It's iPhone season, y'all and Apple has finally released the iPhone XR for pre-order. The Verge calls it the successor to the iPhone 8, but you'll notice plenty of differences between the iPhone XR and iPhone 8, beyond name and release date, that may convince you to opt for the XR model.
For starters, the iPhone XR comes in a wider array of colors, reminiscent of the rear shell on the iPhone 6C. While the iPhone 8 is available only in Silver, Space Gray, and Gold, the XR comes in Blue, White, Black, Yellow, Coral, and Red (in partnership with Product Red). The iPhone 8 uses Touch ID for security while the iPhone XR, like the X, XS, and XS Max, uses Face ID, which Apple says provides security with technologies to accurately map your facial geometry.
The biggest visible difference between the models is display size. The iPhone 8's retina HD display is 4.7 inches, almost an inch smaller than the iPhone 8 Plus' 5.5-inch display. But the iPhone XR beats both models of the 8 out with a 6.1-inch Liquid Retina display, meaning not only is the display better, but it stretches to the edges of your device for even more space on your screen to watch YouTube, edit photos, or record video of your pet. The XR screen has a higher resolution than the 8 screen, too — compare iPhone XR's 1792-by-828-pixel resolution at 326 ppi to the 8's 1334-by-750-pixel resolution at 326 ppi.
Though the cameras on both phones are similar, the iPhone XR boasts smart HDR and Portrait Mode with Depth Control for photography. The front cameras differ a bit more — the iPhone XR has a TrueDepth front camera with portrait lighting, cinematic video stabilization, smart HDR, and Animoji and Memoji, which are features absent from the iPhone 8.
A major difference between the phones can be found in the battery life. Apple's website says the iPhone XR has a battery life that lasts about 1.5 hours longer than the iPhone 8 Plus, whereas the iPhone 8 lasts about the same time as the iPhone 7. This means the talk time on the iPhone XR is almost twice as long as the talk time on the 8, plus users get up to three more hours of internet usage, three more hours of video playback, and 15 more hours of audio playback. If you habitually forget to charge your phone like I do, this upgrade is life-changing.
The iPhone XR wasn't the only new model released at this year's Apple event in September. Apple also unveiled the XS and XS Max, all with the same A12 Bionic chips, but varied sizes, colors, and battery life capabilities. The XR, though certainly an upgrade from the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, will be easier on your wallet than the XS or XS Max. If you're looking for a budget-friendly iPhone upgrade with some of the most sophisticated features Apple has released to date, the iPhone XR is the way to go.
