12 Bionic processor sets a new standard for performance, and for chip design - with the same internals, you get the same top-end performance as the XS series
- The most important gains from the crazy fast A12 Bionic are in AI, AR and graphics - AR apps for instance show better, smoother video and higher-resolution backgrounds (Apple says that's due to a greatly improved Neural Engine chip for machine learning and computer vision)
Camera
- The rear and front cameras will blow you away, and are just a slight step behind the best camera smartphones - the iPhone XS/Max and the Pixel 3
- The rear camera delivers great photos in both dark and high-contrast environments (Apple calls this "Smart HDR") thanks to a new sensor and the new image processor on the A12 Bionic chip - in practice, this means photos look better whether shot on a nighttime street, in a dark bar or in bright sunlight - focus is faster, too
- There is also a new adjustable background depth feature in portrait mode, that allows you to tweak the bokeh level, giving you even more power over your photos
- The iPhone XR' video recording quality might benefit even more from the phone's camera improvements than still photos - the added HDR (better auto contrast, as with the still photos) and extra stabilization will make even your more casual videos look more vibrant, even at 1080p and 30fps - and the microphones now record in stereo, too
- The only (small) difference from the iPhone XS/Max cameras is that there is no second tele-photo lens on the rear - which means no optical zoom shots, and slightly less amazing bokeh shots - also the bokeh shots only work on people - but not on pets, for instance
Audio
- As with the iPhone XS series, the iPhone XR pumps out some solid stereo sound in landscape mode - it sounds crisp and loud - movies and games sound great, almost like listening on an iPad Pro
- Headphone jack dongles are now no longer included in the retail package - which means you will have to rely on Apple's included lightning port earphones (or purchase wireless earphones)
Battery
- Good battery life - in fact the best battery life of this year's iPhones - it will last you the full day even with heavy use
- Better wireless charging than before - Apple says the phone's wireless charging coil has improved so there'll be fewer misses when you place it on a charge pad
- No fast charger included in the retail box - Apple only includes a 5-watt basic Lightning iPhone charger in-box - a fast charger will need to be purchased separately
More
- Finally, the iPhones this year also add dual SIM support - this is done with a physical nano-SIM + eSIM combination (eSIMs are currently supported in India only on Airtel and Jio)
- All said and done, the iPhone XR most of iPhone XS/Max features and advantages, and does it at a much lower price - it's in fact, arguably, the best iPhone value in years - for most people this is going to the iPhone to get this year
