iPhone XR Review: Still Worth It in 2020?

Under 2 years review of Apple’s best selling “budget” smartphone.

15 min readDec 10, 2020

iPhone XR was launched in 2018 alongside with the iPhone XS and XS Max. Before the launch of iPhone 11 and 11 Pro, iPhone XR was the best selling and most popular iPhone since it has the most attractive price point without sacrificing a lot of features. It is also my current iPhone to date.

With the iPhone 12 released in 2020, let’s have a look if the iPhone XR is still worth to buy this year.

Design and built-quality

The design of iPhone XR is similar to its predecessor, the iPhone X that pioneer the futuristic all-screen design with rounded corners. The notch on the top filled with cameras and sensor to create the Face ID experience that is identical to iPhone XS. The back of the iPhone XR is covered with durable glass that allows wireless charging.

iPhone XR in Blue and Coral. Photo by Apple on Newsroom

While the more expensive iPhones frame made with stainless steel, the iPhone XR frame made with a 7000 series aluminium, like it’s older generation iPhones. The aluminium is still durable, however, it has a less-premium feel, compared to the stainless steel. Nevertheless, this is not a dealbreaker for most people, as it’s still comfortable to use.

The iPhone XR is protected with IP67 dust and water-resistant. Although the standard is lower compare to the iPhone XS and 11, it can withstand 1 meter of water submerge for 30 minutes. Luckily, I never experienced any accidental drop into the water so far. Although I did wash and rinse my phone occasionally during this pandemic, and so far I had no major issue with the hardware.

The main selling point that makes iPhone XR attractive is the colour choice. Similar to iPhone 5C, iPhone XR comes with six different colours: White, Black, Blue, Yellow, Coral and Product (RED).

iPhone XR in Yellow and Product (RED). Photo by Apple on Newsroom

Display + Haptic Touch

The size of the iPhone XR fits perfectly in the middle of iPhone XS and XS Max, with a 6.1-inch Liquid Retina Display that is big enough for most content. I had no issue at all watching videos, playing games or even browsing through the web.

Unfortunately, the iPhone XR uses LCD technology. The LCD is less-superior to OLED display that is capable to show more pixels, deeper blacks, brighter display and higher contrast ratio. The OLED iPhones are capable to show million to one contrast ratio, and that numbers doubled with the introduction of iPhone 11 Pro. The iPhone XR has only 1:4,000 contrast ratio and has below 1080p resolutions.

However, this number doesn’t translate into the real world experience, because it still performs better than most budget Android phones that have OLED and higher resolution. The P3 wide colour gamut changes everything, which makes the colour pop on an LCD Display. Apple even claims that this is the best LCD that they ever made, which carries on to its predecessor, the iPhone 11.

If you don’t believe me, check this video below by Jonathan Morison!

Video by Jonathan Morrison on YouTube

The iPhone XR also lacks 3D Touch, which is a pressure sensitivity feature that senses deeper press for additional commands. Instead of 3D Touch, Apple introduces a new feature called Haptic Touch, which uses a long press to replicate the same experience. So you can long-press for shortcuts, clear all notification, and peek and pop messages. I was disappointed at first when Apple didn’t expand the functionality in iOS 12, but I’m super glad that they brought it back to iOS 13. Haptic Touch is the future for newer iPhones after they eliminate 3D Touch from iPhone 11 and 11 Pro.

Audio

As always, iPhones always delivers an astonishing audio quality. With the iPhone XR, it extends that benchmark with a wider stereo speaker and Dolby Atmos support. I love how loud, clear and bassy the speaker is, compared to most phones in the market. After a long-term usage, I haven’t seen any sign of deterioration of sound quality.

The iPhone XR lacks the new spatial audio feature that introduced in iPhone 11 and 11 Pro. However, this is a minor feature if you are using as an external speaker, instead of headphones.

The microphone of the iPhone XR is perfect, with crystal clear sound when you make a phone call and recording a voice memo. You didn’t even need any external microphone if you are recording sound.

Camera

The camera in iPhone XR is probably one of my favourite features. Although it lacks the secondary camera for telephoto or ultra-wide, the iPhone XR is arguably the best single-lense camera system on an iPhone. I don’t mind not having a telephoto lens anyway.

Taking photos with it is truly amazing. The colour, contrast and quality are immaculate, like the iPhone XS, thanks to the Smart HDR feature that able to adjust the photo automatically. Although the iPhone 11, 11 Pro and SE have the improved Smart HDR, the photos taken from iPhone XR still comparable with other smartphones. If you are a casual photo taker, this is a great phone for you.

The portrait mode of this iPhone XR is also amazing. It uses machine learning to detect a person’s face and the background, creating an amazing background blur effect with adjustable depth control. Using the wide camera lens, it allows the portrait mode to capture a wider background and more colour into it. I even feel the photo result is much better than the iPhone XS since it uses the telephoto lens to capture portrait mode. I still wish that Apple enables portrait mode for objects and pets, just like the Google Pixel 3. Also, I kept questioning why Apple only included three portrait mode filters for the rear camera, unlike the new iPhone SE that has all six portrait mode filters.

Portrait mode photos in iPhone XR. Photo by Apple on Newsroom

The TrueDepth camera system is great too. Taking selfies and FaceTime calls looks crisp and clear. Even better, the portrait mode supports all six filters since it has the same system as the iPhone XS. However, I just prefer the portrait mode from the rear camera because sometimes you can see an imperfection of the blur effect. I can’t remember how many times it cuts out some parts of my hair or ear while taking a portrait mode photos.

Apple also extends its reputation of having the best video recorder with the iPhone XR. With optical image stabilisation embedded in the camera and software optimisation, it makes video recording smooth and stable. So, you can record 4k video in 60fps seamlessly without any issue.

Unfortunately, the iPhone XR lacks Night Mode. Nonetheless, it still gains a feature from the newest model which is a QuickTake video that allows you to capture video instantly from the shutter button. This feature will be available in the upcoming iOS 14.

Performance

Since the launch of the iPhone XR, the performance was the main headline. The A12 Bionic SoC has been the leading chip of a smartphone in 2018, beating all of its Android competitors. The A12 Bionic chip has been awarded as Apple’s innovation of the year.

I am glad that Apple learnt from their mistakes by not shipping its cheaper model with a less powerful chip (When Apple launches iPhone 5C and 5S together). The iPhone XR has the same performance as the iPhone XS, with high benchmarks scores and performance. The numbers itself translate into the real-life performance, such as smooth multitasking transition and lag-free experience in most times. I also played numerously heavy games, such as PUBG Mobile and Call of Duty Mobile that can run with max graphic quality and the highest frame rate. Although there is a minor frame rate drop if I played a little while, it still runs smoothly and consistently most of the time. For almost 2 years, I still have the same performance just like I had it for the first time.

When it receives the latest iOS 13 version, the performance didn’t drop at all. Instead, it becomes smoother and quicker doing most tasks. For instance, Face ID unlock is super fast and instantly unlocks my iPhone when I need it.

The iPhone XR has reached its two years of full iOS support and will be continued with the upcoming iOS 14. Buying the iPhone XR means that you will still have at least 3–4 years of continuous iOS support with its latest version. Every year, Apple will add more feature in the future, like what they did previously.

Connectivity

The iPhone XR still uses the LTE Advance connectivity, which is less powerful than the Gigabit LTE. Even though, the speed is still acceptable for day to day browsing and social media usage. However, I can notice sometimes that cellular connectivity can be a little bit inconsistent in some certain area that has a weaker signal. My friend that has the Gigabit LTE model has better connectivity than my iPhone XR in the same location and cellular.

The iPhone XR also supports dual sim that uses a single physical SIM and an electronic SIM (or eSIM). Unfortunately, I still can’t use this feature as it is not available in Australia yet.

I love that this iPhone supports Bluetooth 5.0, which means that it can connect to wireless accessories or Bluetooth on a wider range. However, WiFi 6 is not present in this iPhone, which means that you should go for the newer model if you want strong and faster WiFi connectivity.

Battery and power

Based on Apple’s claim, iPhone XR has the best battery life, better than the XS Max. In my day to day cases, my iPhone XR can be used the whole day from a full charge to 20% only at the end of the day, without any charging required. This happens when I use light usages of the phone, such as social media, browsing and listening to music. I don’t have to worry about carrying a power bank to charge my phone at any time.

For heavier cases, such as streaming video and playing games, the battery drains faster and I need to charge my phone at least once per day. As its now, the battery health depleted from my common heavy use of the phone. After almost two years, my batter health decreases to 91% from its full capacity. Although it sounded like a big deal, it doesn’t majorly affect the performance of the phone and day to day tasks at all.

Other features

Just like any other iPhone, iPhone XR also includes all Apple’s software and services such as Apple Pay, CarPlay, Apple TV, Apple Music and more. I used my iPhone XR a lot for Apple Pay, where I can securely authenticate with Face ID and pay seamlessly.

With the recent release iOS 13.6, the iPhone XR also receive a new CarKey feature, which you can unlock your compatible car with your iPhone. This feature is only available in the newer iPhone models, including the iPhone XR.

Not just CarKey, the upcoming iOS 14 also introduced many more features to the iPhone XR, such as App Clips, redesigned home screen, new camera toggle, back tap your iPhone for shortcuts and more. You can check some of the best features of iOS 14 down here.

iOS 14: 10 Hidden Features That Apple Didn’t Mention in Their Keynote
It’s a lot more than you think!medium.com

Price

The iPhone XR was launched of a price of $749. This price was perfect for some people that prefer not to go for the more expensive model that reached $1000 price tag. Currently, the iPhone XR has a competitive starting price of $599, which is $100 cheaper than the iPhone 11. This is a big deal for some people, considering the price jump from $749 to $599 in just a year. This is the cheapest iPhone that you can buy right now with Face ID and edge-to-edge display.

If you are looking to buy the iPhone XR right now, I highly recommend you to go for the 128 GB model since you only add an extra $50 for the higher storage capacity. At the same time, it makes your iPhone XR future proof with higher capacity to add more photos, videos, apps, music and many more.

The overall verdict

I love the iPhone XR. By far, it is the best iPhone that I ever used and owned in person. The built quality, camera, performance and battery sums up how I love this iPhone so much. I still hope that they have a better connectivity improvement at that time, but these issues were fixed by the iPhone 11. The display and lack of 3D Touch didn’t bother me, although I still wish that Apple shipped the iPhone XR with an OLED display, instead of LCD.

So, is the iPhone XR still worth it in 2020?

Of course! The iPhone XR is by far the best “budget” iPhone. If you are not fussy about all those features and improvements from the newest iPhone (such as camera, performance and connectivity), then go ahead and get one. It is a very capable phone and can last for years to come. I will use mine for at least another year before upgrading.

But, should you buy one right now?

It’s best to wait if you are not in a rush to get a new iPhone. With the new iPhone 12 launching in September, the iPhone XR will certainly receive a price drop. The $599 price tag was set last year after the launch of the iPhone 11, which means that the price can get even lower. How low is the question? Maybe around $499? Because the new iPhone SE starting price is $399, so it doesn’t make sense to drop the iPhone XR price to $399, as the iPhone XR with far more advanced feature and design. As the iPhone SE just released a few months ago, it will not receive a price drop anytime soon.

UPDATE AFTER 2020 OCTOBER EVENT

Surprisingly, Apple still included the iPhone XR in the lineup, along with the new iPhone 12s, 11 and SE. The price is as I predicted, starts at $499. The only difference with this year’s iPhone XR is the absence of power adapter, but Apple included Lightning to USB-C cable, instead of USB-A to enable 20W fast-charging. In addition, the iPhone XR is also compatible with the new MagSafe charger, although it doesn’t have magnet on the back of the phone. Anyway, it is still a great phone to buy in 2020, if your budget is tight.

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Christopher Reno Budiman is a writer, explorer and entrepreneur-minded person. He received Bachelor of Business (Hospitality Management) and Bachelor of International Hospitality Management with Swiss Hotel Association accreditation. He’s on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn if you would like to know more about him