iPhone XR colors: how to choose the right shade for you

Image credit: Apple

You can pick up the iPhone XR in a wide range of bright colors to suit a wider range of styles than the sometimes muted silver and grey iPhones of years gone by.

There are six colors in all, namely: black, white, blue, yellow, coral and red... you'll agree, a decent amount of choice. These popular colors have meant Apple isn't bringing out a massive range of cases for the phone (although we're enjoying the Ombre option from Tech21) and most of them are clear.

But you should choose carefully, as while the iPhone XR is cheaper than the iPhone 11 range, it’s still a pricey handset, and you’re likely to be stuck with it for a couple of years at least, so you’ll want a color you love.

Sure, the iPhone 11 is Apple's newest 'affordable' smartphone, and there are plenty of iPhone 11 colors to choose from, so if you want a bright iPhone you have choice. The colors of the iPhone 11 are mostly the same as the iPhone XR, but there's no blue option, as that has been replaced by lilac, and all options are a little more pastel.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that with the iPhone 12 around the corner, the XR might not be on sale much longer. You may want to wait and see if the iPhone 12 range has new colors to suit your style, or whether the iPhone 11 goes down in price. 

We’ve created this guide to help you choose which color iPhone XR is best for you. Below you’ll find images of the iPhone XR in every available color, along with additional information on the shades and links to buy them at the best prices we can find – because while all shades cost the same from Apple, prices sometimes vary elsewhere.

If you're looking for the cheapest iPhone XR deals, we've listed the cheapest ways to get a variety of colors upfront if that's more likely to sway your opinion:

iPhone XR in white

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Image credit: Apple

Image credit: Apple

White is one of the two most 'ordinary' shades that you can get the iPhone XR in - it's an Apple staple, and many phones have white options. Being plain it’s less likely to turn heads than some of the shades below, but also sure to be less divisive. 

The aluminum frame also looks the most like metal here, as it’s a silvery white, which isn't too far off the natural color of the metal.

iPhone XR in black

Image credit: Apple

Image credit: Apple

This is the most 'ordinary' shade you can find. The iPhone XR in black, like white, looks less showy than some shades and also looks a bit more like an iPhone XS (as that phone is available in a similar space grey color). Black is the most smart-looking option here - it's something understated, although it's also one of the most common colors for smartphones in general.

iPhone XR in blue

Image credit: Apple

Image credit: Apple

This is more like it if you're looking to stand out. The blue shade is light and bright, and unlike the sorts of colors you’d find most iPhone models in. This color makes it immediately obvious that you’re using an iPhone XR as there aren't any other Apple devices using this shade - whether that's a good or bad thing is up to you. It's the one iPhone XR color Apple chose not to bring over to the iPhone 11, so it's certainly unique to the phone, although perhaps they thought no-one wanted a blue phone...

iPhone XR in yellow

Image credit: Apple

Image credit: Apple

If you thought blue was bright, you haven't seen anything yet. The yellow shade is the brightest iPhone XR color and a far cry from the restrained gold color that you can get the iPhone XS in. 

This shade certainly isn’t for everyone, but if you want an iPhone that visually stands out from the crowd (and might blind some people in said crowd), this is it.

iPhone XR in coral

Image credit: Apple

Image credit: Apple

The coral shade sits somewhere between red and pink and is perhaps the most unusual of all the iPhone XR colors, just because it’s not a shade you see anything in very often. 

Like the blue and yellow colors it’s quite bright, and it will definitely attract attention - and possibly shoals of clown fish bobbing past looking for a snack.

iPhone XR in (PRODUCT) RED

Image credit: Apple

Image credit: Apple

The red shade, or (PRODUCT) RED to give it its proper name, is so called because a portion of each purchase goes towards (RED) – a global fund dedicated to fighting HIV/AIDS.

This shade isn’t quite as bright as you might expect, given the yellow, coral and blue options above, but it’s still a fairly bright red. It's one of our top picks at the moment as it's arguably the most distinctive while still retaining some decorum for the boardroom.

James Rogerson

James is a freelance phones, tablets and wearables writer and sub-editor at TechRadar. He has a love for everything ‘smart’, from watches to lights, and can often be found arguing with AI assistants or drowning in the latest apps. James also contributes to 3G.co.uk, 4G.co.uk and 5G.co.uk and has written for T3, Digital Camera World, Clarity Media and others, with work on the web, in print and on TV.