Apple's 2018 lower-cost iPhone with a 6.1-inch Liquid Retina LCD, Face ID and a single 12MP rear camera, launched at $749. Owners valued its dependable battery and long software support for years, though the lower-resolution screen, single camera and eventually worn batteries are the trade-offs.
This entry is written from the 5 sources listed at the bottom of the page. The numbers are our editorial estimates drawn from that material, not measurements, and no statistical sample sits behind them.
On the evidence gathered here, yes. 78% of owners say they would buy it again, and satisfaction is still 7.4 out of 10 two years in. Received years of iOS updates alongside much newer iPhones.
Early owners found it delivered all-day battery life for an iPhone, with light users stretching a charge further, though streaming could drain it quickly. The single camera's lack of 2x zoom and weaker portrait mode remained the most noticeable compromise.
Lost major iOS updates after iOS 18. Streaming drains the battery well short of Apple's claims.
Received years of iOS updates alongside much newer iPhones. Sentiment across the ownership period stays close to flat, which is rare: it reads 8.4 out of 10 in the first week and 7.4 two years later.
Worth it for: Budget iphone buyers; Light everyday users; Battery-life seekers. Think twice if: Mobile photographers; Buyers wanting future ios updates; Sharp-screen enthusiasts.
Our reading of how sentiment moves across an ownership period, drawn from the sources below. It is an editorial estimate, not tracked longitudinal data.
| At purchase | 8.4 / 10 |
|---|---|
| First week | 8.4 / 10 |
| One month | 8.3 / 10 |
| Six months | 8.2 / 10 |
| One year | 8.0 / 10 |
| Two years or more | 7.4 / 10 |
Owner reviews move this score. The researched figure stays visible next to it, so you can always see what the sources said before anyone voted.
Leave a review on the live pageEvery complaint and every piece of praise above traces back to these. The summaries are ours; nothing is quoted, and no link, quote or username anywhere on this site is invented.
Lists the $749 launch price and praises its all-day battery, colours and value, while noting the lower-res LCD, single camera, no 3D Touch and chunkier bezels.
Owners report mixed real-world battery life, from multi-day light use to quick drain when streaming, with some feeling it worsened on iOS 13.
An owner who has used an XR since 2022 is at 79% battery health with 2–4 hours of screen time but still wants to keep the phone.
Reports a 2025 rumor that the XR would not get the next major iOS after iOS 18, though security updates would continue for at least a year.
September 2025 compatibility list confirming iOS 26 drops the iPhone XR, XS and XS Max, which topped out at iOS 18.