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iPhone 8/Plus Any reasons to pick the iPhone 8 over XR?

iMas70

iMas70

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Sep 4, 2012
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I've read a bunch of threads comparing the Plus version of the 8 to the XR. Mostly for screen size. I was set on the 4.7" iPhone 8 to replace my kid's iPhone 5 and 6 (anything will be an upgrade to them!). Then I took a look at the XR. The 128GB option will be the perfect size. I also like the XR's larger screen and better battery life. The 256GB version of the iPhone 8 is $749 while the 128GB XR is $799. Money isn't an issue to a point.

Looking at the physical sizes, they are 12 (small hands). Their current phones fit fine in their hands. Phone sizes are -

iPhone 6 - 4.7" screen - 5.44" x 2.64"
iPhone 8 - 4.7" screen - 5.4" x 2.6"
iPhone XR - 6.1" screen - 5.9" x 3"

No wrong choice that I can see either way. Are there any reasons to pick the 8 over the XR? And what about the XR's aspect ratio? Again they are coming from an iPhone 5 and 6 so it' going to be an upgrade. I think I'd notice a difference in the ratio while comparing it to my X.
 
I'm not convinced that the XR's screen (or face id) is as eye friendly as the 8 series. Personally I'd pass on the X series due to varying eye irritation issues that more than a few people experience (not all, but some).
 
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If your kid is anything like my kids, they go through phones like there is no tomorrow. There's no way I'd get them a current gen Apple phone. A refurb 6s or 7 is likely what I'd be giving them.
 
For a 12 yr old, I would think an 8 would actually make a bit more sense. It's lighter, meaning that when (not if) it's dropped, it won't hit the floor quite so hard. It's more pocketable, which is a factor for portability (I'm assuming pockets on jeans made for 12 year olds aren't as big as pockets on jeans made for adults) and then there's reachability too with the screen size. The XR is a big, somewhat heavy device. With a protective case, it only gets bigger.

The 8 is a fast, solid device. Of course, if this isn't a surprise gift you can always take them to a nearby store and let them check both designs out and they can decide that way.
 
alphaswift said:
If your kid is anything like my kids, they go through phones like there is no tomorrow. There's no way I'd get them a current gen Apple phone. A refurb 6s or 7 is likely what I'd be giving them.
Click to expand...

They got their first iPads (Air 2s) when they were 8. Had those for 3 years with no damage. I upgraded them to first gen iPad Pros last year. They only had one incident with their iPhones. That was a scattered screen from being at the bottom of a backpack. My daughter learned from that.


dotme said:
For a 12 yr old, I would think an 8 would actually make a bit more sense. It's lighter, meaning that when (not if) it's dropped, it won't hit the floor quite so hard. It's more pocketable, which is a factor for portability (I'm assuming pockets on jeans made for 12 year olds aren't as big as pockets on jeans made for adults) and then there's reachability too with the screen size. The XR is a big, somewhat heavy device. With a protective case, it only gets bigger.

The 8 is a fast, solid device. Of course, if this isn't a surprise gift you can always take them to a nearby store and let them check both designs out and they can decide that way.
Click to expand...

Good points on the size. They will definitely have cases. I'm going to stop into the Apple Store this week to compare. These will be Christmas gifts.
 
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I stopped by the local Apple Store to get some hands on experience with the two phones. They are both good but in the end I prefer the XR. One thing that I noticed was with the XR. I had CNN pulled up on both phones. I rotated them to landscape. The website automatically filled the screen of the iPhone 8 but it only showed on about half the screen of the XR. I could zoom in to fill the screen but I don't think I should have to.
 
iMas70 said:
I stopped by the local Apple Store to get some hands on experience with the two phones. They are both good but in the end I prefer the XR. One thing that I noticed was with the XR. I had CNN pulled up on both phones. I rotated them to landscape. The website automatically filled the screen of the iPhone 8 but it only showed on about half the screen of the XR. I could zoom in to fill the screen but I don't think I should have to.
Click to expand...

This is normal, expected behavior for the Xr, X, Xs, and Xs max. Their displays are wider (in landscape) than the 16:9 TV / video aspect ratio standard (which the 8 uses for its screen), thus when you view a video on them it only uses a portion of the screen. When you double tap to fill the screen, you lose the tops and bottoms of the video.

The default guarantees you don't lose any portion of the video, hence why it's the default.
 
now i see it said:
Personally I'd pass on the X series due to varying eye irritation issues that more than a few people experience (not all, but some).
Click to expand...

Granted Pulse Width modulation does have an affect in those with strain and migraine tendencies, (There is even a massive thread on here this topic), but considering the millions of iPhones sold, I wouldn’t suggest to *not* purchase the X just because of this, being there is no way of knowing if it would affect the OP or not. Millions of iPhone users will never experience PWM, it’s a very small sampling of users affected, it’s just more users who are affected flock to forums like this to discuss their findings.
 
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ACG12 said:
Why not an iPhone 7 128gb refurbished from Apple for $469? You’ll save $300 and still have a phone that is still very good.
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I took a look at that but rather get them something newer. I’ll save 6.5% on whatever I get by purchasing them in in NH (tax free state) this weekend. The phones won’t be activated until Christmas so I’ll be able to see if any holiday deals pop up.
 
ACG12 said:
Why not an iPhone 7 128gb refurbished from Apple for $469? You’ll save $300 and still have a phone that is still very good.
Click to expand...
I loved the iPhone 7, it may be my favorite iPhone of all time. I upgraded to the XR two weeks ago for one reason, wireless charging. Had there been 128gb refurbished iPhone 8 units available through Apple at the time, I would've gone with the 8, but buying new, I wanted the latest and the XS and XS Max prices are nauseating.
 
praterkeith said:
I loved the iPhone 7, it may be my favorite iPhone of all time. I upgraded to the XR two weeks ago for one reason, wireless charging. Had there been 128gb refurbished iPhone 8 units available through Apple at the time, I would've gone with the 8, but buying new, I wanted the latest and the XS and XS Max prices are nauseating.
Click to expand...

The iPhone 7 Plus was outstanding and one of my favorite phones as well. I actually was just issued a Space gray iPhone 8 Plus as a work phone and it’s just as a much as pleasure to use, and even more so with the updates/features. (The aluminum
Bands and glass back is a nice combination) The 8 definitely is the most mature iPhone in Apples line up, for the recent value, I wouldn’t pass on it.
 
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I ordered two 128GB XRs yesterday. Will be picking them up this weekend.
 
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