iPhone XR Trading in an iPhone X for an iPhone XR, am I mad?

[Stuey3D]

Hi all.

I currently have an iPhone X but I am seriously considering trading it in for an iPhone XR, am I a mad man?

There is a reason behind my madness though and that is the claimed battery life gains.

Quite often I will be at work on the phone to my mate for hours (I work in the field it’s a lonely job otherwise) and when I get home the iPhone X is asking to be put into low power mode. I am finding the battery life a bit lacklustre.

I have also checked and after 9 months iOS is reporting my battery down at 92% capacity whereas my wife’s iPhone X is still at 97%. That means I am only on about 11hours of internet use vs 15 hours on the XR.

I have weighed up the pros and cons of the XR vs the X and in some ways it’s an upgrade (speed/battery/base camera/cost) and in others it’s a downgrade (loss of 2x camera/SCREEN)

For me I have no issues going back to a “low res” screen as to be honest I have never looked at an iPhone and gone “this needs more pixels” but I am concerned about daylight readability vs the OLED, I know the contrast on the OLED will make for better daylight readability but how much better will it be, I don’t wanna swap and find I can’t use my phone outside on a sunny day.

Now I do use the 2x camera when I occasionally take the odd photo however I don’t take many photos and having a better performing base camera might mitigate that a little bit.

I have posted a YouTube video detailing me full thought process, linked here:

Please let me know your thoughts below.

 

[stafil]

For what it’s wirth I never had a problem with iPhone 8+ screen on sunny days. And I live in CA

 

[akash.nu]

If you have to make such a huge post for a decision you’re making then I’d agree with you being mad.

Ps. The daylight readability issue is quite the opposite to what you’ve described. OLED panels make it harder to read in daylight. LCD panels are much better in that aspect.

 

[Stuey3D]

For what it’s wirth I never had a problem with iPhone 8+ screen on sunny days. And I live in CA

That fills me with lots of confidence, and makes my choice a lot easier.
[doublepost=1540277935][/doublepost]

If you have to make such a huge post for a decision you’re making then I’d agree with you being mad.

Ps. The daylight readability issue is quite the opposite to what you’ve described. OLED panels make it harder to read in daylight. LCD panels are much better in that aspect.

I just don't wanna jump in and regret it. Personally for my use case the XR would be the better fit for me due to the claimed battery life, I had the 6S+ prior to the X and the battery on that when it was new was amazing (not so much near the end though)

I have pretty much settled on trading in in January for the XR due to the battery life gains, but everyone says I'm mad and that the X is the better phone because of the display and 2x camera.

As for LCD vs OLED I totally didn't realise the OLED would be harder to read in the daylight as I assumed the far greater contrast ratio would make it easier. For me that was one of the only reasons that would hold me back from trading in.

Also from what I am reading the XR gets landscape mode too which I have to admit I do miss from the 6S+, but that wouldnt be reason enough to upgrade.

 

[Cool Pup]

Keep what works best for your needs. I would say you made the right choice if you are satisfied in what you have done.

I personally would not have downgraded to the screen of the XR but I know people who went from an iPhone 5 to an iPhone 5c primarily because of the color and it not breaking as easily when dropped — this occurrence is very much in the same line of thought. It is still a quality phone, just not the premium experience that you get from the X.

 

[akash.nu]

Here’s another idea with a cheaper solution. Why don’t you just get a battery pack and keep your X?! Then you’ll get the battery life and the OLED screen + the dual camera benefits?!

 

[Icaras]

Again, nope, you’re not mad. I’ve mentioned more than enough times on these forums that I’m going from a X to XR myself. So looking forward to getting my white XR this Friday!

 

[Stuey3D]

Here’s another idea with a cheaper solution. Why don’t you just get a battery pack and keep your X?! Then you’ll get the battery life and the OLED screen + the dual camera benefits?!

Problem is with a battery pack doing the job I do would put a lot of strain on the connector going into the phone, I do have one but I try to avoid using it unless a total emergency, and those battery cases make the phone too uncomfortable to actually use.

Plus with regards to cost, I currently pay £85/month for my 256GB X with 40GB a month, my average usage is only around 9GB a month and if i were to trade for an XR I would drop that to £65/month for the 128GB XR and 20GB of data over 24 months or £77 over 18 months. So per month I'd actually save money plus I'd have a year newer device with a brand new battery to play with.

In terms of storage I went for the 256GB X as I was using around 20GB of space on my 64GB 6S+ and I wanted a bit of future proofing, 10 months later I'm still only using around 20GB which means I can get a 128GB XR and still have the extra space I want for future proofing.

Plus the slightly bigger size I would like as my hands are quite large, it was a bit weird going from a 6S+ to an X and sometimes I do find I struggle with the keyboard a bit especially when in landscape mode.
[doublepost=1540281212][/doublepost]

Keep what works best for your needs. I would say you made the right choice if you are satisfied in what you have done.

I personally would not have downgraded to the screen of the XR but I know people who went from an iPhone 5 to an iPhone 5c primarily because of the color and it not breaking as easily when dropped — this occurrence is very much in the same line of thought. It is still a quality phone, just not the premium experience that you get from the X.

Yeah I get the premium thought line, however this year with the XR is a much harder choice as you are getting 90% of the XS for only 75% of the cost, if it had last years A11 chip then this phone wouldn't be a good option for that price but the A12 and the same base camera make this device a compelling purchase.

I'm waiting for the usual reviewers to do their battery tests and if it comes back as being the battery monster Apple say it will be then that would be my mind made up.
[doublepost=1540281483][/doublepost]

This though is the reason I am seriously considering changing my device, this is only after 9 months which is concerning.

In January when I can actually trade in am I looking at that battery being in the 80’s and causing me more issues?

Annoyingly a couple of weeks ago my battery was around 96% capacity, it has dropped significantly in a short space of time.

 

[Falhófnir]

Sounds like on balance the XR will suit your needs/ preferences better so I’d say go for it!
[doublepost=1540282091][/doublepost]

Here’s another idea with a cheaper solution. Why don’t you just get a battery pack and keep your X?! Then you’ll get the battery life and the OLED screen + the dual camera benefits?!

In terms of camera, the improvements to the main lens are way more significant than a second 2x zoom lens imo - Apple stuck that tiny, noisy 1/3” sensor in their ultra premium flagship last year probably so they could have this as a major selling point this year...

 

[Stuey3D]

Sounds like on balance the XR will suit your needs/ preferences better so I’d say go for it!
[doublepost=1540282091][/doublepost]
In terms of camera, the improvements to the main lens are way more significant than a second 2x zoom lens imo - Apple stuck that tiny, noisy 1/3” sensor in their ultra premium flagship last year probably so they could have this as a major selling point this year...

I think you are right and I think the only reason I am asking this is because young me would be eating up Apple’s latest and greatest, it had to be top of the range or nothing.

But older more mature me is looking at all the options on the table and thinking that the XS & XS Max are really living up to their names in being excessively priced, I mean I was stupid getting the X don’t get me wrong it’s a nice phone but £1150 worth of nice (I have the 256GB) it’s not worth it.

Now whilst the XR isn’t cheap especially compared to some Android models it is the best priced of the new models and you aren’t really sacrificing a whole lot compared to the flagships.

 

[smoking monkey]

This though is the reason I am seriously considering changing my device, this is only after 9 months which is concerning.

In January when I can actually trade in am I looking at that battery being in the 80’s and causing me more issues?

Annoyingly a couple of weeks ago my battery was around 96% capacity, it has dropped significantly in a short space of time.

Might be something wrong with your battery as that seems way too quick.

 

[Stuey3D]

Might be something wrong with your battery as that seems way too quick.

It could be a dodgy battery, however the wife’s is reporting 97% but she does use hers a lot less than I do.

I rarely completely drain mine till it turns off, but I do very often drain it till 10-20%

Occasionally I’ll drain it fully to calibrate it but not sure if that is some old wives tale or if there is some truth in that.

 

[MrMister111]

My 9 month old X battery is at 89% already, which I think is poor - wireless charging..?

I'm going for an Xr as well. I'm on IUP so thinking why not. The Xs isn't enough for me. Whereas the Xr is, bigger screen, better, new, battery, colour, camera looks better.

Only thing missing is screen OLED, I'm not sure how much difference will make to me in real life, and the extra camera, although this looks sorted via the software so think I'll be happy....for a year!

 

[Stuey3D]

My 9 month old X battery is at 89% already, which I think is poor - wireless charging..?

I'm going for an Xr as well. I'm on IUP so thinking why not. The Xs isn't enough for me. Whereas the Xr is, bigger screen, better, new, battery, colour, camera looks better.

Only thing missing is screen OLED, I'm not sure how much difference will make to me in real life, and the extra camera, although this looks sorted via the software so think I'll be happy....for a year!

Ahh so not just my battery then, and I’m in exactly the same camp as you apart from I trade in via my carrier.

I think for me the biggest loss would be the OLED but to be honest I don’t think it’s that big of a loss in the long run.

I’ll probably get the XR 128GB in Red on an 18 month contract and see what’s available after then, feature set seems to be really stagnating lately but then again there is only so much you can shove into a small rectangle to be honest.

 

[Caspavio]

keep your iphone X and get a nokia 3310 (22hrs talk time)

 

[anthonymoody]

My year old X is at 94% battery. Regardless, I’ve been pondering the XR as well. I’m going to wait and check it out in person at the store however. If the screen doesn’t make me think twice then I’m probably going for it.

 

[Stuey3D]

My year old X is at 94% battery. Regardless, I’ve been pondering the XR as well. I’m going to wait and check it out in person at the store however. If the screen doesn’t make me think twice then I’m probably going for it.

I think I’m the same to be honest, if the screen downgrade isn’t too bad then the XR is a no brained really.

The early reviews are in for it and they are saying the screen is good until you hold it side by side with an XS then you’ll notice, the battery is a monster, and amazingly the XR’s camera supposedly makes the X camera look bad by comparison the Smart HDR is meant to be very good.

 

[ssl0408]

I’m considering this move also. I have always wanted a red iPhone and the red XR looks so good. My battery after ten months is at 93% but that is not a factor as to why I’m thinking about switching. I have to compare the screens in person, though. I’m also worried about the XR having that beauty mode filter or whatever it is.

 

[Stuey3D]

I’m considering this move also. I have always wanted a red iPhone and the red XR looks so good. My battery after ten months is at 93% but that is not a factor as to why I’m thinking about switching. I have to compare the screens in person, though. I’m also worried about the XR having that beauty mode filter or whatever it is.

Ahh yes the beauty mode on the selfie cam, supposedly going to be fixed in iOS12.1 so shouldn’t be an issue.
[doublepost=1540300521][/doublepost]Also regarding the screens, Toms Guide states the following:

Display: Excellent for an LCD
The iPhone XR's 6.1-inch Liquid Retina LCD is one of the brighter and more colorful smartphone displays out there. It's just not OLED-great. On the plus side, the 1792 x 828-pixel screen delivered excellent detail when I watched the trailer for Aquaman, as I could make out every scale in his superhero uniform. (Yes, even though this panel is not technically full HD.) And the laser beams being shot at Amber Heard were an intense blue.

This LCD fared well in our lab tests as well. It registered an excellent 589 nits of brightness, and I had no trouble reading this screen in direct sunlight. That number blows away the Pixel 3 XL's 362 nits. The iPhone XS (606 nits) and Galaxy Note 9 (604 nits) are even brighter, though.

The iPhone XR's screen registered a good 123.4 percent of the sRGB color gamut, which is on par with the iPhone XS's result (123 percent) but is behind showings from the Pixel 3 XL (170.2 percent) and Galaxy Note 9 (224 percent). The color accuracy is great, too, as the iPhone XR turned in a Delta-E score of 0.28 (0 is perfect). That beats results from the Pixel 3 XL (0.35) and Note 9 (0.34) and is comparable to the iPhone XS' showing (0.25).



So this might not be as much of a downgrade from the OLED as first thought.

 

[John webstar44]

lol, This is crazy upto you to be honest for me I would just change that iPhone X battery for £25 @ my local apple store wait till next year for the next iPhone.

 

[Mackinjosh]

Treat yourself. Get the XR.

 

[Yunklucy00]

LCD to OLED No way this is crazy dual camera to single lens.

 

[Stuey3D]

LCD to OLED No way this is crazy dual camera to single lens.

Well to be honest, I think the OLED might be making me ill.

I’ve been getting a lot of headaches recently in an evening centred around my eyes (sometimes it feels like Tyson has punched my eye sockets) now I thought it was just dodgy sinuses or something (I’ve often got the sniffles) however upon posting this thread I noticed one underneath it about the iPhone X OLED causing headaches so I’ve dug a little into it and I’m wondering if the eye strain and headache is from looking at my iPhone in a dimly lit room at low brightness.

I don’t see the flickering but supposedly very few do see the flicker, however quite a few more suffer eye and headaches and I’m wondering if I’m in that camp. The iPhone is the first and only OLED screen I’ve ever used and the headaches have only started in the last few months.

So a drop back to an LCD might actually be beneficial for me, that said I could be adding 2+2 and getting 5.

 

[GuruZac]

Sounds like the XR makes sense for your use. I almost preordered the Product Red 128GB XR, but ultimately the loss of 3D Touch and lack of Portrait Mode for anything other than a person has me waiting another year. The other issue I'm having is that the 7 Plus is still blazing fast with a great camera (with proper lighting). Makes the decision to move up very difficult at this point, especially to an XR.

As far as eye fatigue, I bought a pair of Felix Gray glasses that simply block blue wavelength light from all backlit devices, and being a med student, I'm on my computer and iPad all the time, and they work extremely well at minimizing part of the fatigue and eye strain. The other part causing headaches may be simply a physiological problem (which there is no getting around): our eyes focusing at such short distances for prolonged periods. We certainly never evolved looking at an object 12-18 inches away for hours a day.

[doublepost=1540307829][/doublepost]Btw, maybe it's just luck, but after 2 years of use on my 7 Plus, I'm still at 95%.

 

[Zune55]

Hi all.

I currently have an iPhone X but I am seriously considering trading it in for an iPhone XR, am I a mad man?

There is a reason behind my madness though and that is the claimed battery life gains.

Quite often I will be at work on the phone to my mate for hours (I work in the field it’s a lonely job otherwise) and when I get home the iPhone X is asking to be put into low power mode. I am finding the battery life a bit lacklustre.

I have also checked and after 9 months iOS is reporting my battery down at 92% capacity whereas my wife’s iPhone X is still at 97%. That means I am only on about 11hours of internet use vs 15 hours on the XR.

I have weighed up the pros and cons of the XR vs the X and in some ways it’s an upgrade (speed/battery/base camera/cost) and in others it’s a downgrade (loss of 2x camera/SCREEN)

For me I have no issues going back to a “low res” screen as to be honest I have never looked at an iPhone and gone “this needs more pixels” but I am concerned about daylight readability vs the OLED, I know the contrast on the OLED will make for better daylight readability but how much better will it be, I don’t wanna swap and find I can’t use my phone outside on a sunny day.

Now I do use the 2x camera when I occasionally take the odd photo however I don’t take many photos and having a better performing base camera might mitigate that a little bit.

I have posted a YouTube video detailing me full thought process, linked here:

Please let me know your thoughts below.

iphone X is the least likeable iphone i have ever used. I am doing the same, selling X and getting XR.