Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
iPhone 6 Holdout - Do I Get a 7 or an 8 or an X?
- Thread starter boltjames
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Again, price is not an issue at all, I'll spend $1200 for a 256GB iPhone X if that's the best solution for me.
I should note I do NOT want a "Plus" under any circumstances, just too big a phone for me. I'm looking at the non-plus version of the 8 or 7 as well as the X.
Which will have the best battery life? Let's start there.
Like OP I'm a day one iPhone 6 holdout too... and haven’t updated for the same reasons.
Personally i am disappointed that apple have pretty much gone with the same base design for the 4th year but I'm also really tempted to get the iPhone 8, because like many owners on here my 6 has become really slow and the battery is really crappy now, and the crazy thing is this handset is a nine month old apple refurb!
I like the look and sound of the X with all its notch glory lol but i think its going to be a pita trying to get hold of one on launch day and i dont think i have the patience for all the nonsense and waiting until 2018 if i were unlucky with the pre order. I also don’t think it’s worth jumping to the year old 7 - I skipped it last year for a reason, and that’s because I was underwhelmed by the looks and thought it was a minor update over the 6 and 6s.
Put it this way, if the non plus iPhone 8 had the dual camera set up it'd be a no brainer!
Personally i am disappointed that apple have pretty much gone with the same base design for the 4th year but I'm also really tempted to get the iPhone 8, because like many owners on here my 6 has become really slow and the battery is really crappy now, and the crazy thing is this handset is a nine month old apple refurb!
I like the look and sound of the X with all its notch glory lol but i think its going to be a pita trying to get hold of one on launch day and i dont think i have the patience for all the nonsense and waiting until 2018 if i were unlucky with the pre order. I also don’t think it’s worth jumping to the year old 7 - I skipped it last year for a reason, and that’s because I was underwhelmed by the looks and thought it was a minor update over the 6 and 6s.
Put it this way, if the non plus iPhone 8 had the dual camera set up it'd be a no brainer!
sean000
macrumors 68000
By ruling out a "Plus" model, your decision becomes much easier. I have the iPhone 6 as well, and I'm in the same boat. Battery life isn't what it used to be, it's sluggish to the point of freezing for several seconds when I switch to, or launch, many apps (especially those that use the camera), and I'd really like some of the new features... mostly the better camera.
Do you care about having the dual camera? I do, which means I need to get either a Plus or an X. I always shied away from a Plus phone because of the size, but the iPhone X gives you dual cameras in a smaller package.
Do you want a larger display? The X will have a larger display than an iPhone 7 or iPhone 8.
If you don't care about the features unique to the X, dual camera, or larger display: It probably becomes a decision between the iPhone 7 and iPhone 8. I would go for the 8 personally. The new processor will have more staying power.
Me? I've already decided on the X. I want those dual cameras crammed into a phone smaller than a Plus, faster processor, and the AR possibilities intrigue me. I don't really care one bit about FaceID vs TouchID. They both have pros and cons. There are times when TouchID doesn't work for me, and I'm sure there will be times when FaceID doesn't either. I wouldn't let that affect your decision one bit.
Sean
sean000
macrumors 68000
Stay with iOS 9 if you can! iOS 10 is where my iPhone 6 started to get a bit sluggish, and it gets worse in iOS 11. Then again I have always maintained that it's the app upgrades more than the OS upgrades that slow things down. App developers add features to take advantage of newer hardware, and it can slow down the app on the older hardware.
Even thought it's a bit sluggish running iOS 11, there is a part of me that is thinking, "My iPhone is paid off, and it works adequately. Frustratingly slow at times, but as long as I'm patient it does what I need it to do. I should save my money for another year or so."
On the other hand I use my iPhone far too frequently to be frustrated by it in any way. And if I don't remember to charge it overnight and in the middle of the day, it may work at all when I need it to.
I'm leaning towards the iPhone 8 as I really love my iPhone 6 and I use Apple Pay all the time and the lay-down-phone-on-pay-terminal-as-you-hold-with-thumb move is so quick, simple, and intuitive. I'm concerned about the X and the new Face ID behavior where one has to hold the phone up to one's face, hit a button, and then lie the phone down on the terminal. Just doesn't seem as quick and efficient.
brgjoe
macrumors 6502a
Same boat. I preordered the iPhone 6 on launch day. It was my first iPhone experience. And 3 years later, it is still humming along nicely. It's been so dead-on reliable, I am going to continue with the iPhone for awhile longer.
Past upgrades seemed ho-hum to me. That is, the cost/benefit to me wasn't worth the time/$$ to upgrade. I think now might be a good time to change though. I want to try out a larger screen and the iPhone 8+ seems like a good deal to me. Most of the goodies that the iPhone X has. And I get to keep my TouchID for Apple Pay at the register and for my other app's as well.
But I am still considering all my options. Luckily my iPhone 6 still works fine, so I have some time to make up my mind. I can see how other's feel about the new 8+ and see if it is right for me to upgrade to it.
Past upgrades seemed ho-hum to me. That is, the cost/benefit to me wasn't worth the time/$$ to upgrade. I think now might be a good time to change though. I want to try out a larger screen and the iPhone 8+ seems like a good deal to me. Most of the goodies that the iPhone X has. And I get to keep my TouchID for Apple Pay at the register and for my other app's as well.
But I am still considering all my options. Luckily my iPhone 6 still works fine, so I have some time to make up my mind. I can see how other's feel about the new 8+ and see if it is right for me to upgrade to it.
The iPhone X is the most Upgraded device we have in quite some time, but smart phones generally update incrementally every year, it's not expected for drastic changes. But being this is the 10th anniversary iPhone, this one poses more change.
sean000
macrumors 68000
It will be interesting to see the sales of the iPhone X vs the iPhone 8 series. A lot of people are going to the iPhone 8 because it's an upgrade to an already familiar device. Others will go to the X because it's a more intriguing and exciting upgrade from a 7. The iPhone X is the first generation with the new display, first generation with faceID, first generation with AR capability, etc. I could see that giving some people pause... wondering if they should wait for the first hardware revision to the X. I'm going to go for it and hope anything not quite right can be fixed with software updates! 😀
I'm not going to upgrade right away though. Probably in December or January (assuming availability). I'm in no hurry, and will be following reports to see if there are any major problems with the X. I imagine it will also take some time before third party apps are updated to be optimized for the X display's aspect ratio.
Sean
I downloaded os 11 and it seems fine to me. I also close out apps when I'm done with them so that may play into not feeling the sluggish os people are talking about.
You nailed it on the head, my iphone is paid off why add to my bill when the phone works perfectly fine.
newb-sasquatch
macrumors regular
I'm also a day one 6+ owner and briefly considered upgrading to the 8+ but am now waiting it out. This summer my 6+ was infected with the dreaded 'touch disease' and I had to utilize Apple's multi-touch repair program. While that was in fact a terrible sequence of events right before Apple's launch, the one positive is my "new" 6+ has a much better battery life now so I feel comfortable that I can keep things afloat till fall of 2018. At that point I will decide on either "last year's 8+" if I still don't feel confident on FACE ID or pick up the new 2018 rendition of the Iphone ten. ("Xs"?)
I am also running iOS 11 on the 6+ and haven't experienced notable lag. Somebody with much more knowledge than I mentioned on a separate thread that the iphone may experience a lag the first few days upon upgrading while it performs some internal updates so if you experience a lag on day 1 give it a few more days to catch up.
All this being said, I will probably transform back into a degenerate apple sheep October 27th and order the X. "baaah baaah baaah"
I am also running iOS 11 on the 6+ and haven't experienced notable lag. Somebody with much more knowledge than I mentioned on a separate thread that the iphone may experience a lag the first few days upon upgrading while it performs some internal updates so if you experience a lag on day 1 give it a few more days to catch up.
All this being said, I will probably transform back into a degenerate apple sheep October 27th and order the X. "baaah baaah baaah"
PsychicRutabaga
macrumors member
Another 6 user, but I've already decided I'm staying where I'm at.
I started on the iPhone 4, which I absolutely loved. I upgraded to the 5, which was also great. And finally, I purchased the iPhone 6. The 6 was probably the nicest upgrade, as my aging eyes enjoyed being able to comfortably read the larger screen without my glasses. The 6 plus was a bit too big for a belt case, but the 6 was just perfect
Through each upgrade I kept asking myself, "I'm happy with what I have, do I really need the next model?" But I upgraded anyhow. The size changes were probably the most compelling reason. But sizes have been static and I like what I have, so that's no longer a reason. I haven't been able to answer "Yes" to that question for anything since the 6.
I still really love my iPhone 6. It does everything I need it to, and performance and battery life are just fine. It isn't a question of whether I can afford it (I can), but whether I'm getting VALUE from that purchase. Right now, the value proposition just isn't there.
I started on the iPhone 4, which I absolutely loved. I upgraded to the 5, which was also great. And finally, I purchased the iPhone 6. The 6 was probably the nicest upgrade, as my aging eyes enjoyed being able to comfortably read the larger screen without my glasses. The 6 plus was a bit too big for a belt case, but the 6 was just perfect
Through each upgrade I kept asking myself, "I'm happy with what I have, do I really need the next model?" But I upgraded anyhow. The size changes were probably the most compelling reason. But sizes have been static and I like what I have, so that's no longer a reason. I haven't been able to answer "Yes" to that question for anything since the 6.
I still really love my iPhone 6. It does everything I need it to, and performance and battery life are just fine. It isn't a question of whether I can afford it (I can), but whether I'm getting VALUE from that purchase. Right now, the value proposition just isn't there.
teknikal90
macrumors 68040
I think you should buy the 8, then upgrade in two years time to the iPhone x (version 3), once they've figured out the kinks.
The 8 has the same battery life as the 7, and the 7 was touted to have 2 hours more battery than the 6......
ps: i like your signature lol...what do you do?
naturalstar
macrumors 68030
If you compare the 8+ to the X in terms of internals, the major differences are FaceID vs Touch ID and the dual vs single OIS and the front facing portrait mode. The exterior being practically the same as the previous iterations has a lot of people thinking the 8+ is nothing.
Coming from the 6 Plus (Day 1 myself also), the 8+ is a great upgrade in terms of speed, screen, performance, and especially the camera. The glass is lovely. I changed to a white face with the silver and I’m really enjoying it. I’ll check next year’s XI (or whatever) at best or keep the 8+ another year at worse case.
If you want the X, go for it, but the internals on the 8+ should be looked at more closely and not dismissed based on the exterior. Just my thoughts as someone who was in the same boat. Best either way.
sean000
macrumors 68000
That's a good way to look at it. Value can include all kinds of subjective factors, but that's okay because it's really about how the phone fits your individual wants and needs. What will a new phone give you that you actually want or need?
You mentioned that the increased display size of the 6 over the 5 was very appreciated, and it could be that the display of the X will be just as dramatic of an upgrade without increasing the size of the phone into Plus territory. Whether or not the new display size and technology will result in a more readable iPhone remains to be seen. 😉 My aging eyes appreciate everything they can get, but I plan to compare the new phones with my phone in person as soon as the X is available around here.
As a photographer, the real value for me is in upgraded dual cameras. It won't replace my interchangeable lens cameras, but it will replace my compact point & shoot in ways the iPhone 6 camera can't.
Sean
Does anyone know if Face ID and PIN can be turned off completely?
The one thing above all else that is preventing me from upgrading my iPhone 6 to an iPhone X is Face ID. Can I just go rogue and turn security completely off and be done with the whole concept?
The one thing above all else that is preventing me from upgrading my iPhone 6 to an iPhone X is Face ID. Can I just go rogue and turn security completely off and be done with the whole concept?
sean000
macrumors 68000
iOS does allow you to disable locking your device. Aside from the obvious risks, some corporate email systems require your device to have a lock feature enabled if you want to connect your device to your work email (or to other work related resources). Most of these policies only require a 4 digit PIN, so you could at least turn off FaceID. I’m not sure why you would want to do that though.
Sean
Upgraded to 8 Plus 256 from launch day 6 Plus 128.
While I do love cutting edge tech, I'm also a father, so my rationale is a bit different these days from different perspectives. My phone is my tool, not my toy.
My 6 Plus, beloved, was acting like a dying animal. Slow, unresponsive... at times I had gone to make purchases with Apple Pay and no matter how I clicked, it was not always a given that my cards would always pop up. Was quite embarrassing on a couple of occasions, but then there were times when it was an absolute necessity for the service to work, I would have been screwed otherwise. Similarly, Maps would freeze sometimes, general navigation was like swimming through maple syrup... it was becoming a wholly unreliable experience, which was concerning. Also, I had used up that 128GB pretty quickly - long gone were games and action movies, replaced with videos and photos of my son, and the programmes he loves.
Otherwise, it had been a great phone. A direct upgrade to 8 Plus made a lot of sense to me - more storage, zippy processor (it *screams*), and massive battery, not to mention waterproofing, true tone (it really makes a lot of difference), and keeping Touch ID. The 8 Plus knocks it out of the park on all accounts, I cannot fault it in any respect. True, it's visually less appealing than the X, but again, this is my tool, not my toy.
Also, thinking about the X, the lack of Touch ID does concern me. Maybe it's normal for consumers to fear change, but I don't always want to look at my phone to unlock it, and the physical presence of a home button is reassuring. The capacitive home button on the 8 (and I guess the 7 before it) is fantastic.
Also, as many have said, the first gen of any Apple product design is notorious - I've always been an early adopter of Apple tech, but frankly, I'm over it now. The 8 Plus feels like the final, ultimate expression of the 6's vision, whilst the X will be the first step on another journey. I'm sure it will be very exciting in many respects, but I'd rather go for the quietly confident and refined handset on this occasion, and make the jump in a couple of years time.
While I do love cutting edge tech, I'm also a father, so my rationale is a bit different these days from different perspectives. My phone is my tool, not my toy.
My 6 Plus, beloved, was acting like a dying animal. Slow, unresponsive... at times I had gone to make purchases with Apple Pay and no matter how I clicked, it was not always a given that my cards would always pop up. Was quite embarrassing on a couple of occasions, but then there were times when it was an absolute necessity for the service to work, I would have been screwed otherwise. Similarly, Maps would freeze sometimes, general navigation was like swimming through maple syrup... it was becoming a wholly unreliable experience, which was concerning. Also, I had used up that 128GB pretty quickly - long gone were games and action movies, replaced with videos and photos of my son, and the programmes he loves.
Otherwise, it had been a great phone. A direct upgrade to 8 Plus made a lot of sense to me - more storage, zippy processor (it *screams*), and massive battery, not to mention waterproofing, true tone (it really makes a lot of difference), and keeping Touch ID. The 8 Plus knocks it out of the park on all accounts, I cannot fault it in any respect. True, it's visually less appealing than the X, but again, this is my tool, not my toy.
Also, thinking about the X, the lack of Touch ID does concern me. Maybe it's normal for consumers to fear change, but I don't always want to look at my phone to unlock it, and the physical presence of a home button is reassuring. The capacitive home button on the 8 (and I guess the 7 before it) is fantastic.
Also, as many have said, the first gen of any Apple product design is notorious - I've always been an early adopter of Apple tech, but frankly, I'm over it now. The 8 Plus feels like the final, ultimate expression of the 6's vision, whilst the X will be the first step on another journey. I'm sure it will be very exciting in many respects, but I'd rather go for the quietly confident and refined handset on this occasion, and make the jump in a couple of years time.
MjWoNeR
macrumors 6502
I have a 6+ and will be upgrading to the X.
My battery was also crap but I changed it myself for ~$10 last year. Though it does get slower every year and the RAM is nowhere enough.
If I'm not mistaken they said that the X will have less battery life than the Plus but an hour or two more than the 6/7/8.
Personally I look forward to Face ID. It happens often to me not being able to use Touch ID after my daily work out, some work at the garage or while cooking or cleaning.
My battery was also crap but I changed it myself for ~$10 last year. Though it does get slower every year and the RAM is nowhere enough.
If I'm not mistaken they said that the X will have less battery life than the Plus but an hour or two more than the 6/7/8.
Personally I look forward to Face ID. It happens often to me not being able to use Touch ID after my daily work out, some work at the garage or while cooking or cleaning.
Last edited:
I'm in meetings all day and need to quietly check an email or two; Face ID would require me to pick up the phone to look at it, tipping off the person speaking.
I commute by car each day and use a vent mount to hold my phone; Face ID would require me to do neck gymnastics to get my eyes oriented over the center console to unlock it.
I often wake up in the middle of the night and need a little light reading to get me back to sleep again. Face ID will have problems reading my puffy bed face when I'm lying sideways pushed into a pillow.
I use Apple Pay constantly and the new behavior adds steps and complexity. With Touch ID all I have to do is slide my hand in my pocket, pull it out by the thumb, and before the phone hits the wireless terminal it's already unlocked and authenticated.
I could go on. But my work/lifestyle behavior and use cases don't align with Face ID.
sean000
macrumors 68000
I'm aware of all the arguments of FaceID vs TouchID (been on some of those threads 😀). When I wrote, "Most of these policies only require a 4 digit PIN, so you could at least turn off FaceID. I’m not sure why you would want to do that though." I was wondering why disable FaceID on an iPhone X and use only the 4-digit PIN or a passcode?
There is no TouchID option on the X, so I thought you were saying that you would rather have to ALWAYS enter a PIN rather than use FaceID for those times when FaceID will be convenient? With FaceID enabled, you should still be able use the 4-digit PIN for times when FaceID isn't practical. I share your concerns that it won't be as easy as using TouchID (which can easily be done without looking at your iPhone). I imagine if you swipe up for the home screen on an iPhone X that has not yet been unlocked with FaceID, it will present the PIN or password unlock option. Not as easy as TouchID, but if you are trying to read an operate your iPhone anyway...
Sean
Last edited:
I held out on passcode security for the longest time and only decided to embrace the idea of a locked iPhone because Touch ID was so reliable and so effortless.
Entering a PIN every time I want to unlock the phone was unacceptable before Touch ID and is unacceptable after Touch ID. It is just too inconvenient. I must unlock my phone 50 times a day. No interest in typing in a PIN 50 times a day.
So if I get a X I will have no security at all. I would get around Apple's terrible decision by simply using a phone that's always unlocked. Just tap and I'm on the home screen.