iPhone XR Did the iPhone XR flop? [MERGED]

[PeteS1963]

What advantage do the new phones offer when somebody is happy with the older design and the fact their phone still works perfectly? This is why it’s becoming difficult to convince people of these small changes in design for something that essentially works the same.

But overall hasn’t that always been the case? The iPhone 6 & 6 Plus was very popular. What did it offer over the iPhone 5S? A bigger screen and what was really just a small design change from angular chamfered edges to curved edges. As far as I can remember the other changes were just incremental.

I think that these days there’s more than one thing influencing people’s decision on whether or not to upgrade.
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^^^
This is my current train of thought on getting a new device.
I am replacing the battery next week and will then decide if I want a new device; even tossed around the idea of getting an android but probably won't.

And there’s nothing wrong with taking your time, looking at various options, before taking the plunge and making a purchase. Smartphones are expensive and you might have to live with your choice for 2-3 (maybe even longer).

To me it looks like many people have given up ordering a new phone the very moment it’s released. I purchased my XR from Apple on the day it was available. On the other had my wife waited a month and got an exceptional Black Friday carrier deal in which her XR was FREE and I mean free. Of course she’s tied to a deal for 2 years but she did the best thing and compared to me has saved £749. I’m in the UK, she got the 64Gb version.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

But overall hasn’t that always been the case? The iPhone 6 & 6 Plus was very popular. What did it offer over the iPhone 5S? A bigger screen and what was really just a small design change from angular chamfered edges to curved edges. As far as I can remember the other changes were just incremental.

I think that these days there’s more than one thing influencing people’s decision on whether or not to upgrade.

The larger iPhone 6 series had a bit more of an impact on the consumer because it was more drastic to the previous form factor I would say. The change was visible, and changed the experience completely. Fast forward 4 years and we are all used to larger phones and the market is much more level in terms of what the consumer can achieve across device models. It was also the only new iPhone out at the time whereas we now have two variants and more older models taking the choice up to 8 devices. It’s no wonder one particular model is not breaking records when there is so much choice.

I will always say it but price is the major influence now because people know what the iPhone offers and that they can get that experience with any of the iPhones on offer. FaceID is not groundbreaking to many and I felt Apple could have marketed the more useful features of it rather than Animoji. When you can walk into a phone shop and get an XS for £65p/m or an iPhone 8 for free for £25p/m, the consumer has the option to go with something they are very familiar with.

 

[tromboneaholic]

The larger iPhone 6 series had a bit more of an impact on the consumer because it was more drastic to the previous form factor I would say.

Sorry but the difference between the iPhone Xr and the iPhone 8/7/6 is greater than the difference between the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 5s.

 

[maflynn]

I just bought my kids the XR, and tbh, its a great phone. I don't know how the consumers are reacting to the XR, but for my family it was a better choice then the 8

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

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Sorry but the difference between the iPhone Xr and the iPhone 8/7/6 is greater than the difference between the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 5s.



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I don’t agree as the market is very different now than it was 4 years ago. I don’t think the hype is the same as it used to be. The larger iPhone had much more of an obvious impact and was much more cost effective to the consumer than this year’s releases. I think the move to change the form factor is at least 2 years overdue and the rising prices are forcing consumers to evaluate whether it’s worth upgrading as opposed to the innovative offerings a few years ago.

 

[wakinghour]

XR has been a good experience so far. None of the negatives about the screen came to fruition. It’s almost a 1080p screen and I don’t look at it so close because it’s larger, so actually looks clearer, even at the same DPI. It’s like when people say iPhones don’t have as much ram as Android phones.

Probably the only complaint is it’s size. I’ll have to use it more to be sure. It could be ever so slightly thinner, maybe XS size.

 

[Anand953]

I don’t agree as the market is very different now than it was 4 years ago. I don’t think the hype is the same as it used to be. The larger iPhone had much more of an obvious impact and was much more cost effective to the consumer than this year’s releases. I think the move to change the form factor is at least 2 years overdue and the rising prices are forcing consumers to evaluate whether it’s worth upgrading as opposed to the innovative offerings a few years ago.

seriously speaking its the price which is a big deterrent this time. I was on the lookout to replace my iPhone 6s plus with XR when it released (XS was never an option given its price). But instead chose to buy a one plus 6 (my first android phone). I still have my XR and have my personal number in it. I have put my work phone number (UAE) and home country (India) number in the dual sim one plus 6.

None of the operators here are yet compatible with the eSIM offered by iPhones.

 

[AlexJoda]

seriously speaking its the price which is a big deterrent this time. I was on the lookout to replace my iPhone 6s plus with XR when it released (XS was never an option given its price). But instead chose to buy a one plus 6 (my first android phone). I still have my XR and have my personal number in it. I have put my work phone number (UAE) and home country (India) number in the dual sim one plus 6.

None of the operators here are yet compatible with the eSIM offered by iPhones.

The funny thing is that the Xr costs $50 less than the two year old iPhone 7+ when it was released two years ago. So the price is not so bad....

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

The funny things is that the Xr costs $50 less than the two year old iPhone 7+ when it was released two years ago. So the price is not so bad....

You are being massively being ripped off where you are as the XR is £50 more expensive than the 8+ here, basic retail too. You can pick up the older devices on great deals at the moment.

 

[ftaok]

The funny things is that the Xr costs $50 less than the two year old iPhone 7+ when it was released two years ago. So the price is not so bad....

This.

But the underlying complaint is that folks who used to buy the most expensive iPhone, are having the pay more to continue buying the most expensive iPhone. They're not looking at the Xr as the replacement for the 7+. They're looking at the Xs Max as the replacment of the 7+ and therefore, they see a huge increase instead of a modest decrease.

Note - this is not my personal view, but in reading a lot of the comments from the folks doing the complaining regarding price, this is my interpretation.

 

[AlexJoda]

You are being massively being ripped off where you are as the XR is £50 more expensive than the 8+ here, basic retail too. You can pick up the older devices on great deals at the moment.

I am speaking about the price at the release date! Today the iPhone 7+ and 8+ is obviously much cheaper. But I think it is more fair to compare the the prices at the release date...
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This.

But the underlying complaint is that folks who used to buy the most expensive iPhone, are having the pay more to continue buying the most expensive iPhone. They're not looking at the Xr as the replacement for the 7+. They're looking at the Xs Max as the replacment of the 7+ and therefore, they see a huge increase instead of a modest decrease.

Note - this is not my personal view, but in reading a lot of the comments from the folks doing the complaining regarding price, this is my interpretation.

I can follow your arguments but I think the iPhones X, Xs and Xs Max are not the successors to the „standard“ iPhone 3,4,5,6,7,8 line. They are a parallel „premium“ line for the people who a can and will afford that. To me the standard iPhone is something like a Mercedes and the X line (without the Xr) is the Maybach.

The Xr is the real successor for the standard iPhones because the new borderless design without home button is the new standard in 2018 and Appe is able to produce that cheaper as last year with the omission of some features like OLED or the second camera...

 

[agente46]

This.

But the underlying complaint is that folks who used to buy the most expensive iPhone, are having the pay more to continue buying the most expensive iPhone. They're not looking at the Xr as the replacement for the 7+. They're looking at the Xs Max as the replacment of the 7+ and therefore, they see a huge increase instead of a modest decrease.

Note - this is not my personal view, but in reading a lot of the comments from the folks doing the complaining regarding price, this is my interpretation.

I've always owned the flagship iphone and i had the 7+. I got the XR this time. I did all my research and my conclusion was the Xr was perfectly fine for me and would save me tons of money. I don't finance and I pay upfront. So the cost is definitely a factor. Even though I could afford the Max, I didn't think the value I was getting justified the price compared to the Xr.

 

[Ketsjap]

I think it’s clear all of Apples iPhones [And products for that matter] are not budget, the XR is still one of the top of iPhones that share some of the same core features as the XS, and aside from the price point and hardware, there is nothing ‘budget’ about it. It’s to the point where the term ‘Budget’ should be not associated with any of Apples iPhones, or maybe others are misconstruing that for ‘entry-level’.

This. It's mind boggeling that some keep on referring to a > $800-phone as a 'budget' option. In Apple's high margin, premium market, the word 'budget' does not exist.

A Porshe Boxster is a cheaper car than a Porsche 911. But it's still a Porsche. It'll never be a Toyota.

 

[Raist3001]

The funny thing is that the Xr costs $50 less than the two year old iPhone 7+ when it was released two years ago. So the price is not so bad....

The funny thing is, that 7+, and 8+ that cost 50 dollars more had a full HD 1080p display, premium bio metrics reader, and dual lens camera system.

Edit:
I originally listed a headphone jack as well in my haste to post, but As someone kindly pointed out, I blundered

 

[Starship67]

The funny thing is, that 7+, and 8+ that cost 50 dollars more had a full HD 1080p display, premium bio metrics reader, a headphone jack, and dual lens camera system.

There is no headphone jack on a series 7 iPhone or 8 series, plus or otherwise.

 

[Raist3001]

There is no headphone jack on a series 7 iPhone or 8 series, plus or otherwise.

Yep, that was a total blunder on my part. A little over excited I was

 

[AlexJoda]

The funny thing is, that 7+, and 8+ that cost 50 dollars more had a full HD 1080p display, premium bio metrics reader, a headphone jack, and dual lens camera system.

The 7+ and 8+ are comically big (bigger than the Xr) with their huge chin and top border regarding their display size of only 5.5" vs. the 6.1" of the Xr. They have two lenses but the camera features are definitely much worse than the Xr (Smart HDR, Portrait Mode, bigger sensor...).1080p is a category for TVs but not for phones. It is simply not relevant as you can simply check if you lets people choose what looks better watching at a YouTube video.

The thing with TouchID and the headphone jack is a debatable point but Apple has chosen to go in that direction as you can see with all their devices...

 

[Raist3001]

The 7+ and 8+ are comically big (bigger than the Xr) with their huge chin and top border regarding their display size of only 5.5" vs. the 6.1" of the Xr. They have two lenses but the camera features are definitely much worse than the Xr (Smart HDR, Portrait Mode, bigger sensor...).1080p is a category for TVs but not for phones. It is simply not relevant as you can simply check if you lets people choose what looks better watching at a YouTube video.

The thing with TouchID and the headphone jack is a debatable point but Apple has chosen to go in that direction as you can see with all their devices...

I disagree. It is relevant for the price point. I would think, owners of the 8+ would also disagree with you on camera sharpness. My wifes 7+ takes fantastic pictures. Can I get a sharper picture on my X? Sure but if you are going to argue that 720P is good enough, I can argue that the 7+ and 8+ pictures are good enough. The bezels are irrelevant and do not offer any features above what the XR comes with. With all that said, the XR certainly has a nice display.

 

[AlexJoda]

I disagree. It is relevant for the price point. I would think, owners of the 8+ would also disagree with you on camera sharpness. My wifes 7+ takes fantastic pictures. Can I get a sharper picture on my X? Sure but if you are going to argue that 720P is good enough, I can argue that the 7+ and 8+ pictures are good enough. The bezels are irrelevant and do not offer any features above what the XR comes with. With all that said, the XR certainly has a nice display.

I agree with you regarding the relevance of the bezels for the iPad but not for the iPhone. Smaller bezels means a bigger display in relation to the the size of the whole phone. That means a better mobility which is a key feature for a phone. The resolution issue might be better understandable if you compare the resolution in point per inch (PPI). The Plus phones are having 401 PPI which are downsampled from a 3x rendering (which cost quality) and the Xr has 326 PPI. All these displays are "Retina" displays which means that with a normal viewing distance one cannot see pixels...

 

[PeteS1963]

This.

But the underlying complaint is that folks who used to buy the most expensive iPhone, are having the pay more to continue buying the most expensive iPhone. They're not looking at the Xr as the replacement for the 7+. They're looking at the Xs Max as the replacment of the 7+ and therefore, they see a huge increase instead of a modest decrease.

Note - this is not my personal view, but in reading a lot of the comments from the folks doing the complaining regarding price, this is my interpretation.

I think that you are correct and that this is at least part of the issue. Certain people will only consider the flagship iPhone, which means the XS or XS MAX. If they think that the flagship is overpriced then they would rather stick with what they’ve got, hoping that maybe next year the price will come down and/or they can then justify the cost. Or if they can’t justify it then they may as well get the iPhone 8. It’s cheaper and in their eyes just as “desirable” as an iPhone XR.
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I don’t agree as the market is very different now than it was 4 years ago. I don’t think the hype is the same as it used to be. The larger iPhone had much more of an obvious impact and was much more cost effective to the consumer than this year’s releases. I think the move to change the form factor is at least 2 years overdue and the rising prices are forcing consumers to evaluate whether it’s worth upgrading as opposed to the innovative offerings a few years ago.

I don’t totally agree. I got the iPhone 6 Plus. It was kind of fun and novel for a couple of months and then I realised that the big screen wasn’t that much of a big deal. There are advantages and disadvantages and for me it was over hyped.

For me the big advantage of the iPhone XR is the battery life. Due to work I’m a heavy user. The iPhone XR is the first smartphone I’ve had that will easily last me a whole day. It can easily get 2 hours over an iPhone 8. That’s a big deal. An iPhone with a drained battery is no more than an expensive paperweight.

 

[44267547]

XR has been a good experience so far. None of the negatives about the screen came to fruition. It’s almost a 1080p screen and I don’t look at it so close because it’s larger, so actually looks clearer, even at the same DPI. It’s like when people say iPhones don’t have as much ram as Android phones.

Probably the only complaint is it’s size. I’ll have to use it more to be sure. It could be ever so slightly thinner, maybe XS size.

The ‘Ram argument’ has been going on for years white iPhone doesn’t have as much as android. Either way, the XR display is very similar to the iPhone 8, and the battery life has to be the most surprising aspects how strong it is, and I think those are more core aspects of what the consumer cares about over things like true tone or stainless steel bands.

 

[MyMacintosh]

I still have yet to see any of these things out in the wild. Not a single one. FWIW, I just convinced my friend to FINALLY upgrade her iphone 6 Plus. Explained all the differences between the XS/Max, XR, 8 Plus, and 7 Plus, and she got excited, then confused and just went and bought an 8 Plus the next day lol. Pricing was a huge concern to her. Then looks/size/etc. I honestly don't see any of these newer phones doing well long term. X through the XS Max.

 

[Emtbill]

Besides mine, I have seen few.

 

[agente46]

maybe it’s just me but I never cared to look at other people’s phone and admire it. To be honest, almost all phones look the same now if they put on a case. The only phone I look at in the wild is my own

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

I don’t totally agree. I got the iPhone 6 Plus. It was kind of fun and novel for a couple of months and then I realised that the big screen wasn’t that much of a big deal. There are advantages and disadvantages and for me it was over hyped.

For me the big advantage of the iPhone XR is the battery life. Due to work I’m a heavy user. The iPhone XR is the first smartphone I’ve had that will easily last me a whole day. It can easily get 2 hours over an iPhone 8. That’s a big deal. An iPhone with a drained battery is no more than an expensive paperweight.

I rarely have less than 60% battery left with an 8+ either at the end of the day. I wouldn’t say that’s an exciting features but it’s useful and not exclusive to the XR.