First Impressions From New iPhone XR Owners

We've seen plenty of iPhone XR reviews from media sites that Apple invited to test the new device ahead of its release, but now that the iPhone XR has officially launched in all countries around the world, iPhone XR first impressions from regular Apple customers are now available.

New iPhone XR owners on Reddit, Twitter, and the MacRumors forums have been sharing their opinions on the new device, and for those considering a purchase, thoughts from average consumers provide useful insight.

iphonexrredcorgi

iPhone XR image via Reddit

On iPhone XR Size, Color, and Design

MacRumors reader Kendo warned that the iPhone XR isn't a middle ground between the XS and the XS Max due to the size of the device's bezels. If you wanted the iPhone XR because the iPhone XS Max was too big, you may still be unhappy with the size.

Because the bezels are one mm thicker (two if you include both sides) and with the 6.1" screen, the width is pretty much identical to the XS Max. It is only a little shorter but also significantly thicker. I was originally in the market for a slightly bigger phone than the XS and a slightly smaller phone than the Max (the cheaper price was just icing on the cake). However because the width is essentially the same, you are better off just getting a Max if money wasn't a concern and you only wanted an "in between" size between the XS and the Max. If you're going to handle a bulky phone anyway, you might as well get the bigger screen on the Max since the width and weight are really similar to the XR.

MacRumors reader tks900 said that he's having second thoughts about his iPhone XR due to its size compared to the iPhone 6s even though the display is gorgeous.

iphonexrbluetks

However: It's quite big. And heavy. Coming from the 6S, this is a really different animal. I have large hands and am used to handle my phone with one hand. Impossible with the XR. This bulkiness of this thing becomes even more obvious when I use it with a case. I know many people won't, but to me, the phone is just too slippery without a case and actually even harder to handle.

Redditor Meerkatch said the iPhone XR feels like a toy version of the iPhone XS due to the bezel size.

The bezels on the sides are noticeably big in real life, the bezels are like how a glass screen protector is on an iPhone 6, but the screen protector is the actual screen of the phone excluding the home button and the camera and including a notch (if that makes sense). I wouldn't say it's enough justification to get the Xs. I felt like it's a toy version of the Xs for some reason, it feels like an Apple Watch Sport compared to the Apple Watch Edition (Xs).

Redditor downwardCorgi said that the red color is brighter than blood red and that the bezels aren't noticeable. Using it one handed in some situations is difficult, he says.

iphonexrredcorgi2

It is a slightly darker shade than a typical rainbow flag red. It's maybe slightly brighter than actual blood red. And yeah now that everything is rounded, it's kinda cute. If the display was small the same bezels would look larger, but the phone itself is already big, you just look at the content on the screen, not the bezels.

Reaching top is fine if you use reachability. It's another step but I think it's a fine compromise. Reaching the left edge with the right hand thumb to go back to the previous page is kinda hard but it's possible. So in short, vertically it's fine if you use reachability, it's quick and easy, horizontally, reaching all the way to the other side with a thumb is a bit hard when one-handed. When using with just left hand, probably not as much an issue cause I don't think there's gestures to swipe from the right edge. But typing with one hand still is hard due to the horizontal length.

MacRumors reader c.s. pointed out that the iPhone XR is much easier to grip than older aluminum iPhones, for customers who are coming from an iPhone 7 or earlier.

Just picked up an iPhone XR at the Apple store to replace my iPhone 7. No line at noon, it was an easy buying experience. I've always used the Apple leather case on my 7, and I was pleasantly surprised when handling the XR. My 7 always felt slippery when out of the case, but the XR is much more grippy to me. In fact, I'm opting to go caseless and just got AppleCare in case I regret that decision.


On the iPhone XR's Display

Redditor 3mbersea shared images of the iPhone XR and iPhone XS Max screens side by side in portrait and landscape mode. 3mbersea says there's a "big difference" in screen quality when watching high quality videos, but not in regular use.

iphonexrdisplaycomparison
MacRumors reader Nitefly shared some details on the display of the iPhone XR, pointing out that there's some color shifting, but it's slight.

I am posting this from an XR. Phhwooooar what a phone!

There is some colour shift. However, the point at which it makes a material difference is the point at which you would never choose to use the screen at that angle.

In other words, the colour shift is slight in a generous viewing field. At extreme angles, ones you couldn't even watch TV shows from, it is more pronounced. I'd say the screen dimming is more obvious than the colour shifting. Likewise, it's really quite immaterial.

My god, the camera is ace. Also, I viewed this screen right next to an XS and could not see a difference in sharpness at a sensible, 'phone using' distance.

Redditor MonstersUGrad98 confirms that the XR uses the same iOS layout as Plus-sized iPhones, showing a two-column split view in apps like Messages and Mail.

MacRumors reader gig090 said that the iPhone XR's display resolution is "fine" and nothing that you need to worry about, even compared to the XS. The bezels, though, are "a little bit too fat" in comparison to the iPhone XS.


MacRumors reader sjperformance said the LCD display is great, but he prefers the smaller bezels of the XS and XS Max.

iphonexrinhand

Overall good LCD display. Probably best LCD display on an iPhone. The Max a little bit taller. Width is about the same. Weight is good on this XR too. Now the bezels...I don't like them but it's ok. Prefer the smaller thinner bezels of the OLED displays.

On the A12 Bionic Processor

Redditor imagineJack, who came to the iPhone XR from Android, says it's super fast and responsive.

The phone is extremely snappy, fast and responsive. Every app I'm opening stays in memory for ages. (Not sure if this is just a general iOS 12 thing but it's great.) The speakers are great, the camera is great.


Have a new iPhone XR? Feel free to share your first impressions and your photos in the comments below.

We'll be sharing a more in-depth look at the iPhone XR and comparing the iPhone XR's camera to the iPhone XS camera, so make sure to stay tuned to MacRumors for more iPhone XR coverage.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Friday April 18, 2025 5:16 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
iphone 17 air dummy unbox therapy

iPhone 17 Air's Extreme Thinness Demoed in New Video

Tuesday April 22, 2025 10:22 am PDT by
Apple plans to release an all-new super thin iPhone this year, debuting it alongside the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. We've seen pictures of dummy models, cases, and renders with the design, but Lewis Hilsenteger of Unbox Therapy today showed off newer dummy models that give us a better idea of just how thin the "iPhone 17 Air" will be. The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be ...
iphone 17 dummies sonny dickson

iPhone 17 Air Almost as Thin as Its Buttons, New Images Show

Thursday April 24, 2025 2:14 am PDT by
If you missed the video showing dummy models of Apple's all-new super thin iPhone 17 Air that's expected later this year, Sonny Dickson this morning shared some further images of the device in close alignment with the other dummy models in the iPhone 17 lineup, indicating just how thin it is likely to be in comparison. The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be around 5.5mm thick – with a thicker ...
ipad air windows 11 arm

M2 iPad Air Runs Windows 11 ARM via Emulation, Thanks to EU Rules

Tuesday April 22, 2025 5:01 am PDT by
A developer has demonstrated Windows 11 ARM running on an M2 iPad Air using emulation, which has become much easier since the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) regulations came into effect. As spotted by Windows Latest, NTDev shared an instance of the emulation on social media and posted a video on YouTube (embedded below) demonstrating it in action. The achievement relies on new EU regulatory...
iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday April 17, 2025 4:12 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
iOS 18

iOS 18.5 Includes Only a Few Changes So Far

Monday April 21, 2025 11:00 am PDT by
Apple seeded the third beta of iOS 18.5 to developers today, and so far the software update includes only a few minor changes. The changes are in the Mail and Settings apps. In the Mail app, you can now easily turn off contact photos directly within the app, by tapping on the circle with three dots in the top-right corner. In the Settings app, AppleCare+ coverage information is more...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...

Top Rated Comments

baryon Avatar
85 months ago
I don't understand why phones keep getting bigger, with no small options. I mean if you want a huge phone, go for it, there's probably a use for that, but why is there nothing for those who want a "normal" sized device?

Why didn't they make the phone *smaller* than the XS? Currently the XS is larger than the 6/6s/7/8, and there is simply no iPhone for those who found the non-"plus" sized iPhones big enough. That size no longer exists. The XR could have been the "cheap" iPhone and therefore the smallest one. Personally I find that even the iPhone 6/7/8 was way too huge, and while I may get used to it, there's no way I'd want anything even bigger than that. I think the SE is the perfect size.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MrGimper Avatar
85 months ago
Whole heap of compromises listed rather than positives it seems.....
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
joueboy Avatar
85 months ago
All of sudden a complain about a bit too big for 1mm. But nobody complaints about iPhone 8 or any previous model.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ArtOfWarfare Avatar
85 months ago
What glowing reviews.
"Feels like a toy"
"Kind of a brighter blood red"
"Too heavy"
"Screen noticeably worse watching videos"
"Colors wrong when viewed from an angle"

Please, tell me some more about how Apple thinks this phone is worth a higher price tag than the Plus lines of years past while it's more comparable to the 5C.

Which honestly, the 5C didn't deserve that knock. It was a pretty great budget iPhone. Apple did an okay job for a budget phone here with the XR it sounds like, except they forgot to give it a budget price tag.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple_Robert Avatar
85 months ago
Really don't like these huge phones so I'll probably stick to my iPhone 6 for another year.
The picture of Tim Cook from 2 days ago said it all. Huge phone in a pocket shows precisely where the trend is and unfortunately it is not what I wish for so until there is a smaller alternative I will not upgrade. Shame.
Get the XS. It is about the same size as your iPhone 6.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
falainber Avatar
85 months ago
All of sudden a complain about a bit too big for 1mm. But nobody complaints about iPhone 8 or any previous model.
Nobody complained about huge iPhone bezels (especially the top and bottom ones) either but time have changed. Samsung introduced people to really small bezels and they liked it. The standards changed and by modern standards XR bezels are considered not up to par.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)