iPhone XR Decision! iPhone 8 Plus or iPhone XR?

[Zaft]

If I were you I would get the 8 Plus. The XR just seems like a gimped Xs.

You get the 1080p screen and proven design. It will last a while with the A11 in there.

 

[dukebound85]

And if you think that means 'better' then you're just as ignorant.

No, I think it provides advantages. If you think otherwise, by your words, you’re just as ignorant

 

[green86]

What in particular about 3D Touch where long press won’t do the job even if not as cool and interactive layered iOS feeling?

Peek and pop for web pages for one.
Application shortcuts on the home screen are another.

Also, long press is for chumps. I use my device often, it is much more convenient to use 3D Touch. I could understand how this functionality might be dismissed by a non-power user. For the rest of us, it is integral.

 

[dazz87]

Using an 8 Plus now would feel like a serious step back with the humongous bezels and fingerprint scanner. I wouldn’t be able to do it.

And a 720p screen is not a step back? Bezel all around with that ugly notch for 800 plus nah.

 

[davedvdy]

Peek and pop for web pages for one.
Application shortcuts on the home screen are another.

Also, long press is for chumps. I use my device often, it is much more convenient to use 3D Touch. I could understand how this functionality might be dismissed by a non-power user. For the rest of us, it is integral.

I'm finding the 3D Touch very convenient. It is very useful to clear notifications. Esp. the Do Not Disturb one that keeps coming back nearly hourly since iOS 12 lol.

 

[dmk1974]

Thanks for all of the replies. Really good feedback and I can't wait until they are in-stores next week to try out in person.

I currently do have an 8+ which I like. My family has 6s and 7+ and I am thinking of upgrading all of them to one of these two choices. The 64gb versions of each would be plenty of storage for their needs.

I did try an X during the summer and in the end I preferred the 8+. Not just because of price, but 2 main gripes.

1. I have a dash mount in my car. When playing music, with the X, I had to lean forward or to the side a bit from my driving position to unlock it to skip songs and so on. Or briefly pop up email at a stoplight. Often times, then after failing, I'd have to enter the 6-digit pin. Very annoying. With the good old touch ID, never a problem to unlock with a simple and quick 1-button press of the home button.
2. If the layout of these Face ID phones has a taller screen ratio, why the hell can't I add a row of icons to my home screen!?!?! Spacing the icons out does me no good. So annoying with Apple that they don't allow customization of the icon grid like you can do with Android.

Ok, I get that these are probably pretty minor gripes to most people, but it's what kept me leaning to a phone with a home button instead of the Face ID. I know eventually I'll have to adapt, but probably will hang onto the 8+ until the other benefits outweigh the minor usability inconveniences.

 

[-M4-]

I don’t know, my FaceID feels like it might need a reset every once in a while. It learns too fast what my face looks like at different positions, with the XS. At first I had to slightly raise my head from the pillow while sideways for it to recognize me, or be looking directly at the screen. Now, even with my head resting in the pillow and having one eye hidden/closed it unlocks. It even unlocks at a lateral angle from the phone (25° or so I’d say).

 

[linkgx1]

Of course I do, because more does not always equal better. Retina was named after the light-sensitive layer in the human eye, because this resolution is right at the edge of what one can possibly see. Therefore Super Retina can’t be that much sharper as the sheer numbers would suggest. We had the cpu megahertz myth, the camera sensor megapixel myth, now we have the display mega-ppi myth. Apple are the masters at creating a better product by deliberately omitting unnecessary technologies and intentionally losing the spec race where it doesn’t matter. The iPhone 8+ has just 3GB RAM and last years Androids had upto 8GB RAM. So why buy an iPhone at all? Cause it doesn’t matter. RAM doesn’t matter, PPI doesn’t matter. Not having a physical keyboard, no SD-card slot, no usb-c port and no headphone jack doesn’t matter. Nothing matters! Only the experience of using the device matters. If it doesn’t feel like the screen is much worse, then it isn’t.

Weirdly enough these things to seem to matter when Apple has it and the competition doesn't.

 

[tmt]

I just have to say if I knew now what I know from owning a X I would buy the XR just because it has FaceID.
It is totally awesome and has worked great for me from the off, which TouchID really never has.
I will get one for my son for Christmas as he's due a new phone
And the notch never bothered me one iota, even though I thought it would...

I also only use the phone via bluetooth when someone calls while driving, handling one while driving is illegal where I'm at.

 

[NorthSeaBeach]

I just have to say if I knew now what I know from owning a X I would buy the XR just because it has FaceID.
It is totally awesome and has worked great for me from the off, which TouchID really never has.
I will get one for my son for Christmas as he's due a new phone
And the notch never bothered me one iota, even though I thought it would...

I also only use the phone via bluetooth when someone calls while driving, handling one while driving is illegal where I'm at.

What’s that with all these parents that buy a $750+ phone for their kids? You’re kid is either old enough to pony up for the costs of his own phone or a substantial part of it if you must help him, or too young to own such an expensive phone. What are you teaching your kid by giving him such items without making him feel the costs? Later in life he might expect that everything comes his way for free.

 

[OTACORB]

What’s that with all these parents that buy a $750+ phone for their kids? You’re kid is either old enough to pony up for the costs of his own phone or a substantial part of it if you must help him, or too young to own such an expensive phone. What are you teaching your kid by giving him such items without making him feel the costs? Later in life he might expect that everything comes his way for free.

I don’t think you or I are in a position to know the family dynamic in each family. I bought my kids many expensive items, but they had to work for them. You assume that everyone that buys iPhones for their kids do so without teaching them life lessons about responsibility, accountability and working for what you want in life. Sure I suppose there are some that buy their kids whatever they want, but I would imagine as I did they teach them that money doesn’t grow on trees and even when you want something you still have to be able to pay for it live within your means. Many grown ups on this very forum don’t do that. Why make such assumptions?

 

[Aneres11]

No, I think it provides advantages. If you think otherwise, by your words, you’re just as ignorant

But you didn’t say that so let’s not backtrack now and pretend you meant something else when it was blatantly clear that you were agreeing that two lenses meant better camera. Lol.

 

[vrflyer]

Watch these released reviews and judge for yourself:

 

[Gudi]

Weirdly enough these things do seem to matter when Apple has it and the competition doesn't.

Because every product is a package of many different specs. All specs can’t be bad or the experience is going to suffer. You need to be strategical in which aspects of the package you improve. Performance per watt instead of mere clockspeed, photo sensor size instead of mere megapixel count, etc.

And the Liquid Retina display is cheaper and uses less energy. At the same time it is still Retina @2x even if not Super Retina @3x. In the iPhone XR package you still get the fastest processor, best camera and modern face detection sensors. The biggest problem of the iPhone X was the high price and dropping OLED and 3D Touch was the solution. You can’t have a good price, if you always pick the most expensive components. Something has to give to improve other aspects of the package.

 

[emembee]

One positive on XR is the reasonable upgrade cost to the 128 gig model if you need that amount of storage. I would certainly consider that when comparing.

 

[kid84]

Anyone think upgrade to Xr from 8 or X , you are wrong , it will be downgrade !!

2019 with 720p display ... what a joke !!

 

[cardfan]

Just those two? Xr

 

[hr10]

Anyone think upgrade to Xr from 8 or X , you are wrong , it will be downgrade !!

2019 with 720p display ... what a joke !!

I am actually upgrading fm the X, I hope the screen isn't much of a downgrade, but based on initial reviews they seem to be ok.
I am upgrading so I am getting faster chip, better camera.
I have been upgrading every year since first gen iPhone, I am skipping the Xs due to price factor and I always want a red iPhone.

 

[NJHitmen]

Anyone think upgrade to Xr from 8 or X , you are wrong , it will be downgrade !!

2019 with 720p display ... what a joke !!

828p, to be precise.

Read the thread. Yes, the pixel density is a bummer, but the XR will include a number of significant upgrades: A12, better camera, Smart HDR, considerably longer battery life, etcetera. Not everyone puts ppi at the top of their list of requirements

 

[OTACORB]

I am actually upgrading fm the X, I hope the screen isn't much of a downgrade, but based on initial reviews they seem to be ok.
I am upgrading so I am getting faster chip, better camera.
I have been upgrading every year since first gen iPhone, I am skipping the Xs due to price factor and I always want a red iPhone.

Ahh man, that is a total downgrade.. that screen is junk! LOL. I am totally just kidding with you, but wanted to go ahead and get that out of the way now! I think that screen is going to be just fine! You'll certainly have to keep us posted!

 

[kid84]

I am actually upgrading fm the X, I hope the screen isn't much of a downgrade, but based on initial reviews they seem to be ok.
I am upgrading so I am getting faster chip, better camera.
I have been upgrading every year since first gen iPhone, I am skipping the Xs due to price factor and I always want a red iPhone.

Lolz .... upgrading ... lmaooooo

Upgrade from OLED to LCD ? Lolz

Yes , it has faster chip but you will know there are nothing different much ...

Camera , doesnt matter how good camera is , the important thing you will see the pic with LCD screen . Lolz

 

[NorthSeaBeach]

I don’t think you or I are in a position to know the family dynamic in each family. I bought my kids many expensive items, but they had to work for them. You assume that everyone that buys iPhones for their kids do so without teaching them life lessons about responsibility, accountability and working for what you want in life. Sure I suppose there are some that buy their kids whatever they want, but I would imagine as I did they teach them that money doesn’t grow on trees and even when you want something you still have to be able to pay for it live within your means. Many grown ups on this very forum don’t do that. Why make such assumptions?

Must be a cultural thing. Where I’m from it’s frowned upon to spend 750 on a kids present certainly when it’s spend on something that’s in vogue for just a year. But I know that in the Anglosaxon world, X-mas is a total consumersball. I’m just too calvinist, sorry.

https://dutchreview.com/culture/society/calvinism-netherlands-dutch-calvinist-nature/

In a nutshell, Last 2 paragraphs.

 

[Ladybug]

About the bezels...You know how for over a year we have been reading over and over how the notch just disappears after you use an iPhone X for awhile? Same thing applies to the bezel on an iPhone 8/8+ imo. I am so focused on what is on the screen of my 8 that I never notice those bezels either. I personally think the whole bezel argument is overblown and thrown out there way too much. Just buy the phone you like best and let people enjoy their purchase I say.

 

[Broadus]

828p, to be precise.

Read the thread. Yes, the pixel density is a bummer, but the XR will include a number of significant upgrades: A12, better camera, Smart HDR, considerably longer battery life, etcetera. Not everyone puts ppi at the top of their list of requirements

I was concerned with how the screen of the XR may look, especially with the XS being the new superior Apple screen, so I compared my 6s against a XS today. Frankly, I was pleased with how well the 6s compared. Sure, I preferred the XS screen, but not for the $350 difference between a 128GB XR (I need more than 64GB storage) and a 256GB XS (the next option above 64GB). The only advantage of the XS over the XR for me is the screen, but it wasn’t that significant for the money.

 

[MrUNIMOG]

Face ID may be safe, but it's not a time tested technology for now. No one can say it's absolutely safe without long term testing. I just want to point out that people did get eye discomfort from using Samsung's iris scanner, which also uses IR. Apple's technology may be different, but it still uses IR.

Exactly: IR. Infrared. Which inherently is safe.

The only way IR can harm you, just like visible light, would be through sheer power -> heat. So as long as you're not looking into a very bright IR source...

Humans (like most other living beings) have been exposed to IR every day since literally forever. That's what I'd call time-tested.

I don't know why people are getting eyestrain from Samsungs Iris scanner, but I'd assume that it uses a pretty bright IR illuminator, which you're also required to look directly into.

Face ID however is no brighter than the display.
[doublepost=1540037467][/doublepost]

Yep. 828p, to be precise.

That number alone gives a wrong impression (828 is just 15 % more than 720), because it ignores the other dimension. While 720p HD and 1080p Full HD imply a 16:9 aspect ratio, that of the iPhone X-ish models is much higher, about 16:7.4, in case of the XR that's 1792 by 828 pixels.

1792 is less than 7 % short of 1920, but 40 % more than 1280. When comparing screen resolutions of different aspect ratio, the only fair way is to multiply both dimensions for the total pixel count.

In total, the XR has 61 % more pixels than 720p HD. And 28.4 % less than 1080p Full HD.