Apple’s iPhone XR might be getting on in years, but it’s still a great option for those who want to try an Apple smartphone without paying a premium. Read on for the full lowdown and the best iPhone XR deals.
The iPhone XR in a nutshell
- Release date: 26 October 2018
- Price at launch: from £749
- 6.1-inch Liquid Retina LCD screen
- 12MP main camera with optical image stabilisation
- A12 Bionic chip
- Supports Apple Pay and Face ID
- Operating system: supports iOS 17.4
MoneySuperMarket’s expert rating: 3/5
Despite being released in 2018, the iPhone XR remains a great choice for those looking for a cheap iPhone. Its screen is decent and battery life impressive, although its camera and processor lag behind newer devices. As a budget alternative, it’s a solid bet.
Plus, it still supports the latest operating system, as Apple normally provides software support up to seven years after launch.
While the iPhone XR is no longer available to buy directly from Apple, you can snag it on a pay-monthly contract from a range of networks, including VOXI.
The iPhone XR’s design and display
The iPhone XR’s design mimics that of the iPhone X. It ditches the old school Touch ID button in favour of a notch at the top of the screen which houses a Face ID sensor and the front facing camera. The result is a large, full screen device that has a premium feel despite its age.
It comes with a large, 6.1-inch display which, thanks to the notch design, covers the entire front of the phone. Unlike the iPhone XS and other, more premium iPhones, it uses LCD rather than OLED tech. This means that images aren’t rendered as brightly and videos and games don’t pop in quite the same way. When compared with screens on newer phones, the iPhone XR does show its age.
The iPhone XR’s camera
Unlike other newer full screen iPhones, the iPhone XR features a single lens camera, which clocks in at 12MP. It comes with optical image stabilisation (OIS), dual tone flash and uses a dedicated algorithm to serve up ‘portrait mode’ images from the 7MP selfie camera.
The results are decent from both cameras, and are perfectly good for casual snapshots. However, they’re not in the same league as images taken with the likes of the most recent iPhones, and well behind even budget Android options like the Google Pixel 7a.
This is no surprise seeing as the iPhone XR was first released in 2018. But if you love taking pictures while out and about, you may want to look elsewhere.
More iPhone handsets
Is the iPhone XR worth buying in 2025?
The iPhone XR still supports the latest iOS 17.4 software and, as such, remains up to date. Apple will likely stop offering support in 2025, though, so you may wish to consider a more recent model.
Is now a good time to buy the iPhone XR?
The iPhone XR is available on some great cheap deals, so now is a good time to get one. You can compare contract deals using our comparison tool at the top of the page.
Is the iPhone XR waterproof?
The iPhone XR has an IP67 rating for water resistance, which means it’ll survive being dunked in one metre of water for up to 30 minutes.
Models from the iPhone 11 onwards have the better IP68 rating, with the ability to withstand being submerged in 1.5 metres of water for up to 30 minutes.
iPhone XR specs
| Manufacturer | Apple |
|---|---|
| Operating System | iOS |
| Sim Card Type | Nano |
| Accelerometer | Yes |
|---|---|
| Proximity | Yes |
| Compass | Yes |
| Barometer | Yes |
| Gyroscope | Yes |
| GPS | No |
| Form Factor | Candy Bar |
|---|---|
| Thickness | 8.3 mm |
| Size | 75.7mm x 8.3mm x 150.9mm |
| Weight | 194 g |
| Battery Type | Lithium Ion |
|---|---|
| Capacity | 2942 mah |
| Standby | hours |
| Talktime | 25 hours |
| Display Size | 6.1 inches |
|---|---|
| Screen Type | IPS LCD |
| Resolution | 828 x 1792 inches |
| Pixels Per Inch | 326 ppi |
| Touch Screen Type | Capacitive |
| CPU | 2490 mhz |
|---|---|
| Processor Cores | 6 Cores Cores |
| Memory | 3000 MB |
| Internal Storage | 64, 128, 256 |
|---|---|
| External Storage | No |
| Primary Camera | 12 MP |
|---|---|
| Flash | Yes |
| LED Flash | |
| GEO Tagging | Yes |
| Auto Focus | Yes |
| Fixed Focus | Yes |
| Touch Focus | |
| Face Detection | Yes |
| Smile Detection | |
| Image Stabilisation | Yes |
| Video Quality | 2160p |
| 2nd Camera | 7 MP |
| Generation | 4G |
|---|---|
| Frequency | |
| NFC | No |
| Wi-Fi | No |
| Wi-Fi Hotspot | No |
| Wi-Fi Direct | No |
| Bluetooth | No |
| USB | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes |
|---|
