The slightly more affordable Apple iPhone Xr is the iPhone 5c/SE of this generation

It’s hard not to think of the iPhone Xr as being a bit like the modern version of the much-derided iPhone 5c, with the comparatively lower price tag and the six colorful launch options. But that would be doing the phone an injustice because the principle behind it is more like the well-received iPhone SE that packed current-gen technology into the previous-gen design.

The iPhone Xr features the new A12 Bionic SoC with its increased performance and efficiency. It also gets the neural processor cores that help with AI functions, such as camera enhancements. The inclusion of the neural processor is an important one here since the iPhone Xr is the only 2018 iPhone to feature a single rear camera. The extra AI ability should help with creating more convincing portrait shots (possibly like the Pixel 2) without the assistance of an extra sensor to help with depth perception.

The front of the phone looks like the iPhone X with thicker bezels, while the body uses an aluminum and glass construction similar to the iPhone 8. Apple has used a 6.1-inch LCD panel on the front, putting its size in between the two ‘Xs’ variants. Using an LCD instead of an OLED means the colors won’t appear as saturated and contrast won’t be as high, but this isn’t really a negative since good quality LCDs are still very nice to look at.

Other features that carry over from the more expensive options include iOS 12 with the tweaks it brings, dual SIM (Nano-SIM + eSIM), and gigabit LTE.

Specifications:

• SoC: A12 Bionic
• Storage: 64/128/256 GB
• Screen: 6.1-inch 1792 x 828 IPS LCD, 625cd/m2, true tone
• Cameras: 12 MP f/1.8 (rear); 7 MP f/2.2 (front)
• Colors: Black, white, blue, yellow, coral, and PRODUCT(RED)
• IP67

The MSRP for the iPhone Xr is US$749, but you will need to wait longer to get hold of one with pre-orders starting on 19 October and availability from 26 October. A portion of the sale on PRODUCT(RED) models goes towards HIV/AIDS research.