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Other 8 ---> 8+, Xr, Wait?

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puma1552

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Original poster
Nov 20, 2008
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Regular 8 owner here. Love the phone. Phone is paid for.

For whatever reason the Xs/Max don't do it for me, not sure why. Wife has an Xs, it's nice, but I don't care to spend a grand, really. Not sure I like the stainless bands, and with reception issues these seem like a hard pass for me personally, especially at that price.

I've been wanting a bit larger phone lately, but have never gone larger than the 4.7" models.

I'm considering an 8+, an Xr, or waiting. If I buy a new phone now, I'm keeping it for 1.5 years until the 2020 release.

8+:

Pros:

-Higher PPI
-Full 1080p screen
-Qualcomm modem
-3D touch

Cons:

-Pocketability problem
-Getting long in the tooth
-No FaceID

Xr:

Pros:

-Great size, thickness, and heft (I like a little heft and thickness)
-Great battery
-FaceID (albeit generation 1.5 we'll call it)
-Newer

Cons:

-326 PPI............yet again, said I wasn't going to buy another 326 PPI phone
-No 3D touch
-Intel modem

Waiting:

If I wait, I'll likely buy a 2019 phone. Would not buy an 8+ at that point once it's two years old. All 2019 phones will likely have Intel modems, possibly none of them will have 3D Touch, and the Xr will almost certainly be another 326 ppi phone. One pro would be that all 2019 phones will likely have generation 2 Face ID. Not sure how I feel about frosted glass backs. Don't really care that much about the camera.

So, which option would you pick? The Xr is so close to being perfect, if it had 401 ppi, a Qualcomm modem, and 3D touch. I consider all of these to be pretty big cons, tbh. I also feel like we more or less know that the 2019 phones will be incremental upgrades that won't really change anything on my cons list, but there might be cheaper prices and better base storage.
 
Being your current iPhone is perfectly operable, I would just continue using it as you normally would, and see what Apple debuts in the next seven months for the new iPhones for 2019. If you are intrigued by the XR, it’s likely to be updated again this year with a dual camera. However, If you were to opt for a new iPhone now, then I would suggest the XR, outstanding battery life, Face ID really is a unique experience, overall, it’s a great phone for the price, especially with certain promotions/trade-in’s that are active.
 
One other pro for the Xr is the 128 gb option for just $50 more than the 64.

64 is enough for me, but on principle I think 128 should be the sweet spot today so I'd either be buying a 64 gig 8+ or a 128 gig Xr.

Another reason I am considering this move now mid-cycle is because I dumped my iPad a few months ago in a successful attempt at reducing my devices and simplifying my life, so a little bigger phone would be welcome.
 
puma1552 said:
One other pro for the Xr is the 128 gb option for just $50 more than the 64.

64 is enough for me, but on principle I think 128 should be the sweet spot today so I'd either be buying a 64 gig 8+ or a 128 gig Xr.

Another reason I am considering this move now mid-cycle is because I dumped my iPad a few months ago in a successful attempt at reducing my devices and simplifying my life, so a little bigger phone would be welcome.
Click to expand...
I’ve never been a fan of plus sized phones so the 4.7 was always the choice for me. I upgraded my 6s to an X(Qualcomm) a year ago and couldn’t be happier with the phone. If I were you I’d keep the 8, it will be a powerful device for years to come and as the new phones come out you can decide if they’re worth the price for upgrading..
 
Agreed with the above. If you like your current 8 keep it as long as possible. It’s a great phone, likely the last model of that size with both touch ID and 3D touch. The 8+ and xr are too large for me personally. If you decide otherwise you can always try either phone for 14 days with Apple’s fairly generous return policy.
 
Only reason I have a XR is I got it for a steal brand new, same price I sold my year old 8 for. I like it but it’s big and heavy. If I had to pay extra to get one I would of kept my 8.
 
Had a 6s before, but upgraded to an 8+ due to my job being 10-hr shifts with a ton of downtime.

Kindle, YouTube / Netflix, and surfing the web are all much easier on the eyes due to its wide 5.5 inch 1080p display with proper 16:9 aspect ratio.

The battery life, camera, speed, speakers, and TouchID are all phenomenal as well.

I’d highly recommend the 8+, especially if you can snag one when Apple is selling a refurbished unit for $599.
 
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Once you tried the gestures...

XR would be my choice, amazing camera and portrait mode works really really well.
 
Always opt for the higher storage _if_ it’s not that much more money, and the reason I say that, is not necessarily because of what you used in the past for storage, but being that software updates, 4K video, other media, etc. really does consume space very quickly, and it’s always better to have too much storage, than not enough.
 
I must have an absolute freak of a phone.

Just spent 20 minutes at the store checking my brightness and whiteness against other 8s, 8+, Xr, and even Xs/Max and mine was like 10% brightner and with a truer white than every single one I checked. Yes, true tone, nightshift, and auto brightness were off on all of them. Xr had pretty bad off axis shift too.

Brightness/whiteness are important to me as I run a plain white background with only four icon folders at the top, and I run max brightness most days.

I knew I had a great screen on this one but I didn't realize it was that much of a freak. Might just have to keep this one, hard to get wild about a phone that almost certainly is going to be dimmer than what I have, which would be an auto return for me.
 
If were you I'd wait. You don't need a new phone. You don't even dislike your current phone. If you buy a new phone now in 6 months time you'll regret not waiting.
 
ghanwani said:
What is an off axis shift?
Click to expand...

It's when you tilt the phone and there's a large color shift/poor viewing angles.

Honestly it's not something I care too much about since I generally look at my phone straight on, but nonetheless, it's there and the Xr display was indeed inferior to what I have now, so that's not something to get excited about.
 
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The 8+ trounces the XR in many ways (you didn't mention). A very important one is the text size. Text will be larger on the 8+.
As for size, the 8+ seems big to you because you're not used to it. I've been using a plus iPhone for 4 years and its larger size never even enters my thoughts. It doesn't seem big at all to me. It is what it is.
I have an old iPhone 5 too that I sometimes take with me and I always prefer the Plus. Always. (Except when sitting down)- gotta pay attention to it- no back pockets that's for sure.
 
now i see it said:
The 8+ trounces the XR in many ways (you didn't mention). A very important one is the text size. Text will be larger on the 8+.
As for size, the 8+ seems big to you because you're not used to it. I've been using a plus iPhone for 4 years and its larger size never even enters my thoughts. It doesn't seem big at all to me. It is what it is.
I have an old iPhone 5 too that I sometimes take with me and I always prefer the Plus. Always. (Except when sitting down)- gotta pay attention to it- no back pockets that's for sure.
Click to expand...

Funny you mention text size, because I have the slider set to have text be as small as possible, lol.

I more or less ruled out the Xr after my trip to the store today. Was playing with haptic touch and in the end, it just wasn't a good substitute for 3D Touch, even for as little as I use 3D Touch. Between that, the screen that was hyped up as the world's greatest LCD only to be more of the same but with worse viewing angles, and the Intel modem, I just can't justify an ~$850+ outlay with tax. There's also a (slight) chance I get moved at work into new office space being built out in the basement, where almost nobody except Sprint users get coverage (company has Sprint boosters in the basement), so as a Verizon user I think I would definitely need the Qualcomm modem just in case I get moved. The 8+ just seems like a better overall phone, even though I'd prefer FaceID going forward and the notch doesn't bother me one bit.

Still thinking about the 8+, but a little annoyed by the fact every display model at the store was dimmer than mine. I might be willing to order a single 8+ just to try and if it's not flawless in every way and just as bright as my current 8, just send it back and stick with the 8...no energy to play the Apple QC lottery, especially at these prices when I don't need to make a purchase - not settling for anything less than perfect but not willing to spend a ton of time finding it either.
 
cableguy84 said:
Get the 8+
Click to expand...

It’s Definitely Apples most mature phone in their lineup right now, and very few problems were reported with the iPhone 8+, and given the discount right now, it certainly is a great phone. It’s my work phone, and I can honestly say it’s probably the best phone from Apple I have had other out of there entire lineup of phones over the years. So I would also second your post, even though I think the XR is very close in competition.
 
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puma1552 said:
Still thinking about the 8+, but a little annoyed by the fact every display model at the store was dimmer than mine. I might be willing to order a single 8+ just to try and if it's not flawless in every way and just as bright as my current 8, just send it back and stick with the 8...no energy to play the Apple QC lottery, especially at these prices when I don't need to make a purchase - not settling for anything less than perfect but not willing to spend a ton of time finding it either.
Click to expand...

If the 8+ has to be as bright as your 8 then don’t even bother ordering it. According to detailed testing by GMSarena the 8+ display is slightly dimmer than the 8:

https://m.gsmarena.com/apple_iphone_8-review-1664p3.php

https://m.gsmarena.com/apple_iphone_8_plus-review-1662p3.php
 
Hal~9000 said:
If the 8+ has to be as bright as your 8 then don’t even bother ordering it. According to detailed testing by GMSarena the 8+ display is slightly dimmer than the 8:

https://m.gsmarena.com/apple_iphone_8-review-1664p3.php

https://m.gsmarena.com/apple_iphone_8_plus-review-1662p3.php
Click to expand...

Thanks. I wonder if that could just be panel variability though since they are both rated for 625 nits max?

That said I did always wonder why the plus has a 1300:1 contrast ratio vs. the 1400:1 of the non-plus model. Not that it's going to be noticeable, but seems like a bizarre minute difference between the two - why not just build them to the same contrast spec?
 
I am seriously considering swapping my Xr64gb for a brand new 8 64gb with $100 my way, i have a iPad 11" so don't really make use of the bigger screen.
The size and weight/thickness are pretty annoying, not sure i can go back to TID though.
Wish they made the Xr in a 8 size too :(
 
The 8+ would be my choice as it’s a beast of a phone and can be picked up for a very decent price. Battery life, camera, screen etc are all excellent and it’ll be a good phone for a few years yet. Probably the best for what it offers right now I’d say and it’s the reason I chose it at my last upgrade.
 
The-Real-Deal82 said:
The 8+ would be my choice as it’s a beast of a phone and can be picked up for a very decent price. Battery life, camera, screen etc are all excellent and it’ll be a good phone for a few years yet. Probably the best for what it offers right now I’d say and it’s the reason I chose it at my last upgrade.
Click to expand...

Didn’t you say in a previous post/thread the reason you chose the iPhone 8, because the XS was too expensive/out of range for you? I mean I agree with what you’re saying about the iPhone 8, but if I recall correctly, that wasn’t the only reason why you chose the iPhone 8, it was because you didn’t agree with the price point of the other phones that were considerably more expensive, leaving you the option of the iPhone 8.
 
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Relentless Power said:
Didn’t you say in a previous post/thread the reason you chose the iPhone 8, because the XS was too expensive/out of range for you? I mean I agree with what you’re saying about the iPhone 8, but if I recall correctly, that wasn’t the only reason why you chose the iPhone 8, it was because you didn’t agree with the price point of the other phones that were considerably more expensive, leaving you the option of the iPhone 8.
Click to expand...
I’ve said that many many times yes. I actually bought the 8+ not the 8 and I felt it offered enough compared to the more expensive iPhones which were not out of my range financially, I just didn’t see the need to spend silly money on a phone that essentially does the same thing as an iPhone £500 cheaper.

I had the option of the XR too which I waited for until I made my choice. For me the XR wasn’t as good as the 8+ despite being around the same price. Others may disagree but it’s personal preference.

Reading the post you’ve quoted of mine I mention ‘decent price’ which was me once again highlighting that price is a major factor.
 
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