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Other Why would anyone buy an iPhone XS instead of an iPhone XR?

JohnnyQuest said:
Went for Max because:

- Larger screen size
- Dual lens camera
- 3D Touch
- OLED screen
- Aesthetically more pleasing (hate the XR bezels and aluminum)
- Build quality
- Better water resistance
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Don't forget gigabit LTE (4x4 MIMO can improve reception in very weak area as well).

If you can spare $350, XS Max is clearly a better phone than XR. Well, minus the battery life where XR holds a slight lead (2 more hours Internet use, 1 more hour video playback).

But Apple has made XR so good that for less discriminating buyers, particularly if they don't use 2x telephoto lens often enough, it is a clear value leader.
 
EugW said:
I guess this also means that for pure on-screen GPU benchmarketing, the XR will be the fastest of the three new models, since it has the least pixels to push.
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EugW said:
For me, while I like SS, it's not a major consideration. For me, the #1 feature that the XS has that the XR doesn't, is telephoto lens. Number 2 would be the OLED.

I think much of the criticism of the XS stems from the cost differential. I was actually predicting a $799 price point for the XR and an $899 price point for the XS, with a $999 XS price point for more storage.

Instead, it's $749 and $999 respectively, which is a $250 difference. Furthermore, to go beyond 64 MB means an even bigger differential, at $799 vs $1149, which is a $350 difference. This is especially notable considering that the XR has the same screen real estate as the XS Max, and despite missing a lens, still has Portrait Mode. So it becomes not only a feature comparison, but a value comparison.

Obviously I'm not advocating belittling anybody, but I think in 2018 more people are having a harder time stomaching the cost of the X given its feature set compared to the XR.
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Well put, agreed with everything you said.

When I saw that the XR also has the option to jump to 128GB for $50 vs the XS jumping $150 for additional storage it really kind of felt like a greedy move.

All in all I gotta say I'm impressed with how much has been brought to the XR.
 
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JohnnyQuest said:
Totally, what I'm saying that the XR is significantly more affordable than the Xs/Max (which is great!) Because of this, people sometimes try to shame or put down the Xs as if it's inferior in some way. Imo it can stem from their desire/need to purchase the XR and save some coin, and also make themselves feel better about not having the maxed out, top of the line, most expensive flagship phone. OP was saying that OLED and 3D Touch "don't matter," but that's not the case for some people, those are reasons for upgrading.

If you like/want/need the XR, good on you! But it's unnecessary and downright idiotic to belittle the Xs when it's more feature-rich and luxe. And the same goes for people shaming the XR, there's a need and a demand for both.
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I agree, both phones offer something and cater to different segments regardless of socioeconomics. OLED and 3D Touch are things I would want in a 2018 iPhone myself. However, economics say otherwise.

I guess the internet will have people that shame others for their willingness to spend more to make them happy or spending less to save a bit for other needs or wants. If someone belittles me for my XR choice, I will just add them to an ignore list.
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JPack said:
Of course XR supports dual-SIM. Phil Schiller stated that on stage. Check the specs page for details.

The XR isn't mentioned because it's not available yet.
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Good to see that all the newest iPhones have dual SIMs out of the box. If they charged extra, it would've been a little more annoying.
 
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profets said:
Well put, agreed with everything you said.

When I saw that the XR also has the option to jump to 128GB for $50 vs the XS jumping $150 for additional storage it really kind of felt like a greedy move.

All in all I gotta say I'm impressed with how much has been brought to the XR.
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This! So much this. I felt the same way. I got the iPhone X I’m just gonna stay with it finish paying it off and wait til next year. Apple has been pretty greedy, I would get the XR if I didn’t have a X. But going backwards in terms of screen tech is just a big no for me. I really see no need to upgrade to a XS unless you’re coming from an iPhone 8+ or lower but even then the XR and XS Max are the models to go for.
 
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profets said:
What? We're mainly making objective comparisons based on the released info. We also have an excellent idea of how these phones feel in the hand based on previous phones (steel build of the iPhone X, aluminum + glass build of the iPhone 8 Plus).

And the real estate is the same. That's not something made up. Of course the screen on the XR is a bit smaller than the XS Max, and has a lower DPI, but in terms of the point resolution (elements that are actually drawn on the screen) they're identical.



Yeah - the picture isn't to show the physical size per se, but more how the point resolutions compare across the older and new iPhones. Would have been cool if the XR was shrunk in that photo a bit to show the physical comparison as well.
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Everything is slightly smaller on the Xr no? If the display shows the same information on a smaller screen, something’s gotta give.

Your right, it’s subjective. I personally went for the Max. I would agree, the Xr is a nice budget alternative if you want Edge to Edge and Face ID. It’s definitely worth thinking about to save a few bucks over the Xs.
 
EugW said:
https://www.paintcodeapp.com/news/ultimate-guide-to-iphone-resolutions

So, basically, it would appear that the default font sizing of the 6.1" XR would be the same as the iPhone 8.

Width of the phones' screens are as follows:

XS Max 69 mm, with 414 points = 6.0 points per mm
8 Plus 68 mm, with 414 points = 6.1 points per mm
XR 65 mm, with 414 points = 6.4 points per mm
XS 62 mm, with 375 points = 6.0 points per mm
8 59 mm, with 375 points = 6.4 points per mm

The more points per mm, the smaller the font size.

I was hoping the default font sizing of the 6.1" XR would be the same as the Max (which has bigger fonts), but in retrospect, that wouldn't make sense in terms of the math. Instead, the XR's 6.1" screen is just a shrunk down version of the Max's 6.5" so everything will be slightly smaller on the XR. However, one can just use Display Zoom mode.
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Well, that's interesting. To confirm the above, I took my iPhone 7 Plus and compared it to my wife's iPhone 6s, to get comparative font sizing. This would be equivalent to the iPhone 8 Plus vs iPhone 8.

As expected, the default iOS font sizing of the iPhone 6s/8 is smaller than the iPhone 7 Plus/8 Plus. I tested both the fonts in the system Settings, and in Safari.

What surprised me is when I put both phones into Display Zoomed view, both phones had EXACTLY the same font sizing both in Safari and in the Settings. All elements were the identical. It's NOT just a percentage zoom. So it seems for Display Zoomed, Apple has chosen a target size, and adjusted the algorithm for each phone to achieve that target.

I don't know if the same is true for the X/XS and Max, but it would be interesting to test.

tl;dr:

iPhones with the 6.0/6.1 points per mm in the above list would have larger default system and Safari fonts.
iPhones with the 6.4 points per mm in the above list would have smaller default system and Safari fonts.

However, it would appear that in Display Zoomed mode, system and Safari font sizes may be identical across different models.
 
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- 4x4 MIMO
- Gigabit LTE
- Telephoto lens
- Better bokeh (from the dual cameras)
- Larger screen
- Higher resolution
- More pixels per inch
- Better look and feel (stainless steel, smaller bezels, etc.)
- Better water and dust resistance
- 3D Touch
 
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unobtainium said:
- 4x4 MIMO
- Gigabit LTE
- Telephoto lens
- Better bokeh (from the dual cameras)
- Larger screen
- Higher resolution
- More pixels per inch
- Better look and feel (stainless steel, smaller bezels, etc.)
- Better water and dust resistance
- 3D Touch
Click to expand...
We'll have to see about the bokeh, considering on both phones it's fake blur.
 
LarryJoe33 said:
Everything is slightly smaller on the Xr no? If the display shows the same information on a smaller screen, something’s gotta give.

Your right, it’s subjective. I personally went for the Max. I would agree, the Xr is a nice budget alternative if you want Edge to Edge and Face ID. It’s definitely worth thinking about to save a few bucks over the Xs.
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That’s right - everything is slightly smaller on the XR.

For me, if I was upgrading this year, I’d make the same decision, would likely go with XS over the XR.
 
I have an X at the moment, i wouldn't buy the XS. I'm getting the Max but the XR would be the other I'd consider simply because the price vs features difference between the XS and XR really isn't that much.
 
BlueGoldAce said:
I do love the asinine post that pop up on these threads, but that is the same with any online message board I guess. You have to hope the said person is trolling and doesn't actually believe what they posted.

Some people can enjoy certain things in life and save for retirement.
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There’s a big diffirence between “enjoying things” and blowing over a thousand dollars on a telephone.
 
EightyTwenty said:
There’s a big diffirence between “enjoying things” and blowing over a thousand dollars on a telephone.
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Why does it even matter what someone else decides to do with their money? I'm currently a college student and need to be very mindful of finances, but if someone has the means and values technology I think that is a good way to use the funds that they have.
 
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For me the ONLY reason NOT go with the XR is it's physical size. The X/XS is already at the top of the 'comfortable size range' for my hands to use it single-handedly. I personally don't care about 3D touch as I can never remember which apps support what functions. And I am pretty sure I would not even notice the lower resolution of the XR without holding it next to an XS. And OLED over LCD...meh. I am not a fan of that slight color shift of OLED when you tilt your phone a little bit left or right. So, if the XR was the same physical size as the XS, I would definitely choose it over the XS.
 
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I don’t get it. The XR is 6.1 inches. Even with the notch. Apple didn’t make it at least 1080p??

326ppi means nothing. People at least like to watch 1080p video streams. Guess it doesn’t matter if Apple knows the carries are limited half or more of their customers to 480p SD streams
 
The XS and XR are both significant upgrades for me. I went with the XS partly because I don’t want to wait another month to upgrade.
 
So I just preordered an IPhone Xs (yay). I am upgrading from an 6s.
It was a tough decision between the Xs and the Xr for me because I am actually pretty thrifty. Those phones are just sooo close.
My main reason was the size. I tried a X yesterday and liked the size of it but I think that’s about the limit for my hands especially if I put a case on it. I also wanna have that dual camera with the telephoto lens (I really wanna try that one out). Another main reason for me is the color... I really wanted a nice gold (not pink) Iphone for a while... and I don’t really like the Xr colors that much...( I know I can do a lot with cases but I like to show my phone for the first weeks in a clear case...)
 
lookn4wifi said:
The XS and XR are both significant upgrades for me. I went with the XS partly because I don’t want to wait another month to upgrade.
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The 3 new iPhones are intended for people with iPhone 6,6s 7,8,8+. Not for people that have an X. If you have an iPhone X the difference will be minimal at best. Remember iOS 12 will add features to most phones as well
The real big difference is size. So if your looking for size then it’s a good upgrade
Unfortunately Apple went with software polishing as opposed to new hardware Like a foldable iPhone
 
marianoam said:
Okey, they're pretty similar to me.
Personally, I don't think the lack of 3D Touch/OLED screen on the XR are deal-breakers. And the XR can handle bokeh even with a single camera...
So, what am I missing here?
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I'm not sure I understand the confusion.

What you're listing are reasons why the XR is fine for you. For you, the lack of OLED isn't a deal breaker. For me, and many others, it absolutely is, especially after having used one since November. The single camera vs dual is a huge, huge deal for many of us, too. There's an obvious and qualitative difference between the two camera setups, and considering our phones are our primary cameras for most of us, that's a massive deal for a lot of folks.


Ceviche Lover said:
This is what I am debating now. IMO

-Prefer the look of the XR(especially the blue one) over the XS
-Don't care about the 2nd camera in the XS
-XR is $250 cheaper
-Don't care about 3D touch

The only major difference for me is the screen but it's insane to pay an extra $250 for a better looking, smaller screen.
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Same as the above poster. Perfectly valid to not care about the better camera setup, of course, but lots of people really do care. Lots of people also really care about the better display.

-----

There's lots of reasons why people want the XS/XS Max over the XR.

In any event, this is why there's a couple of different options for people with different priorities, which is nice. :)
 
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