Apple iPhone 8 Plus vs Apple iPhone XR
A spec-by-spec comparison of the Apple iPhone 8 Plus and the Apple iPhone XR, taken from their full specification sheets. Green marks the better value in each measured row.
Head to head
| Apple iPhone 8 Plus | Apple iPhone XR |
|---|
| Our rating | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Battery | 2,691 mAh | 2,942 mAh |
| Wired charging | 15W | 15W |
| RAM (max) | 3 GB | — |
| Storage (max) | 256 GB | 256 GB |
| Screen size | 5.5 in | 6.1 in |
| Main camera | 12 MP | 12 MP |
| Weight (lower is lighter) | 202 g | 194 g |
| Released | Sep 2017 | Oct 2018 |
Summary: Apple iPhone XR is ahead on battery, screen size, weight (lower is lighter).
★ Which should you buy? Apple iPhone XR is the stronger overall pick on the measured specs.
Researched with AI assistance by infozme.com from manufacturer and retailer sources — see how we research & rate phones.
Display
| Apple iPhone 8 Plus | Apple iPhone XR |
|---|
| Type | Retina IPS LCD, 625 nits (typ) | Liquid Retina IPS LCD, 625 nits (HBM) |
| Size | 5.5 inches, 83.4 cm2 (~67.4% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.1 inches, 90.3 cm² (~79.0% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Resolution | 1080 x 1920 pixels, 16:9 ratio (~401 ppi density) | 828 x 1792 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~326 ppi density) |
| Protection | Ion-strengthened glass, oleophobic coating | Scratch-resistant glass, oleophobic coating |
| Features | Wide color gamut, 3D Touch display & home button, True-tone | True Tone, Wide color display (P3), Haptic Touch |
Platform
| Apple iPhone 8 Plus | Apple iPhone XR |
|---|
| OS | iOS 11, upgradable to iOS 16.7.x | iOS 12, upgradable to iOS 18.7 |
| Chipset | Apple A11 Bionic (10 nm) | Apple A12 Bionic (7 nm) |
| CPU | Hexa-core (2x Monsoon + 4x Mistral) | Hexa-core (2x Vortex + 4x Tempest) |
| GPU | Apple GPU (three-core graphics) | Apple GPU (4-core graphics) |
Memory
| Apple iPhone 8 Plus | Apple iPhone XR |
|---|
| Card slot | No | — |
| Internal | 64GB 3GB RAM, 128GB 3GB RAM, 256GB 3GB RAM | — |
| RAM | — | 3GB LPDDR4X |
| Internal Storage | — | 64GB, 128GB, 256GB NVMe |
| Card Slot | — | No |
Main Camera
| Apple iPhone 8 Plus | Apple iPhone XR |
|---|
| Dual | 12 MP, f/1.8, 28mm (wide), PDAF, OIS; 12 MP, f/2.8, 57mm (telephoto), PDAF, 2x optical zoom | — |
| Features | Quad-LED dual-tone flash, HDR | Quad-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama), Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control, Portrait Lighting (three effects) |
| Video | 4K@24/30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps | 4K@24/30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, OIS, stereo sound rec. |
| Single | — | 12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, PDAF, OIS |
Selfie Camera
| Apple iPhone 8 Plus | Apple iPhone XR |
|---|
| Single | 7 MP, f/2.2 | 7 MP, f/2.2, 32mm (standard) |
| Features | Face detection, HDR, panorama | HDR, Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control, Portrait Lighting, Animoji, Memoji |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 1080p@30/60fps |
Battery
| Apple iPhone 8 Plus | Apple iPhone XR |
|---|
| Type | Li-Ion 2691 mAh, non-removable (10.24 Wh) | Li-Ion 2942 mAh, non-removable |
| Charging | Fast charging 15W, 50% in 30 min (advertised); Qi wireless charging | 15W wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min (advertised); Qi wireless charging |
| Endurance | — | Up to 25 hours talk time, 15 hours internet use, 16 hours video playback, 65 hours audio playback |
Body
| Apple iPhone 8 Plus | Apple iPhone XR |
|---|
| Dimensions | 158.4 x 78.1 x 7.5 mm (6.24 x 3.07 x 0.30 in) | 150.9 x 75.7 x 8.3 mm (5.94 x 2.98 x 0.33 in) |
| Weight | 202 g (7.13 oz) | 194 g (6.84 oz) |
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass), glass back (Gorilla Glass), aluminum frame | Glass front (Corning-made glass), glass back, aluminum frame (7000 series aerospace-grade aluminum) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM | — |
| Water & Dust Resistance | IP67 dust/water resistant (up to 1m for 30 min) | — |
| Water and Dust Resistance | — | IP67 rated (maximum depth of 1 meter for up to 30 minutes) |
Comms
| Apple iPhone 8 Plus | Apple iPhone XR |
|---|
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, hotspot |
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS | — |
| NFC | Yes (Apple Pay only) | Yes (for Apple Pay) |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | Lightning, USB 2.0 | Lightning, USB 2.0 |
| GPS | — | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS |
Launch
| Apple iPhone 8 Plus | Apple iPhone XR |
|---|
| Announced | 2017, September 12 | September 12, 2018 |
| Released | 2017, September 22 | — |
| Status | — | Available. Discontinued September 14, 2021. |
Frequently asked questions
Which has the better battery, Apple iPhone 8 Plus or Apple iPhone XR?
Apple iPhone XR — 2,691 mAh for the Apple iPhone 8 Plus versus 2,942 mAh for the Apple iPhone XR.
Which is lighter, Apple iPhone 8 Plus or Apple iPhone XR?
Apple iPhone XR — 202 g for the Apple iPhone 8 Plus versus 194 g for the Apple iPhone XR.
Which is newer, Apple iPhone 8 Plus or Apple iPhone XR?
Apple iPhone XR — Sep 2017 for the Apple iPhone 8 Plus versus Oct 2018 for the Apple iPhone XR.
Is the Apple iPhone 8 Plus or the Apple iPhone XR rated higher?
We rate the Apple iPhone 8 Plus 7/10 and the Apple iPhone XR 7/10.
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