iPhone XS vs. iPhone XR? Torn...

[cmdrdredd]

If I have iPhone X is it worth upgrading over XS if I have Tmobile Jump plan?

Not to me. I have an X and I'm holding on to it until the next release.

Everyone complains about the price but neglects to remember that almost nobody is really paying full price for their phone. They either lease it or are part of some upgrade program where they never actually pay the cost of the device. People paying the $800 up front is very small compared to the number of people on the iPhone Upgrade plan or a program from a carrier that allows them to upgrade basically every year.

 

[cmdrdredd]

Neither. Get an iPhone 8 with touchID while you still can.

I'm glad they dumped touch ID. It's failed to work when FaceID has worked. I'm also not interested in theories about spying on you using the camera etc.

 

[ibex333]

Hah. I will glance at you and laugh your iPhone excess whilst looking and my note 9 with its way better Notchless screen.

Make sure it doesn't catch FIRE in the process
https://indianexpress.com/article/t...-note-9-catches-fire-samsung-lawsuit-5359655/

 

[Herr Kutz]

I'm glad they dumped touch ID. It's failed to work when FaceID has worked. I'm also not interested in theories about spying on you using the camera etc.

What? Mine always works.

 

[rsutoratosu]

Im getting the Xs Max, my kids 7 plus has touch disease that appears 10% of the time, vz trade in value 315, so if its 315, ill use the fios credit I get also and apply it to the order of Xs and give my kids my X.

Out of warranty repair for these thing are crazy...

 

[cmdrdredd]

What? Mine always works.

I have to use my phone at work a lot and sometimes a bit of oil, grease, or ink on my thumb would prevent it from recognizing me. It’s probably a complaint that only a few people really have to be fair.

 

[secretanchitman]

If I have iPhone X is it worth upgrading over XS if I have Tmobile Jump plan?

If it costs little to no money to you, why not? I say do it!

 

[UNCjigga]

I ended up going for the XS, silver, 256GB on the Apple Upgrade Plan (first time buying thru Apple vs. carrier--soooo much better!) I pre-ordered black but switched to silver in store today (the gold is fugly IMHO--like a 90s car champagne color.) Didn't seem to be any lines and plenty of stock in my local store this afternoon. I think a LOT of people are waiting on the XR or skipping this upgrade cycle entirely.

 

[cmdrdredd]

I ended up going for the XS, silver, 256GB on the Apple Upgrade Plan (first time buying thru Apple vs. carrier--soooo much better!) I pre-ordered black but switched to silver in store today (the gold is fugly IMHO--like a 90s car champagne color.) Didn't seem to be any lines and plenty of stock in my local store this afternoon. I think a LOT of people are waiting on the XR or skipping this upgrade cycle entirely.

Yeah when I went to get my Series 4 watch there was a big line but from what I've heard from a friend who works at a different mall retailer, the Apple store still has some stock and didn't sell out. You're probably right that a lot of people have the X and didn't feel the new XS models are worth the upgrade or they will go with the XR for lower cost.

 

[QueBert]

Hah. I will glance at you and laugh your iPhone excess whilst looking and my note 9 with its way better Notchless screen.

And I'll glance and laugh at you when you struggle to sell your Note 9 a few years down the road. Then end up getting pennies on the dollar, while I sell my XS for probably close to the same price as whatever new flagship Android phone's out. Say what you want about iPhone pricing, but the resell-ability + money you get make them a winner in my book. Last week I sold a used iPhone SE on Offerup for $200. I'd struggle to get $200 for a Note 5, which is about as old and was way more expensive when it came out.

 

[Oyeve]

And I'll glance and laugh at you when you struggle to sell your Note 9 a few years down the road. Then end up getting pennies on the dollar, while I sell my XS for probably close to the same price as whatever new flagship Android phone's out. Say what you want about iPhone pricing, but the resell-ability + money you get make them a winner in my book. Last week I sold a used iPhone SE on Offerup for $200. I'd struggle to get $200 for a Note 5, which is about as old and was way more expensive when it came out.

I don't buy my phones with the thought that I will sell it down the line. Sad.

 

[dawheat]

Upgraded my wife's phone from a iPhone 7 to XS 256. Frankly what struck me the most (as it has on the Android side as well) is how little difference new phones make in day to day use. Yes you get some more screen real estate and the camera is better, but you don't notice the performance in normal use and ultimately you're still surfing the same sites, messaging in the same apps, etc. The plateau IMO is real and I'd actually recommend the XR to most people now.

Oddly enough, the XS felt weirdly similar to my S9+, though obviously smaller. It felt dense (unlike the metal iPhones which now feel ridiculously light), it's all screen and glass, the cameras are more alike than ever before, and you use the same apps on either device.

I honestly don't understand folks who are die hard in either camps - I can switch between either phone and if not for the different gestures, my experience is almost identical.

 

[Raduque]

I honestly don't understand folks who are die hard in either camps - I can switch between either phone and if not for the different gestures, my experience is almost identical.

Honestly, the biggest things keeping me with Android are provided by Samsung. Namely, Samsung Pay (it's still easier to use than Google Pay; GPay is supposed to Just Work whenever the phone is unlocked, but I still have to unlock gpay itself anyway, and tap my phone twice - might as well use Samsung Pay that works on non-NFC terminals!), the S-Pen, Secure Folder and Disconnect Pro (technically a tracking blocker, but works on ads mostly system wide).

If I didn't care about any of that stuff, I might be using an iPhone or at least a cheaper Android device, like a BLUE Vivo XI+ (which is a $350 stunning device but doesn't support mobile payments at all - no NFC. I could probably live without it though).

 

[cmdrdredd]

Upgraded my wife's phone from a iPhone 7 to XS 256. Frankly what struck me the most (as it has on the Android side as well) is how little difference new phones make in day to day use. Yes you get some more screen real estate and the camera is better, but you don't notice the performance in normal use and ultimately you're still surfing the same sites, messaging in the same apps, etc. The plateau IMO is real and I'd actually recommend the XR to most people now.

Oddly enough, the XS felt weirdly similar to my S9+, though obviously smaller. It felt dense (unlike the metal iPhones which now feel ridiculously light), it's all screen and glass, the cameras are more alike than ever before, and you use the same apps on either device.

I honestly don't understand folks who are die hard in either camps - I can switch between either phone and if not for the different gestures, my experience is almost identical.

There are apps that get better iOS support because of the more closed system. Meaning new features are rolled out first on iOS. Generally I feel that with iOS I have had fewer problems with apps not working properly or at all than my experience on Android.

 

[Oyeve]

There are apps that get better iOS support because of the more closed system. Meaning new features are rolled out first on iOS. Generally I feel that with iOS I have had fewer problems with apps not working properly or at all than my experience on Android.

Odd, going from ios 10 to 11 a couple of years ago rendered at least a dozen ios apps useless. the device says to contact the developer about upgrading the app. meanwhile on my Note 9 I have 194 apps installed and only 1 doesn;t work and its an EA game and we all know EA sucks in updates.

 

[QueBert]

I don't buy my phones with the thought that I will sell it down the line. Sad.

Well if you're an Android person that's a good thing. They sell for much less and usually take a good deal more effort to sell. I don't keep a phone more than 1 1/2 years so resell value is always a positive to me.

 

[Red Storm]

Last week I sold a used iPhone SE on Offerup for $200. I'd struggle to get $200 for a Note 5, which is about as old and was way more expensive when it came out.

You must have gotten lucky because the SE sells for around $120 on swappa, a far cry from $200.

In my experience, iOS devices will hold a little more value over time compared to Android devices, but the higher up front cost of the iOS devices generally makes it a wash.

 

[QueBert]

You must have gotten lucky because the SE sells for around $120 on swappa, a far cry from $200.

In my experience, iOS devices will hold a little more value over time compared to Android devices, but the higher up front cost of the iOS devices generally makes it a wash.

It was the harder to find 64gb version. And iOS devices hold their value a lot better than even flagship Android phones. An iPhone 8+ was $799 at launch for a 64gb version. The Galaxy s8+ MSRP was $850 for the 64gb I believe. iPhone 8+'s are going for $600+ on Offerup around me, Galaxy s8+'s about $450. The only iPhone 8+'s s going for Galaxy prices have badly cracked screens. You can get more for a locked iPhone 8+ then a perfect condition LG v20. HTC & LG phones don't hold their value at all really, and are much tougher to sell. So them being much cheaper when they come out is kind of a wash when a $500 phone's selling used $200 16 months after it came out. I sell a lot of phones on Offerup and at least in my area there's no comparison iPhones sell quicker and always get you much more money. And about other brand Android (LG, HTC whatever) I could probably sell a Blackberry about as fast as a v20.

I've never used Swappa so I can't comment on prices there, and I'm sure it's much quicker to sell most phones. But I've sold probably 150 phones on CL and now Offerup over the years.

 

[dawheat]

There are apps that get better iOS support because of the more closed system. Meaning new features are rolled out first on iOS. Generally I feel that with iOS I have had fewer problems with apps not working properly or at all than my experience on Android.

I've heard this before and I'm sure it's true to an extent, but what practical difference does it make? It could be that my wife and I (being in our 30s) don't use the newest, hippest apps but we use the 20 or so most popular social, messaging, music, video apps (e.g. IG, FB, YT, Yelp, etc). I don't see any real world difference in reliability (can't remember the last time I got an app outright crash) and whatever new features rolling out weeks or months later are completely unnoticeable.

It's not like 3-4 years ago where top apps were still adding significant new features constantly.

 

[Red Storm]

I've heard this before and I'm sure it's true to an extent, but what practical difference does it make? It could be that my wife and I (being in our 30s) don't use the newest, hippest apps but we use the 20 or so most popular social, messaging, music, video apps (e.g. IG, FB, YT, Yelp, etc). I don't see any real world difference in reliability (can't remember the last time I got an app outright crash) and whatever new features rolling out weeks or months later are completely unnoticeable.

It's not like 3-4 years ago where top apps were still adding significant new features constantly.

As someone who uses both OSes, I don't think it's a major concern at all, however when it comes to financial apps, this does seem to be more prevalent. If you are using a smaller bank or credit union this can sometimes be the difference between a usable app on one OS and a garbage one (or none at all) for the other.

 

[Zaap]

It was the harder to find 64gb version. And iOS devices hold their value a lot better than even flagship Android phones. An iPhone 8+ was $799 at launch for a 64gb version. The Galaxy s8+ MSRP was $850 for the 64gb I believe. iPhone 8+'s are going for $600+ on Offerup around me, Galaxy s8+'s about $450. The only iPhone 8+'s s going for Galaxy prices have badly cracked screens. You can get more for a locked iPhone 8+ then a perfect condition LG v20. HTC & LG phones don't hold their value at all really, and are much tougher to sell. So them being much cheaper when they come out is kind of a wash when a $500 phone's selling used $200 16 months after it came out. I sell a lot of phones on Offerup and at least in my area there's no comparison iPhones sell quicker and always get you much more money. And about other brand Android (LG, HTC whatever) I could probably sell a Blackberry about as fast as a v20.

I've never used Swappa so I can't comment on prices there, and I'm sure it's much quicker to sell most phones. But I've sold probably 150 phones on CL and now Offerup over the years.

Two sides to everything. Since I don't in any way shape or form fancy myself a phone salesman, I don't care that much about the (inflated) prices of devices I would (rarely) sell.

I'd rather get a device I want cheaper.

This argument is kind of a wash. Its like those of us who like MacBooks over PCs. The rare time I ever sell one, sure its nice to get a highway robbery price from some other poor schlub.

But then when it comes time to repair or buy one myself.... flipsides are a B!

Ridiculous outrageous prices for years outraged hardware. I have a friend now stuck with a MacBook he loves because he upgraded it with a ton of storage... but it has a faulty motherboard and is long out of warrenty. Now he has a rotten choice... pony up the entire cost of a much better PC laptop just to replace the motherboard, or pay an outrageous price for a used MacBook he can use his storage in. (Years out of date)

Or pony up for a new one that doesn't have features he wants.

The resale value of his current MacBook being well into 'sucker!' territory does little for him... he can't sell it at full outrage prices because the mobo's toast!

So "high resale" means one thing for him... "This is gonna be painful ....!"

 

[cmdrdredd]

I've heard this before and I'm sure it's true to an extent, but what practical difference does it make? It could be that my wife and I (being in our 30s) don't use the newest, hippest apps but we use the 20 or so most popular social, messaging, music, video apps (e.g. IG, FB, YT, Yelp, etc). I don't see any real world difference in reliability (can't remember the last time I got an app outright crash) and whatever new features rolling out weeks or months later are completely unnoticeable.

It's not like 3-4 years ago where top apps were still adding significant new features constantly.

If you only use major social media apps then you won't notice it. They update all the time anyway. The smaller apps that can't afford that type of update cycle, like companion apps for various devices and gaming they would usually update the iOS version first because of a more set hardware and software base. Android is not as closed a system which can create some compatibility issues with certain devices, certain android skins etc. What happens is the dev would make sure there's no major bugs in general for functionality and then roll out to the wider market and squash device and OS specific bugs as time goes on.

I've had a few apps outright fail to work at all on a brand new Android device that just launched but on an iOS device the same app works on the new devices perfectly. It might not be a "major" issue but it's an annoyance I've personally noticed in the past.

 

[jm0ris0n]

Had the XS started with 128GB of storage at $999, it’d be my phone. Heck, if they offered a 128GB option for $50 more I’d pick one up.

Think I’m going with the 128GB XR. It has the storage amount I want, same resolution (dpi) as my current 6s, same camera as the XS and ~15% more battery life.

The XS screen is fantastic, but at a $350 premium, no thanks !!

 

[cmdrdredd]

Had the XS started with 128GB of storage at $999, it’d be my phone. Heck, if they offered a 128GB option for $50 more I’d pick one up.

Think I’m going with the 128GB XR. It has the storage amount I want, same resolution (dpi) as my current 6s, same camera as the XS and ~15% more battery life.

The XS screen is fantastic, but at a $350 premium, no thanks !!

Same camera? Not quite...the X and Xs have a secondary telephoto lens too and portrait mode only works with people on the XR.

 

[jm0ris0n]

Given Anandtech’s battery bench, with 1.5 hours of life over an 8+ the XR seems like a no brainer to me!

This phone would easily last 2 full days if you sleep 8 hours a day and spent slightly half of your waking minutes on the phone ❤️.