iPhone XR So I’ve only gone and traded my iPhone X for an XR...

[Broadus]

I would gladly pay extra for a XS or XS Max because I upgrade annually and iPhones hold their resale value well. Proportionately, the cost to own a XS or XS Max won’t be that much more than a XR. The one advantage the XR has is that 128GB is the perfect size, but I don’t think the difference in price is as drastic as people think if they factor in resale value. Then again I do expect a price drop of ~ $100 for the next generation (not necessary imo, but sales say differently) which may depreciate this generation quicker than usual.

You may have a point about resale. I keep mine for about three years and then pass it along to my wife. She couldn’t care less as long as it makes and receives calls and texts and gives good directions via occasional GPS usage (Google Maps).

Mentally, I just can’t come to grips with a $1000-plus smartphone. Perhaps one day. Like I’ve said, I’m usually on my MacBook Pro or iPad Pro.

 

[1rottenapple]

You may have a point about resale. I keep mine for about three years and then pass it along to my wife. She couldn’t care less as long as it makes and receives calls and texts and gives good directions via occasional GPS usage (Google Maps).

Mentally, I just can’t come to grips with a $1000-plus smartphone. Perhaps one day. Like I’ve said, I’m usually on my MacBook Pro or iPad Pro.

I second the feeling. Hopefully our gadgets will last for quite a long time making replacements in between generations much longer.

 

[MICHAELSD]

I second the feeling. Hopefully our gadgets will last for quite a long time making replacements in between generations much longer.

I enjoy having the newest features and am super enthusiastic about the changes Apple makes annually so I really don’t mind upgrading annually, and the cost difference isn’t significant compared to holding onto an iPhone for 2-3 years. I might have to hold onto my 8+ for as long as possible though if the 2019 iPhone lineup still uses PWM. (Unless the second-generation XR includes a higher resolution display and 3D Touch.)

Side note: I am growing to hate Haptic Touch. It lacks the fluidity and precision of 3D Touch — particularly on the keyboard. 3D Touch has its utility, and I think it should be featured more prominently. I didn’t realize how much I would miss it; unfortunately, the Haptic Touch workarounds aren’t as intuitive. Selecting text is frustrating and nearly impossible even with the Haptic Touch two-tap cursor workaround, and deleting text takes a lot longer without 3D Touch.

In fact, I had never regretted an upgrade until the XR. The XR is the first time in eleven generations that I’ve felt it was a downgrade from the iPhone I had used prior. I do enjoy the stereo widening on the speakers as it makes a noticeable difference and the new camera has better low-light performance, but beyond that I haven’t really enjoyed it. I now get Apple’s obession with thinness since even the 10% thicker body on the XR feels chunkier than the 8+, and the side bezels are also larger than those on the 8+.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Colored steel edges feel cheap except the red one. Phone is too thick, bezels are too thick. Just feels like a less premium, more bloated Chinese copy of the iPhone X. Plus, didn't Apple already learn with the 5C that colored and watered down iPhones are not appealing? I mean how many more times do they have to make the same mistake?

The edges on the XR is coloured anodised aluminium not steel and generally that is a premium process and finished. There’s not a vast difference in price to stainless steel. The internals of the XR are actually more premium than in the iPhone X you claim to own so it helps doing a bit of research before making comments like yours as most here are clued up on iPhones. You end up looking silly.

I get the impression you’re annoyed others are happy with the XR and maybe that’s because it a better price and you really deep down wish you’d waited.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Agreed about everything, including the prices. They're too high. 600/800/900 would be better, yes.

What I don't agree with (and I read this more often) is that it's the reason why phones are not selling as well as they used to. Sure, the higher prices play a role, but phones are getting better and better. Most people I know used to switch phones every year, or every other year.....but the last few years? It's no longer necessary, especially with iPhones.

Both of those points go hand in hand though. I’ve lost count of the amount of people I know who have said they are holding onto their phones because the new ones are too expensive. Then there’s the thing of so many people upgrading to last years model. Phones are really good which means you no longer have to get this years model to stay up to date and the price is also driving this trend.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

The iPhone 7 and 8 are even cheaper. They don’t sell well.

The XR has the right combination of features and price for customers in many parts of the world.

This obviously depends where in the world you are. The iPhone 7 has been the top selling iPhone in Europe for two straight years now and is still a popular upgrade where I am. Last year despite the X being the best selling overall in one quarter, it was relegated to 7th best selling Europe in the UK and was failing to make the top 3 in Western Europe. In the run up to Christmas here the iPhone 8 was the most in demand so this is probably different in the states where prices of new iPhones are cheaper etc.

 

[AppleHaterLover]

I thank you for letting me express my opinions in a fair, unbiased manner. The great news here for consumers is that if they haven’t already owned a X or XS, they’ll probably enjoy the XR! There could be people coming from newer Plus phones that see the difference in resolution or even non-Plus phones that miss 3D Touch but the average consumer won’t care. The logical upgrade from a 7 Plus or an 8 Plus is a XS or XS Max but beyond that most people will be just fine with the XR.

I would gladly pay extra for a XS or XS Max because I upgrade annually and iPhones hold their resale value well. Proportionately, the cost to own a XS or XS Max won’t be that much more than a XR. The one advantage the XR has is that 128GB is the perfect size, but I don’t think the difference in price is as drastic as people think if they factor in resale value. Then again I do expect a price drop of ~ $100 for the next generation (not necessary imo, but sales say differently) which may depreciate this generation quicker than usual.

The battery on the XR is miiiiiiiles ahead of the XS/Max. You have to see it to believe it.

I had a 7+ and I’m very glad To have exchanged the portrait camera for all-day-plus battery life.

 

[tt061282]

I own an X and tried the XR in stores a few times. Feels like a toy compared to the X and that screen is straight out of 2010. Its beyond me how people disrespect their money like that.

2010... In 2010 we had 960x640 screens at 326 PPI. That a VERY FAR CRY FROM ... 1792x828.

If you wanna go by this then most people will say the best display EVER on an iPhone is ACTUALLY THE display of the Plus models. As far as sharpness. Even though the X, Xs,and Max all have "higher" PPI.

This all comes down to opinions. Those are subjective. Personally I have all 3 devices. I have a Max, X, and Xʀ and my daily choice for the better part of 3 months has been the Xʀ. The Aluminum on the sides does not scratch as easy as the stainless. Though I do agree the stainless steel around the OLED X models does feel great in hand.

There are plenty of phones that have felt like “toys” but the Xʀ is not one of them. The Xʀ truly feels like a natural extension to the 8 Plus. The 8 Plus was a great phone in the hand the all glass back was wonderful.
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The battery on the XR is miiiiiiiles ahead of the XS/Max. You have to see it to believe it.

I had a 7+ and I’m very glad To have exchanged the portrait camera for all-day-plus battery life.

Yes, Yes, Yes. On a phone my most important feature is BATTERY LIFE. Let’s all be honest an Xʀ is going to do the same things for you that a Max or XS or X will do for you in terms of performance... in some cases even better...

For me it all comes down to battery life and the battery life of the Xʀ trumps ANY other iPhone.

 

[Wide opeN]

Just to be even on an even keel.

OLED
Dual Sim
4GB Ram
256 QAM 4X4 MIMO
Uncomprimised Portrait Mode
Stainless Steel
Dual Camera's

That list is certainly worth the premium to me for my Xs vs Xr. But THAT'S ME!!!

Conversely, I bought 3 Xr's for my family and they're equally as happy, and wouldn't know the difference if I told them.

So that goes to prove there's something for everyone. For me it's the Xs for them it's the Xr.

 

[44267547]

Just to be even on an even keel.

OLED
Dual Sim
4GB Ram
256 QAM 4X4 MIMO
Uncomprimised Portrait Mode
Stainless Steel
Dual Camera's

That list is certainly worth the premium to me for my Xs vs Xr. But THAT'S ME!!!

Conversely, I bought 3 Xr's for my family and they're equally as happy, and wouldn't know the difference if I told them.

So that goes to prove there's something for everyone. For me it's the Xs for them it's the Xr.

And one crucial feature the XS has that I use quite frequently, is 3D Touch. By far my feature Apple has introduced with the 6s. Then I would add the stereo speakers that are excellent, especially when on a speaker call.

 

[Stuey3D]

To be honest regarding the OLED I actually compared the XR to my X and the display model XS and I preferred the look of the LCD.

I cranked the brightness to Max on all devices and turned True Tone off and on again and I found the following:

On the X/XS True Tone On was a very warm colour, with True Tone Off it was cold clinical blue.

On the XR the screen looked closest to white to me and True Tone didn’t seem to make much difference.

The X/XS also had a shimmer effect to it, I can’t quite describe it but if you moved it about slightly the screen seemed to shimmer whereas the XR didn’t.

That said as I mentioned above the blacks are obviously better on the OLED but in terms of colour vibrancy I didn’t really notice a huge amount in it, the OLED was slightly more vibrant but not by as much as everyone seems to make out. The infinite contrast of OLED obviously helps there.

As I said these were to my eyes and your mileage may vary, the XR though instantly wins for me because I can actually use it in the dark without my eyes feeling like they are going to explode with all the throbbing.

 

[Stuey3D]

So I've had the XR for nearly 2 weeks now and I'm willing to call it, the XR is my favourite iPhone that I've personally owned.

I've had the 2G/3G/4/4S/6/6S+/X/XR

When I broke my 6S+ I got an X to replace it, now it was a lovely phone (PWM aside) and the FaceID and Gestures worked very well, however the screen seemed to be wasted.
Apple mad a big song and dance about how the X had a bigger screen than the old plus models the biggest in any iPhone, yet it felt underwhelming as all it seemed to translate to is a couple of extra lines of text on the screen I missed the old screen of my 6S+ If the 6S+ had FaceID and gestures it would have been perfect.

Fast forward to the XR and even though the screen is only 0.21" larger than the X (5.85" vs 6.06") the screen seems to be much more efficiently used as its treated like a plus model see the Twitch example above. I have a plus sized phone with FaceID and gestures and it works amazingly.

The slightly thicker bezels on the XR for me personally actually add to the usability of the device, especially when in an in car cradle for SatNav. On the X quite often I'd struggle to hit the letters on the edges of the keyboard due to the grip of the car holder, on the XR its not a problem at all also in hand they seem to make it a bit easier to type too.

For my large hands the XR is actually a really comfortable size even in a case, on the X I felt a little too cramped and the 6S+ was slightly too wide. The XR sits just in the sweet spot for me and typing on it is a very comfortable experience.

Ok the XR doesn't have the full plus size features of the old plus models (landscape home screen etc) but it has enough for me and the apps that have been updated for the screen work very well.

Now to battery life which is the main reason I upgraded, oh my god the battery is a beast on this phone its amazing.
I've been using it more since I've got it (no PWM means screen more comfortable) and I've been listening to internet radio lots the the last week, all my traffic is now routed through a VPN and even with all that extra usage I can get through a long 6AM-10PM day with a tiny bit of battery to spare. The same length of day on the X would have required a top up in the afternoon.

The signal strength seems a lot stronger and the LTE performance seems to work extremely well, at first I though my network was congested when using my X as quite often I'd have very low LTE speeds but on the XR in the same areas my LTE speeds even through a VPN are consistently faster. The slowest I've seen on the XR LTE speed is around 10-20Mb whereas on the X some times it would struggle to pull down even 2Mb without a VPN.

Wifi is about the same as the X.

GPS after a lot of testing does confirm my initial findings that it is far better than the X and far more accurate.

In general usage on the XR it seems a lot faster especially Apple Music etc, but I am putting it down to far superior network performance rather than the processor.

The camera in the few shots I've taken seems a bit better and the colours in the images seems more vibrant. I'm no photographer so I cant make a truly accurate comparison but this is just my initial findings. However I am not missing the 2nd lens so far. Smart HDR is looking pretty decent so far.

The screen is lovely and vibrant and is easy to read in the dark and in bright daylight, the lack of OLED is only really noticeable when watching movies at night where the black bars have a slight glow to them. As I said in the opening post its not the black bars that are really noticeable but the way the notch cuts into them which on the X wasn't noticeable because the black bars effectively became the bezel. Is this a big issue hell no and video content looks great on the XR. On YouTube I prefer to use the 1080p video down scaled to the 828p of the XR screen rather than 720p up scaled as it looks a bit sharper the 720p video appears soft by comparison. Sometimes you have to manually select this as it will default to 720p but to be honest not a massive issue.

All in all I am extremely happy with my XR and I still standby my opinion that it truly is the iPhone for everyone.

 

[Broadus]

That's a helpful update, especially for anyone thinking about the XR but troubled by the incessant harping (continual by only a few) about the screen. I've said from the time the XR was released that the "R" stands for regular folk, those concerned about quality and value.

 

[Stuey3D]

That's a helpful update, especially for anyone thinking about the XR but troubled by the incessant harping (continual by only a few) about the screen. I've said from the time the XR was released that the "R" stands for regular folk, those concerned about quality and value.

The main people who seem to troll about the XR screen are either fandroids as they seem to love hating on the iPhone, and those who spent a huge amount on the XS/Max and are insecure in their purchase.

If you look at raw specs on paper the screen really shouldn’t be as good as it actually is, but for a lot of people they seem to base their purchase decision on just on paper specs.