IPhone XR analysis

Apple maintains the iPhone’s advancement as a continuous improvement of the original concept, enhancing the key aspects of each device and updating the design. From the iPhone 3G, the company began a process similar to Intel’s tick-tock generations: a model is put on the table that involves a change of generation in terms of specifications and next year releases a new improved and enhanced version of it. This usually happens every two years and it’s the company’s «s»s» models (Jobs used that letter for «Speed»), as it has happened this year with the iPhone XS.

However, the company has also released «co-pilot» models of the iPhone «main» every year, such as when it released the iPhone 5c at the end of 2013 along side to the iPhone 5s’ longing. On that occasion, this model used the specifications of the model released the previous year, but with a new design based on polycarbonate of various colors, differing from the 5s in almost everything.

It was the only model released of its kind. The iPhone 5c wanted to improve the arrival in certain large markets and emerging markets, but the attractive price the claim purported to be was diluted outside the United States, where operators did offer this iPhone with more aggressive pricing plans. Still, it was a model had some depth among users who were looking for a more casual model and is still remembered to some extent.

Apple started with the iPhone 5c the «co-pilot» versions of the main generation, but this XR is something completely different

Why an iPhone XR?

We could consider the iPhone XR as a set of lessons learned from Apple, starting with the 5c ones. Launching a newly designed iPhone was appealing to the public, but having the technology of the previous year took it away from certain purchasing decisions of those who were interested in a updated product. We had to change the formula, and that led to two important movements that brought us to this XR.

The first was to treat the models of the previous generation as part of the current one, considering them «input range». That made them the de facto new «c» models and it worked well with the iPhone 6, iPhone 7 and iPhone 8, making it highly sold because the company itself was also offering them at more competitive prices compared to those at the time of its release Original.

The second was the arrival of the iPhone SE, whose concept was diametrically opposed to the iPhone 5c. The same iPhone 6s technology was maintained here at the power level, and an unmodified design of the previous model was used. And this time it really worked. In fact, it worked so well that every year since its launch many users keep asking if a new SE will arrive. It never landed as a model after the original but of course, we can count it as a good precursor and some of the XR DNA that we are analyzing today.

And we come to this iPhone XR, which we could sum up as the best of each of the options that Apple has been taking for these generational co-pilots: it uses the power of the current model, it has the breakthrough design of the iPhone X «all screen» with notch and keeps the same quality of materials adding six new colors that differentiate it. If in this generation the iPhone XS were a high-end car with all the extras, the iPhone XR would be that two-seater of vibrant colors that advances you by attracting all eyes on the highway.

-The iPhone XR adds a balanced design, power and performance between generations.

The exterior design

The colors with which at first glance we will differentiate an XR model from an XS or even an X, are red (Product RED), yellow (the analyzed model you see in the photos is this one), white, coral, black and blue. They are very striking colors that surprised us to see them live in the testing area when leaving the keynote, because they move away from the classics of the XS and give it a much more casual touch. It has water resistance up to a meter deep for up to 30 minutes, same values that we already saw on the iPhone X and half of those we have on the iPhone XS.

The construction material is aluminum, using a special alloy designed by Apple itself. As a curiosity, perhaps here we have seen the background in the tests with this material that has later been used to completely design the new MacBook Air. The colors are really eye-catching – just look at the photos in this article – and it features a glass back that supports fast wireless charging, just like on the XS. The colors between glass and aluminum are very similar providing continuity to the design on all four sides.

This model features a 6.1″ screen, staying at a size level between an iPhone XS and an iPhone XS Max. It is slightly thicker (0.77 cm against the 0.83 cm of this model), but in hand it has a good grip helped in part because the aluminum edges are not very polished and presents some roughness. On a day-to-day basis, it’s comfortable to drive and carry in your pocket, and I find size comfortable for those who don’t want something as big as a Max.

Liquid Retina or the timely updating of the LCD

If Apple wanted to manufacture a model that would accompany the XS and be tighter in costs one of the things that would have to sacrifice was the OLED panel, very expensive to manufacture for the time being. The solution was to use an LCD screen like the previous iPhones, but this technology could not be used as is to fit the rounded edges or even the notch, so the company needed to get something out of its sleeve.

That ace has been called Liquid Retina and it is an IPS panel improves the previous LCD panels to achieve all the nooks and crannies of the new screen. The resolution stays at 1,792 by 828 pixels at 326 p/p, away from 2,436 by 1,125 pixels at 458 p/p of the iPhone XS (even with a smaller screen). In contrast we also sacrifice disensed the 1,000,000:1 OLED display with 1,400:1 in this new model.

In short, it’s a slightly improved screen compared to what we had on the iPhone 8 and earlier, designed to be used from edge to edge. In my opinion, the most notorious thing is the lowering of the resolution and contrast in this model with respect to the XS – although if you are used to the pre-X models you will not notice much difference since they are practically identical in detail with respect to 8.

Therefore, it is in appearance exactly like the closest model with this technology in time, the iPhone 8/8 Plus: it is perfect for producing videos, reading text, surfing the Internet or ultimately using the phone in the usual way, with good behavior in speed and tactile response. As usual. However, it is unmatched by the oLED technology of the older brother, although it is the right decision to the philosophy of this product.

We won’t have 3D Touch technology on the XR, for example, to launch context menus from app icons, or use the forceful press of the buttons on the screen to activate the flashlight or camera. In these latter cases, we can continue to use them by leaving our finger on them – we will even have the same haptic response of the Taptic Engine – but when we lose the pressure levels we will not be able to activate the context menus where the «hold down» have already assigned a primary role, as is the case on the desktop where it is used to delete the app.

The A12 chip is here and that makes all the difference

The heart of this XR, what makes it really attractive, are not the vibrant colors, the largest screen or the new design: it is the A12 chip, one of the real protagonists of this generation. It’s exactly the same as the XS, so in terms of power and performance.

Although the behavior is the same as in the XS, it is worth remembering that the Neural Engine also helps to take augmented reality apps to a new level, manage photos with portrait effect and be more energy efficient. At this point it is especially outstanding: with twice the performance, it consumes half as much energy as its predecessor.

That, and a larger battery size due to a larger size, give us a range that improves in an hour and a half that of the iPhone 8 Plus – in addition the following versions of iOS are very likely to optimize more each cycle of the operating system to scratch a few minutes and xtra in each version. It is one of the advantages of the company that has the control of hardware + software.

Cameras keep the key points

One of the points where this model also differs from the XS is with the cameras. It does not have the same specifications as the older brother, but maintains the basis of the company’s latest popular moves. For example, Portrait mode is available despite not having two rear cameras thanks to the A12 chip and we have adjustable depth control after capture – even if we haven’t captured that image with our XR.

Rear portrait mode loses two of the depth effects that can be adjusted (the stage light and mono stage light), but with the front cameras we do have the same five effects as on the XS. These cameras are identical between the two models, and they work the same way. Here I do still miss a front camera of at least 1080p, in the middle of the era of selfies and group FaceTime, which we also don’t have in the XS.

-TrueDepth cameras are exactly identical between iPhone XR and iPhone XS, running at the same speed-

The big changes between them come more from having a single camera and with aspects that the software can’t supply: we have optical stabilization (but not obviously double) and we will only have digital zoom up to five magnifications (the optician is not present in XR). In practice, the photos have a quality very similar to that of the XS – and it is appreciated that the company has included the famous Portrait mode in this model as another key feature that leaves not behind in this generation.

Conclusions

This new iPhone XR not only surprises by its physical appearance, but also because it has one of the most amazing processors on the market and you notice Apple’s care by knowing exactly which points to discard from its older brother without undermining the essential pillars of the iPhone idea: user experience, power and autonomy.

With this they have achieved a powerful and attractive device that works in parallel to the iPhone XS and even allows it to orient it to another audience. The starting price of 849 euros for the 64GB model in my opinion is balanced to what the product offers, and we have to remember that we can also buy the iPhone 8 – which is still perfectly current at performance level – from 699 USD.

We are therefore towards the rounder model of all the iPhones that accompany the main one: same power, same design, and with familiar technologies like the screen but updated to work with the new concept. The product works very well together and will draw attention for the perfect measure of all its ingredients: a whole new car that seems to enter the competition so as not to be left behind.