Apple iPhone XR first impression: Colourful premium mobile

After releasing iPhone XS and XS Max, Apple is all set to roll-out iPhone XR in global markets, including India, on October 26.

Depending on the storage capacity, the new iPhone XR's price ranges between Rs 76,900 and Rs 91,900, much less than the base variant of the iPhone XS series which begins at Rs 99,900 for the 64GB model.

I had the opportunity to check out the new iPhone XR before the official launch and here's my initial impression of Apple's affordable flagship mobile.

Design, display and build quality:

When looked from the front, Apple's new iPhone XR is identical to the iPhone XS series and the iPhone X before it, but the similarity ends there. It comes with the same uni-brow notch on the top with the TrueDepth camera module, which houses advanced sensors including Dot projector, flood illuminator and IR camera for the Face ID feature.

It sports a 6.1-inch true tone LCD screen, touted as Liquid Retina Display and comes with a pixel density is 326 (pixels per inch). It has one of the brightest display for a mobile and I had no issues while viewing contents under direct sunlight.

On the back, it houses just a single 12MP primary camera on the top left corner and the Apple logo in the centre and other standard details, which we see in all iPhones.

At the base, the iPhone XR comes with symmetrical speakers on both sides unlike the iPhone XS series, where the antenna lines cut through the right speaker grille.

On the right edge of the frame, it features the side button and below it, Apple has incorporated SIM tray slot. And n the left side, it houses volume (up and down) rockers and the silent/ring mode button on top.

Apple iPhone XR comes with IP67 certification which means that the device can survive submerged underwater for up to 1.5 meters (around five feet) for close to 30 minutes.

It also flaunts aerospace grade aluminium frame around the edges compared to the stainless steel we see in the iPhone XS series. Rest assured, Apple iPhone XR is a true premium phone in every sense and better than most of the Android flagship phones.

And, on the back too, the company has used the same aluminium material with sturdy glass on top, which allows the device to support wireless charging.

The company has used similar glass material on top of the display too. I have been using the iPhone XR for a few days and have to say, it has remained scratch-free despite it coming in contact with the keys in the pocket.

The most interesting thing about the iPhone XR is its beautiful colour options. It is available in white, black, blue, yellow, coral and (PRODUCT) RED edition. During the demo, I was shown all the colourways and my favourites were the crimson and yellow shaded models.

But, have to say this topic is very subjective, because, my review unit too, looks fantastic in the snow white colour. The company has done a wonderful paint job on the shell and also the silver-hued chassis around the iPhone XR's contours blends beautifully with the glass-covered shell.

Same goes with the other coloured models too. It's up to the individual tastes, so I recommend consumers to go Apple store to see all the models. Believe me, it will be an arduous task to pick one, as all are visually appealing.

Processor and storage:

Under-the-hood, it houses a proprietary 7nm class 6-core A12 Bionic processor same as seen in the top-end iPhone XS.  Additionally, it comes integrated with the 8-core neural engine and 4-core GPU. With such advanced technology, it is capable of processing five trillion operations per second, making A12 Bionic, the most powerful chipset for a mobile phone in the industry.

During the brief time I have spent with the iPhone XR, it has been a super smooth experience. I will be sharing more in-depth about the device's capabilities in the full review next week.

Apple iPhone XR comes in three storage options—64GB, 128GB and 256GB.

Battery:

Like for previous iPhones, Apple hasn't revealed the battery capacity of the iPhone XR. But, it claims the new mobile will offer close 25 hours of talk time, up to 15 hours internet use, close to 16 hours of video playback and up to 65 hours of audio playback.

Yes, the iPhone XR too comes with fast charging capability. Sadly, it does not come with a quick charger in the retail box. On the bright side, it is compatible with any Qi-certified third-party chargers and is capable of charging from 0% to 50% in under 30 minutes.

Camera:

On the back, Apple iPhone XR houses a feature-rich 12MP sensor with Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS), 5x digital zoom, Wide colours capture for photos and live photos, Quad-LED True Tone flash with Slow sync, Portrait mode with advanced Bokeh and depth control (F16-F1.4), Portrait Lighting with three effects (Natural, Studio, Contour).

The key aspect of the iPhone XR is the Smart HDR and it truly lives up to expectations. The resulting images come with detailed information even in the shadows where the light is very low.

Even in the night, it took some really good snaps. Thanks to true tone flash, the colours of the subject are near accurate in the picture.

On the front, like the iPhone XS (review) and the iPhone XS Max (review) series, the iPhone XR's houses same 7MP camera and supports Portrait mode with advanced Bokeh and depth control (F16-F1.4). It takes good selfies with blur effect. Also, it supports Animoji and Memoji features with accurate facial movements' mimicking capability too.

Apple iPhone XR models-- 64GB, 128GB and 256GB storages will go on sale for Rs 76,900, Rs 81,900 and Rs 91,900, respectively from 26 October onward at all authorised Apple product stores.

Key specifications of Apple iPhone XR:

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