iPhone XS Max This is why the new iPhones are failing

[tromboneaholic]

I wasn’t suggesting they sell iPhones ‘cheap’. No iPhone in their history has ever been cheap. I’m talking premium but realistic to attract their existing user base and more, not selective niches.

As a consumer, I look at it as iPhone 6 < 6s < 7 < 8 < Xr (essentially being the extension of this line with Face ID).

iPhone X was a new class delivered alongside iPhone 8. I bought the X last year, and it still feels like a new phone to me. Personally, I appreciate the premium feel of the phone due to stainless steel vs aluminum. The difference is more noticeable than I thought it would be. Other features such as the full OLED screen and dual cameras are also nice. Since I tend to hold onto my phones for 2 or 3 years (I went from iPhone 6 to iPhone X), I feel like my iPhone X was a good value for what I paid and a phone the will still feel new in another year or two.

To me, a $1,000 phone can be cheaper than a $500 phone if I use it twice as often and keep it for twice as long.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

As a consumer, I look at it as iPhone 6 < 6s < 7 < 8 < Xr (essentially being the extension of this line with Face ID).

iPhone X was a new class delivered alongside iPhone 8. I bought the X last year, and it still feels like a new phone to me. Personally, I appreciate the premium feel of the phone due to stainless steel vs aluminum. The difference is more noticeable than I thought it would be. Other features such as the full OLED screen and dual cameras are also nice. Since I tend to hold onto my phones for 2 or 3 years (I went from iPhone 6 to iPhone X), I feel like my iPhone X was a good value for what I paid and a phone the will still feel new in another year or two.

To me, a $1,000 phone can be cheaper than a $500 phone if I use it twice as often and keep it for twice as long.

I think Apple need to release that the lions share of their customers who buy the 6 - XR series also want to see a commitment to cutting edge features too. In my opinion if the XR had been released with 3DTouch, 1080p and a dual camera, it would have been a hell of a lot more attractive. I wouldn’t think twice about an XS if the innovation was closer. As a consumer of course. As it stood I once again bought a year old model because I felt it was better than what Apple was currently offering. It’s a bad sign when consumers start doing that IMO.

 

[CPTmom2wp]

We are a tech house.
All about balance but when you can see negative effects you step in.
My son has had an iPad since he was 1. I got it free used from a friend in the industry. I have seen the positives but we are also seeing a lot of the negatives lately. Maybe if use was games and puzzles that engage the mind.. but I swear YouTube Kids is creating little mindless zombies... not to mention my (already spoiled) kids asking why they don’t get new toys every day like the kids on YT. Yeah.. definitely some tech timeout (likely for us the parents as well).

Excellent post. I routinely see parents who are getting public assistance whose children have the latest iPhone. Meanwhile, they complain about not having enough money to pay their electric bills. But specifically with kids, I wholeheartedly agree that many are missing out on valuable life experiences. It sounds like your kids are doing other things, e.g., sports, so will be fine. I live next to a park and routinely see mothers with babies who spend their time staring at a phone instead of interacting with their little ones. A couple of summers ago it was terrifying to watch teenagers walk into traffic while playing Pokemon. But then I also see families out at dinner where even the parents are staring at their phones instead of interacting with each other. Maybe we all need to take a time-out from tech occasionally (other than work of course :0))......at least during meals to catch up with the "real" people in our lives.
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As a consumer, I look at it as iPhone 6 < 6s < 7 < 8 < Xr (essentially being the extension of this line with Face ID).
iPhone X was a new class delivered alongside iPhone 8. I bought the X last year, and it still feels like a new phone to me. Personally, I appreciate the premium feel of the phone due to stainless steel vs aluminum. The difference is more noticeable than I thought it would be. Other features such as the full OLED screen and dual cameras are also nice. Since I tend to hold onto my phones for 2 or 3 years (I went from iPhone 6 to iPhone X), I feel like my iPhone X was a good value for what I paid and a phone the will still feel new in another year or two.
To me, a $1,000 phone can be cheaper than a $500 phone if I use it twice as often and keep it for twice as long.

Face ID was the cutting edge technology that drew me into investing in a new iPhone and new iPad. Unless and until a truly new advancement of equal import comes along, I'll be more than satisfied with my current devices for at least 2 years.

 

[tromboneaholic]

if the XR had been released with 3DTouch, 1080p and a dual camera, it would have been a hell of a lot more attractive.

I imagine Apple considered that option with a $799 price tag, which would be in line with the price of the 8 plus.

Maybe it's because I was on the 6 for so long, but 3D touch really feels like it's underutilized. I know it has its fans, but I'd be surprised if most iPhone users know it exists. My wife accidentally turned on her flashlight, and she didn't believe me when I told her she had to actually press the button to turn it off.

 

[Shanghaichica]

I think Apple need to release that the lions share of their customers who buy the 6 - XR series also want to see a commitment to cutting edge features too. In my opinion if the XR had been released with 3DTouch, 1080p and a dual camera, it would have been a hell of a lot more attractive. I wouldn’t think twice about an XS if the innovation was closer. As a consumer of course. As it stood I once again bought a year old model because I felt it was better than what Apple was currently offering. It’s a bad sign when consumers start doing that IMO.

I completely agree with this. I didn’t even consider the Xr but with those features I would have.

 

[pixel_junkie]

Any company who competes on price loses their customers to the next company that competes on price.

That rule started when we charged for twigs.

Is OnePlus cheaper at the moment? Yes. But it isn’t why they are disrupting the cell phone industry and selling like hotcakes. It is because they are obsessed with finding their customers’ pain points and fixing them.

Apple at the moment is only interested in giving you the bare minimum while charging more.

 

[tromboneaholic]

I completely agree with this. I didn’t even consider the Xr but with those features I would have.

From your comments in other posts, I think you bought an XS Max. If so, that means Apple would have lost a "best" sale to a "good" sale – along the lines of the "good-better-best" model (they really should get back to for laptops).

Do you think you would have paid $799 for an Xr with 3DTouch, 1080p and a dual camera?
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Apple at the moment is only interested in giving you the bare minimum while charging more.

My wife bought the bare minimum 2018 iPad for $329 and I bought a better 2018 iPad Pro for $800.

The punchline is that hers paid for mine.

 

[akash.nu]

Excellent post. I routinely see parents who are getting public assistance whose children have the latest iPhone. Meanwhile, they complain about not having enough money to pay their electric bills. But specifically with kids, I wholeheartedly agree that many are missing out on valuable life experiences. It sounds like your kids are doing other things, e.g., sports, so will be fine. I live next to a park and routinely see mothers with babies who spend their time staring at a phone instead of interacting with their little ones. A couple of summers ago it was terrifying to watch teenagers walk into traffic while playing Pokemon. But then I also see families out at dinner where even the parents are staring at their phones instead of interacting with each other. Maybe we all need to take a time-out from tech occasionally (other than work of course :0))......at least during meals to catch up with the "real" people in our lives.

This is definitely gonna be our future.

 

[Hernan4651]

I don't get people discussion about 1080p vs 720p . If you pre ordered the device you bought it for the spec sheet, of course.
And people like me don't see the cost/benefit of buying a phone with last year specs for $750 or going for the flagship for $1000. Flagship that is a small upgrade over X.
And the money is not a problem for me, the problem is what i get for the money.
I hope Apple will add something big next year, cause Samsung will play hard. That will benefit to us , of course

 

[pixel_junkie]

From your comments in other posts, I think you bought an XS Max. If so, that means Apple would have lost a "best" sale to a "good" sale – along the lines of the "good-better-best" model (they really should get back to for laptops).

Do you think you would have paid $799 for an Xr with 3DTouch, 1080p and a dual camera?
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My wife bought the bare minimum 2018 iPad for $329 and I bought a better 2018 iPad Pro for $800.

The punchline is that hers paid for mine.

That’s one way to look at it. Another would be that you both got screwed ;-)

 

[tromboneaholic]

That’s one way to look at it. Another would be that you both got screwed ;-)

Both ways work in this case.

But seriously, my computers, phones, and tablets usually pay for themselves in a few weeks. It's the watches, headphones, and speakers that I buy because I want them that don't.

 

[Shanghaichica]

From your comments in other posts, I think you bought an XS Max. If so, that means Apple would have lost a "best" sale to a "good" sale – along the lines of the "good-better-best" model (they really should get back to for laptops).

Do you think you would have paid $799 for an Xr with 3DTouch, 1080p and a dual camera?
[doublepost=1544973314][/doublepost]
My wife bought the bare minimum 2018 iPad for $329 and I bought a better 2018 iPad Pro for $800.

The punchline is that hers paid for mine.

I probably still would have got the max because of the size but I would have at least considered the Xr with those features. In it’s current form it’s dead on arrival to me.

 

[tromboneaholic]

I probably still would have got the max because of the size but I would have at least considered the Xr with those features. In it’s current form it’s dead on arrival to me.

Thanks for your perspective. This was not an upgrade year for me, but as a sideline observer (when I heard about it) I expected Xr to be something between an iPhone X and an iPhone 8, but I never considered 8 plus buyers looking at Xr - which seems to be the case.

Maybe Apple figured Plus buyers would migrate to Xs Max? I can see where someone who traditionally bought the Plus would look at Xr differently than someone who normally stuck with the "standard" models.

 

[akash.nu]

Thanks for your perspective. This was not an upgrade year for me, but as a sideline observer (when I heard about it) I expected Xr to be something between an iPhone X and an iPhone 8, but I never considered 8 plus buyers looking at Xr - which seems to be the case.

Maybe Apple figured Plus buyers would migrate to Xs Max? I can see where someone who traditionally bought the Plus would look at Xr differently than someone who normally stuck with the "standard" models.

I’m the prime example of this. Was on 8 plus and moved to Xs max straight. The dimensions are same and I get bigger screen with that. There wasn’t anything else to consider.

 

[BigMcGuire]

I’m the prime example of this. Was on 8 plus and moved to Xs max straight. The dimensions are same and I get bigger screen with that. There wasn’t anything else to consider.

Same here for the wife and I! Former 8+ owners.

 

[Newtons Apple]

Same here for the wife and I! Former 8+ owners.

Make it 4 as I did the same. The screen real estate is want made my mind up.

 

[Fredddy]

Not disagreeing with you, but how many people truly need 512GB of storage on a phone? 64GB is $1099, and 256GB is $1249 which is still priced too high by about $100 but if somebody really wanted it they could likely stretch that extra $100.

I agree.
Besides the high price, there is no group message app, one has to download it. But it does not work. With my new iPhone X Max I am unable to write a message to a group of four, either individuals, or a group, even after I installed the Group App from Apple. The message does not get delivered. And I have not received a message from a group, which was intended to alert me to a cancelled appointment. Since I did not get the message, I did not know the meeting was cancelled. Anyone have a good idea how to solve this group message problem, please post. Thanks.

 

[akash.nu]

I agree.
Besides the high price, there is no group message app, one has to download it. But it does not work. With my new iPhone X Max I am unable to write a message to a group of four, either individuals, or a group, even after I installed the Group App from Apple. The message does not get delivered. And I have not received a message from a group, which was intended to alert me to a cancelled appointment. Since I did not get the message, I did not know the meeting was cancelled. Anyone have a good idea how to solve this group message problem, please post. Thanks.

What are you talking about?! Groups are available on iMessage by default.

However, the group on iMessage will not function if every participant is not on iMessage. But that’s not down to apple. That’s down to the technology differences between how iMessage delivers messages and how traditional sms works. You can download a third party app like WhatsApp for cross platform compatibility.

 

[Ffosse]

Oh,and I'm 52 I forgot to add. I see many guys in my workplace with Samsung and the like.

Fair play to them, whatever floats their boats.
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Oh,and I'm 52 I forgot to add. I see many guys in my workplace with Samsung and the like.

Fair play to them, whatever floats their boats.

The 512 GB and the Terabyte with the Note does surprise me. I only went with 256 on my Max because 64 just wasn't quite enough for all my photos, music and video.

I thought it good of Apple to offer a 128GB version of the XR for just £50 extra, one of the few instances where Apple isn't cheap.

 

[PeteS1963]

I completely agree with this. I didn’t even consider the Xr but with those features I would have.

Those features are irrelevant to me. They are also irrelevant to my wife. Isn’t choice a good thing? Of course other people might be different. I use my phone for work and business. Non of those features would improve my productivity.

I played around with the dual cameras on my iPhone 7 but then never used it. And I do take a load of pictures to promote my business on social media. I rarely used 3DTouch.

I have a feeling that the new 0.4t LED chips for the XR aren’t mature enough to drive a 1080p display. If you know otherwise I’d be interested. But practically I can’t tell the difference. Sure, if I put the XR close to me eye I can see a different but personally I have better things to do. For me a smartphone is a tool not a fashion accessory.
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They are good places to try out the latest iPhones and iPads etc but in the UK it’s cheaper through carriers and to be honest Apple only offers 12 month warranties whereas other retailers offer 2 years. I don’t know many people who buy direct from Apple here. My local store has a busy Genuis bar and what feels like a youth club hogging the displays lol.

In my local Apple store there are people buying every time I go in. Last week I was there a couple were both buying XS iPhones plus Apple Watches. Another time someone was buying a Mac, another an iPad Pro - obviously it’s not like going into a corner shop and buying a pint of milk.

In many cases I find it better to go SIM only, buy the phone outright and sell it in a year. But I don’t always do that. And I’ve had far better customer service from Apple compared to the carriers.

In the UK most of the 2 yr warranties are just marketing. Under EU consumer law you already have 2 yr warranty for manufacturing defects. My wife is a lawyer and in the past we’ve discussed this kind of thing. Apples warranty (like all the others) just sits on top of that and although it’s only for a year it is actually decent. Many of the 2 yr warranties don’t offer much more (some actually less) than the consumer gets by default. I’ve been in shops and returned stuff before that hadn’t had warranty. Any trouble I just mention EU consumer law... I’ll contact the Consumer Ombudsman - it’s always worked for me.

But the real test is the service you get. I’ve only ever had excellent service from Apple. I’ve had stuff swapped out by Apple after one year with hardly any issue. On the other the service I’ve had from some of the carriers and tech shops has been appalling. Sure, you might get 2 yr warranty but that doesn’t necessarily equal good customer service.

 

[Teedeechian]

I think Apple has the iPhone XS/Max sales just where they want them to be.
It is the XR that is their main problem.

And who needs 512 GB on a phone? Especially on the OS that restricted. If you are using the phone as your main device for everything, I am sorry for all the pain that you are inflicting to yourself, I hope that soon you will realize it is not necessary.
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Then you will complain about the planed obsolescence.

Exactly, a 512GB on a restricted OS, where handling a simple attachment on a email is smoking-ball's task, that pain is on another level.
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I wouldn't swap my XR for a Oneplus or even a Galaxy Note 9.

I'm just curious if its because of having so much invested in the Apple ecosystem or because its better than Oneplus and Note 9?

 

[ncphoto919]

Most people I know are content with their older models like the 6 and 7 and don't have an interest in a newer camera or the upgraded screen.

 

[KOTN91]

Just buy the iPhone you want outright.

I've never had a contract.

What you mean is that your mum buys your phone outright

 

[Ffosse]

What you mean is that your mum buys your phone outright

No, I'm 52 and use my savings. Everyone should have at least a year's savings of what your annual pay is.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Everyone should have at least a year's savings of what your annual pay is.

Wouldn’t that be nice in an ideal world lol.