iPhone XR Top Features

Top 5
New Features
of the
iPhone XR

Since 2011, Apple has been announcing and releasing new generations of iPhone every fall. On September 21, 2018, they continued the pattern, releasing the latest models on the market — the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max. A month later — October 26, to be exact — came the iPhone XR.

Even with a one-month head-start, by the end of 2018, the iPhone XR was Apple's best-selling iPhone, with a steady lead over the XS and XS Max models. The XR was a huge hit, outselling both XS models on its first day and continued to every day after.

Realistically, the delayed release likely helped iPhone XR sales. The peak sale time for any electronic is the release week, so by the time the XR became available, the hype for the other models had died down.

Along with the timing, Apple created the XR with the idea that it would be an economically beneficial option — a new entry-level. Resembling somewhat of a morph between the iPhone 8 and XS, the iPhone XR has enough upgraded features to make it totally worth sacrificing the few it doesn't include.

These features aren't just aesthetically pleasing, either. They're useful, and chances are you'll love using them. With so many benefits at an entry-level price, it's easy to see why Apple die-hards and converts alike are choosing the XR over its pricier siblings.

Here are the top five iPhone XR features you should use:

1. The Big, Bad A12 Bionic Processor

Processor updates have always been a big deal. Remember when the A11 Bionic processor chip came out, and every Apple fan got psyched for faster phones? Well, that's old news now.

The iPhone XR features the latest and greatest in smartphone processors — the 7 nanometer A12 Bionic chip with next-generation Neural Engine. It just sounds cooler, and it's a significant upgrade.

With an A12 chip, iPhones run all six cores of the hexa-core CPU unit simultaneously — two cores for performance and four cores for efficiency. The high-performance cores are 15% faster than those in the A11 chip, and the high-efficiency cores make the A12 chip a whopping 50% more power efficient.

Add this all to a 50% faster four-core GPU, and you've got the most instantaneous phone processing system on the market — yes, faster than every other smartphone to date.

And then there's the Neural Engine. If the CPU and GPU units are the brawn, then the Neural Engine is the brains of the operation. It gives your iPhone the ability to predict, recognize patterns, learn from its experiences and perform 5 trillion operations per second.

This high-speed, exceedingly efficient system provides you with 30% faster application launch speeds. It'll also save power on processing, leaving you with longer battery life. Now, you can comment on all your friends' social media posts faster and without draining your battery. Or play the game you love with less lag.

The A12 chip works smarter and harder for your phone, meaning you can do work even more efficiently. Most people integrate their smartphones into their work life — whether it's taking calls, checking emails, keeping a calendar or doing research.

But when you're in a time crunch, a slow phone can waste the minutes you need to hit a deadline, respond to that urgent email or look up the location of the meeting two minutes before it's supposed to start. We've all been there.

With the A12 Bionic chip, you don't have to worry. The iPhone XR will go just as fast as your thumbs do.

2. Bigger Screen, Better Display

We know you love your screen. It's a vital part of operating and enjoying your phone. Even in smaller models, the iPhone screens have been notoriously advanced.

But do you ever wish there was more of it? And that it could be even more beautiful than it already is?

The iPhone XR has delivered with a 6.1-inch diagonal screen. In comparison, the iPhone 8 screen measures 4.7 inches diagonally. The XR is even larger than the X and XS models.

Apple decided to get rid of the square corners and border of previous screens, giving this beauty a rounded display that flows right to the edges of the phone, providing you with a 1792-by-828-pixel resolution.

No home button? No worries. The iPhone XR is completely reconfigured so you can access everything you need by swiping. For notifications and the control center functions, users swipe down from the top of the screen on the left and right sides, respectively. Now, swiping up brings you to the home screen and App Switcher, where you can change and quit applications.

The XR also has the new Haptic Touch feature, replacing the 3D Touch in prior phones and the other X models. This is a hardware-to-software based change, necessary to implement the edge-to-edge screen design.

Rather than pressing harder, the Haptic Touch is time-based, so there are different functionalities for how long you hold your finger on the screen. Haptic responses provide you with feedback when you press long enough.

You'll also have the experience of viewing all your photos, videos and various applications on a Liquid Retina LCD screen, a step up from the iPhone 8's regular retina display and the most advanced LCD available. It is as true to color as an LCD screen can get, and it's only available in the iPhone XR.

It always feels odd getting used to a new screen size and configuration, but the iPhone XR will allow you more room to adjust. The larger screen is better for gaming, viewing and editing photos, reading and even accomplishing daily to-do's, like responding to emails.

With a big, beautiful display at your fingertips, you'll be able to enjoy whatever you choose to do with it.

3. No More Low-Battery Blues

Low battery is a bummer, even if you happen to have a charging cable with you. Some people bring portable chargers with them to ensure a full day of battery life. Others lower their brightness and turn power-saving mode and do not disturb on in desperation.

Some just watch as the life drains slowly — or quickly — from their phone, having accepted their fates.

Okay, that's a bit dramatic, but you know the feeling. Everyone loves having more time, and no one loves hitting the dreaded 20% warning. The iPhone XR has the longest battery life available in an iPhone model ever, even beating out the X and XS models, so you won't have to resort to drastic measures to stretch your last 20%.

As compared to the iPhone XS, the XR has five more hours of battery life and talk time. The efficiency of the A12 Bionic chip means each process uses less energy, allowing you more use every day.

It also has three more hours of internet use, two more hours of video watch time, and five more hours of audio time. Heightened efficiency means apps running in the background won't drain your phone nearly as quickly, and when the XR is resting, it barely loses any battery percentage.

If you want an even more compelling and specific idea of how much better the battery life is, after running Netflix for a full hour, the XR battery will only decrease by about 4%. And that's with cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and the automatic display settings still enabled.

The iPhone XR is great for your needs, and it's also better for the environment. With slower battery consumption, the XR needs less charging, meaning less energy waste overall.

With so much more battery time available, you'll be able to handle that cross-country flight without depriving yourself of entertainment. Or DJ that long car ride. Or call your friend for the third time today. And don't worry, you'll still have more than enough time to try out those new photo filters.

4. Take Portraits to a New Depth

If there's one thing every iPhone enthusiast looks for in the latest launch, it's how Apple has outdone itself — yet again — with the camera updates.

Professional photographers, hobbyists, and casual selfie-takers all unite over the incredible strides these advanced smartphone cameras have made since their inception. And they just keep getting better. The iPhone XR has some of the most advanced features available.

One of the most significant features is the portrait mode. It's better than ever in the XR. With the help of the Neural Engine, this iPhone can take depth portraits with a single camera.

When in portrait mode, the Neural Engine detects faces, recognizes facial landmarks, applies the right portrait lighting and separates the subject from the background. These layers of analysis allow for a better portrait and more editing features, such as adjustable depth control, bokeh, and lighting effects.

Even the front-facing camera has gotten an upgrade. With the TrueDepth front camera, a significant improvement from the iPhone 8's FaceTime HD camera, portrait mode has made its way into the selfie world. The XR now gives you quality picture and video from both sides, including the new portrait mode features and 30 frames-per-second (fps) filming speed.

The TrueDepth camera also allows for facial recognition, so you can unlock your phone and enjoy the fun Animoji and Memoji features.

And there's more. Smart HDR is new to the iPhone XR and other X models, a significant improvement from the 8's auto HDR.

Smart HDR uses sensors twice as fast as auto HDR and advanced algorithms to balance the shadows and highlights of your photo for the best quality picture possible — before you even take the shot. It captures more detail in low and bright lighting, with no shutter lag, so you can get a clear shot of any moment.

The cameras are certainly one of the best features about the iPhone XR. With so many major upgrades, the XR is closer to the other X series models than it is to the 8.

For amateur and professional photographers, this is a big deal. If you need to take a high-quality photo in a pinch — for an artistic project or work, whether it's a landscape shot or a portrait — the XR delivers. No need to lug around heavy equipment. With the new camera features by your side at all times, you'll never miss a shot.

For everyone else, it's still a big deal. Your memories are important. When you look to capture a moment, you deserve to have the best possible photo quality in any lighting or environment. The iPhone XR allows you to take that candid shot with quality that'll make it one for the photo album.

5. Capture More With High-Quality Video Recording

The major improvements don't just stop at photos.

Additionally, the camera shoots video in 4k at an impressive 30fps. It captures four times the amount of information as your typical 1080p, which most smartphone cameras use to record. You can zoom in and out without sacrificing any video clarity, making it perfect for filming interviews or mini-documentaries. Or even just videos of your pets.

It also brings another new feature to the front — cinematic stabilization. Combined with the improved fps speed, you can shoot better video without worrying about blurriness.

All of these improve video image quality, a typical sort of upgrade for new iPhone releases. But Apple has made some improvement in the audio recording department, as well.

With the XR, instead of just one microphone, you get four. Yes, four — three on either side of the charging port and one in the earpiece. This means your high-quality videos will also benefit from stereo recording, which is a drastic improvement in quality in comparison to the single-microphone models.

Those precious memories just got a little clearer. The iPhone XR's video recording capabilities make it the perfect device for anything from making your next vacation film to shooting a professional project for school or work. With the stereo recording, it's also suited for live music, meaning those concert videos and song recordings will sound much better — about four times better.

The Best iPhone XR Features You Should Be Using

With so many new, useful features at entry level expense, the iPhone XR is the clear frontrunner of the latest X series of iPhones. Closer in price to the iPhone 8, but closer in advancements to the XS models, the XR is the best value available for all Apple fans.

The XR provides you with an unrivaled processor, featuring the powerful A12 Bionic chip, and 6.1 inches of beautiful Liquid Retina display. Combine that with high battery efficiency, higher-quality photography and advanced video upgrades, and you've got the powerhouse that is the new iPhone XR.

If these features are calling to you and you want to get your hands on the newest iPhone model, you can — and you can save hundreds when you buy certified pre-owned. At Gazelle, we offer a wide selection of carriers, models, and conditions, so you can find the right phone for you at the right price.

We want you to get all the features you deserve, without breaking the bank. Check out our selection of iPhones, including the latest XR model.