Wait, was it really that long ago?
The iPhone XR hit the shelves back in 2018. Specifically, Apple announced it on September 12, 2018, at the Steve Jobs Theater, but you couldn't actually buy one until October 26, 2018. It was a weird release window.
Most people remember 2018 as the year of the notch. Apple had just fundamentally changed their design language with the iPhone X a year prior, but the "budget" crowd was still stuck with the old home button on the iPhone 8. Then the XR showed up.
It was bright. It was colorful. Honestly, it was a gamble that paid off so well it basically redefined how Apple sells phones today.
What Year Did the iPhone XR Come Out? (The Full Timeline)
If you're looking for the hard dates, here they are. Apple didn't launch the XR alongside the premium iPhone XS and XS Max. Instead, they staggered it.
- Announcement Date: September 12, 2018.
- Pre-order Date: October 19, 2018.
- Official Release Date: October 26, 2018.
Why the delay? Rumors at the time—and some reporting from The Verge—suggested Apple was having trouble with the "Liquid Retina" LCD production. Fitting an LCD screen into a rounded, notched shape without huge bezels was apparently a massive technical headache compared to the flexible OLED panels on the pricier models.
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The phone launched at $749. At the time, that felt like a bargain. Fast forward to now, and that sounds like a lot for a "budget" phone, but in the context of the $1,000 iPhone XS, it was a steal.
Why the XR Became a Legend
Nobody expected the XR to be the king of 2019, but it was. It wasn't just a phone; it was a phenomenon. According to data from Omdia, the iPhone XR was the best-selling smartphone globally in 2019, moving something like 46.3 million units.
Think about that. It outsold every single Android phone and even its own "pro" siblings.
The secret was the battery life. Because the screen resolution was lower ($1792 \times 828$ at 326 ppi), the A12 Bionic chip didn't have to work nearly as hard. It absolutely sipped power. In 2018, having an iPhone that could actually last a full day of heavy use was like finding a unicorn.
The Screen "Controversy"
Tech YouTubers went to war over the screen. "It's not even 1080p!" they shouted. "You can see the pixels!"
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But regular people? They didn't care.
Apple called it the "Liquid Retina" display. It was a 6.1-inch LCD. While it didn't have the deep blacks of the OLED XS, it was arguably the best LCD ever put in a phone. It was bright, the colors were accurate, and unless you were holding it two inches from your eyeball, it looked perfectly sharp.
The Specs That Kept It Alive
The XR wasn't just a pretty face in Coral or Blue. Under the hood, it shared the exact same brain as the most expensive iPhones of its year.
- Chip: A12 Bionic (the first 7nm chip in a phone).
- RAM: 3GB (1GB less than the XS).
- Camera: Single 12MP Wide lens.
- Water Resistance: IP67 (up to 1 meter for 30 minutes).
The camera was the real wizardry. Despite only having one lens, Apple used "computational photography" to fake Portrait Mode. It worked surprisingly well, though it only worked on humans. If you tried to take a portrait of your cat or a latte, the software would just shrug and keep everything in focus.
Is the iPhone XR Still Supported?
As of 2026, we are reaching the end of the road for this classic.
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Historically, Apple supports their phones for about 6 to 7 years. The iPhone XR originally shipped with iOS 12. It has successfully made the jump all the way through iOS 17 and iOS 18.
However, if you're using one today, you've probably noticed it's feeling a bit tired. The A12 Bionic is a legendary chip, but it struggles with modern AI-heavy tasks. You aren't getting "Apple Intelligence" on an XR. That’s reserved for the much newer hardware.
If you're still rocking an XR, you're likely on your second or third battery by now. If not, your "Battery Health" is probably sitting in the low 70s, which is a one-way ticket to Lag City.
What to Do if You Still Have One
If you are holding onto your XR because "it still works," I respect the hustle. But let's be real—the modern mobile world is moving on.
- Check your storage: The base model was 64GB. In 2026, that’s basically enough for three apps and a dozen high-res photos. If your phone is stuttering, it might just be full.
- Trade-in value: It isn't worth much to Apple anymore, but third-party sites like Gazelle or Back Market might give you a few bucks for it.
- The SE Alternative: If you love the size and the "affordability," the iPhone SE is the spiritual successor, though it lacks the modern all-screen design the XR pioneered.
The iPhone XR was the last time an "entry-level" flagship felt truly exciting. It brought color back to a line of phones that had become a bit too serious and gray. Even if it's nearing retirement, its legacy lives on in the standard iPhone 15 and 16 models we see today.
If you’re ready to move on, your best bet is looking at the iPhone 13 or newer. Anything older than that is going to lose software support sooner than you'd like. The jump from an XR to even a basic iPhone 15 is massive—we're talking about better screens, way faster 5G, and cameras that make the XR look like a toy.
Get your data backed up to iCloud before that battery finally gives up the ghost.