Are there many differences between the iPhone 12 Pro Max and the iPhone XR?

The iPhone XR was released as a budget version of the iPhone X range, while the iPhone 12 Pro Max price was at the high end of its release, but do you get much more for your money? Naturally, you can get around a third off either of these phones with a refurbished model, so let’s see how they shape up.

iPhone XR -  a good size screen & portrait mode photography

These phones aren’t too different in size. The iPhone XR is the smaller of the two, but it still has a pretty decent 6.1-inch screen compared to the iPhone 12 Pro Max’s 6.7 inches. It’s easier to handle too, weighing 46 g less. The screen isn’t as fancy as the one on the iPhone 12 Pro max, it’s an LCD screen, and although it was the most advanced LCD screen ever when released, the OLED screen on the iPhone 12 Pro Max is just better. If you don’t use a lot of video on your phone this won’t matter so much. The iPhone XR only has a single 12 MP rear camera, but it does have digital zoom and portrait mode photography, the front camera is 7 MP. You can get fast and wireless charging with the iPhone XR as it has a durable glass case with an aerospace-grade aluminum frame, just like the more expensive X-range phones.

iPhone 12 Pro Max  - a beautiful, fast beast of a phone

As you’d expect from a newer and more expensive phone, the iPhone 12 Pro Max has a faster processor than the iPhone XS, A14 compared to A12. You also get longer battery life, although perhaps not as much as you would expect, the difference is around 2 hours, with the XR lasting 33 hours on average and the 12 Pro Max 35. The iPhone 12 Pro Max is enabled for Wi-Fi 6 and fast and wireless charging are available. There’s a pretty big difference in cameras, as the iPhone 12 Pro Max has 4 x 12 MP cameras with 2 x optical zoom and an ultra-wide camera lens. On the front camera, you also get 12 MP and 4K video too.

Which is better?

It’s clear that the iPhone 12 Pro Max has more to offer than the iPhone XR, but if you’re looking to save some cash and you’re a basic phone user who takes calls, sends emails, does some online shopping and social media, and only watches the odd video, the XR is still a great choice.