Is the new iPhone XR good for Filmmaking?

The new iPhone XR will cost $250 less than the iPhone XS. That’s the cost of over 5 Rode VideoMic Mes. Or a 2 Zhiyun Tech Smooth 4s.

But will it be as effective for filmmaking purposes?

Reports are the biggest difference is the screen. The XR has a 6.1-inch “Liquid Retina” LCD screen and the XS a 5.8-inch OLED screen.

Other than that, they share the same A12 Bionic processors, main cameras with Smart HDR, iOS 12, gesture controls, wireless charging capabilities, and even the forthcoming dual-SIM support.

The display on the iPhone XR has a lower-resolution and pixel density than the OLEDs in new flagship phones. The iPhone XS, Galaxy S9, and Pixel 3, for example. But it’s the same 326 pixels per inch as Apple’s previous non-Plus LCD iPhones.

What about the camera?

The XR has a single rear camera, while the XS has a second telephoto lens. As the telephoto is (I believe) only for stills, this means the phones are identical when shooting videos.

Correction: the telephoto can be used for video. So the XR will be coming without this option.

There’s a 7-megapixel f/2.2 selfie camera on the front. A 12-megapixel f/1.8 camera on the back. Both use Apple’s new Smart HDR system which competes with Google’s HDR+ on the Pixel 3. Apple says the XR’s cameras and software are exactly the same as the XS.

The iPhone XR shares the same video features as the XS: it can shoot in 4K60, and it records stereo audio. When you record in 24 or 30 fps, it captures interframes for greater dynamic range.

Screen

So, it pretty much comes down to the lower quality screen. It doesn’t have the deep black levels or infinite contrast of the iPhone XS. Nor does it support HDR or Dolby Vision video playback. Plus, you can always see the border between the bezel and the edge of the display.

So monitoring your video shoot may be less enjoyable, but the video coming out of the device will be the same quality as from the more expensive XS.

Size

The XR sits right between the old iPhone 6-sized phones and the bigger Plus models. So squeezing it into a smartphone gimbal shouldn’t be a problem.

The new XR also has the same redesigned wireless charging coil as the XS,. This offers faster charging on the same pads compared to older iPhones. There’s also P67 water resistance. Not up to the IP68 rating of the iPhone XS, but will survive the occasional splash.

The XR has Apple’s new “wide stereo” speaker system. This uses the earpiece speaker and bottom speaker as a matched pair. Less loud than the iPhone XS Max, but still quite loud for a phone.

Performance

The XR has slightly less RAM than the XS at 3GB instead of 4GB, but with a lower res screen to drive. The XR also has a larger battery than the X and XS. So this could mean longer lasting shoot times, if you’re filming all day, like I often am.

The iPhone XR is currently pitched at $50 less than the Pixel 3, so saving you a whole Rode VideoMic Me. Or the cost of feeding your small crew for the day.

Read Next: Best Smartphone Filmmaking Kit 2019.

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