iPhone XR vs. iPhone 8: Should you buy the cheaper phone?

Tossing up between a shiny new iPhone XR or the recently discounted iPhone 8? It's a big decision, so how do you make it? What will each phone feel like day-to-day?

The WhistleOut team review dozens of phones each year, and we compare them all on the factors that matter most. Here's our pick for the winner.

iPhone XR vs iPhone 8

Editor's Pick

    iPhone XR

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• Better camera
• Better looks
• Better performance
• Better battery life
• Higher price

The iPhone XR is a significant leap on the iPhone 8. It comes with a better camera, better looks and a better battery. And it'll probably last longer. Altogether we think that's worth the higher price tag.

iPhone XR vs iPhone 8: Camera

The iPhone XR and iPhone 8 may have the same resolution camera, but the iPhone XR takes better photos thanks to smarter software tricks supported by the new and improved A12 core processor.

iPhone XR camera samples

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iPhone 8 camera samples

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Both the iPhone 8 and the iPhone XR have similar rear-facing 12MP f/1.8 cameras and similar front-facing 7MP f/2.2 camera. But that doesn't mean they'll take the same photos. The iPhone XR is powered with Apple's new and improved A12 core processor which offers a massive increase in support for AI tasks. That means smart new software tricks to improve your photos. 

These tricks include smart HDR, which works by allowing the iPhone XR to take four photos instead of one and then intelligently stitch them together for a sharper, more detailed image. The iPhone XR also has portrait mode, which gives you the ability to adjust the depth of field after the photo is taken, giving you more control over how blurry or sharp you want the background of your subject to be.

Basically, if photos are your main concern, you'll be better off with the iPhone XR. Here are some plans. Note these plans are all offered on a 24-month contract. However, you have the option to pay off your phone over 12 or 36 months with Vodafone.

iPhone XR vs iPhone 8: Looks

The iPhone XR is bigger, it's got an edge-to-edge display, and the new-style gesture controls we first saw with the iPhone X. It's also much prettier with a choice of colours including blue, red, yellow and coral.

iPhone XR looks

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iPhone 8 looks

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There's no point trying to get around it: the iPhone XR is a prettier phone than the iPhone 8. In addition to your stock standard black and white, the iPhone XR comes in red, yellow, blue, and coral. The colours are gorgeous and definitely a lot more fun than iPhone 8's variants of silver, space grey and gold.

But it's not just the colours that set the iPhone XR apart. At 6.1 inches wide, the iPhone XR screen may be mid-sized when compared to the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max, but it's a giant compared to the iPhone 8's 4.7 inches. On top of the size, the iPhone XR offers a nearly edge-to-edge display, and in the year 2019, with more of us spending more time watching Netflix on our phones, that's important.

The iPhone XR's new iPhone look also comes with new iPhone features including super slick Face ID technology and Apple's new take on the user experience with new gestures for controlling apps and multi-tasking.

If you are planning to get into some Netflix on the train with your new iPhone XR, check out these plans with big data. Note these plans are all offered on a 24-month contract. However, you have the option to pay off your phone over 12 or 36 months with Vodafone.

iPhone XR vs iPhone 8: Performance

While both phones offer zippy performance out of the box, there's no question that the iPhone XR will stay faster and more secure for longer. 

This is something you'll have to weigh up against savings if you're considering the cheaper phone.

The iPhone XR may be slightly zippier than the iPhone 8, but really when it comes to speed of performance, at some point fast enough is enough. We doubt most users will notice much difference between the two phones out-of-the-box in their day-to-day.

But the real test for performance isn't how fast the phone is the day you buy it. It's how fast, secure and bug-free it will stay once the years start to roll by. And if you want good performance for longer a newer iPhone is always better. That's because it will receive software and security updates from Apple over an extended period. It is however worth noting that the iPhone 8 will still receive software and security updates for many years to come. 

If you want to make sure your iPhone is always the latest and greatest, check out some lease and upgrade plans for the iPhone XR below. You'll lease your iPhone for a cheaper monthly price and after 12 months you can upgrade to a newer phone for $99.

iPhone XR vs iPhone 8: Battery life

The iPhone XR is an easy winner when it comes to battery life. It has the longest lasting battery of any iPhone to date. 

Most users should get about a day-and-a-half per charge. 

If you want the longest lasting iPhone, the iPhone XR is the clear winner. When we tested the iPhone 8 we found the battery life a little disappointing - it should get you through a full day, but just barely. The iPhone XR, by contrast, should last about a day-and-a-half for most. Some users may even find they get through the entire second day before they have to charge. 

In fact, the iPhone XR battery life is even better than that of the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max - devices that are more expensive than the XR by a minimum of $400. Score.

iPhone XR vs iPhone 8: Price

The iPhone 8 will save you $250 over the iPhone XR, if you're going for the smaller storage option. And it'll still save you $70 over the iPhone XR, if you shoot for the larger storage option.

The iPhone 8 was the more affordable new iPhone when it was released alongside the iPhone X in 2017. And now that Apple has dropped $100 from the price-tag, it's just about the best value iPhone around today.

If you're considering a 64GB model, you'll save $250 by choosing the iPhone 8. If you want more storage, you can still get the iPhone 8 with 256GB for $70 less than an iPhone XR with 128GB.

Check out iPhone 8 plans below. Note these plans are all offered on a 24-month contract. However, you have the option to pay off your phone over 12 or 36 months with Vodafone.

Still undecided? Check out our iPhone XS vs. iPhone XR face-off and our iPhone XS vs. iPhone 8 face-off. Or compare all iPhone XR plans here. 

Jacqui Dent

Editorial Strategist

Jacqui Dent is an Editorial Content Strategist at WhistleOut Australia, where she writes about mobile phone plans, NBN plans and everything in between. Over her ten-year career, she has worked to provide informed advice to the public, first in the sphere of writing and now in the world of consumer tech. Jacqui has also written about consumer telco products for Business Insider, Pedestrian and the 50Up Club.

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