Apple iPhone XR vs Google Pixel 3
A spec-by-spec comparison of the Apple iPhone XR and the Google Pixel 3, taken from their full specification sheets. Green marks the better value in each measured row.
Head to head
| Apple iPhone XR | Google Pixel 3 |
|---|
| Price | £114 | £85 |
| Our rating | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Battery | 2,942 mAh | 2,915 mAh |
| Wired charging | 15W | 18W |
| Storage (max) | 256 GB | 128 GB |
| Screen size | 6.1 in | 5.5 in |
| Main camera | 12 MP | 12.2 MP |
| Weight (lower is lighter) | 194 g | 148 g |
| Released | Oct 2018 | Oct 2018 |
Summary: Apple iPhone XR is ahead on battery, storage (max), screen size. Google Pixel 3 is ahead on wired charging, main camera, weight (lower is lighter).
★ Which should you buy? Specs are close to an even split here, so Google Pixel 3 is the better buy — the extra cost of the other one isn't matched by a clear spec advantage.
Researched with AI assistance by infozme.com from manufacturer and retailer sources — see how we research & rate phones.
Display
| Apple iPhone XR | Google Pixel 3 |
|---|
| Type | Liquid Retina IPS LCD, 625 nits (HBM) | P-OLED, HDR |
| Size | 6.1 inches, 90.3 cm² (~79.0% screen-to-body ratio) | 5.5 inches, 76.7 cm2 (~77.2% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Resolution | 828 x 1792 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~326 ppi density) | 1080 x 2160 pixels, 18:9 ratio (~443 ppi density) |
| Protection | Scratch-resistant glass, oleophobic coating | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Features | True Tone, Wide color display (P3), Haptic Touch | — |
Platform
| Apple iPhone XR | Google Pixel 3 |
|---|
| OS | iOS 12, upgradable to iOS 18.7 | — |
| Chipset | Apple A12 Bionic (7 nm) | Qualcomm SDM845 Snapdragon 845 (10 nm) |
| CPU | Hexa-core (2x Vortex + 4x Tempest) | Octa-core (4x2.5 GHz Kryo 385 Gold & 4x1.6 GHz Kryo 385 Silver) |
| GPU | Apple GPU (4-core graphics) | Adreno 630 |
Memory
| Apple iPhone XR | Google Pixel 3 |
|---|
| RAM | 3GB LPDDR4X | 4GB LPDDR4X |
| Internal Storage | 64GB, 128GB, 256GB NVMe | 64GB or 128GB |
| Card Slot | No | No |
Main Camera
| Apple iPhone XR | Google Pixel 3 |
|---|
| Single | 12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, PDAF, OIS | 12.2 MP, f/1.8, 28mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS |
| Features | Quad-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama), Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control, Portrait Lighting (three effects) | Dual-LED flash, Pixel Visual Core, Auto-HDR, panorama |
| Video | 4K@24/30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, OIS, stereo sound rec. | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps, 720p@240fps |
Selfie Camera
| Apple iPhone XR | Google Pixel 3 |
|---|
| Single | 7 MP, f/2.2, 32mm (standard) | — |
| Features | HDR, Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control, Portrait Lighting, Animoji, Memoji | Auto-HDR |
| Video | 1080p@30/60fps | 1080p@30fps |
| Dual | — | 8 MP, f/1.8, 28mm (wide), PDAF; 8 MP, f/2.2, 19mm (ultrawide), no AF |
Battery
| Apple iPhone XR | Google Pixel 3 |
|---|
| Type | Li-Ion 2942 mAh, non-removable | Li-Po 2915 mAh, non-removable |
| Charging | 15W wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min (advertised); Qi wireless charging | 18W wired, PD2.0; 10W wireless (Qi) with Pixel Stand, 5W with other Qi chargers |
| Endurance | Up to 25 hours talk time, 15 hours internet use, 16 hours video playback, 65 hours audio playback | — |
Body
| Apple iPhone XR | Google Pixel 3 |
|---|
| Dimensions | 150.9 x 75.7 x 8.3 mm (5.94 x 2.98 x 0.33 in) | 145.6 x 68.2 x 7.9 mm (5.73 x 2.69 x 0.31 in) |
| Weight | 194 g (6.84 oz) | 148 g (5.22 oz) |
| Build | Glass front (Corning-made glass), glass back, aluminum frame (7000 series aerospace-grade aluminum) | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame |
| Water and Dust Resistance | IP67 rated (maximum depth of 1 meter for up to 30 minutes) | — |
| SIM | — | Nano-SIM and/or eSIM |
| Water & Dust Resistance | — | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins) |
Comms
| Apple iPhone XR | Google Pixel 3 |
|---|
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, hotspot |
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD |
| GPS | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS | — |
| NFC | Yes (for Apple Pay) | Yes |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | Lightning, USB 2.0 | USB Type-C 3.1 |
| Positioning | — | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
Launch
| Apple iPhone XR | Google Pixel 3 |
|---|
| Announced | September 12, 2018 | October 2018 |
| Status | Available. Discontinued September 14, 2021. | Available. Released 2018, October 18 |
| OS at Launch | — | Android 9.0 (Pie), upgradable to Android 12 |
Frequently asked questions
Which has the better battery, Apple iPhone XR or Google Pixel 3?
Apple iPhone XR — 2,942 mAh for the Apple iPhone XR versus 2,915 mAh for the Google Pixel 3.
Which is lighter, Apple iPhone XR or Google Pixel 3?
Google Pixel 3 — 194 g for the Apple iPhone XR versus 148 g for the Google Pixel 3.
Which is newer, Apple iPhone XR or Google Pixel 3?
Apple iPhone XR — Oct 2018 for the Apple iPhone XR versus Oct 2018 for the Google Pixel 3.
Is the Apple iPhone XR or the Google Pixel 3 rated higher?
We rate the Apple iPhone XR 7/10 and the Google Pixel 3 7/10.
Best phone lists →
