This is certainly a pleasant surprise. For once, Malaysians can feel proud to be in the first wave to enjoy an Apple product release. For far too long, Malaysia has been relegated to the mid-tier. Though to Apple’s credit, over the years, it has substantially improved the speed of product roll-outs and usually takes around a month to hit Malaysian shores after first wave availability.
The big surprise is the iPhone XR. It’s no secret that the entry-level iPhone is an important product for Apple, a Trojan horse if you will. Much like the iPhone SE of two years back. It’s important because it’s the lowest hanging fruit to buy into the Apple ecosystem. It is after all, an improved iPhone X (with some cut corners).
While it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max, it still packs plenty of outstanding kit, at an accessible price (comparatively). Apple even made the iPhone XR vibrant and colourful, to appeal to the younger crowd.
It comes in White, Black, Blue, Yellow, Coral and PRODUCT(RED).
[irp]
It’s no secret that this device is Apple’s little weapon to compete in markets like China and India, and developing markets like Malaysia, as well.
So how much is the most affordable new iPhone? Here’s the official Malaysian pricing:
- iPhone XR 64GB – MYR3,599
- iPhone XR 128GB – MYR3,849
- iPhone XR 256GB – MYR4,299
If you compare it to the previous generation iPhone X at launch, the iPhone XR is MYR600 cheaper. It’s also substantially more affordable than the base iPhone XS (MYR1,400 to be exact).
You can place a pre-order from the Malaysian Apple Online Store starting Friday, 19 October 2018 at 3.01PM. Why 3.01AM? Beats me.
General ability should be the following Friday, 26 October. Also expect local telcos and authorised resellers to offer deals soon.
As a refresher, the iPhone XR was initially speculated to be called the iPhone Xc or even iPhone 9. The design is a cross between the iPhone X and iPhone 8, featuring 7000 grade aluminium and durable glass.
With an edge-to-edge screen design, the iPhone XR offers a bigger display than the iPhone 8 Plus yet in a more compact body. Apple opted for a 6.1-inch LCD Retina Display (828×1792 @ 326PPI). Apple calls the new edge-to-edge display Liquid Retina, “the most advanced LCD in a smartphone.”
What’s missing though, is 3D Touch that’s featured on the new iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and the previous gen iPhone X.
It’s strange that Apple has decided on a single rear camera setup on the iPhone XR. That said, with some clever software magic, Apple for the first time offers Portrait Mode, Advanced Bokeh, Depth Control and
Smart HDR on a single camera device. The single 12MP wide-angle f/1.8 rear shooter with 1.4-micron pixels is the same module on the iPhone XS and XS Max. In short, it’s good.
Like its more expensive siblings, the iPhone XR features the latest Apple A12 Bionic chip, so it’s no slouch.
According to Apple, the device offers 1.5 hour longer battery life than the iPhone 8 Plus. It supports wireless charging and fast wireless charging via an optional USB Type-C PD charger and USB-C to Lightning cable.
Learn more about the iPhone XR here.
For those who love the iPhone X but don’t have deep enough pockets for the iPhone XS or XS Max, the iPhone XR is an excellent alternative. Or you could grab the old iPhone X, if there’s any stock at all.
Head over to the Apple Online Store to pre-order.
