A Day With the iPhone XR: Unboxing and First Impressions

[Sinfonist]

CAUSE NO ONE BUYS THEM... THEY DON'T SELL.

i'm sick of hearing people complain about this.

Everyone keeps asking for a smaller phone, but as I tell them, there's no demand.

Truth there, just the nerd in me wanting to reach out and be like hey man wait 5 days and come back on the 6th since it's a nice store in CO

He might even have made the right choice We're holding out on a purchase until we see the new range, but may have to move fast if we prefer the existing offerings.

 

[pete2106]

Is it just me or have phones, tablets, and computers are just plain boring nowadays. I just don't care to get the latest stuff anymore. Seems like every year there is less of a reason to upgrade. Same goes for my friends. I take it the market is fully saturated and this whole tech bubble is ready to pop.

I do wonder some times where phone makers are gonna go from now on. Once we get to the point where all the phone makers are making large rectangles that are entirely screen on the front, what are they gonna do to differentiate their devices from each other?

It's a similar problem that the iMac faces now. In a desktop computer, once you have a screen with all the hardware tucked in behind, where do you go from there? You can refine the design but other than that, there's nowhere left to go with a desktop computer.

 

[Ketsjap]

Actually with thicker bezels XR looks more classy and interesting than XS or XS Max.

This. It’s funny how companies trick consumers into thinking what is more or less valuable or classy. People believe thin bezels are ‘better’ only because Apple & co. say they are. If Apple would state the contrary, that thicker bezels are more premium, everyone would want those.

In the early 2000’s, cellphones were getting smaller all the time. The smaller they were, the more valuable. That’s what Nokia and others told us. A decade later, these companies are telling us that bigger phones are more premium. And the public? It’s accepting that view and paying premiums for what was the lesser option a few years back.

It’s interesting how Apple and others succeed in defining what consumers think and want. Quite remarkable how they can influence the general psyche.

 

[SmugMaverick]

Need a camera comparison with the Pixel 3 and iPhone X

 

[makr]

Is it just me or have phones, tablets, and computers are just plain boring nowadays. I just don't care to get the latest stuff anymore. Seems like every year there is less of a reason to upgrade. Same goes for my friends. I take it the market is fully saturated and this whole tech bubble is ready to pop.

I'm thinking to upgrade new ones from iPhone 6s, I guess it's not about they are being boring, but I think old models still do a lot compared to early days of iPhone I guess.
As for excitement hi tech stuff are more common compared to the past, so we get a bit insensitive about it, this year only EKG feature of Apple Watch excited me tbf.
[doublepost=1540459698][/doublepost]

This. It’s funny how companies trick consumers into thinking what is more or less valuable or classy. People believe thin bezels are ‘better’ only because Apple & co. say they are. If Apple would state the contrary, that thicker bezels are more premium, everyone would want those.

In the early 2000’s, cellphones were getting smaller all the time. The smaller they were, the more valuable. That’s what Nokia and others told us. A decade later, these companies are telling us that bigger phones are more premium. And the public? It’s accepting that view and paying premiums for what was the lesser option a few years back.

It’s interesting how Apple and others succeed in defining what consumers think and want. Quite remarkable how they can influence the general psyche.

Not entirely true imo. Smaller footprint means harder to find space to put stuff together, they need to make a better plan, produce same components in smaller size etc.

 

[Adelphos33]

First review I have seen of a black XR. Looks good

 

[tromboneaholic]

I bought an X last year after having 3 generations of Plus phones. While I loved the Plus screen size, the physical size always seemed a bit much. With the X the thing I miss most about my Plus phones is the width, especially on the keyboard and for reading emails and webpages. This is where I feel the XR hits it. The in between size seems perfect. While I would still want 3D touch, the OLED, the smaller bezels, and the other premium features that differentiate it, had I waited another year I may very well have bought the XR for its size sweet spot.

XR supports zoomed view like the Plus models and Max (which XS does not). Some reviews have pointed out that it's more like a slightly smaller XS Max than a larger XS.

 

[Trusteft]

For a brief moment, since I am slowly starting to think to replace my 3.5 year old with some issues Sony Xperia M4 Aqua, I thought of going the iPhone way. I checked the price for the new new XR, about 1200 euros for the 256GB model. I laughed and laughed and laughed.

 

[smoking monkey]

O flip, I haven't thought of this before!

Yeah. This is something to be concerned about along with no 2 x zoom.
Just wondering... Is the Pixel 3XL capable of non face portrait style photos? Or is it like the XR and only people???

And changing the aperture is only available on portrait mode shots? Or is it all photos? I'm assuming it's only portrait mode photos...

 

[MRrainer]

This would be such a great successor to the SE - if the screen wasn't even bigger than the Xs' screen!

 

[212rikanmofo]

Actually with thicker bezels XR looks more classy and interesting than XS or XS Max.

Hahahaha this is the funniest thing I've read today. Keep telling yourself that. LMAO.

 

[MoreRumors?]

This does everything I need to do and for a lot less. I'll be going to the store to check it out and play around with it before making my final decision.

Could you do a comparison of LTE speeds: XR vs. XS? I can't seem to find this anywhere.... I know it's not systematic, but any info could be useful.

You will probably have to wait until sometime next year as the carriers are suppose to start rolling out the 5G. I think larger cities will benefit sooner and there is still issues where there isn't complete coverage with the current 4G in other areas.

 

[gnasher729]

Me and my wife bought iPhone X last year. If we were both in the market for a new phone this year, it would be hard to ignore the $500 we would save on two of these phones over 2 XS.

The XR gives you a bigger screen than the XS, with the same screen contents as the XS-Max. So the saving is really $350 per phone, not $250.

 

[Glockworkorange]

O flip, I haven't thought of this before!

And no Portrait Lighting either (pretty sure).

Which I guess is fine—-that feature never seems to work right
[doublepost=1540465669][/doublepost]

I think a few people are going to be surprised by the size. It may be shorter to make it look like it’s a size inbetween the XS and XS Max, but it’s only 1.7mm narrower than the Max. For all intents and purposes, it’s a plus size phone.

I mean, it’s six inches. It’s plus size. Remember just a few years ago with the Nexus 6? People where all SIX INCHES? It’s a monster!!

 

[Jim L]

That's one sharp looking phone and tomorrow it will be mine.

 

[gnasher729]

XR supports zoomed view like the Plus models and Max (which XS does not). Some reviews have pointed out that it's more like a slightly smaller XS Max than a larger XS.

I didn't know that either supported zoomed view. Does that mean you get the same screen as an XS, just bigger? (Bigger icons, bigger fonts etc.)

 

[Khedron]

Size wise, at 6.1-inches, the iPhone XR is a little bit bigger than the iPhone XS (5.8 inches) and a little bit smaller than the iPhone XS Max (6.5 inches), which makes it the perfect size for those who want a middle ground between the two XS options.

What a meaningless sentence.

The XS is the perfect size for those who want a phone the size of the XS.
The XR is the perfect size for those who want a phone the size of the XR.
The XS Max is the perfect size for those who want a phone the size of the XS Max.
... [repeat for every single phone ever]

How about those who want a device the size of the SE? (Probably not possible any more with modern cameras)
Or how about something exactly in between the SE and the XS?
[doublepost=1540467050][/doublepost]

I didn't know that either supported zoomed view. Does that mean you get the same screen as an XS, just bigger? (Bigger icons, bigger fonts etc.)

Regardless of phone, you can always change the font size.
[doublepost=1540467354][/doublepost]

This. It’s funny how companies trick consumers into thinking what is more or less valuable or classy. People believe thin bezels are ‘better’ only because Apple & co. say they are. If Apple would state the contrary, that thicker bezels are more premium, everyone would want those.

In the early 2000’s, cellphones were getting smaller all the time. The smaller they were, the more valuable. That’s what Nokia and others told us. A decade later, these companies are telling us that bigger phones are more premium. And the public? It’s accepting that view and paying premiums for what was the lesser option a few years back.

It’s interesting how Apple and others succeed in defining what consumers think and want. Quite remarkable how they can influence the general psyche.

Another great example is Apple having half the RAM of Android phones and not supporting multitasking is perfectly fine because iOS is so "efficient".

Meanwhile Apple's CPU being a bit faster means everything, even though there are no applications that require such speed.

Meanwhile again Apple's displays being inferior to mid-tier Android phones is yet again just another case of specifications that Phil says don't matter.

 

[michaelsviews]

Is it just me or have phones, tablets, and computers are just plain boring nowadays. I just don't care to get the latest stuff anymore. Seems like every year there is less of a reason to upgrade. Same goes for my friends. I take it the market is fully saturated and this whole tech bubble is ready to pop.

To me its just the same old thing. Design is the same and Oh we're going to throttle your device that you paid 750.00 + and not tell you about it, yes you paid for it but it's still ours "APPLES" because we are also going to take even more money for repairs and charge you too much for a part that cost us so little but we have to pay for the new IKEA furniture and so much more and while we're at it lets make it so bright in our stores that you feel like your getting a sun tan while your there.

 

[ggibson913]

I upgraded to the XS from my 7 Plus. I had thought about getting the XR but I wanted the OLED screen. If any of my family wants to upgrade their 6, the XR would make a fantastic upgrade for them.

 

[DNichter]

Great value, another hit for Apple. Interesting that you don't hear about the notch anymore now that more people are actually using it and it makes absolutely no difference to people. I still prefer the XS line for obvious reasons, but the XR is very nice also. This should effectively kill all touch ID talk too since Face ID is much better at this point.

 

[BenTrovato]

I liked the review.. but it made me feel that $750 for this device is a lot. Also I'm glad I waited to see reviews instead of pre-ordering, seems like a no-go for me now.

 

[Glideslope]

You're always going to see that with any mature market product. TV's, cars, houses, etc don't see huge leaps, they see incremental ones. The new 2019 Ferrari an iteration and incremental one on top of the 2018, rather than a giant step forward. That's normal.

It's more about coming to understand that. Once you do, it's not a disappointment at all. You realize that now it's more about making smaller changes that add up to larger improvements in our daily use. If those advantages add up enough to justify it, you may want to upgrade. I know they make it well worth it to me each year (the added productivity pays for itself quickly). If they don't, don't upgrade as frequently. You won't feel as left behind and save yourself some money. Nothing wrong with going either way.

Agree except with the Ferrari analogy. 2018 California vs the 2019 Portofino. Quite a step up in the entry level category.

 

[jouster]

I do wonder some times where phone makers are gonna go from now on. Once we get to the point where all the phone makers are making large rectangles that are entirely screen on the front, what are they gonna do to differentiate their devices from each other?....

The OS and app/services ecosystem will be the main differentiators, as they are now.

 

[TallManNY]

I do wonder some times where phone makers are gonna go from now on. Once we get to the point where all the phone makers are making large rectangles that are entirely screen on the front, what are they gonna do to differentiate their devices from each other?

It's a similar problem that the iMac faces now. In a desktop computer, once you have a screen with all the hardware tucked in behind, where do you go from there? You can refine the design but other than that, there's nowhere left to go with a desktop computer.

Better AI will be the neat upgrade path. Since Siri does its stuff on the phone, the better AI is going to take a lot of processing power. The camera keeps getting better as well. I see some major improvements going from the X to the XS. But physics and biology should eventually end that as a legitimate upgrade feature. Don't know when, but it has to happen eventually. There just isn't enough distance in the phone for the lens to get much better. And our eyes can only pick up so much detail and so much color clarity. So biology puts a limit on how good pictures can get.

But AI currently stinks in our phones compared to what will be available very soon.

Totally agree that desktop computers have slowed down in their upgrade path. Once you have a very good screen and a very fast CPU/GPU there ain't much you can do. My 2011 iMac was good enough before it died. I suspect my next Mac (which I'm buying when stuff gets released in November) will last five years minimum and maybe last, really, until it breaks like my 2011 iMac. And I might get that level of future proof out of lower end spec'ed version of the desktops they release (be it iMac or Mini).

 

[GuruZac]

I have no doubt the differences between the XS and XR models of course make the XS the overall better product, but I can't help but feel like these reviews try as hard as they can to make issues with the XR that are non-issues. For the most part, you get an identical experience with the XR for hundreds less than the XS models, plus better battery life. It's no wonder the phone is a hit. Still tempting to pick up the Product Red to replace my 7 Plus...