iPhone X, XR, XS, XS Max

irvinehomeowner

Well-known member
So I've been considering getting one of the X models because my 6S is too small.

My biggest problem is the UX change. Instead of pressing the home button, you have to swipe up, instead of double pressing it for the app switcher you have to swipe up and pause and instead of just touching the home button to unlock it with TouchID, you have to have your face in the vicinity of it.. and even then, you still have to swipe up to unlock.

Why did Apple make such drastic changes?

Maybe this only bothers me because I use my phone so much to do so many things. The app switcher alone is something I use constantly and having to rely on fine motor skills to manage that is not something I look forward to.

Here is a good article explaining the woes of the new UX:
https://hackernoon.com/i-miss-my-home-button-b3a1988d5ad3

For those who have an X model, how is it for you? I have some relatives who have one (an X and an XS Max) and while one says it's fine, the other has the same issues I think I will have.

Maybe I just need to go to an 8 Plus. It's just that the price points make an XR more appealing.

7 Plus 32GB: $569 (not enough memory)
7 Plus 128GB: $669
8 Plus 64GB: $699 (decent memory)
8 Plus 256GB: $849 (expensive!)
XR 64GB: $749
XR 128GB: $799
XR 256GB: $899

The 7 Plus 128GB has the lowest price, but it's 2 generations back. There is no 128GB option with the 8 Plus and I think 256GB is too expensive. So it's either the $699 8 Plus 64GB or pay $50 for the XR 64GB. Or, just pay $100 more and get the 128GB XR.

I usually keep my phones for 3+ years and considering how much more expensive they are... I need to maximize my cost/length of ownership. If they made an iPhone 9 (or the XR) with the home button, this would have been a no-brainer.

And yes, I'm not even considering the XS models because I'm not a 1%er like qwerthousanddollarphone.
 
Get the XS. Portrait mode on XR only works if the subject is human. Totally unacceptable for dog lovers like Qwerty.

Took me a couple weeks to get used to the X, now I can't use phones with home buttons any more.
 
XS too expensive.

I don't really use portrait mode anyways and I read there is a work around for the XR camera on non-people.

I thought over $500 was expensive... they should just call it the iPhone $1000 or the iPhone X-pensive.
 
It took a couple of days to get used to no home button. Now when I use my wife?s 7 plus (not very often) I get all confused.

Cmon IHO! Join the club!!!
 
i picked up the new xr after using a 6s for over 3 years.  apart from the phone being light years faster, i actually like the faceid. it's much quicker to unlock the phone even with swiping up, and it works 100% of the time so far versus touchid which took 1-2 seconds to unlock and wasn't 100% reliable.

i don't take many pictures/videos so the decision between xs and xr was easy because from what i could tell (other than screen resolution and phone size) the camera is the only real difference.  and thus 64 gb is plenty for me.

if you're with at&t, they're offering a not-so-public 2-year contract loyalty deal where you pay for the phone up front, so i was able to pick up the 64 gb xr for $750 - $450 = $300 + tax
 
Kings said:
if you're with at&t, they're offering a not-so-public 2-year contract loyalty deal where you pay for the phone up front, so i was able to pick up the 64 gb xr for $750 - $450 = $300 + tax

You get a $450 discount for paying up front? Or is it if you go on a 2-year contract?

That's a great deal. I should go to AT&T and ask.

The only ones I've seen are from TMo and Sprint.

Switching to TMo and getting up to $350 off when you turn in a device (iPhone 7 or higher). I think for the 6 and lower you only get $250 off.

I think Sprint gives you a free XR with trade-in if you switch to them but not sure what the catch is.
 
irvinehomeowner said:
Kings said:
if you're with at&t, they're offering a not-so-public 2-year contract loyalty deal where you pay for the phone up front, so i was able to pick up the 64 gb xr for $750 - $450 = $300 + tax

You get a $450 discount for paying up front? Or is it if you go on a 2-year contract?

That's a great deal. I should go to AT&T and ask.

The only ones I've seen are from TMo and Sprint.

Switching to TMo and getting up to $350 off when you turn in a device (iPhone 7 or higher). I think for the 6 and lower you only get $250 off.

I think Sprint gives you a free XR with trade-in if you switch to them but not sure what the catch is.

if you're currently with at&t, it's a $450 discount on any new phone, no trade in required, but you need to pay for the phone up front ($300+tax for 64gb xr is what i paid) and you are locked into at&t service for 2 years (there are early termination fees for cancelling your service).  there is nothing additional that you pay monthly, so it wasn't a big deal for me to keep using at&t since i've been with them for years already.  it really is a great deal, but you can't do it in store.

here are the steps:

1. call at&t at 800-331-0500

2. say "loyalty" at the auto voice prompt

3. tell the rep that you want to purchase a new phone and you heard there is a loyalty deal for $450 off a new phone with a 2 year contract

4. be sure to ask for free expedited shipping and no activation fees in case they don't offer

5. you give them your credit card and pay for the phone up front (discount is instant, there is no visa gift card you have to wait for in the mail or anything)

6. they send you the phone within 2 days and you switch over your line and continue paying for the same service like nothing has changed

my receipt is below, good luck!

Ey4NcUm.png
 
Great info Kings.

You said "any" new phone? So I can do that on an iPhone 8 Plus... or a Galaxy Note 9? Sounds like it. I don't mind the contract and paying up front either.
 
irvinehomeowner said:
Great info Kings.

You said "any" new phone? So I can do that on an iPhone 8 Plus... or a Galaxy Note 9? Sounds like it. I don't mind the contract and paying up front either.

yes, i believe that's what the rep told me.  it was definitely $450 off any of the new iphones.  i think they were also offering $100 off the new apple watch series 4, so if it's not $450 off any phone it might be $350 on older phones, etc.
 
Are you dead set on the iPhone? The OnePlus 6T has top of the line specs but only $580 or so. They'll take most trade ins for $300 credit bringing the phone down to $280! Only on T-Mobile though.
 
Cares said:
Are you dead set on the iPhone? The OnePlus 6T has top of the line specs but only $580 or so. They'll take most trade ins for $300 credit bringing the phone down to $280! Only on T-Mobile though.

Yeah. Apple handcuffs.

I dislike Macs but their phone ecosystem is great.
 
irvinehomeowner said:
Cares said:
Are you dead set on the iPhone? The OnePlus 6T has top of the line specs but only $580 or so. They'll take most trade ins for $300 credit bringing the phone down to $280! Only on T-Mobile though.

Yeah. Apple handcuffs.

I dislike Macs but their phone ecosystem is great.

IHO if you do decide to upgrade, I will buy your 6plus. I ask for it first.
 
Compressed-Village said:
irvinehomeowner said:
Cares said:
Are you dead set on the iPhone? The OnePlus 6T has top of the line specs but only $580 or so. They'll take most trade ins for $300 credit bringing the phone down to $280! Only on T-Mobile though.

Yeah. Apple handcuffs.

I dislike Macs but their phone ecosystem is great.

IHO if you do decide to upgrade, I will buy your 6plus. I ask for it first.

I don?t have the Plus. That?s why I?m looking for either a Plus or the XR.

I always say I?m gonna sell my old phones and now I have like a 5 and a 4 in a box losing value every day.  :(
 
irvinehomeowner said:
Compressed-Village said:
irvinehomeowner said:
Cares said:
Are you dead set on the iPhone? The OnePlus 6T has top of the line specs but only $580 or so. They'll take most trade ins for $300 credit bringing the phone down to $280! Only on T-Mobile though.

Yeah. Apple handcuffs.

I dislike Macs but their phone ecosystem is great.

IHO if you do decide to upgrade, I will buy your 6plus. I ask for it first.

I don?t have the Plus. That?s why I?m looking for either a Plus or the XR.

I always say I?m gonna sell my old phones and now I have like a 5 and a 4 in a box losing value every day.  :(

FWIW ? I just upgraded to the Xs max.  The screen and display is like nothing you have seen before . Given the amount of time we spend on our phones nowadays , it?s totallyworth it in my opinion. And it does not ?feel? that bulky in your pocket given the profile and softer edges .

It has effectively replaced my  Older ipad  . Then the only other device I have is the large screen pc for any office work related items etc.
 
@fortune11:

Yeah, while I would love to get an OLED screen, I just can?t justify spending that much on a phone.

The other reason I am leaning XR is the battery life is supposed to be the best of all the models from 6 to XS Max.
 
irvinehomeowner said:
@fortune11:

Yeah, while I would love to get an OLED screen, I just can?t justify spending that much on a phone.

The other reason I am leaning XR is the battery life is supposed to be the best of all the models from 6 to XS Max.


$250 amortized over 3 years is just 7 bucks a month. Power banks are small and cheap and will keep you going for a long time.

I wouldn't get the XR because for me, the dual lens camera allows me to travel w/o my dslr (and it's heavy weight around my neck). Portrait mode works great for people and pets and the telephoto lens allows me to zoom in without excessivve pixelation. In other words, does pretty much what most people use dslrs for.






 
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