Best mid-range phones in Australia

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The full iPhone experience without the exorbitant cost

Specifications

Weight: 194g
Dimensions: 150.9 x 75.7 x 8.3mm
CPU: Apple A12 Bionic
RAM: 3GB
Storage: 64GB/128GB/256GB
Battery: 2,942mAh
Rear camera: 12MP
Front camera: 7MP + ToF

Reasons to buy

+
Great battery life
+
Cheapest iPhone around
+
Speedy A12 Bionic chip

Reasons to avoid

-
Lower res LCD display
-
Only a single rear camera

For many Apple fans, the rising cost of the Cupertino company's premium iPhones has made it harder to justify upgrading on a regular basis. But what if there was a cheaper iPhone option that offered the same updated chipset as its more expensive siblings while dialling back on other extravagances?

Enter the iPhone XR – a more affordable Apple smartphone that's gotten even cheaper since the announcement of its successor, the iPhone 11. Sure, there are better models available now, but the iPhone XR still packs the same A12 Bionic chip that powers the exceptional iPhone XS and XS Max, which is pretty darn impressive for just over a thousand bucks.

Of course, there are a couple of downsides. For one, iPhone XR only sports a single camera on its rear, which is rare in this day and age. Thankfully, it still takes great photos and can even pull off impressive blurred backgrounds in Portrait mode.

Additionally, the iPhone XR sports a fairly low-res LCD display, rather than the beautiful OLED screen thats adorn higher-end iPhone models. It's still quite bright, and Apple's unmistakable notch design at least makes the display look quite modern when glanced at. 

Still, if you can overlook those issues, the iPhone XR is a terrific option for those who want to remain in Apple's eco-system without spending an absolute fortune on top-end models.

Read our iPhone XR review
See the best iPhone XR outright deals here
See the best iPhone XR telco plans here

TOPICS
Stephen Lambrechts
Senior Journalist, Phones and Entertainment

Stephen primarily covers phones and entertainment for TechRadar's Australian team, and has written professionally across the categories of tech, film, television and gaming in both print and online for over a decade. He's obsessed with smartphones, televisions, consoles and gaming PCs, and has a deep-seated desire to consume all forms of media at the highest quality possible. 

He's also likely to talk a person’s ear off at the mere mention of Android, cats, retro sneaker releases, travelling and physical media, such as vinyl and boutique Blu-ray releases. Right now, he's most excited about QD-OLED technology, The Batman and Hellblade 2: Senua's Saga.

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