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iPhone XR I got the XR. But now I have second thoughts.
- Thread starter tks900
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This is why I’ll never buy a refurbished or used phone.
My eyes aren’t what they used to be either. All that tells me is I need to be viewing small screens even less and using larger screens (13” or larger) for substantial screen time. The phone is a tool for me to use when I’m not at work or home. The entire premise of it is “mobile”. Making it more cumbersome to carry, making it where you can’t use it one handed seems counterproductive to being mobile. I honestly think making them larger many people end up using them more. I’m seeing the addiction levels increase here, at work, gym, driving, movie theater, name it. These are phablet phones now and I want no part of that. I’m not carrying a phablet around with me every day, it’s silly, and looks ridiculous.
One of my cars has CarPlay and it is nice. Plug the phone in, done with phone until destination. The center console in it was not designed for a phablet phone, wouldn’t fit. That just reminds me of this fact that much more. It’s just a trend and not all trends are good. I know it is real bad when I cannot even go to a movie anymore without dealing with it. You’ve got this massive 4K screen, state of the art surround sound, recliners, etc. You’d think because you are paying for this experience you’d want to enjoy it, nope. They’d rather look at a 6” screen for portions of it because they are absolutely addicted. Throw some NPD in there as well which means they don’t care.
If enough SE, 6/7/8 folks do not partake maybe they will take notice. Many of us would buy a 5” Xr.
Honestly, you’re right. I mean at home I use my iPad a good bit, although I do usually spend a little time reading stuff on my phone before bed because it’s just so easy to use in the bed. Truthfully though, I’m better off using my iPad more and my phone less just to cause less eye strain.
That being said, since I’m coming from a plus phone, the XR is a small step down in size for me, so I’m working on it. ;-p
I absolutely love the size. My daughter got an XS on release day, and she is really wishing she could return it and get an XR. Not an option at this point of course, but I think the XR is pretty perfect.
And honestly, comparing the screen to hers - just not enough difference to really notice.
I disagree. The bulk of the Plus models is why I left them behind. I now have a XS Max and it is nothing like the plus in terms of heft, and thickness. Very usable for it size.
At least the latest Apple devices can be washed as they are waterproof, a bit of anti bacterial spray and your sorted.
Adam.
Haha, I don't see too many people holding their MacBook with their feet... and I don't hold my MacBook next to my face.Or macbook
Hold no, but typeHaha, I don't see too many people holding their MacBook with their feet... and I don't hold my MacBook next to my face.
Completely agree. Just handling the XS Max compared to the iPhone Plus is much more comfortable in terms of the reduced width on the Max. It’s honestly less fatiguing in my hand, even though I use Two hands Most of the time. The Max conforms perfectly for me.
Got the Xr friday. compared to my 8+, it FEELS a bit heavier and it's certainly noticeably thicker. It feels sort of odd, as if it's an older, cheaper phone. If only they could have made it as thin as the 8+, it would be perfect. I guess, that's the Xs though. I prefer this screen, and price point or the Xr though. Will probably keep my 8+
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Checked out the XR in store today and was surprised by how thick it is. Assuming it looks horribly bulky in a case, for those who have it? Like the look of it, although on first glance it looks so inferior to the Huawei Mate 20, which I am also considering, apart from the thickness. This is the toughest decision I have faced with a phone - ridiculous really!
The XR is HALF a millimetre thicker then the XS and yet people claim it’s massively thick? No, I think that’s daft to make claims it’s so much thicker when it isn’t. It’s the sort of extra thickness case makers wouldn’t bother making new cases for!
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Compared to my 6+, its a bit thicker (7.1mm vs 8.3mm from Apple's website). The thickness increase is slightly noticeable in my hands, but its not that bad. I appreciate the increase in thickness results in increase in battery life!
I'm actually glad it's a tiny bit thicker, makes it easier to pick up from sitting flat on desk (and hold). Minor thing, but does make a difference! Along with great battery life.Compared to my 6+, its a bit thicker (7.1mm vs 8.3mm from Apple's website). The thickness increase is slightly noticeable in my hands, but its not that bad. I appreciate the increase in thickness results in increase in battery life!
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Compared to my 6+, its a bit thicker (7.1mm vs 8.3mm from Apple's website). The thickness increase is slightly noticeable in my hands, but its not that bad. I appreciate the increase in thickness results in increase in battery life!
Yes exactly!!! I'm surprised so many people are complaining how thick it is, even though a lot of us have been begging for a phone that is slightly thicker with better battery life.
Alright, for anyone interested to find out how this turned out: I tested the XR and the XS side-by-side for three days. Almost from the first minute, I knew XS was the way to go for me. As I said in the beginning, really my only concern about the XR was the size. The XS is not that smaller or lighter if you just compare the specs, but in person, as it were, it is a huge difference. The XS is a large smart phone, the XR is a phablet. It really felt like a brick in comparison, especially if you add a case. Most importantly, I can use the XS almost entirely one-handed.
While testing, I have also come to like a couple of other things about the XS which the XR lacks. First, the display is indeed sharper and the blacks are blacker, which is nice. But really, I very much liked the LCD on the XR so this would never have been a dealbreaker. Also, the whites on the XS are indeed somewhat yellowish, which is manageable, but certainly not a plus.
Second, I am quite happy to have the dual lens camera system. Portrait mode with the XS is a whole other story than with the XR. It is not only that you can take "portraits" of everything, not only persons (which is especially nice to have if you want to take a picture of a person who happens to look in the other direction). It is also the simple fact that you use a portrait lens for a portrait and not a wide-angle-lens, which is something a photographer would never dream of. Portrait shots thus turn out really nice and undistorted. It is true the XR lens works better in low light, but this advantage pales in comparison to the disadvantages.
Third, and most unexpected, I found the XS to sound much better than the XR. The speakers on both devices are great and (almost equally) loud, but the XS produces a much more balanced and nuanced sound. The XR is somewhat heavy on the trebles, while the XS sounds natural and you can actually hear much more detail in the music. I am bit of an audiophile, so not everyone might hear this or share this impression, but I am actually quite surprised that this has not been much of a point of discussion before. Of course, there are much better ways to listen to music than through your iPhone, but sometimes it's your only option and it is nice to have a great sounding device for such occasions.
In sum, I am very happy XS user now, enjoying even more about it than the size alone. However, none of the additional benefits would have made me get the XS over the XR. The XR, to me, remains a wonderful option for anyone who is happy with the size, which is a very individual thing indeed.
While testing, I have also come to like a couple of other things about the XS which the XR lacks. First, the display is indeed sharper and the blacks are blacker, which is nice. But really, I very much liked the LCD on the XR so this would never have been a dealbreaker. Also, the whites on the XS are indeed somewhat yellowish, which is manageable, but certainly not a plus.
Second, I am quite happy to have the dual lens camera system. Portrait mode with the XS is a whole other story than with the XR. It is not only that you can take "portraits" of everything, not only persons (which is especially nice to have if you want to take a picture of a person who happens to look in the other direction). It is also the simple fact that you use a portrait lens for a portrait and not a wide-angle-lens, which is something a photographer would never dream of. Portrait shots thus turn out really nice and undistorted. It is true the XR lens works better in low light, but this advantage pales in comparison to the disadvantages.
Third, and most unexpected, I found the XS to sound much better than the XR. The speakers on both devices are great and (almost equally) loud, but the XS produces a much more balanced and nuanced sound. The XR is somewhat heavy on the trebles, while the XS sounds natural and you can actually hear much more detail in the music. I am bit of an audiophile, so not everyone might hear this or share this impression, but I am actually quite surprised that this has not been much of a point of discussion before. Of course, there are much better ways to listen to music than through your iPhone, but sometimes it's your only option and it is nice to have a great sounding device for such occasions.
In sum, I am very happy XS user now, enjoying even more about it than the size alone. However, none of the additional benefits would have made me get the XS over the XR. The XR, to me, remains a wonderful option for anyone who is happy with the size, which is a very individual thing indeed.
OP, thanks for the followup. Even though I haven't owned one of these, I reached the same conclusion after playing with all of the phones at the store. I have never been a fan of the 6/7/8 design. I got a 6S but returned it, went back to my 5s, and eventually got an SE. So that leaves X and XR. XR felt too big/heavy and XS seems OK, although I still prefer the SE mainly because of weight and grip (I don't use a case). Bottom line -- if I had to buy a phone today, I would get the XS, but for now I will stick with my SE.