Apple iPhone XS Max vs iPhone XR
52
out of 100
VS
48
out of 100
Here we compared two flagship smartphones: the 6.5-inch Apple iPhone XS Max (with Apple A12 Bionic) that was released on September 12, 2018, against the Apple iPhone XR, which is powered by the same chip. On this page, you will find tests, full specs, strengths, and weaknesses of each of the devices.
Select the amount of RAM to evaluate performance and value for money more precisely
Key differences
Reasons to consider the Apple iPhone XS Max
- The rear camera has a 2x optical zoom
- 40% higher pixel density (456 vs 326 PPI)
- Waterproof body (IP68 classification)
- Has a 0.4 inch larger screen size
- 10% better performance in AnTuTu Benchmark (842K versus 762K)
- Has 33% more RAM: 4GB versus 3GB
- OLED display (versus competitor's IPS LCD)
- Thinner bezels β 5.5% more screen real estate
- 12% faster in single-core GeekBench 6 test: 1310 and 1167 points
Reasons to consider the Apple iPhone XR
- Shows 19% longer battery life (20:45 vs 17:28 hours)
Review
Display
Screen quality, color accuracy, brightness
Camera
Photo and video recording quality
Performance
CPU and memory performance (apps, system)
Gaming
Capabilities for playing modern games
Battery
Battery life, charging type and speed
Connectivity
Networks, ports, data transmission
Select your primary usage scenario to get a more accurate NanoReview Score
Value for money (Beta)
Tests and specifications
Comparison table of technical specifications and testsDisplay
| Type | OLED | IPS LCD |
| Size | 6.5 inches | 6.1 inches |
| Resolution | 1242 x 2688 pixels | 828 x 1792 pixels |
| Aspect ratio | 19.4:9 | 19.5:9 |
| PPI | 456 ppi | 326 ppi |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | 60 Hz |
| Adaptive refresh rate | No | No |
| Max rated brightness | 625 nits | 625 nits |
| HDR support | Yes, Dolby Vision | Yes, Dolby Vision |
| Touch sampling rate | 120 Hz | - |
| Screen protection | Tempered glass | Tempered glass |
| Screen-to-body ratio | 85.4% | 79.9% |
| Display features | - DCI-P3 | - |
| RGB color space | 98.8% | 100% |
| PWM | 240 Hz | Not detected |
| Response time | 11.2 ms | 32.8 ms |
| Contrast | β Infinity | 1920:1 |
Screen space comparison
iPhone XS Max
6.5β³ (19.4:9 ratio) = 16.1 in2
iPhone XR
6.1β³ (19.5:9 ratio) = 14.2 in2
~13% more screen space
Peak brightness test (auto)
Design and build
| Height | 157.5 mm (6.2 inches) | 150.9 mm (5.94 inches) |
| Width | 77.4 mm (3.05 inches) | 75.7 mm (2.98 inches) |
| Thickness | 7.7 mm (0.3 inches) | 8.3 mm (0.33 inches) |
| Weight | 208 g (7.34 oz) | 194 g (6.84 oz) |
| Waterproof | IP68 | IP67 |
| Rear material | Glass | Glass |
| Frame material | Metal | Metal |
| Colors | Silver, Gold, Gray | White, Black, Blue, Red, Orange, Yellow |
| Fingerprint scanner | No | No |
Screen-to-body ratio
Performance
| Chipset | Apple A12 Bionic | Apple A12 Bionic |
| Max clock | 2490 MHz | 2490 MHz |
| CPU cores | 6 (2 + 4) | 6 (2 + 4) |
| Architecture | - 4 cores at 1.6 GHz: Tempest - 2 cores at 2.49 GHz: Vortex |
- 4 cores at 1.6 GHz: Tempest - 2 cores at 2.49 GHz: Vortex |
| Manufacturing | TSMC | TSMC |
| Lithography process | 7 nanometers | 7 nanometers |
| Neural processor (NPU) | Neural Engine | Neural Engine |
| Graphics | Apple A12 Bionic GPU | Apple A12 Bionic GPU |
| GPU shading units | 256 | 256 |
| GPU clock | 1125 MHz | 1125 MHz |
| FLOPS | ~576 GFLOPS | ~576 GFLOPS |
Benchmarks
Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)
Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)
| Single-core score | 1310 | 1167 |
| Multi-core score | 3458 | 3020 |
AnTuTu Benchmark 11
| CPU | 276695 | 274052 |
| Memory | 147886 | 119287 |
| UX | 418471 | 369464 |
| Total score | 842172 | 762903 |
| Samples | [3 tests] | Less than 3 |
3DMark Wild Life Extreme
| Stability | 65% | 68% |
| Graphics test | 8 FPS | 7 FPS |
| Graphics score | 1482 | 1294 |
Recent User Tests
Apple iPhone XS Max
| Date | Benchmark | Result |
|---|---|---|
| π 2026-05-05 (Jarukit) | AnTuTu | 847535 |
| π 2026-03-22 (Jai) | AnTuTu | 842172 |
| π 2026-03-17 (Hoangg Anhh) | AnTuTu | 810991 |
Apple iPhone XR
| Date | Benchmark | Result |
|---|---|---|
| π 2026-05-02 (sp_ayz1) | AnTuTu | 762903 |
Memory
| RAM size | 4 GB | 3 GB |
| Memory type | LPDDR4X | LPDDR4X |
| Memory clock | - | 2133 MHz |
| Channels | 2 | 2 |
| Storage size | 64 GB | 64 GB |
| Storage type | NVMe | NVMe |
| Memory card | No | No |
Software
| Operating system | iOS 12 (Can be upgraded to iOS 18.7) | iOS 12 (Can be upgraded to iOS 18.7) |
| OS size | 16 GB | 11.1 GB |
Battery
| Capacity | 3174 mAh | 2942 mAh |
| Max charge power | 18 W | 15 W |
| Battery type | Li-Ion | Li-Ion |
| Replaceable | No | No |
| Wireless charging | Yes, Qi (10 W) | Yes, Qi (10 W) |
| Reverse charging | No | No |
| Bypass charging | - | No |
| Fast charging | Yes (50% in 30 min) | Yes (50% in 30 min) |
| Full charging time | 03:29 hr | 1:43 hr |
| Web browsing | 06:43 hr | 08:01 hr |
| Watching video | 10:28 hr | 11:59 hr |
| Gaming | 04:11 hr | 04:34 hr |
| Standby | 87 hr | 106 hr |
General battery life
Main camera
| Matrix | 12 megapixels | 12 megapixels |
| Image resolution | 4032 x 3024 | 4032 x 3024 |
| Zoom | Optical, 2x | Digital |
| Flash | Quad LED | Quad LED |
| Stabilization | Optical | Optical |
| 8K video recording | No | No |
| 4K video recording | Up to 60FPS | Up to 60FPS |
| 1080p video recording | Up to 60FPS | Up to 60FPS |
| Slow motion | 240 FPS (1080p) | 240 FPS (1080p) |
| Lenses | 1) Standard: 12 MP 2) Telephoto: 12 MP |
1) Standard: 12 MP |
| Camera features | - Bokeh mode - Pro mode - RAW support |
- Bokeh mode - RAW support |
| Image resolution | 12 MP | 12 MP |
| Aperture | f/1.8 | f/1.8 |
| Focal length | 28 mm | 26 mm |
| Sensor | Apple iSight X | Apple iSight X |
| Sensor size | 1/2.5" (β 0.4 inch) | 1/2.55" (β 0.39 inch) |
| Pixel size | 1.4 micron | 1.4 micron |
| Autofocus | Phase autofocus | Phase autofocus |
| Stabilization | Optical | Optical |
| Image resolution | 12 MP | - |
| Aperture | f/2.4 | - |
| Focal length | 52 mm | - |
| Sensor size | 1/3.4" (β 0.29 inch) | - |
| Pixel size | 1 micron | - |
| Stabilization | Optical | - |
DxOMark main camera tests
Photo quality
Video quality
Generic main camera score
| Samples | Photo samples of Apple iPhone XS Max from DxOMark | - |
Selfie camera
| Megapixels | 7 megapixels | 7 megapixels |
| Image resolution | 3088 x 2316 | 3088 x 2316 |
| Aperture | f/2.2 | f/2.2 |
| Focal length | 32 mm | 32 mm |
| Sensor | BSI CMOS | CMOS |
| Autofocus | Phase autofocus (Dual Pixel) | No |
| Stabilization | Digital | Digital |
| Video resolution | 1080p (Full HD) at 60 FPS | 1080p (Full HD) at 60 FPS |
| Depth sensor (TOF 3D) | No | No |
DxOMark front camera
| Photo | 97 | - |
| Video | 119 | - |
Connectivity
| Wi-Fi standard | Wi-Fi 5 (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac) | Wi-Fi 5 (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac) |
| Wi-Fi features | - Dual Band - Wi-Fi MiMO - Wi-Fi Direct - Wi-Fi Hotspot - Wi-Fi Display |
- Dual Band - Wi-Fi MiMO - Wi-Fi Hotspot |
| Bluetooth version | 5 | 5 |
| Bluetooth features | SPP, PBAP/PAB, PAN, OPP, MAP, LE, HSP, HFP, HDP, GAP, GAVDP, DIP, AVRCP, A2DP | SPP, PBAP/PAB, PAN, OPP, MAP, LE, HSP, HID, HFP, HDP, GAP, GAVDP, DIP, AVRCP, A2DP |
| USB type | No | No |
| USB version | 2 | 2 |
| USB features | - Charging - USB-Storage mode - OTG |
- Charging - OTG |
| GPS | GPS, GLONASS, Galileo | GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo |
| NFC* | Yes | Yes |
| Infrared port | No | No |
| Number of SIM* | 1 | 1 |
| Type of SIM card | Nano | Nano |
| eSIM support* | Yes | Yes |
| Hybrid slot | No | No |
| LTE Cat* | 16 | 12 |
| 5G support | No | No |
Sound
| Speakers | Stereo | Stereo |
| Headphone audio jack | No | No |
| FM radio | No | No |
| Dolby Atmos | Yes | Yes |
Speakers test
Max loudness
Other
| Category | Flagship | Flagship |
| Announced | September 2018 | September 2018 |
| Release date | September 2018 | October 2018 |
| Launch price (MSRP) | $1100 | $750 |
| Successor | - Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max | - Apple iPhone 11 |
| SAR (head) | 0.99 W/kg | 0.99 W/kg |
| SAR (body) | 0.99 W/kg | 0.99 W/kg |
| Sensors | - Barometer - Proximity sensor - Gyroscope - Accelerometer - Ambient light sensor - Compass - Face recognition sensor |
- Barometer - Proximity sensor - Gyroscope - Accelerometer - Ambient light sensor - Compass - Face recognition sensor |
*Disclaimer! NFC, GSM network support, and some other specs can be different depending on the country.
Conclusion
If the display, camera, performance, gaming, and design are more important to you, then choose the Apple iPhone XS Max. But if the battery life and sound are more of a priority β go for the Apple iPhone XR.
Cast your vote
Total votes: 2153
