iPhone XR pros and cons

Apple iPhone XR. findings

It seems that for Apple it is already becoming a good tradition to show not one, not two, but three smartphones at once in a year. We figured out the iPhone XS and XS Max: of course, the devices differ slightly in size, but the cameras are identical. But the third presented smartphone, which many dubbed “budget”, we have not tested yet.

iphone

iPhone XR is easy to distinguish from iPhone XS: one rear camera and vibrant colors

Apple iPhone XR, in our opinion, cannot be called budget. Yes, compared to the XS and XS Max, it is more affordable, but practically does not differ much from its older brothers. This is not at all the same as the Mini and Lite versions of flagship smartphones, which are inferior to older models, primarily in terms of power. The Apple iPhone XR has the same hardware as the XS and XS Max. The key difference is in the display (Liquid Retina based on IPS-matrix), in a single camera without zoom and in the absence of protection from dust and moisture.

iPhone XR is available in 6 colors to suit every mood. You can choose strict black or white, or one of the bright colors. yellow, coral (by the way, close to the 2019 color from Pantone), PRODUCT (RED) and the blue that we got.

iPhone XR Pros & Cons. Should You Buy In 2020?

Still, the iPhone XS and XS Max turned out to be very status and strict, while the XR is a more freedom-loving and juicy gadget, if you like. It is these properties that we would put at the forefront: the juicy colors of Liquid Retina, coupled with the bright colors of the body. perfectly mixed Apple fresh.

The Apple iPhone XR has only one main camera, but it is identical to that of the XS and XS Max: a 12-megapixel sensor and an F1.8 lens with an equivalent focal length of 26 mm. The physical size of the sensor is 1 / 2.55 inches. There is optical image stabilization and phase detection autofocus, as well as a Quad LED flash to help the camera.

The front camera is located in the Face ID unit, familiar from the iPhone XS and XS Max. It is the same: resolution. 7 megapixels, lens aperture. F2.2, equivalent focal length. 32 mm. Not as wide as most smartphones, but this is also the iPhone XR chip: selfies here often look better precisely due to the narrower angle and more realistic facial reproduction without geometric distortion.

Apple iPhone XR Specifications
Screen 6.1 inches, IPS (Liquid Retina), support for HDR10 and Dolby Vision, aspect ratio 19.5: 9, 1792 × 828 pixels, 538 ppi
CPU six-core Apple A12 Bionic (7 nm), 2.5 GHz
RAM 3 GB
Built-in memory 64/128/256 GB
Memory card not
SIM nanoSIM eSIM
Main camera 12 MP, 1 / 2.55 ″, F1.8, 26 mm (equiv.), OIS, PDAF, Quad LED flash
Front-camera 7 MP, 32 mm (equiv.), F2.2
The fingerprint scanner not
Face unlock Face ID
Communications LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac (dual band), Bluetooth 5.0, Lightning, NFC (Apple Pay only)
Geolocation A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS
Battery 2942 mAh, non-removable, with support for wireless charging

Review of the photo capabilities of the Apple iPhone XR

Apple iPhone XR Specifications

Apple iPhone XR: smartphone review

Apple iPhone XR: smartphone review

Review of the photo capabilities of the Apple iPhone XR

We immediately began testing the photo capabilities of the Apple iPhone XR, having managed to catch the last moments of a bright and sunny autumn. During the day, the smartphone showed itself great: rich, but natural colors, good texture reproduction and high detail. Unfortunately, there is a slight oversharp, but it is noticeable only at 100% scale.

Shooting with a device in good lighting conditions, you get real pleasure not only from the result, but also from the process. This is the very magic of Apple. after all, you can already see the final image on the display: no post-processing and “enhancers”.

But of course, after the iPhone XS, XS Max and other smartphones, we no longer have enough ultra-wide-angle or zoom lenses, since such optics open up new possibilities and offer different angles.

The iPhone XR also has HDR, which is automatically enabled, but you can turn it off and on forcibly. To be honest, the automatics work out a little overexposure, but almost nothing with dark zones.

Also, in a very simple (and Apple is also famous for this) camera application, there is a function for creating panoramas. It works quite confidently: gluing is invisible, only minor geometric distortions can be noted. If you hold your smartphone smoothly and slowly, you will probably get a high-quality panorama.

After making sure of the quality of the shooting during the day, we went to test the smartphone indoors with artificial lighting. And again we got a decent result: bright and saturated colors, while natural, high detail. Again, note the transfer of texture. this is unusual and interesting.

By the way, since there is only one camera, there are fewer emulation modes for various studio lighting. only three. There are natural, studio and contour lights left. Thus, the camera has lost a couple of modes. stage light and stage light (Mono).

It is already clear that even with difficult light, the iPhone XR’s camera handled quite well. We only have to test it in low light conditions.

And having done this, we realized that the main camera in the iPhone, its “brains” and processing aLGorithms have been seriously redesigned. Of course, this is not a special night mode with long exposure or multiple exposure, but the resulting image turned out to be of very good quality, with the right colors and details.

A little about the front camera: here it is the same as in the iPhone XS and XS Max, that is, it is built into the same Face ID block. It allows you to unlock your smartphone, send funny animoji to your friends, take cool pictures, videos, and of course, high-quality selfies. It is difficult for her in the dark, but mostly she does her job well.

Apple iPhone XR is good at capturing videos in Full HD, in 4K resolution, as well as recording slow-motion video or time-lapse. We recorded the video from the concert in a difficult light: pay attention to the picture, optical image stabilization and a very decent sound recording. The latter, of course, is not ideal, but as a recording of memories from a concert and as an opportunity to Instagram and YouTube, it will definitely do.

Apple iPhone XR. findings

We admit that the iPhone XR pleasantly surprised us. The formed opinion that this is a budget iPhone, that it is significantly worse than the XS and XS Max, turned out to be wrong. It’s just an iPhone with a different display matrix and a single camera. Otherwise, there is no fundamental difference between the devices. over, many fans of IPS matrices will probably be happy to buy the XR with Liquid Retina instead of the iPhone with OLED matrix.

As a result, a certain disdain for XR affected the first impression, but later we saw a bright (6 colors!) And equally powerful device that works for a long time and at the same time has all the advantages of the “Apple ecosystem”. It is simple and straightforward. Yes, it does not have the usual degree of protection against dust and moisture, and also strains the bezels around the display a little, but these are compromises to which you can close your eyes.

iPhone XR Review: Pros & Cons!

As for the camera, it proved to be a good fellow: a new sensor, improved operation of the neuromodule, new processing aLGorithms. all this solved many of the iPhone‘s problems. The device copes well with shooting in various lighting conditions. At the same time, what you see in the viewfinder will be saved in the gallery; there are no unknown post-processing and other secrets. In fact, most of the complaints about the camera of this iPhone lie in the absence of a zoom lens and, as a result, a full-fledged portrait mode. Otherwise, the disadvantages are the same. there are no manual settings and RAW format. Both of these problems are addressed by third-party applications, from Adobe Lightroom to Focos and Halide.