Apple iPhone XR vs Apple iPhone XS
A spec-by-spec comparison of the Apple iPhone XR and the Apple iPhone XS, taken from their full specification sheets. Green marks the better value in each measured row.
Head to head
| Apple iPhone XR | Apple iPhone XS |
|---|
| Price | £114 | £144 |
| Our rating | 7/10 | 8/10 |
| Battery | 2,942 mAh | 2,658 mAh |
| Wired charging | 15W | 18W |
| Storage (max) | 256 GB | 512 GB |
| Screen size | 6.1 in | 5.8 in |
| Main camera | 12 MP | 63 MP |
| Weight (lower is lighter) | 194 g | 177 g |
| Released | Oct 2018 | Sep 2018 |
Summary: Apple iPhone XR is ahead on battery, screen size. Apple iPhone XS is ahead on our rating, wired charging, storage (max), main camera.
★ Which should you buy? Apple iPhone XS is the stronger overall pick on the measured specs. If budget matters more than the extra capability, Apple iPhone XR is the cheaper option.
Researched with AI assistance by infozme.com from manufacturer and retailer sources — see how we research & rate phones.
Display
| Apple iPhone XR | Apple iPhone XS |
|---|
| Type | Liquid Retina IPS LCD, 625 nits (HBM) | Super Retina OLED, HDR, 625 nits (typical) |
| Size | 6.1 inches, 90.3 cm² (~79.0% screen-to-body ratio) | 5.8 inches |
| Resolution | 828 x 1792 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~326 ppi density) | 1125 x 2436 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~458 ppi density) |
| Protection | Scratch-resistant glass, oleophobic coating | Scratch-resistant glass, oleophobic coating |
| Features | True Tone, Wide color display (P3), Haptic Touch | True Tone, Wide color gamut, 3D Touch |
Platform
| Apple iPhone XR | Apple iPhone XS |
|---|
| OS | iOS 12, upgradable to iOS 18.7 | iOS 12, upgradable to iOS 18.7 (as of 2026) |
| Chipset | Apple A12 Bionic (7 nm) | Apple A12 Bionic (7 nm) |
| CPU | Hexa-core (2x Vortex + 4x Tempest) | Hexa-core (2x2.5 GHz Vortex + 4x1.6 GHz Tempest) |
| GPU | Apple GPU (4-core graphics) | Apple GPU (4-core graphics) |
| Neural Engine | — | 8-core Next-generation Neural Engine |
Memory
| Apple iPhone XR | Apple iPhone XS |
|---|
| RAM | 3GB LPDDR4X | 4GB |
| Internal Storage | 64GB, 128GB, 256GB NVMe | 64GB, 256GB, 512GB (NVMe) |
| Card Slot | No | No |
Main Camera
| Apple iPhone XR | Apple iPhone XS |
|---|
| Single | 12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, PDAF, OIS | — |
| Features | Quad-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama), Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control, Portrait Lighting (three effects) | Quad-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama), Panorama (up to 63MP), Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control, Smart HDR |
| Video | 4K@24/30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, OIS, stereo sound rec. | 4K@24/30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR, stereo sound rec. |
| Dual | — | 12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS; 12 MP, f/2.4, 52mm (telephoto), 1/3.4", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 2x optical zoom |
Selfie Camera
| Apple iPhone XR | Apple iPhone XS |
|---|
| Single | 7 MP, f/2.2, 32mm (standard) | 7 MP, f/2.2, 32mm (standard) |
| Features | HDR, Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control, Portrait Lighting, Animoji, Memoji | HDR, Portrait mode |
| Video | 1080p@30/60fps | 1080p@30fps |
Battery
| Apple iPhone XR | Apple iPhone XS |
|---|
| Type | Li-Ion 2942 mAh, non-removable | Li-Ion 2658 mAh, non-removable |
| Charging | 15W wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min (advertised); Qi wireless charging | 15W wired, 50% in 30 min (advertised, with 18W adapter sold separately); Qi wireless charging |
| Endurance | Up to 25 hours talk time, 15 hours internet use, 16 hours video playback, 65 hours audio playback | Talk time: Up to 20h; Internet use: Up to 12h; Video playback: Up to 14h; Audio playback: Up to 60h |
Body
| Apple iPhone XR | Apple iPhone XS |
|---|
| Dimensions | 150.9 x 75.7 x 8.3 mm (5.94 x 2.98 x 0.33 in) | 143.6 x 70.9 x 7.7 mm (5.65 x 2.79 x 0.30 in) |
| Weight | 194 g (6.84 oz) | 177 g (6.24 oz) |
| Build | Glass front (Corning-made glass), glass back, aluminum frame (7000 series aerospace-grade aluminum) | Glass front (Gorilla Glass), glass back (Gorilla Glass), stainless steel frame |
| Water and Dust Resistance | IP67 rated (maximum depth of 1 meter for up to 30 minutes) | — |
| Water & Dust Resistance | — | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 2m for 30 mins) |
Comms
| Apple iPhone XR | Apple iPhone XS |
|---|
| 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 |
| GPS | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS | GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS |
| NFC | Yes (for Apple Pay) | Yes |
| Radio | No | — |
| USB | Lightning, USB 2.0 | Lightning, USB 2.0 |
Launch
| Apple iPhone XR | Apple iPhone XS |
|---|
| Announced | September 12, 2018 | September 12, 2018 |
| Status | Available. Discontinued September 14, 2021. | Released September 21, 2018. Discontinued September 10, 2019. |
Frequently asked questions
Which has the better battery, Apple iPhone XR or Apple iPhone XS?
Apple iPhone XR — 2,942 mAh for the Apple iPhone XR versus 2,658 mAh for the Apple iPhone XS.
Which is lighter, Apple iPhone XR or Apple iPhone XS?
Apple iPhone XS — 194 g for the Apple iPhone XR versus 177 g for the Apple iPhone XS.
Which is newer, Apple iPhone XR or Apple iPhone XS?
Apple iPhone XR — Oct 2018 for the Apple iPhone XR versus Sep 2018 for the Apple iPhone XS.
Is the Apple iPhone XR or the Apple iPhone XS rated higher?
We rate the Apple iPhone XR 7/10 and the Apple iPhone XS 8/10.
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