7 Things That Make the iPhone XR Stand out from the Pack

Apple last month took the wraps off a trio of powerful new iPhone models featuring its signature iPhone X-inspired edge-to-edge design and notch-embossed form-factor in different sizes. And while the iPhone XS and XS Max are decidedly the more premium 2018 iPhone flagships, Apple’s mid-range iPhone XR flaunts its own unique set of features, exclusives and bold new innovations that make it a true stand-out. Read on to learn more about 7 of iPhone XR’s most notable new features.

7 Liquid Retina Display (LRD)

While it’s namely a marketing moniker, Apple’s introduction of the Liquid Retina Display (LRD) on its iPhone XR — being the first iPhone to feature this next-generation LCD tech — is nonetheless significant.

LRD, a highly-advanced LCD technology, supports the latest P3 wide color gamut, which Apple claims makes it the most color accurate LCD on the market. Moreover, Apple's ‘entry-level’ iPhone XR boasts a whopping 6.1-inch display panel — just a bit shy of the massive 6.5-inch OLED screen used on the premium iPhone XS Max.

6 Single-Lens Portrait Mode 

Previously exclusive to Apple’s dual-lens camera devices like the iPhone 7 Plus, 8 Plus, iPhone X and all three 2018 flagships, the company for 2018 brought its renowned Portrait Mode functionality to the mid-range iPhone XR.

Apple’s 12 MP single-lens camera on the back of the iPhone XR has been meticulously engineered with the ability to detect a person's face while separating them from their imminent background, applying the bokeh effect much akin to how the feature works on the more premium dual-lens iPhones. 

Moreover, a new breakthrough feature for iPhone XS/XS Max called Depth Control — which allows photos to be adjusted after they’ve been taken to fine-tune the blur effect — comes to iPhone XR, as well.

5 Vibrant New Finishes

Borrowing a page out of its own playbook, Apple released the iPhone XR in a total of six vibrant and trendy new colors: white, black, blue, yellow, coral (pink), and a (PRODUCT)RED variant.. This mimics the company’s strategy with its popular iPhone 5c from 2013, which was notably a still-powerful but more colorful and cost-effective alternative to the premium iPhone 5s. 

The device was available in white, pink, yellow, green and blue.

4 Light as a Feather

While Apple chose an impressively strong, more premium but much heavier stainless-steel material for the construction of its premium iPhone XS and XS Max, the company opted for a remarkably light yet durable aerospace-grade 7000-series aluminum alloy (with matte finish and glass-sandwich construction) for the iPhone XR.

Notably, to the benefit of consumers, this renders the phone light as a feather yet strong as steel — complete with a groovy colored finish to suit your personality.

3 Exclusive iPhone XR Wallpapers

Apple's gone ahead and pre-loaded each colored iPhone XR device with an assortment of custom, color-matching wallpapers specifically designed to complement the handset’s unique exterior paint.

For example, the bright blue iPhone XR features several custom-designed bright blue backgrounds, and each iPhone XR ships with two primary wallpaper designs for a total of 12 pre-loaded on each color — a feature not offered by any other iPhone model.

2 Haptic Touch

In lieu of the intuitive 3D Touch feature introduced on iPhone 6s, Apple equipped its iPhone XR devices exclusively with a feature dubbed “Haptic Touch.”

Essentially, instead of responding to different levels of touch pressure a la 3D Touch, ‘Haptic Touch’ simulates the 3D effect on iPhone XR with a simple long press. For example, by long-pressing an app icon, iPhone XR will provide feedback with a subtle vibration and pop-up menu similar to how 3D Touch works on other iPhone models 6s and newer.

1 Price

Without a doubt the biggest selling-point of Apple’s iPhone XR — save for all the amazing features and aforementioned exclusives it includes — is that even despite them all, it represents one of the company’s most affordable iPhone offerings in recent years at just $749 — an incredible value for all those features and future-proofed technologies packed inside.