The iPhone 12 Pro and the iPhone XR are both great Apple models only 2 generations apart, but they have some key differences. While you might find some great savings in the iPhone XR (released in September 2018), you might consider some of the feature upgrades on the iPhone 12 Pro (released in October 2020). Take a closer look to see how these two iPhones compare.

Camera

Camera quality goes a long way for many Apple users, and you’ll usually find better specs on more recent models. However, that’s not the case with the iPhone 12 Pro and the iPhone XR. Both phones offer great rear camera quality with 12 MP, 4032 x 3024 resolution, and upt o 60 FPS recording. The most notable difference is the 3 lenses offered on the iPhone 12 Pro vs the iPhone XR, which gives it more versatility and zoom capabilities than the XR. In particular, you can expect 2x zoom, wider pictures and better focus on the iPhone 12 camera.

Battery

Surprisingly, the iPhone XR actually comes out slightly ahead of the iPhone 12 Pro in terms of battery capacity. The XR brings 2942 mAH vs 2815 mAh on the 12 Pro. That’s not going to make much of a noticeable difference in terms of battery life, so there’s no clear winner here. The iPhone 12 did improve charging power from 15 W on the XR to 18 W, meaning you might be able to get to a full charge a little faster, but only by ~15 mins.

Display

The display size and resolution are similar between both models; both the XR and 12 Pro displays are measured at 6.1 inches diagonally, but the later model has a slightly better resolution. The iPhone 12 Pro is also slightly lighter at 189g compared to 194g on the XR. Overall, the display spec differences are fairly minimal, and you’ll get a very similar quality and experience with the older XR model.

Storage Options

Here’s where the iPhone 12 Pro starts to stand out a little more. The 12 Pro comes with double the RAM size at 6GB vs 3 GB on the XR. While you’ll experience faster and smoother loading between apps, this might also result in reduced battery life on the 12 Pro. The 12 Pro also comes with more storage options up to 512GB, whereas the XR model is only offered up to 256GB. Only users that have a bigger need for storage (maybe for photo/video editing purposes) will need to consider the 12 Pro, because 256GB is normally more than enough for the average user.

Processor

You’ll almost always find a more advanced chipset on more recent iPhone models. This is true for the iPhone 12 Pro, which has a more advanced A14 Bionic chip, 2 generations upgraded from the A12 Bionic chip found on the iPhone XR. This is a pretty major upgrade given the rest of the specs have been about the same. You’ll experience faster performances, better graphics and quicker refresh rates on the 12 Pro, which might be enough to justify the upgrade.

Overall, if you need a new iPhone, more recent generations are always worth considering, but given the relatively minimal upgrades given to the 12 Pro, you might be better off saving some money and getting yourself an iPhone XR. This is still a fantastic iPhone and can be upgraded up to the recent iOS version (as of 2023).