The iPhone XR (pronounced ten-R) is a smartphone announced by Apple in a special event on September 12, 2018, along with the iPhone XS and XS Max. The device served as a lower-priced alternative to the more expensive iPhone XS. The phone came in 6 different colors: Yellow, Blue, White, Coral, Black, and a special (PRODUCT)RED edition.[1][2] Though it remained available as a budget model after the introduction of the iPhone 11 line in September 2019, it was finally discontinued on September 14, 2021 with the introduction of the iPhone 13 line.[3]
Release[]
The iPhone XR became available for pre-order on October 19, 2020 and was released on October 26. It was larger than the iPhone X with a faster Apple A12 "Bionic" chip, despite its lower price. However, it was positioned towards customers of the iPhone 8 Plus and older who wanted a larger screen and longer battery life at a lower price (starting at US$749 in the United States).[4] The month-long delay of the XR's release after the iPhone XS and XS Max was attributed to challenges in cutting the notch in the LCD display panel manufactured by Japan Display.[5]
Features[]
IPhone XR vs XS - LCD vs OLED!
Cost-cutting was made possible through the use of a more conventional LCD "Liquid Retina" display instead of an OLED-based Super Retina HD display. Instead of dual rear-facing cameras like the iPhone X and XS, the XR had only one rear-facing camera.[1][2] The XR uses a 2x2 MIMO 4G antenna, like the preceding iPhone X, but with less maximum cellular bandwidth than that of the 4x4 antennae in the more expensive iPhone XS and XS Max.[6] The exterior frame is also made of less-expensive aluminum, instead of stainless steel as on the iPhone X and XS.[1]
Specifications[]
- 6.1-inch Liquid Retina display with 326 pixels-per-inch
- Apple A12 Bionic chip with all-new Neural Engine and 3GB of RAM
- 64, 128, and 256 GB of storage
- 12 MP camera with optical image stabilization
- 7 MP front-facing camera with Face ID
- Built-in stereo speakers
- Fast wired and wireless charging
- IP67 water-resistant
- Dual-SIM capable
- 2942 mAh battery (25 hours of talk time, up to 15 hours of internet use, up to 16 hours of video playback, and up to 65 hours of audio playback)
Lawsuits[]
A class action lawsuit was filed in California in April 2020 on behalf of plaintiffs upset that the 2x2 MIMO antenna array of the iPhone XR was "inferior" to the 4x4 version in the more expensive iPhone XS and XS Max.[7] However, this antenna configuration was noted as part of Apple's published technical specifications since the launch of the XR,[8] and the first lawsuit was dropped in June 2020.[9] A second lawsuit was filed in the same court alleging that Apple had profited from knowingly selling technology that was "inferior" to the XS and XS Max.[10] In November 2020, a federal judge allowed the suit to proceed, but trimmed it by throwing out breach of warranty claims.[11]
Display Controversy[]
The iPhone XR uses an IPS LCD display, unlike the iPhone XS that uses an OLED screen. However the display resolution on the iPhone XR is only 828p, which has lower pixel density than many other smartphones at the same same price point.[12] This iPhone's display resolution is lower than 1080p. For reference, the iPhone 6 Plus from 2014 uses a 1080p IPS LCD display. Many customers were not satisfied about the low display resolution, while other reviewers say that this iPhone's display resolution is fine and not a concern. [13][14]
Trivia[]
- The iPhone XR was the first iPhone to feature blue and yellow color options since the iPhone 5C.
- This iPhone has "XR" suffix because the name sounds similar to sport car models. [15]
- It is the best selling smartphone of 2019. [16]
- Over 77.4 million iPhone XR units were sold worldwide. [17]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Apple introduces iPhone XR, Apple Inc. 2018-09-12.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max bring the best and biggest displays to iPhone, Apple Inc. 2018-09-12.
- ↑ iPhone XR and iPhone 12 Pro Discontinued, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 11, and iPhone SE Still Available by Juli Clover, MacRumors. 2021-09-14.
- ↑ iPhone XR available for pre-order on Friday, October 19, Apple Inc. 2018-10-17.
- ↑ Liao, Shannon (2018-09-14). Why the iPhone XR isn’t coming out until October. The Verge.
- ↑ LTE speed tests show the iPhone XS dominates the iPhone X by Chris Mills, Boy Genius Review. 2018-10-02.
- ↑ Lawsuit bemoans iPhone XR's 'inferior,' 'defective' 2x2 MIMO antennas by Mikey Campbell, AppleInsider. 2020-04-07.
- ↑ iPhone XR - Technical Specs, Apple Inc. Archived 2018-09-12.
- ↑ Apple iPhone XR Flawed Antenna Suit Dropped by Plaintiffs by Julie Steinberg, Bloomberg Law. 2020-06-11.
- ↑ Apple facing second lawsuit over iPhone XR's 'inferior' 2x2 MIMO antennas by William Gallagher, AppleInsider. 2020-05-06.
- ↑ Federal judge trims proposed class action lawsuit involving the iPhone XR’s ‘inferior’ antenna by Dennis Sellers, Apple World Today. 2020-11-18.
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deNqaM2RnoU
- ↑ https://www.inverse.com/article/50130-iphone-xr-pixel-densit-controversy-debunked
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpeFbaf6XkM
- ↑ https://9to5mac.com/2018/10/22/iphone-xr-phil-schiller-interview/
- ↑ https://9to5mac.com/2020/02/25/iphone-xr-2019-best-seller/
- ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPhone_XR#:~:text=The%20iPhone%20XR%20was%20Apple's,selling%20smartphone%20of%20all%20time.
External links[]
- iPhone XR at Apple (archived 2018-09-13)
- iPhone XR - Technical Specifications at Apple Support
- Buy iPhone XR (archived 2018-10-25)
- iPhone XR roundup at MacRumors
- iPhone XR at Wikipedia