When it comes to brand new iPhone launches, Malaysia is often left out from the list of first wave releases. Apple’s first wave countries usually include the US, UK, Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore, and it will take approximately a month before the devices go on sale in Malaysia officially.
For the very first time, it appears that Apple has different plans for the iPhone XR. Almost a month since its introduction, the new colourful iPhone will be available for pre-order globally starting this Friday, 19 October and Malaysia is among the first wave countries to get it.
The iPhone XR comes in a total of 6 colour options namely white, black, blue, yellow, coral and red (Product RED). In Malaysia, the device is officially priced as follows:
iPhone XR 64GB – RM3,599
iPhone XR 128GB – RM3,849
iPhone XR 256GB – RM4,299
To recap, the iPhone XR is Apple’s new affordable alternative to the iPhone XS and XS Max. It’s RM1,400 cheaper and it also runs on the latest Apple A12 Bionic chip. In terms of storage, it comes in 64GB, 128GB and 256GB capacity.
While the display is bigger at 6.1″, the iPhone XR pushes a lower Retina HD resolution of 1792×828 pixels on an IPS panel. You also get a notch which also houses an array of sensors to enable Face ID. Another feature that’s lacking is 3D Touch but Apple has an alternative that’s called Haptic Touch that claims to offer a similar feedback as MacBook Pro trackpads.
Over at the back, the iPhone XR only comes with a single 12MP f/1.8 main camera with OIS but it can also shoot 4K video (up to 60fps) with stereo audio and there’s also limited support for Portrait Lighting. In terms of build, the frame of the iPhone XR uses 7000 series aluminium instead of stainless steel.
With its lower resolution screen, the iPhone XR could offer the best battery life of any iPhone. According to Apple, the iPhone XR can last up to 1.5 hours longer than the iPhone 8 Plus. The device also supports wireless charging and fast wired charging via an optional USB-C PD charger and USB-C to lightning cable.
It’s worth noting that the Malaysian iPhone XR pricing is more affordable than Singapore and it matches the pre-order pricing revealed by 11street. However, it is still quite expensive considering you can get new flagship Android smartphones for the same price and they often come with at least twice the amount of storage.
To learn more, you can check out our iPhone XR announcement post.
If this is the iPhone for you, you can place your pre-order from Apple Malaysia’s online store starting this Friday at 3.01pm. Stocks are expected to be available the following Friday and we expect our local telcos to offer pre-orders on contract very soon.
