iPhone X 5.5 inch screens since 2014. Would I be happy with Xs?

[mjjferreira]

5.8” vs 5.5” is measured on the diagonal.
But they have very different aspect ratios (X is more tall and narrow).
How is this relevant? Normal media, let’s say YouTube videos, are in the same aspect ratio as 5.8” iPhone. On all iPhones except the iPhone X, you don’t get a black border on the sides. But since iPhone X is so narrow, you get a huge border on the sides. The narrow-ness therefore limits the iPhone X when watching media. Basically, the video will have the same size as on a 4.7” iPhone (the non-Plus models).

TLDR: iPhone X is very narrow. Great when holding the phone vertically, absolutely not great when holding the phone horizontally.

The X is basically the Plus size, a little smaller.
I can trade that for having a smaller and "one hand" friendly device.

 

[mjjferreira]

I get it. Many of us love the Plus. We love the screen. However, it not fitting in pockets & just being BIG.. starts to get old. Some can leave it. Some can’t.

You understood me.

 

[craigio85]

I wish I could get here. My wife has the X she’s going to punch me if I watch one more video or type one more note on it. I loved the size of it but video still small for me.

I noticed it handled Netflix much better than YouTube.

But i’m not much of a video watcher on my phone - if i’m watching anything longer than a couple of minutes, I tend to cast it to the TV. I’m also not much of a landscape mode user, so I guess it just works better for me.

For typing, I actually found the X better for accuracy. I’m always underreaching on my Plus.

 

[VSMacOne]

I have been a Plus user since a few months after the 6Plus launch. The move to the X was challenging for me because you lose a lot in width. But I have friends who could’ve cared less. So it’s a completely subjective thing. Go hold the X and look at the things you use every day to spot the differences.

 

[hotdeck]

Thank you all for your replies. They are very informative, but still not helping me making the decision! Lol. It’s really down to what’s important to each person.

 

[MacintoshJosh3]

Torn between Xs and Xs max. I have been using Plus phones since iPhone 6 Plus. I found the phone to be a little too big for jeans and pants. For jacket pocket no problem.

Would I be happy to buy Xs this year for a bit more portability? Anyone downgraded size last year to X and miss the larger screen?

I can only speak to my experience but I have always had Plus phones and currently have one as my company issued phone. I have had the iPhone X release since it’s release on my personal line and the lack of additional screen width makes multiple things very frustrating for my use case. Specific things like excel and safari come to mind. For me there is no option except the MAX.

 

[rjp1]

I switched to plus model with the 6 and liked it, but always thought it was a little too big. I got the X and it seems like the screen is the same size, but a lot better using it, because of the smaller overall size. I’d just get an iPad mini if I was considering a Xs Max lol

 

[PBz]

I have been a Plus user since a few months after the 6Plus launch. The move to the X was challenging for me because you lose a lot in width. But I have friends who could’ve cared less. So it’s a completely subjective thing. Go hold the X and look at the things you use every day to spot the differences.

When I hold the X it feels perfect. Then when I want to watch a video or edit a photo (LR or VSCO) I want my 8+ back.

 

[shady281]

It's not, the content size is similar to the 4.7" iPhones, you get a big status bar on the top with the notch sides which take away the content you can see, the default video proportion is the same as the 4.7" iPhones unless you expand it but then you lose content on the sides, top and bottom and there's also the keyboard which takes too much space with that grey background for emoji and dictation icons. It's also less wider than the Plus which already makes you lose screen real estate. Overall the 5.8" X's give you the same viewing experience as the 4.7" iPhones.

Glad someone else notices that. People gave forgotten basic geometry.

The 5.5” plus phones have about 4% more screen area than the 5.8” X. Thats not including the lost area due to the notch.

 

[Knowimagination]

I had the 7 Plus and I wished that there had been an X Plus originally but I have been very happy with my X.

That being said it is a complete no brainer for me to get the Max, the X screen has always been a compromise for me that was well worth it for the other features of the X but now that I don't have to make that compromise I am excited for the Max to meld the best of both worlds.

 

[Techman82]

For anyone that wants to get a better idea of coming from an 8/8 plus to an Xs at 16:9 aspect ratio, fit to screen of your plus.

 

[Marshall73]

Had the plus size models since the 6 plus, went for the X last year and going to Max this year. The X is just too narrow (equivalent of the non plus widths) which changes the viewport for websites etc. I only stuck with the X because of FaceID.

 

[balaplus]

Thank you all for your replies. They are very informative, but still not helping me making the decision! Lol. It’s really down to what’s important to each person.

You heard it..
You went to plus for a reason..And that is the screen...
So go get a Max..You won't regret it..
Simple!!

 

[FriendlyMackle]

Thank you all for your replies. They are very informative, but still not helping me making the decision! Lol. It’s really down to what’s important to each person.

Exactly. You should really try both out in store. First try the X, since it is available now to test. See how lanscape looks - and video in landscape. It really looks tiny after watching video on a Plus model. Same with landscape. Also, the X doesn't have all of the old modifications Apple made for the Plus models in landscape. Whereas, the new Xs Max model will be optimized with special display layout visual components (in terms of the way content in mail, calendar, etc are displayed), just like the Plus models. I have just jumped from the X to the Xs Max. I had used the Plus models since the 6 and really liked the screen. I do love the overall size of the X, but not the lack of screen width and total useable area once you account for the head and foot areas being marked off for the system in most cases.

 

[kennoj]

I have s7 Edge and I rly liked X when I tested it few weeks ago, so im getting Xs for myself. I used to always want the biggest and the best. But now I just want flagship phone which I can use one handedly if I need to, and it also need to fit my jeans pocket. And I think the Xs will fit me quite nicely, and I have very very small hands for a man.

Only thing Im gonna miss about Xs Max is the battery life but I dont think that 1 hour extra battery life would matter.

 

[VSMacOne]

Has anyone found a graphic with the official screen measurements overlaid together to show the exact dimensions? I can't seem to find one comparing the 8Plus, X and Xs Max. Please post it here if you do.

 

[profets]

Torn between Xs and Xs max. I have been using Plus phones since iPhone 6 Plus. I found the phone to be a little too big for jeans and pants. For jacket pocket no problem.

Would I be happy to buy Xs this year for a bit more portability? Anyone downgraded size last year to X and miss the larger screen?

Thank you all for your replies. They are very informative, but still not helping me making the decision! Lol. It’s really down to what’s important to each person.

I was a Plus user (6 Plus and 7 Plus) and while I loved the size of the screen for taking and editing photos, the size of the device always felt a bit bulky to me, especially for pockets and even more so for the times I wanted to use it one handed (not being able to reach across the width of the screen annoyed me). I really loved the physical size and pocketability of the 4.7" iPhones but the screen always felt a bit small to me.

I've been using the X for the past year and it's felt like a perfect combination of the 4.7" and 5.5". It's very very close to the physical size of the 4.7" iPhones, but the screen feels much larger than those ones had. You definitely notice less width with the display compared to the Plus, but you still get a lot of screen real estate with it and what I really love is that I can reach across the whole width of the screen when using it one handed.

I have no desire to change or upgrade to the Max, but I'm sure if I saw it in person, an OLED screen at that size with the steel frame, I'd be drooling and extremely tempted, lol.

 

[Agent OrangeZ]

Keep in mind though... when you go from a 6,7,8 Plus to an X/Xs, you lose rotation split view on apps like Mail, Messages... etc. and the home screen does not rotate. If that matters to you.

 

[ztw2002]

If you watch a lot of videos on YouTube, then get the Max. I switched to the X last year from 7Plus and regretted immediately. The screen real estate is similar like the 8 when watching YouTube.

 

[jclardy]

Depends on what you are looking for. For video, the Xs is actually a little bigger viewable area if you are zoomed out when watching a cinema wide 2:35 aspect ratio video, because the display is taller. For 16:9 video the Plus will be much bigger.

I went from a 7 plus to a X and am super happy with it. The only thing I miss is split view in landscape, like in mail and messages. Basically I only use landscape on the X for video, because in every other situation apple made it into complete trash via software because they refuse to just cover up the notch and allow for identical split view modes as the Plus, and they even did the same for the Max with its massive display. Basically Apple hates landscape mode now.