iPhone XR vs iPhone XS – 10 Differences

The iPhone XR pre-orders start this Friday, October 19, at 12:01 am PST, while deliveries are scheduled to start one week later. If you haven’t decided already what iPhone model to purchase, from the 2018 lineup, check out this comparison between the XR and the iPhone XS flagship. You have the option to pick the price-friendly iPhone model, starting at $749 or the premium iPhone XS sold from $999 upwards.

The iPhone XS Max can be also an option, but considering that there are only 5 differences between the XS and the XS Max, one of them being the price, we haven’t included the 6.5-inch OLED iPhone in this comparison. It’s starting price of $1099, means that you need to spend a premium of $350, which represents nearly 50% on top of the XR’s asking price.

iPhone XR vs iPhone XS Head To Head Comparison
1. Finishes
The iPhone XR has 6 color options, while the more expensive XS has just 3 finishes to choose from:
Blue, White, Black, Yellow, Coral, Red vs Silver, Space Grey, Gold.

2. Display
The screen is one of the biggest differences. The XR packs the traditional high quality LCD iPhone display, while the XS is hosting the Samsung manufactured superior OLED panels. When it comes to size, the XR provides more real estate but with a lower resolution and contrast ratio:
6.1-inch Liquid Retina Display (LCD) vs 5.8-inch Super Retina HD Display (OLED);
1792-by-828-pixel resolution at 326 ppi vs 2436-by-1125-pixel resolution at 458 ppi
1400:1 contrast ratio (typical) vs 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio (typical)
Fact: The iPhone XR also lacks the HDR display feature.

3. Rear-facing Camera
The Dual Lens Camera is the only real major extra of the iPhone XS when compared to the more affordable 2018 iPhone model.
12 MP Camera (ƒ/1.8 aperture ) vs 12 MP Dual Lens Camera (Wide-Angle ƒ/1.8 aperture and Telephoto ƒ/2.4 aperture).
Fact: iPhone XS comes with an extra Dual optical image stabilization because of the extra lens. It has an optical zoom of up to 10x, compared to the iPhone XR’s 5x.

4. Water Resistance
The higher water tightness of the XS doesn’t mean too much, because Apple recommends in both cases to avoid swimming or other intentional water and liquid exposure:
IP 67 (water resistant to a depth of 1 meter for up to 30 minutes) vs IP 68 (water resistant to a depth of 2 meters for up to 30 minutes).

5. 3D Touch
The iPhone XR is missing this feature, when compared to all other iPhone models released from the iPhone 6S onward, which could be an important minus for those of you that rely on this firm presses.

6. Size: Because of the larger screen the iPhone XR is taller and wider, but on the other hand it’s also thicker, by 0.6 mm, which is a bit of a downside. The exact dimensions comparison is:
5.94 inches (150.9 mm) x 2.98 inches (75.7 mm) x 0.33 inch (8.3 mm) vs 5.65 inches (143.6 mm) x 2.79 inches (70.9 mm) x 0.30 inch (7.7 mm).

7. Weight
As expected, the iPhone XR is also heavier by 17 grams: 6.84 ounces (194 grams) vs 6.24 ounces (177 grams).

8. Video Recording
When it comes to capturing clips the only difference between the two devices is the optical zoom: 3x digital zoom for the XR vs 6x for the XS.

9. Battery Duration
Apple advertises the iPhone XR as lasting on average 1.5 hours longer than the iPhone 8 Plus, while the iPhone XS is recommended as 30 minutes more power efficient than the iPhone X. Let’s see what that means:
– Talk Time: 25 hours vs 20 hours
– Internet Usage: 15 hours vs 12 hours
– Video Playback: 16 hours vs 14 hours
– Audio Playback: 65 hours vs 60 hours

10. Pricing
$749 (64 GB), $799 (128 GB), $899 (256 GB) vs $999 (64 GB), $1149 (256 GB), $1349 (512 GB)

Conclusion: If you’re on a tight budget I definitely recommend the iPhone XR. When compared to the 2018 iPhone flagships it only lacks in the Camera field, 3D Touch a display quality, but on the other hand it is $250 cheaper, has a larger display a longer lasting battery and more finishes to choose from! What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comment section available below.