Updated to the iPhone XR: Why you should join the club

It has been exactly a little over a month that I’ve been using the latest iPhone XR after making the switch from an iPhone 8 Plus. I was madly in love with the iPhone 8 Plus and it was quite a shock to change to things like using Face ID. Not only I’ve switched phones, I didn’t get to use the new OS until I got the iPhone XR since with my 35,000 photos from the road trip across the world, I had the fear to update it until I back up everything! Pro-tip: transfer photos as you go when you travel, you don’t want to end up like me or worse lose the photos in any kind of misfortunate situations.

So back to the new iPhone XR, what did I like or not? Should you get it or not? Let’s go through it together!

Let’s face it, Face ID is pretty good…

Setting up my first ever Face ID was exciting, yet a bit scary. The idea of unlocking my phone with my face though was pretty great considering it is done as soon as I look at the phone. Then again, I had to test it in all ways possible which means I’ve thrown on a beanie, a scarf, sunnies, etc. Verdict? Well as much as unlocking your phone with your face sounds exciting, it must see your eyes, nose and mouth pretty well, otherwise it won’t unlock and ask for a password. Fair enough, people have tried to beat the Face ID before and it’s safe to say that I was of course not able to unlock it if I had too many alternated looks with accessories. Good news though, even with my big fat dark sunglasses that make me look like a fly, the phone was able to detect my moving eyes and scan properly to unlock the phone.

I know many of you have your doubts about Face ID, I had them too. No, somebody won’t be able to unlock your phone with a photo of you because Face ID is not just a camera taking a photo, it actually scans your face with millions of dots to be able to create a 3D of your face. This is also why it has been amazing to work very well in low light, very bright lights or even at night in a pitch dark room.

How is the iPhone XR battery life

Fabulous. Game changer is that extra % of battery life. The key question for a lot of people, most importantly travellers, is how good is actually the battery life of this phone. If you have anything below the iPhone 8 Plus, I would strongly say that it is the right time to upgrade. I recommend you to consider this phone that has an incredible affordable price in addition a great battery life. Price, yes the price is one of the main catch on why you should be joining the iPhone XR club considering all its features and quality. It’s safe to say I’ve been ale to go to bed without charging the iPhone XR without waking up in the morning panicking that the phone is nearly dead or, if not, dead already.

How fast is the iPhoneXR

“If it’s cheaper, there must be a trap … something’s gotta be slower!” Have heard this one too many times and did have a thought or two that way too. Verdict? I had a total of 2 glitches where I had to turn off the phone but to put your in context, I probably (certainly) multitask more than the average smartphone user and am quite impatient in terms of response. Quick response is so important for me. This is why no Android phone ever did the job for me. Mitch likes to call me the technology killer, because whatever new technology I touch, I try to make it work without the instructions manual and don’t have patience on waiting for the piece of tech to react. If it passes the Mimi test, it is sure a food product ha!

So whatever that “A12 Bionic Chip with Next-Generation Neural Engine” mean for most of regular people, it is quite: FAST.

The iPhone XR now has a dual SIM

Although not an extra physical dual SIM card slot, you can finally have an extra digital eSIM. We are many to think that the future will be smartphones with only electronic SIM cards – essentially removing the need to have a physical SIM card (and SIM slot).

Get your things together, time to use Siri properly

I’ve been using an iPhone for so long and I’m one of those “n00bs” (I mean, what kind of techie am I?!) that never really used Siri. We, iPhone users. have it and take it for granted. We are so used to just do everything ourselves but heck, ask Siri and it can actually really save your time, most importantly with the Siri Shortcuts that now integrates more third party apps to the convenience.

Siri for Travellers: Easy Itinerary Access

For travellers, stop scrolling and clicking around, the Siri Shortcuts applies to apps including TripIt, booking.com, hotels.com, HomeAway and Kayak. It let users store itineraries by tapping Add to Siri for access to trip details after booking. You can set to choose a phrase like “Travel plans” to quickly pull up all the flights and hotel details for your upcoming trips. Winning.