Despite its size suggesting otherwise, the iPhone XR replaces the iPhone 8 in Apple’s iPhone lineup. This is more because of the way it has been priced as it is the cheapest newest iPhone in Apple’s 2018 iPhone lineup. There’s a huge size difference between the two but given how Apple has priced the iPhone XR, it is likely going to be the most popular iPhone of all the three handsets.

What is the difference between iPhone XR and iPhone 8?

So, how does the iPhone 8 compare to the iPhone XR? Is the latter really that much better? Let’s find out in our comparison.

Design

• iPhone XR – 150.9 x 75.7 x 8.3 mm and 194g, IP67 certified
• iPhone 8 – 138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3 mm and 148g, IP67 certified

The iPhone XR is substantially larger than the iPhone 8. This is largely due to the former coming with a bigger 6.1-inch LCD display. Despite the 1.4-inch jump in screen size, the iPhone XR is still relatively compact since it features an almost bezel-less display. Both phones are IP67 certified. Unlike the iPhone 8, the iPhone XR is also available in a bunch of colors including Red, Yellow, and Orange.

Display

• iPhone XR – 6.1-inch True Tone Liquid Retina LCD display, 1792 x 828 pixels (326 ppi), No 3D Touch
• iPhone 8 – 4.7-inch True Tone Retina HD IPS LCD display, 1334 x 750 pixel (326 ppi), 3D Touch

The iPhone XR comes with a bigger and higher resolution Liquid Retina display. Apple claims it is the most color accurate LCD display in the market right now. However, unlike the 4.7-inch display of the iPhone 8, the iPhone XR lacks 3D Touch.

Processor

• iPhone XR – A12 Bionic, 7nm chip, 6-core CPU which is 15 percent faster, 50 percent faster 4-core GPU, 8-core Neural engine
• iPhone 8 – A11 Bionic, 10nm chip, 6-core CPU, 4-core GPU, Neural engine

Apple’s A11 Bionic chip from last year is still a powerhouse when it comes to performance. With the iPhone Xs though, Apple is taking things to a different level altogether. The two performance cores in A12 bionic are up to 15 percent faster, while the 4 efficiency cores consume 50 percent less power when compared to the A11 Bionic. The 4-core GPU also offers 50 percent faster performance when compared to the A11 Bionic and it has been optimized specifically for Metal 2.

The 8-core Neural engine is getting a massive performance boost as well. It is now capable of processing 5 trillion operations per second, while the A11 Bionic’s Neural engine tops out at 600 million operations/sec. This allows the A12 Bionic to complete certain system tasks faster and also greatly helps in quickly completing complex calculations for Memoji and Animoji.

Storage

• iPhone XR – 64GB, 128GB, 256GB
• iPhone 8 – 64GB, 256GB

While Apple offers the iPhone 8 in two different storage tiers of 64GB and 256GB, it offers the iPhone XR in three different storage tiers: 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB.

Camera

• iPhone XR – Single 12MP camera setup with f/1.8, 1.4um large pixels, OIS, Smart HDR, Focus Pixels, Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth control, Quad-LED True Tone Flash
• iPhone 8 – Single 12MP camera setup with f/1.8 aperture, 1.22um pixel pitch, OIS, Auto HDR, Focus Pixels, Quad-LED True Tone Flash

The iPhone XR and iPhone 8 both feature a 12MP shooter at its rear. While they might look the same, the iPhone XR features a bigger camera sensor with bigger 1.4um pixel pitch. It also has Smart HDR for improved dynamic range and details. The new camera sensor on the iPhone XR allows for wider dynamic range while recording videos in 30fps, with both phones also capable of recording stereo around while video recording.

Front Camera

• iPhone XR – 7MP TrueDepth Camera, f/2.2 aperture, Retina Flash, Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth control, Smart HDR
• iPhone 8 – 7MP FaceTime HD camera, f/2.2 aperture, Retina Flash, Auto HDR

The iPhone XR 7MP camera is a huge upgrade over the iPhone 8. It is a TrueDepth camera system which means it is capable of 3D depth sensing which is used to offer features like Memoji and Animoji. The TrueDepth camera system also paves the way for Face ID. It is also capable of capturing Portrait photos with fake bokeh effect, something which one cannot do on the iPhone 8 Plus.

Biometric Authentication

• iPhone XR – The handset solely relies on Face ID for biometric authentication
• iPhone 8 – It features Touch ID sensor integrated into the home button at the front

The lack of Touch ID on the iPhone XR will definitely bug a lot of people. However, the iPhone XR comes with second-generation Face ID which is faster and more accurate than ever before.

Connectivity

• iPhone XR – Dual SIM/eSIM, LTE-Advanced, Wi-Fi ac with MIMO, Bluetooth 5.0, VoLTE, NFC with reader mode
• iPhone 8 – Single SIM, LTE-Advanced, Wi-Fi ac with MIMO, Bluetooth 5.0, VoLTE, NFC with reader mode

The iPhone 8 features single SIM connectivity, while the iPhone XR just like the iPhone XS and XS Max features dual-SIM connectivity.

Battery

• iPhone XR – Lasts up to 1.5 hours longer than the iPhone 8 Plus, 25 hours talk time, 15 hours of internet use
• iPhone 8 – Lasts about the same as iPhone 7, 14 hours talk time, 12 hours of internet use

One area where the iPhone XR excels over the iPhone 8 and other iPhones is in terms of battery life. The handset offers almost 2x the talk time of iPhone 8 and truly offers an ‘all-day’ battery life. Both phones also support fast wired charging and 7.5W wireless charging.

Pricing

As the comparison above shows, the iPhone XR is significantly better than the iPhone 8 in many departments. And this shows in their pricing.

• iPhone XR – Starts from $749
• iPhone 8 – Starts from $499

What do you think about the iPhone XR? Will you upgrade to it from an iPhone 8 or even an iPhone 7? Drop a comment and let us know!