Apple’s iPhone XR promises flagship features at a lower price. But is it really a smart buy? We take a closer look.

Written by Andrew Marchant, Marketing Manager | Privacy, Money-Saving and Parenting Advice
Last updated on 17 December 2025

The iPhone XR is the new "budget" phone from Apple and now it has been officially released. We can look at what the real benefits are of owning this new phone, and conversely, what you need to watch out for if this is your next phone.
Since the announcement back in September, the specifications have been discussed over and over again, and we have a full discussion of the specifications on our blog.
But we feel there are some additional positives that we need to shed light on.
The iPhone XR is a great phone and for anyone that wants one of the new iPhones, but finds the cost of the XS a little too pricey, it's an option worth considering. Besides the price differences, there isn't much the iPhone XS can offer on top apart from display quality that most of us care less about.
We would still recommend going for a refurbished iPhone X, but then the calling of the latest processor might be a too strong for some to ignore. A good workaround could be to wait for a refurbished XS and XS Max to be available on the market if you're keen on having OLED screen and dual rear cameras.

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