Apple is selling cheap iPhone XR models for just £499 – saving you £150

APPLE is flogging the popular iPhone XR for £499 – saving you hundreds of pounds.

The handset is technically "refurbished", but it's "like new" – with a fresh box, battery and outer shell to boot.

Discounts on Apple products are hard to come by, but refurbished handsets are a great way to save some cash.

Apple has finally added 2018's iPhone XR to its roster of refurbished blowers in the UK.

And the savings are huge.

Depending on the model you buy, you'll save either £140 or £150.

• iPhone XR for £499 at Apple Store – buy here

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You can also spread the cost of a refurbished iPhone through Apple, using a Barclays finance scheme – but always be cautious with these offers, as it's effectively credit.

It's easy to be turned off by the term "refurbished".

But these days, refurbished goods aren't knackered second-hand gear with scratches, bumps and the rest.

Apple's 'Certified Refurbished' program means the device you get will be "like new" – and goes through all the same testing as a new product.

Every refurbished iOS device comes with a brand new battery and outer shell.

And you get all the same accessories, cables and software as a normal new device.

The packaging is also brand new, and the box is delivered with free shipping – and free returns, too.

Apple also provides the standard one-year limited warranty with refurbished products, just like regular devices.

And you can still purchase AppleCare if you want extra protection.

iPhone XR camera review

Here's what we said back in 2018...

• The iPhone XR is the only model in Apple’s 2018 line-up to ship without a dual camera on the back.
• That might put keen Instagrammers off, but don’t let it: the iPhone XR is an exceptional shooter.
• It’s got the same core 12-megapixel wide-angle camera as the iPhone XS, but lacks only the telephoto lens – which would otherwise enable 2x optical zoom.
• In my experience, photos look barely different to the iPhone XR, with exceptional performance all round. This includes in low-light conditions or scenes with wide dynamic range (bright lights and dark areas), a sticking point for Apple on previous iPhone models.
• For anyone coming from an older iPhone, the difference is stark.
• It’s mostly thanks to software improvements rather than physical changes to the camera.
• With the iPhone XR and iPhone XS, Apple has added a new feature called Smart HDR.
• It means that when you take a photo, lots of frames are snapped very quickly.
• Your iPhone will then pick the best bits from each of these frames to create a single super snap.
• This is especially useful in tricky lighting conditions, allowing your iPhone to keep the entire shot exposed correctly.
• The camera is great, frankly.
• The only other point to note about the iPhone XR is that Portrait Mode works slightly differently.
• For the uninitiated, Portrait Mode lets you take photos of people with a “bokeh” effect – keeping the subject in sharp focus, while blurring the background.
• On the iPhone XS, this works using depth-sensing from the two cameras on the back.
• But the iPhone XR only has a single rear-facing camera, which means Apple is forced to do software trickery.
• Apple has taught the camera to recognise human faces (using machine learning), and then applying a convincing “bokeh” effect over the top.
• The first note is that this means Portrait Mode won’t work on inanimate objects or your cat – because it relies on detecting human faces. If you’re a pet snapper, the iPhone XS is a better buy.
• What’s interesting is that the iPhone XS uses the telephoto lens for Portrait Mode, so you get very close-up snaps. But the iPhone XR uses its wide-angle lens, so you get much wider shots.
• I actually thought these wider Portrait shots looked better, because you can pack much more of the scene in.
• The Portrait Mode also worked very effectively in low light conditions.

The iPhone XR came out in 2018, and is still an extremely capable mobile.

It's got a large 6.1-inch screen, the nippy A12 Bionic chip, and 64GB, 128GB and 256GB storage options.

Notably, it was released in a wide range of six colours: black, white, blue, yellow, coral and Product Red.

• iPhone XR for £499 at Apple Store – buy here

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