Presented about a month ago together with the iPhone Xs and Xs Max , iPhone Xr was immediately defined by the press and professionals as “the cheap iPhone” or the colored iPhone “. Surely the second wording is more correct, given that talking about low cost for a smartphone starting at 889 euros is out of place. Even if, as we will see, the 300 euros of difference that there are with iPhone Xs (which become 400 if you compare it with Xs Max) are felt. And it is precisely by putting on the plate the differences with the top-of-the-range model, and evaluating how essential they can be, that one could come to consider, with a hint of surprise, the Xr model as the right iPhone to buy . But, to do this, let’s analyze in our pagellone, drawn up after a test of about 10 days of intensive use, all the characteristics of our “colored iPhone”.
Design
Rated 8.5 The thing that immediately catches the eye of the new iPhone Xr is the color range. In order of personal preference, there are the colors: yellow, coral, red, blue, white and black . Apple then proposes the formula of the (relatively) unfortunate iPhone 5c, but this time there is no feeling of having a “plasticky” or cheap product in your hands. In fact, the design is that of the iPhone X. In front there is a full-screen display with notch, even if the black frame is a little thicker than that of X, Xs and Xs Max: the fault of the LCD screen, which cannot be folded under the edges like the oled one. Behind is the glass, slightly less resistant than that of the Xs, the lens of the only perceptibly protruding camera, the rounded edges. The side frames are the aluminum ones that have now made school, since they are systematically imitated by all the other smartphone manufacturers since the days of the iPhone 6.
The dimensions are larger than those of the iPhone Xs, but definitely smaller than those of the Xs Max: the screen is 6.1 inches (against the 5.8 and 6.5 of the models just mentioned). In a market that is increasingly heading towards high “thumbs up”, the measures of Xr represent a fair compromise between those who want a smartphone with a large but still manageable screen. Last consideration on weight: iPhone Xr is not a feather. Its 194 grams, in the hand, everyone can feel. To have a term of comparison, know that iPhone Xs weighs 177 grams, a little less, but the good old iPhone 7, for example, stopped the scale at 138.
Screen
Rating 6.5 The Xr display represents a significant step back in terms of pixels per inch compared to Xs and X (458 ppi) or even the iPhone 8 Plus (401). The Xr’s 326 ppi is the same as the iPhone 8, which, it must be said, no one complained about last year. Some tests have found, off-axis, a drop in brightness, while the technicians of The Verge , using a microscope, have found that Apple masks the pixels at the edges to create a uniform curve, since the LCD displays are not as ductile as the oleds. . To the naked eye the result is good, and although the screen does not have the same brilliance as the more expensive models, thanks to True Tone technology (which automatically adjusts colors based on ambient light), 1400: 1 contrast and high color rendering, the perceived quality is high . It lacks the 3D Touch , i.e. the ability to recognize the degree of pressure applied to the glass during touch and show a menu accordingly, and is replaced by the so-called Haptic Touch (long pressure and vibration). But let’s face it, who ever uses them?
Power
Rating 10 The most pleasant surprise is to note that, in terms of processor and hardware equipment, iPhone Xr speaker replacement has nothing to envy to the top of the Xs range (apart from 1 GB of ram less). The processor is the same, very powerful, A12 Bionic: 7 nanometers, six-core CPU and 4-core GPU, with 5 trillion operations per second. According to the various benchmarks it is by far the best mobile chip in circulation, and it brings with it all its support equipment for virtual and augmented reality, artificial intelligence and machine learning, improvement of photographic shots, as well as a calculation speed. flawless. All this power deserves a point more than the iPhone Xs , because, in a phone from 3/400 euros less, it was not so obvious.
Cameras
Rating 8 As we have already mentioned in the previous points, there is only one rear lens: compared to X, Xs and Xs Max, but also to 8 Plus, the telephoto lens is missing, so Xr relies only on the wide-angle camera (12 Mpixel). The possibility of 2x optical zoom is missing , but, apart from this, the differences with the more famous models are almost over, given that the A12 Bionic processor and its artificial intelligence functions are able to reproduce the portrait mode and the effect bokeh (i.e. the background blur adjustable at will) flawlessly. According to some, even the results would be even better than the Xs, since the wide-angle camera, compared to the telephoto lens, has the largest sensor and faster shutter speed.
The video sector is of excellent quality (up to 4K at 60 fps), with stabilization and stereo audio. The front camera is identical to that of the iPhone Xs and Xs Max: at the Mpixel level it is average (there are 7), but the more powerful processor and the various algorithms allow a few more whims on selfies and the creation of memoji. Face Id facial recognition is also fast and accurate.
Resistance
Rated 5.5 Double glass, front and rear, means double the possibility of crashing in the event of a fall, with the costs of Apple repairs certainly not cheap. Moreover, at the launch date there are still no official cases on the market : of course, you can buy those of third parties, but this delay from Apple seems inexplicable. Furthermore, according to The Verge, the rear glass is less resistant than the front glass which is the same, slightly enhanced, of the iPhone Xs. The certification against scratches, water and dust is IP67, which means that, compared to the IP68 of the top-of-the-range models, it can soak a little less: half an hour and at depths of less than one meter. Unless you want to use it for spearfishing, that’s it.
Battery
Rating 9 Even in the days of more intense use, iPhone Xr manages to make it to the end of the day with the “tank” still far from the reserve. Without squeezing it into particularly energy-sucking activities (like watching videos or making long phone calls) you can do a whole weekend without loading it . This is because, although at the milliamp level its 2942 mAh battery is lower than that of many rivals (iPhone Xs Max has 3174, Huawei Mate 20 Pro even 4200), the display with fewer pixels to manage and the software optimization of the resources do their dirty work.
Also Read: The iPad Pro 2021 review with M1:
Price
Rated 6.5 Certainly if we lived in America, where Xr costs $ 749 plus taxes (just over 700 dollars), our evaluations would be completely different and we could say, yes, that this is the “cheap” iPhone we had. need. Here we come to terms with a price that starts at 889 dollars for the 64 GB version, 949 the best “cut”, the 128 GB one, and 1059 for the 256 GB. Not exactly popular prices, which place Xr among the high-end smartphones. However, the fact remains that it can be taken in installments or with operators, and that it costs 3/400 euros less than the iPhone Xs and offers a similar user experience.
Conclusions
iPhone Xr is a smartphone that offers all the top features and the best user experience that Apple has to offer right now: a snappy processor, a very good camera, a world of perfect and varied apps, including virtual and augmented reality ones. , a youthful look and ideal dimensions (except weight) in our opinion. Of course, some “goodies” are missing compared to the more expensive Xs and Xs Max models, such as the super bright and pressure sensitive oled screen of our touch or the second rear camera with optical zoom, but in everyday use they do not seem essential. iPhone Xr is therefore highly recommended to all those who have an old model of iPhone (including the iPhone 8, born old) and to those looking for a top-of-the-range smartphone whose price does not have four figures.
