Honor 8S 2020 vs. Apple iPhone XR: A Clash of Titans (on a Budget)

Choosing a new smartphone can be overwhelming, especially when balancing price and performance. Today, we're pitting the ultra-affordable Honor 8S 2020 against the still-relevant Apple iPhone XR to see which offers the best bang for your buck. Let's dive in!

Phones Images

🏆 Quick Verdict

The iPhone XR decisively wins due to its significantly superior performance, camera quality, and iOS ecosystem. While the Honor 8S 2020 offers incredible value for its price, the XR provides a more polished and powerful user experience, justifying its higher cost.

PHONES
Phone Names	Honor 8S 2020	Apple iPhone XR

Network
2G bands	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G bands	HSDPA 850 / 900 / 2100	HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100
4G bands	LTE	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66, 71
Speed	HSPA, LTE	HSPA, LTE, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps
Technology	GSM / HSPA / LTE	GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE
	-	CDMA2000 1xEV-DO

Launch
Announced	2020, May 27. Released 2020, May 27	2018, September 12. Released 2018, October 26
Status	Discontinued	Discontinued

Body
Build	Glass front, plastic back, plastic frame	Glass front (Corning-made glass), glass back (Corning-made glass), aluminum frame (7000 series)
Dimensions	147.1 x 70.8 x 8.5 mm (5.79 x 2.79 x 0.33 in)	150.9 x 75.7 x 8.3 mm (5.94 x 2.98 x 0.33 in)
SIM	· Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM	· Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM (China)
Weight	146 g (5.15 oz)	194 g (6.84 oz)
	-	IP67 dust/water resistant (up to 1m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified)

Display
Protection	-	Scratch-resistant glass
Resolution	720 x 1520 pixels, 19:9 ratio (~295 ppi density)	828 x 1792 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~326 ppi density)
Size	5.71 inches, 81.4 cm2 (~78.1% screen-to-body ratio)	6.1 inches, 90.3 cm2 (~79.0% screen-to-body ratio)
Type	IPS LCD	Liquid Retina IPS LCD, 625 nits (HBM)

Platform
CPU	Quad-core 2.0 GHz Cortex-A53	Hexa-core (2x2.5 GHz Vortex + 4x1.6 GHz Tempest)
Chipset	Mediatek MT6761 Helio A22 (12 nm)	Apple A12 Bionic (7 nm)
GPU	PowerVR GE8320	Apple GPU (4-core graphics)
OS	Android 9.0 (Pie), EMUI 9, Google Play Services	iOS 12, upgradable to iOS 18.7

Memory
Card slot	microSDXC (dedicated slot)	No
Internal	64GB 3GB RAM	64GB 3GB RAM, 128GB 3GB RAM, 256GB 3GB RAM
	eMMC 5.1	NVMe

Main Camera
Features	LED flash, HDR, panorama	Quad-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama)
Single	13 MP, f/1.8, PDAF	12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, PDAF, OIS
Video	1080p@30fps	4K@24/30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR, stereo sound rec.

Selfie camera
Features	-	HDR
Single	5 MP, f/2.2	7 MP, f/2.2, 32mm (standard) SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor)
Video	-	1080p@60fps

Sound
3.5mm jack	Yes	No
35mm jack	Yes	No
Loudspeaker	Yes	Yes, with stereo speakers

Comms
Bluetooth	5.0, A2DP, LE	5.0, A2DP, LE
NFC	No	Yes
Positioning	GPS, GLONASS, BDS	GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS
Radio	FM radio	No
USB	microUSB 2.0	Lightning, USB 2.0
WLAN	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, hotspot

Features
Sensors	Accelerometer, proximity	Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer

Battery
Charging	-	15W wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min Wireless (Qi)
Type	Li-Po 3020 mAh	Li-Ion 2942 mAh, non-removable (11.16 Wh)

Misc
Colors	Navy Blue, Midnight Black, Green	Black, Red, Yellow, Blue, Coral, White
Models	-	A2105, A1984, A2107, A2108, A2106, iPhone11,8
Price	About 110 EUR	About 150 EUR
SAR	-	1.13 W/kg (head) 1.16 W/kg (body)
SAR EU	-	0.99 W/kg (head) 0.99 W/kg (body)

Tests
Battery life	-	Endurance rating 78h
Performance	-	AnTuTu: 341196 (v7), 422465 (v8) GeekBench: 11437 (v4.4), 2690 (v5.1) GFXBench: 58fps (ES 3.1 onscreen)

Honor 8S 2020

Extremely affordable
Large display
Decent battery life
Expandable storage (via microSD)

Slow performance
Mediocre camera
Plastic build quality
Outdated software

Apple iPhone XR

Powerful A12 Bionic chip
Excellent camera
Premium build quality
iOS ecosystem
Fast charging (wired & wireless)

Higher price
No expandable storage
LCD display (compared to OLED)

Display Comparison

The iPhone XR boasts a 6.1-inch Liquid Retina LCD display with excellent color accuracy and brightness. The Honor 8S 2020 has a smaller 6.5-inch IPS LCD, which is adequate but lacks the XR's vibrancy and viewing angles. The XR's display is noticeably superior.

Camera Comparison

The iPhone XR's single 12MP camera captures excellent photos and videos, with impressive dynamic range and detail. The Honor 8S 2020's triple camera system (13MP + 2MP + 2MP) struggles in low light and lacks the XR's overall image quality. The iPhone XR wins hands down.

Performance

Here's where the iPhone XR truly shines. The A12 Bionic chip is significantly faster than the Helio A22, resulting in smoother multitasking, faster app loading, and better gaming performance. The Honor 8S 2020 can feel sluggish at times, especially with demanding apps.

Battery Life

Both phones offer impressive battery life, with endurance ratings around 78 hours. However, the iPhone XR supports faster charging (15W wired, PD2.0) and wireless charging (Qi), providing added convenience.

Buying Guide

The Honor 8S 2020 is ideal for users on a tight budget who prioritize basic functionality like calls, texts, and light social media use. The iPhone XR is a better choice for those who want a smoother, faster experience, a better camera, and access to the Apple ecosystem, even if it means spending more.