Apple welcomes ‘entry-level’ iPhone Xr

Entry-level might be a contentious term to call an iPhone but the new iPhone Xr definitely the cheapest one you can get from the new iPhones that Apple just launched a few hours ago. Pricing starts at $1,029 for the 64GB version and it goes up to $1,239 for the 256GB model (you get a $1,099 128GB model, too). This cheaper iPhone model doesn’t scrimp much on the specs. You still get a large 6.1-inch display packed into the form factor of the iPhone 8 Plus’s 5.5-inch frame. Its battery life is said to last an hour and a half more than the 8 Plus’s. And it even uses Apple’s new 7-nanometer A12 Bionic chip, which powers the more expensive Xs and Xs Max. It also features the design last year’s iPhone X made popular: a notched, almost-bezel-less screen. But this time it comes in more eye-catching colours: White, Black, Blue, Yellow, Coral, and a (PRODUCT)RED version. It will also support a dual SIM setup through nano and eSIM combo and run on iOS 12.

But there are some things Apple had to leave out or downgrade so they can offer this at a lower price. It carries an IP67 rating for water and dust protection. And it features a new “Liquid Retina” LCD display in place of an OLED screen. Apple claims it’s the most advanced LCD in a smartphone ever. It also has an aluminum frame instead of a stainless steel one. And instead of dual-camera setup in the back, you get a single 12-megapixel wide-angle shooter, which can still create portrait-style photos. There is also no 3D Touch on this version.

Now, if any of these features don’t seem to be too big of a miss for you and you come from one of the older generation iPhones, the iPhone Xr will work as an excellent entry-point into this new age of iPhones. The iPhone Xr will be available for pre-order starting Friday, October 19 and will be in stores the following Friday, October 26.