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iPhone 11 iPhone 11 or XR?

RonBurgendy

RonBurgendy

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Aug 15, 2021
2
3
Hi,

I am the owner of an iPhone 8 but I have dropped it one too many times. The charging cable no longer sticks and the glass in the bottom corner has been shattered. So it's time for a new phone.

I am a bit hesitant to spend a lot of money on the iPhone 12. I rather buy Apple stocks :)
I know the 12 has some new features and a new chip, but do I really need it? Probably not.

For now, I have got y eyes on an iPhone 11 or an XR. I am not an expert, but I have the impression that the XR, XS, and the SE were models that were launched to keep the market satisfied until a new more powerful iphone was released.

What would you recommend? Consider the XR or leave it and go straight for the 11?

Thanks!
 
Going from an 8 to XR is only a minor upgrade, but it sounds like you’re just looking for something functional. If that’s the case, I’d go for the current SE (which has the 11 processor and 8 form factor) due to it being the best overall value. Of course, there’s rumors of a newer SE early next year, but that might be too long of a wait judging by the state of your current phone.
 
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Go for the iPhone 11. For $100 more, significantly better cameras (night mode, ultra wide, much sharper front camera), 4GB RAM, and better radios (gigabit LTE and AirTag support).

If you can wait until mid-September, Apple will likely cut the price by another $100. The only real reason to consider the more expensive iPhone 12 is for the 5G.
 
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The XR would still be perfectly capable, while the 11 would future proof you for quite some time, so it comes down to what you really need!
 
Go with the 11, even though the XR is still a very capable phone, it is starting to get a bit old, it'll be 4 years old once the 13 models get released.
 
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LFC2020 said:
Go with the 11, even though the XR is still a very capable phone, it is starting to get a bit old, it'll be 4 years old once the 13 models get released.
Click to expand...
The XR was released in October 2018, so that's only three years.
 
Xr is a great phone, I am planning on keeping mine another year maybe longer. I would definitely get at least 128GB model whatever you decide. I regret cheaping out on my 64GB version.
 
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I haven't used the 11, but my understanding is it's basically an upgrade of the Xr. If you have to buy new and want to save money, I'd say Xr is still a very good phone and is a fine option.

Unless you must buy from the Apple, Swappa have good prices on Xr and 11, just make sure to only buy from sellers with good feedbacks.
 
I have an XR and have been very happy with it. I would like some of the improved photo features of the newer phones but not enough to replace it right now. Do the improved features of the 11 appeal to you? If they’re worth the extra cost then go that route. With a new phone being announced next month it usually means lower prices on older phones.
 
Thanks, everyone for your input. The 8 is still usable but the fact that the charging cable falls out too easily bothers me. I think I will wait for the next phone release and get myself a discounted 11 which will have to do for the next 3 years :)
 
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JPack said:
Go for the iPhone 11. For $100 more, significantly better cameras (night mode, ultra wide, much sharper front camera), 4GB RAM, and better radios (gigabit LTE and AirTag support).

If you can wait until mid-September, Apple will likely cut the price by another $100. The only real reason to consider the more expensive iPhone 12 is for the 5G.
Click to expand...

XR supports airtags as well but what you are meant to say is the U1 Chip, which for the 11 supports airtags more better than XR😊
 
Crow_Servo said:
Going from an 8 to XR is only a minor upgrade, but it sounds like you’re just looking for something functional. If that’s the case, I’d go for the current SE (which has the 11 processor and 8 form factor) due to it being the best overall value. Of course, there’s rumors of a newer SE early next year, but that might be too long of a wait judging by the state of your current phone.
Click to expand...

Absolute nonsense. 8 to XR is a huge upgrade and gets you from the iPhone Dinosaur to a phone with most of the modern features on the newest phones

now XR to 11 or 8 to SE2, those really are tiny upgrades
 
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KOTN91 said:
Absolute nonsense. 8 to XR is a huge upgrade and gets you from the iPhone Dinosaur to a phone with most of the modern features on the newest phones

now XR to 11 or 8 to SE2, those really are tiny upgrades
Click to expand...
I’m talking about internals. The A11 to A12 upgrade isn’t significant. Yes, the outer design is different and it has Face ID, but it’s not a big change, unless the design and new user experience is of main importance.
 
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RonBurgendy said:
Thanks, everyone for your input. The 8 is still usable but the fact that the charging cable falls out too easily bothers me. I think I will wait for the next phone release and get myself a discounted 11 which will have to do for the next 3 years :)
Click to expand...
Great choice. Sometimes, you spend a bit more but you end up with a lot more value. The 11 received a boatload of new features compared to the XR.
 
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Crow_Servo said:
I’m talking about internals. The A11 to A12 upgrade isn’t significant. Yes, the outer design is different and it has Face ID, but it’s not a big change, unless the design and new user experience is of main importance.
Click to expand...

None of the recent chip upgrades are particularly significant at this point between two consecutive generations, be that A11 to A12, A12 to A13 and so on

Face ID, a totally new design and gestures/no home button are massive differences and improvements
 
JPack said:
Great choice. Sometimes, you spend a bit more but you end up with a lot more value. The 11 received a boatload of new features compared to the XR.
Click to expand...
Not this again. It does have a better camera, that’s about it. That’s not a boatload of new features though

XR to 11 is clearly far less significant than 8 to XR or 11 to 12
 
KOTN91 said:
Not this again. It does have a better camera, that’s about it. That’s not a boatload of new features though

XR to 11 is clearly far less significant than 8 to XR or 11 to 12
Click to expand...
Sure it is.

4GB RAM.
Better front and rear cameras. Night mode and sharper.
Gigabit LTE and U1 for AirTags support.
Portrait mode for everything/Deep Fusion.
Improved Face ID angle.
Largest battery capacity of any 6.1" iPhone.

Most people care about having good cameras, a big screen, and great battery life. For $100, that's definitely a boatload.

iPhone 8 and XR have essentially the same camera which turns off a lot of people.
 
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