iPhone XS and XS Max Reviews: Not Dramatically Better Than iPhone X, Consider Waiting for iPhone XR

[WannaGoMac]

Perhaps it's time folks consider that their constant iPhone/iPad disappointment is because the devices just aren't or can't be that "exciting" anymore. It's a rectangle slab holding a computer. After a few releases any new device category just will not have as huge improvements compared to the first few years.

Or maybe it's just because folks in this forum like to complain and participate in a big round of group whine

 

[Baymowe335]

Let me simplify this.

• The iPhone XS was NEVER for existing iPhone X owners, just like any S year. The XS is a huge upgrade for anyone on iPhone 8 or prior.

• The iPhone XS Max is another option for those with an X who want a bigger screen OR anyone with older hardware Plus models.

• The iPhone XR is for people on older hardware that want premium features at a lower price.

 

[dewski]

If the XS and XS Max are not dramatically better then the X why would you want to wait for the XR? Using that logic would make the XR worse then the X. When you are paying that much money you might as well pay a little more and get the best especially when you purchase a luxury brand like Apple. The XR just screams "I want an iPhone, but I really can't afford it." The extra money you spend will make your experience better and people will notice you have the best iPhone.

Really? You don't think someone might just not value what the Xs offers? The only reason someone would choose an Xr is because they can't afford an Xs? It screams "I want an iPhone but can't afford one"? I don't care about screen resolution. I don't care about upgraded cameras, face ID and 3d touch. The iPhone camera has been good enough since the 7. Resolution has been good enough since the 4s. Price has nothing to do with it. People buy the phones they want. Everyone can afford a Xs max with the installment plans that carriers offer.

 

[groadyho]

I know my family of iPhone owners, 8 thru X think my galaxy s9+ takes a better picture than their iPhones

Let me simplify this.

• The iPhone XS was NEVER for existing iPhone X owners, just like any S year. The XS is a huge upgrade for anyone on iPhone 8 or prior.

• The iPhone XS Max is another option for those with an X who want a bigger screen OR anyone with older hardware Plus models.

• The iPhone XR is for people on older hardware that want premium features at a lower price.

 

[bchreng]

It’s a shame that the XS hasn’t been able to top the Pixel 2’s camera performance a year later. (Per The Verge’s review at least) I’m excited to see what the Pixel 3 can do.

 

[recoil80]

In this segment a $50 difference is enough to choose it. Just sit back and watch. By the end of Q4 the XR will be 65% of total sales. If Apple had offered it on the 14th Xs 5.8" sales would be half of what they are today. The delay in releasing the XR later was a business decision. The "Cough, back light issue" was resolved in time for a 9-14 order date. It was nothing but an attempt to grab the impulsive upgrader that can't wait.

Impulsive upgrader and people on the IUP eligible for an upgrade this month. It it nothing more than a marketing choice. Speaking of which, they could have launched a 6.5'' last year but they made a wise decision and sold only the smaller model so this year a lot of X owners will jump to the big phone.
Apple is great at that, I bet they were ready to add pencil support for the iPhone but decided to wait another year, so in 2019 they'll have a flagship feature for their Max model

 

[partydorm]

Can't tell the difference between X and the Xs.

 

[Shanghaichica]

If the XS and XS Max are not dramatically better then the X why would you want to wait for the XR? Using that logic would make the XR worse then the X. When you are paying that much money you might as well pay a little more and get the best especially when you purchase a luxury brand like Apple. The XR just screams "I want an iPhone, but I really can't afford it." The extra money you spend will make your experience better and people will notice you have the best iPhone.

I do agree that if you think the X or max aren’t an upgrade from last years X then the Xr is going to be even more of a letdown. However I wouldn’t say the Xr is for people who can’t afford an iPhone. The Xr is in the price range of the iPhone 8 which is what iPhones used to cost up until last year.

 

[OllyW]

The XS is a huge upgrade for anyone on iPhone 8 or prior.

I didn't think the X was worth the extra compared to the 8+ this time last year and I'm not seeing that much of an improvement with the XS, so I'll be sticking with what I've already got.

 

[TheCannonator]

Just as expected. Huge upgrade for users of older phones, but for iPhone X owners quite marginal, with almost the same experience unless you want bigger screen. I’ll pass on this one.

You are 100% correct I’ll wait until next year should be a decent improvement over my X.

 

[spiderman0616]

“People will notice you have the best iPhone”

I’m going to be upgrading to an XR from a 6 plus. I don’t plan on using augmented reality and the single lens camera on the xr is fine for me i don't really take many photos at all and dont need the optical zoom. I also just think a single lens looks better. My 6 plus doesn’t have 3d touch so I won’t miss it and the people i know with 3d touch capable phones barely use it. The screen is lower ppi than my 6 plus but i dont really use my phone for watching 1080p films or hi res photos etc, its still the same ppi as an iPhone 8 etc which looks absolutely fine for me. on the other hand, I get a massive performance upgrade, massive battery upgrade, and as a day to day workhorse it will be a complete beast.

I look at it this way. If I upgraded to an iphone XR first, would I then consider swapping to an XS Max for an extra 350 just to get a telescopic lens, better screen, gigabit ethernet and 3d touch? No way.

Sounds like you're the ideal Xr customer.

 

[Baymowe335]

And sorry, but the Pixel 2 camera wasn't even consistently better tan the iPhone X camera. It has strengths and weaknesses.

His review is totally subjective, "But compared to the Pixel 2, the XS doesn't really do it for me."

Great facts and measurables!

 

[mithion]

Although the phones themselves are "evolutionary" to quote the article, I think people forget the value from apps that you run on the phone. The A12 is a monster and there will be apps that will take advantage of that chip's machine learning performance increase. If these apps only run on the A12 and you happen to be a user of such apps, the XS will become hugely attractive and a "must buy". Personally, I have a 7+ which has worked great so I will be waiting for the 2019 iPhone as my next upgrade.

 

[CaptainBlue]

In my case, as I'm on the annual upgrade programme, I'll be waiting until the end of October before pressing the button on an XS from my X.

As to the XR, I'm not sure of its positioning in the market: it's physically larger than the X which is already quite a handful and larger than my other 7 and 6S, both of which are a good size for business phones, so making the XR that big might not have been Apple's best idea.

 

[Baymowe335]

I didn't think the X was worth the extra compared to the 8+ this time last year and I'm not seeing that much of an improvement with the XS, so I'll be sticking with what I've already got.

Objectively, it's a totally different phone than the 8+ so while you can have your own opinion, the XS is a major upgrade. You essentially have a 4 year old design....which is the biggest weakness of the 8. FaceID is also a game changer. I would never want to go back to TouchID or huge bezels.

 

[cylack]

I go 3-4 years before upgrading my iPhone, usually when the latest gen of apps feels sluggish to launch and run. Same deal with my Macbook, but closer to 3 years when Applecare is just about to expire. Its too expensive for me to buy a $1000+ iphone every year when the new features just seem incremental.

 

[DDustiNN]

Why would I wait longer for a phone that’s not as good?

 

[paulvee]

Can't tell the difference between X and the Xs.

Better camera, faster CPU chip, much better LTE speeds. There is more, but you should do your own research.

 

[felixroqu3]

It's freaking expensive. I thought my 6+ was expensive when I paid $800 for it. Now to upgrade I'd be looking at either an iPhone XS with 256 GB of storage for $1150 or an iPhone XS Max for $1250.

So I'm looking at spending 50% more than I already spent on my very expensive phone. Why? The only part that seems of interest to me at all is the improved camera zoom. That's a very incremental upgrade though, and a very steep price to pay for it.

I think I'll continue to hold onto my 6+. I put iOS 12 on it yesterday, and I think the performance actually improved by a pretty significant amount. The performance was so bad I was thinking about maybe getting an XR. But with the performance back to normal, why bother?

The 6 Plus came out 4 years ago. Isn't everything more expensive now compared to 2014?

 

[AppleZilla]

"If you wear glasses like me, you'll still have to enter your passcode every morning when you wake up because you're holding the phone too close to your face for it to work."

Patel is full of it. Works fine for me, glasses or not. What a weirdo.

 

[yaxomoxay]

The 6 Plus came out 4 years ago. Isn't everything more expensive now compared to 2014?

Not 50% more expensive

 

[elberto1]

The XR is imo a downgrade for anyone using an iPhone 8 series or X, for anything older, it may be worth waiting for. That being said, if you are in any way sensible you would look at the deals that are being offered on the X which is still a better phone than the XR, but at a very discounted price in the places I've seen. The screen resolution alone is reason enough to skip it.

This ONE HUNDRED PERCENT. None if the reviews look at the PPI of the XR — it is literally much worse than my four year old 6+. It is not even 1080p with more screen realestate.

 

[jessemcgoldrick]

Sounds like you're the ideal Xr customer.

There will be lots of us. The XR is specifically targetted at iphone 6-7 series users.

 

[spiderman0616]

I think the XS Max is going to be a big deal for people like me--I went from 7 Plus (my first ever plus sized phone) to iPhone X, and even though my brain knew that I was getting the same sized screen just in a smaller chassis, my eyes and my hands felt like I downgraded to a smaller phone. I was perfectly comfortable with the overall size of the 7 Plus--in fact, it just felt more premium to me because it had more heft to it. Probably one of my favorite iPhones of all time. With the XS Max, I feel like I'm getting a combination of all my favorite things from the 7 Plus and the X in one phone, and it's barely more expensive than my X was.

As a side note, I'm a little shocked by all the people who are mad about the price tag on these. Are there that many people that walk in and plunk down the entire $1000 every year for the new phone? I have never in my life done that for any of my cell phones going all the way back to my first Nokia in the 90s. And the way Verizon has me set up now, I'll only ever pay half that before I trade up to the next thing, or i have the option to pay over two years and eventually own it. There are literally three different ways to pay for these things now, none of them involve a contract, and two of them don't require you to plop down the entire retail cost on launch day.

 

[CaptainBlue]

"If you wear glasses like me, you'll still have to enter your passcode every morning when you wake up because you're holding the phone too close to your face for it to work."

Patel is full of it. Works fine for me, glasses or not. What a weirdo.

Nope. I have the same here because I'm short-sighted and move the phone closer to my face at night/morning before I put my lenses in; the X doesn't recognise me close up.