Apple’s iPhone XR was announced on September 12, 2018, alongside the iPhone XS and the iPhone XS Max. These three smartphones are Apple’s continuation of the modern design showcased in last years, iPhone X. After seeing what each model has to offer, the question is which one do you spend all of your hard-earned money on? The answer to that question is entirely up to your current smartphone situation. If you have an iPhone X, it would most likely be wise to skip this year’s new iPhone models unless you have $1,000 burning a hole in your pocket. However, if you are coming from an iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, or anything older, Apple’s 2018 iPhones truly have some stunning upgrades. Coming back to especially the iPhone XR, which is Apple’s “budget” flagship smartphone of 2018, it certainly offers some incredible features for a fraction of the cost of the iPhone XS or iPhone XS Max, which start at $999 and shoot all the way up to $1,449.

Starting with the most obvious difference between the iPhone XR and the XS – the cost. The iPhone XR is significantly less money than the XS or XS Max, starting at $749. However, Apple did drop some of the more premium features to reach this lower price point. So let’s start with the main compromise, which is the display. The iPhone XS and XS Max are rocking gorgeous OLED displays with a super sharp resolution of 458 PPI (pixels per inch). Now, the XR has an LCD display with a low resolution of  326 PPI. Why is this important? It isn’t. Yes, on paper the iPhone XR has the display technology and quality that was seen in phones from 4 years ago, but Apple has done something truly magical with their patented Liquid Retina LCD display technology. Holding the two screens side by side, you can hardly tell that you are looking at two different displays. And while the XR isn’t capable of streaming 1080p video, you honestly can’t even tell that you’re looking at something below 1080p. The iPhone XR’s display simply looks fantastic, and not to mention the engineering feat of being able to create an LCD display while retaining the bezel-less design language seen on the much more expensive XS and XS Max. The iPhone XR display has great contrast, color reproduction, and overall is a very pleasing display for consuming media or anything else you do on your smartphone.

Now let’s move onto something that involves fewer numbers and specifications – the colors. Something that Apple is not well known for is fun and vibrant color options, but this year they launched the iPhone XR in 6 beautiful finishes. There’s red, yellow, coral, black, white, and blue, which is my personal favorite. The color options are super exciting and eye-catching. Apple really paid attention to detail with these colors, as the aluminum frame surrounding the glass back of the phone is color coated to match whatever color you decide to go for. Even the inside of the patented Lighting charging port is color matched. The iPhone XS and XS Max only come in three finishes – gold, space grey, and silver. The iPhone XR definitely gets the advantage in a beauty contest compared with the XS and XS Max.

One of the few drawbacks of choosing the iPhone XR over either the XS or XS Max is the camera. The XR is packing a wide-angle single lens system while the other higher-end options have a wide angle and a telephoto lens. However, you aren’t really losing much by giving up that telephoto lens. Yes, you lose 2x optical zoom and some portrait mode features but the bulk of the iPhone XS’s incredible camera features are also present in the XR, including Apple’s new incredible Smart HDR feature. Even with a single lens, you still have software based portrait mode on the XR, and while not as accurate as the XS in terms of border detection, it’s still pretty solid and gets the job done. In terms of actual camera quality, the XR has the exact same 12-megapixel wide angle lens that the XS and XS Max have, so you’re getting the exact same camera quality for a lot less money. The selfie camera on the XR is also identical to those on the XS and XS Max. Apple’s Face ID technology is also present on the XR, which is surprising at the price point of $749. So basically, unless you are an avid smartphone photographer and feel you need those extra features on the more premium and expensive iPhone models, the XR is going to take incredible photos and has a more-than-decent camera setup.

Next up, let’s talk about build quality. The iPhone XS and XS Max have super premium building materials such as stainless steel and glass. On the XR you’re giving up the stainless steel bands on the sides in exchange for Apple’s 7000 series aluminum. In all honesty, I prefer the feel of the aluminum over the stainless steel. Yes, the stainless steel feels much more premium but it’s easily scratched and chipped, whereas aluminum doesn’t scratch nearly as easily and has a more grippy feel in the hand. The glass on the back of the XR is also slightly weaker than that of the XS, meaning it will scratch and crack easier. This isn’t much of a problem though since most people use cases on their devices anyway. The XS and XS Max have and ip68 water resistant rating while the XR has a slightly lower ip67 rating. Both devices will be perfectly fine if you drop them in the pool or spill a drink on them though – just be sure to not go deep sea diving with your brand new iPhone. The build quality of the XR is extremely similar to the more expensive option, and some people might even prefer the aluminum over stainless steel. On the inside of the devices, they all three share the same blazing-fast Apple A12 Bionic processor, so performance on the XR is not an issue whatsoever. The XR does have 3 GB of RAM instead of the 4 GB seen on the more expensive models, but you won’t necessarily notice the difference in everyday usage. The XR is packing a 2,942 mAh battery, versus the XS’s 2,658 mAh battery and the XS Max’s 3,174 mAh battery. However, since the LCD display is consuming much less power compared to the OLED displays on the XS, the XR has stellar battery life and should last you all day on a full charge.

Overall, the iPhone XR shares most of the important flagship features seen on the iPhone XS and XS Max. The theme of the XR is compromising in places that don’t impact the most important aspects of the user experience. While the iPhone XS and XS Max have more premium features, they also come at a much more premium price. The iPhone XR is an excellent option for the average consumer who isn’t going to miss the extra features that the more expensive models have to offer. In my opinion, the iPhone XR is the iPhone to buy in 2018.