iPhone XR If the iPhone XR is "selling poorly" then..

[davedvdy]

companies artificially 'sell out' their products time to time to make it seem like demand is higher


the fact is that the new phones are priced $200 too much for this day and age. the proof is everywhere..

but apple fan boys won't admit it and it's sickening. apple could literally release a press release saying "we f'd up, we're dropping the prices" and they'd still make up some bullshhh to defend apple.

It's not that most people won't admit that the prices are too high, it's that many of us don't want to switch to Android to get a new phone. I don't want an Android phone. I bought a XS Max, because I got a crappy 6S Plus warranty replacement 2 years ago, and figured it out too late (bad headset volume and distorted speaker).

I know more people with the XR than the XS right now that’s for sure. Having tested out the XR myself I have to say I was impressed with it. Screen quality was closely comparable to the XS Max and it felt like any other iPhone which we all know is high quality. Unless you are a techy analysing figures on a spec sheet, I don’t think you’re going to care. The XR will stand out as better value for money with an identical experience to the more expensive models.

I don't see it as close to the XS Max screen. The XR has a nice display, but the text definitely isn't as sharp.
The color contrast isn't as good but they did a great job for an LCD display.
Some forum members and tech channels have reported those differences, not that the XR has a bad screen.

 

[cornerexit]

Is it, though? iOS 12 is specifically designed to improve performance on years-old iPhones, extending their usable life. That is not my idea of "anti-consumer".

On my 7 iOS 12 was causing the battery to lose charge much more quickly than iOS 11. And I just had the battery replaced in it with a new one at an Apple store so it wasn't a 2 year old battery.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

I don't see it as close to the XS Max screen. The XR has a nice display, but the text definitely isn't as sharp.
The color contrast isn't as good but they did a great job for an LCD display.
Some forum members and tech channels have reported those differences, not that the XR has a bad screen.

I couldn’t see much difference, but I wasn’t going over them looking for differences. In use the screens looked great side by side to me and with that in mind I felt the technically better screen is a hard sell to consumers like myself.

 

[davedvdy]

I couldn’t see much difference, but I wasn’t going over them looking for differences. In use the screens looked great side by side to me and with that in mind I felt the technically better screen is a hard sell to consumers like myself.

Yeah, it's not a bad screen by any means. The thick bezel framing the entire screen bothers me more than the actual display.

The XR is still gonna be a deal breaker to some since the form factor is noticeably heavier and quite a bit bigger than the XS. I had my Dad try the XR for example, and he didn't like the weight or size of it, but loves the 8 and X/XS.

 

[purged]

Okay.

 

[PeytonT123]

You yourself point out the iPhone 8 is selling the highest. It’s because it’s superior to the iPhone XR. Next year, everyone will be getting the iPhone XS for cheaper. No ones gonna bother with the XR.
[doublepost=1543301732][/doublepost]
It’s true. I can list out the facts which prove the iPhone 8 Plus is superior to the XR in many ways. Mainly the display, camera and the 3D Touch motor haptics are inferior to the 8 Plus.

-There is barely a difference in screen quality.
-The only advantage the 8 Plus camera has is the extra lens for (very minimal) optical zoom. The main wide angle lens and technology in the main camera on the XR is better.
-3D touch is a very small thing that most people don’t care for. The haptic touch feature has a way around it.

The XR also has:
-Better battery life
-Bigger screen
-Updated design
-Better main camera
-Faster
-Newer chip
-Face ID
Etc.

 

[JPack]

Higher resolution and a better screen
Better camera
A proper 3DT motor

The lack of a dual camera is a deal breaker.

XR has a larger display than 8 Plus.

XR has a much better main camera sensor than 8 Plus.

XR has the same Taptic Engine as the XS.

 

[Adelphos33]

One data point, but a few family members recently bought 8+ models when they had to replace their phones. They were previously on 6/6s models. They liked the larger screen, familiar Touch ID and the carrier discounts they were offered.

XR seems like it has little or no buzz, probably because the average consumer is confused by the choices.
[doublepost=1543347885][/doublepost]https://www.bestbuy.com/site/at-t-w...es/pcmcat211300050006.c?id=pcmcat211300050006

Based on this, various iPhone 8 models are selling as well as the XR at Best Buy. XS Max seems more popular than the XS (it seems to me that if you wanted a X/Xs sized phone, you would have bought it last year).

 

[janeauburn]

On my 7 iOS 12 was causing the battery to lose charge much more quickly than iOS 11. And I just had the battery replaced in it with a new one at an Apple store so it wasn't a 2 year old battery.

Interesting. I friend who uses the 7 Plus said the same thing. She, too, had the battery replaced just a few months ago.

 

[Ebok]

It's not that most people won't admit that the prices are too high, it's that many of us don't want to switch to Android to get a new phone. I don't want an Android phone. I bought a XS Max, because I got a crappy 6S Plus warranty replacement 2 years ago, and figured it out too late (bad headset volume and distorted speaker).


I don't see it as close to the XS Max screen. The XR has a nice display, but the text definitely isn't as sharp.
The color contrast isn't as good but they did a great job for an LCD display.
Some forum members and tech channels have reported those differences, not that the XR has a bad screen.

i hear you, i don't want an android phone either.. but not because it's android, because the phones don't do what i need them to do.

the lack of android pay support in my country by banks. instead they prefer to use their own app to do transactions. no thanks

 

[JPack]

One data point, but a few family members recently bought 8+ models when they had to replace their phones. They were previously on 6/6s models. They liked the larger screen, familiar Touch ID and the carrier discounts they were offered.

XR seems like it has little or no buzz, probably because the average consumer is confused by the choices.
[doublepost=1543347885][/doublepost]https://www.bestbuy.com/site/at-t-w...es/pcmcat211300050006.c?id=pcmcat211300050006

Based on this, various iPhone 8 models are selling as well as the XR at Best Buy. XS Max seems more popular than the XS (it seems to me that if you wanted a X/Xs sized phone, you would have bought it last year).

iPhone 8 has been in the general vocabulary of the public for over a year now. The XR has been on the market for just a month.

If we look at Google Trends for the past 30 days, it's receiving a lot of attention.

 

[Broadus]

I don't know if this has been posted, but John Gruber has an sensible take on reports of sluggish XR sales:
An Alternative Theory on Purportedly Weak iPhone XR Demand.

Here are the concluding paragraphs:

There is no doubt in my mind that the X-class iPhone experience is better in almost every single way. Apple has done the right thing by pushing this design to all new iPhones introduced this year. But the price they might be paying is that they have nothing new to offer to people who are turned off, rather than intrigued, by “new and different”. And there’s no denying that switching from an older iPhone to a X-class model breaks old habits and requires learning new ones. It only takes a day or two to get used to it, but people don’t have a day or two in the store when making a decision. They have minutes, and in just a few minutes, the iPhone XR is not going to feel familiar.

Remember when the iPhone SE debuted, and supply was constrained for months because it was more popular than Apple expected? Part of the SE’s surprising popularity stemmed from it being smaller, period, and some people truly prefer smaller phones. But part could be explained because the smaller size was more familiar, and some number of people who might have actually preferred a larger iPhone 6 or 6S, if they had given it a chance, bought the SE because they wanted what they were familiar with. And that was just device size. The iPhone X experience is far more disruptive a change.

Most companies with a hit product get into long-term trouble by sticking with the tried-and-true that made their product a success in the first place. Not rocking the boat works — until a disruptive competitor rocks your boat for you. But in the short term, moving away from the familiar is inevitably going to turn someexisting customers off. If it’s true that iPhone XR sales are slower than Apple expected — a big “if” at this point, given that only Apple has hard data — I think some part of it could be explained by Apple underestimating, even if only to a relatively small degree, how many iPhone owners are turned off by the unfamiliarity of the X-class iPhone experience.

Some people are resistant to change even when change is called for.
​

 

[rwh63]

Anxiously awaiting my two new SEs in silver. bought them both for $160 TOTAL! until i get them i won't really know what i will do with them, but in the face of $700-$1500 iPhones, i took a small chance.

 

[Adelphos33]

I don't know if this has been posted, but John Gruber has an sensible take on reports of sluggish XR sales:
An Alternative Theory on Purportedly Weak iPhone XR Demand.

Here are the concluding paragraphs:

There is no doubt in my mind that the X-class iPhone experience is better in almost every single way. Apple has done the right thing by pushing this design to all new iPhones introduced this year. But the price they might be paying is that they have nothing new to offer to people who are turned off, rather than intrigued, by “new and different”. And there’s no denying that switching from an older iPhone to a X-class model breaks old habits and requires learning new ones. It only takes a day or two to get used to it, but people don’t have a day or two in the store when making a decision. They have minutes, and in just a few minutes, the iPhone XR is not going to feel familiar.

Remember when the iPhone SE debuted, and supply was constrained for months because it was more popular than Apple expected? Part of the SE’s surprising popularity stemmed from it being smaller, period, and some people truly prefer smaller phones. But part could be explained because the smaller size was more familiar, and some number of people who might have actually preferred a larger iPhone 6 or 6S, if they had given it a chance, bought the SE because they wanted what they were familiar with. And that was just device size. The iPhone X experience is far more disruptive a change.

Most companies with a hit product get into long-term trouble by sticking with the tried-and-true that made their product a success in the first place. Not rocking the boat works — until a disruptive competitor rocks your boat for you. But in the short term, moving away from the familiar is inevitably going to turn someexisting customers off. If it’s true that iPhone XR sales are slower than Apple expected — a big “if” at this point, given that only Apple has hard data — I think some part of it could be explained by Apple underestimating, even if only to a relatively small degree, how many iPhone owners are turned off by the unfamiliarity of the X-class iPhone experience.

Some people are resistant to change even when change is called for.
​

I'm not sure if this is right - if people wanted a "familiar" look, why didn't the iPhone 8 sell like gangbusters last year?

 

[JPack]

I'm not sure if this is right - if people wanted a "familiar" look, why didn't the iPhone 8 sell like gangbusters last year?

Right on. The counter evidence makes Gruber's theory ridiculous.

We saw lagging sales during the iPhone 6s and iPhone 8 launches. Those devices closely resembled their predecessors.

 

[rafark]

Tim Sculley

 

[PeteS1963]

I'm not sure if this is right - if people wanted a "familiar" look, why didn't the iPhone 8 sell like gangbusters last year?

I’m not sure. And it depends on what you mean by “iPhone 8”. If you combine sales of the 8 & 8 Plus then both together outsold the X...

https://iphone.appleinsider.com/art...ting-up-sales-of-iphone-8-plus-study-suggests

Even on its own the iPhone 8 Plus did well for an “old” design.

And considering that the iPhone 7 was often criticised as being “boring” and just an updated iPhone 6 it did surprisingly well.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Right on. The counter evidence makes Gruber's theory ridiculous.

We saw lagging sales during the iPhone 6s and iPhone 8 launches. Those devices closely resembled their predecessors.

Those devices experienced a burst in popularity the year after they released though. In some parts of Europe the iPhone 7 was the best selling iPhone despite being 2 years old, so there is still a big demand for older cheaper iPhones.

 

[Aneres11]

I guess we will never really know what the sales are like or how they will ultimately end up just yet.
My only worry is that if they don’t sell as well as  expects, they won’t do devices like this again. And that would be tragic as finally there is a really great choice for people wanting an iOS mobile device.

I love my XR, and hope that we see an upgrade to it in 2 years time (basically, colourful models again just below the expensive flagships).

 

[44267547]

why didn't the iPhone 8 sell like gangbusters last year?

Gangbusters? If you want to be more technical, look how many iPhone 8’s are widely being upgraded to versus the iPhone XS. For a ratio when it comes to those who are upgrading, are not upgrading to the most expensive iPhone, simply because they can’t {A} Afford it, and {B} Consumers aren’t willing to pay those prices for smartphones. The iPhone 8 long term, is the best iPhone for the price point being it’s discounted this year, which is still competitive enough against the iPhone XR with comparable features.

 

[DSTOFEL]

It’s all relative isn’t it? There could be (and I think there is) a lot of positive press around the Xr in particular, but there is a certain amount of purchase fatigue it seems to me, at least in the west. Another price hike, and (subjectively) diminishing value for money with each new iteration of the iPhone. People are choosing to hold onto their phones longer as a consequence.
If you ask the average joe about the Xr, the response is likely to be “yeah that’s nice, but I’m holding onto my current phone until I run it into the ground”.

+1. Where as I have normally upgraded every other cycle (like clockwork), I’ve chosen to hold onto my 4.7 inch iPhone 7 until 2019 (at least). The price hikes since the X have made it a tougher decision to upgrade (IMO). With the XR one has to accept all of the compromises made to the phone.....even at the lower price level, it’s not an automatic upgrade decision.

 

[Broadus]

+1. Where as I have normally upgraded every other cycle (like clockwork), I’ve chosen to hold onto my 4.7 inch iPhone 7 until 2019 (at least). The price hikes since the X have made it a tougher decision to upgrade (IMO). With the XR one has to accept all of the compromises made to the phone.....even at the lower price level, it’s not an automatic upgrade decision.

"All the compromises"? One person's compromise is another's non-issue.

The mindset of keeping phones longer is a wise idea, so I agree with you there. Had I an iPhone 7, I don't think I would have upgraded this year.

Phones simply do not advance enough to warrant the cost of replacing often. I kept my 4S for four years (my wife used it another three) and my 6s for three, upgrading to a XR last month. Frankly, had Apple not offered the XR this year, I may have finally and with great reluctance bought an Android, which would have been an OS compromise to me. The one compromise I won't accept is paying $1000 US or higher for a smartphone.

 

[The Game 161]

Apparently the XS is selling poorly too...

https://9to5mac.com/2018/11/19/apple-cuts-orders-iphone-xs-xr/

But we heard this last year about the X too.

I Think it might be selling poorly due to expections but I certainly don’t think it’s selling poorly in general for phone sales.

 

[DSTOFEL]

"All the compromises"? One person's compromise is another's non-issue.

There are definitely compromises with the XR....quite a list of them (ie no tele-photo lens, no 3d touch, etc...). But yes agree....these compromises can either be an issue or a non-issue depending on the person.

 

[PeteS1963]

I Think it might be selling poorly due to expections but I certainly don’t think it’s selling poorly in general for phone sales.

For sure. And if there is an issue then I don’t think it’s down to one thing. I also doubt that iPhone owners are switching to Android in any sort of numbers.