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

I am thinking about getting the XS over the XR since I absolutely want the newer form factor quicker. My 8+ isn't as responsive to taps. Idk if it is the screen protector or the screen itself. But I don't want to waste time and $ on screen protectors for the 8+ when I know I will upgrade for sure.

$250 for an extra GB of RAM, OLED screen, dual OIS cameras w/ optical zoom, IP 68 water resistance is quite a big price increase.
 
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femike said:
The iPhone XR is too big to be considered for me. Also, the XR has poorer specs, its not the same as the iPhone XS with just the LCD screen. eg inferior wifi, 3gb ram, no 3D touch (I do use it), bigger screen but less resolution that the iPhone 6 Plus, no stereo mics, and who knows what else.
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it doesn’t have inferior wifi, maybe you are referring to gigabit lte which most if not all carriers dont yet support and many will not for a very long time. Screen resolution is 326ppi same as iphone 8, i didnt see anyone complaining about pixel density or screen quality on the iphone 8. Can you point me towards confirmation of lower ram in the xr, I’m sure you’re right I just hadnt seen that spec comparison confirmed.
 
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Duane Martin said:
Cynicism (trolling?) aside, FaceID works with the vast majority of sunglasses so this is a small problem to resolve. Curious about the reviewer’s comment regarding having to hold the phone too close for FaceID to work considering how quickly it does work I am surprised it doesn’t unlock as he brings the phone towards his face in the morning. I have tried this with my iPhone X and it takes effort to prevent FaceID from working; I literally have to “sneak up” on the phone. Seems to me both the IR sunglasses and holding the phone too close to your face (in such a way that it can’t unlock before you get it to your face) are issues that will affect a small subset of users and not reflective of most users experience and certainly not worth the weight given in this review or by this comment.
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So you missed Nilay's statement here I'll quote it for you " Apple says it's working with sunglass makers to ship new kinds of sunglasses that support Face ID".
 
DakotaGuy said:
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.
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I couldn't care less what people think of my iPhone, and I doubt they will notice it anyway. That said, I will likely get the XS Max because I have a 6 Plus right now; I like the large phone in my large hands and will get the larger memory so I can use this phone for about four years.
 
I have an X, upgrading to iPhone XS Max for screen size only. Regardless, I am on the iPhone Upgrade Program so it doesn't really matter.
 
The XS Max (stupid name) is a good option for iPad Mini 4 owners.

I love my iPad Mini 4, but it’s been laggy with >1 sec. response times since iOS 11. Since Apple hasn’t been showing signs of planning to update the mini 4, I was eyeing the XS Max, but I already got the X last year.

But next year I might jump on the Max version.:D
 
DakotaGuy said:
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.
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Oh no!! what will I ever do if someone doesn't notice I have the best iPhone!!!??!
 
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OllyW said:
I'm not bothered by Touch ID or Face ID, as long as they work reliably. Otherwise there are no compelling upgrades that are yelling "buy me" and it's still too expensive at £1000.
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Sure, for you, but a larger OLED screen, completely new form factor, premium materials like stainless steel, A12, better cameras, FaceID, among other things are plenty of reasons to upgrade for others. There are TONS of people still on iPhone 6, 6s, and 7. The cameras alone are reason to upgrade from those.

The iPhone 8 Plus started at $800.
 
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MaximizedAction said:
The XS Max (stupid name) is a good option for iPad Mini 4 owners.

I love my iPad Mini 4, but it’s been laggy with >1 sec. response times since iOS 11. Since Apple hasn’t been showing signs of planning to update the mini 4, I was eyeing the XS Max, but I already got the X last year.

But next year I might jump on the Max version.:D
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Wasn't the appeal of the iPad Mini supposed to be the price being ~$300? Cross shopping between that and the $1200+ XS Max doesn't make much sense...

Although it does reveal just how insane the XS Max pricing is.
 
So dumb..."Well, as long as you ignore the higher screen quality, higher resolution, HDR support, two lens camera system, better zoom capability, dual-SIM capability, faster LTE technology, additional RAM, and 3D Touch, then the XR is basically the same phone as the XS".
 
This seems like a fairly "no duh" statement. It's never been wise to upgrade from a standard to a "S" model in the past, and there's no difference here.

Hell, you're foolish if you buy a phone every year to begin with.
 
Shanghaichica said:
Not worth it for me as it’s a downgrade from my iPhone X.
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Depends on your priorities. For some people it would still be a good upgrade.

Battery life and performance will be better in the XR, battery life probably noticeably so. The camera is also better in the xr if you just care about taking normal pics and dont really care about optical zoom or super accurate ar. Face ID is slightly faster. Dual sim will be useful for some and irrelevant for others.

I cant imagine many people at all would want to upgrade from the x to the xr but it’s worth appreciating that what i can get now for 750 is in many ways better than what i could have got for 1000 last year, certainly better overall for my needs. It’s really only the oled screen and increased resolution that the x has over the xr, in most other areas the xr is an upgrade at a much better price.
 
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gnipgnop said:
So dumb..."Well, as long as you ignore the higher screen quality, higher resolution, HDR support, two lens camera system, better zoom capability, dual-SIM capability, faster LTE technology, additional RAM, and 3D Touch, then the XR is basically the same phone as the XS".
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It's the exact same logic people use when they compare iPad to iPad Pro. "Other than the 4 GB of RAM, ProMotion, laminated screen, thinner bezels, quad audio, faster processor, and Smart Connector, they're the exact same thing."
 
nviz22 said:
I am thinking about getting the XS over the XR since I absolutely want the newer form factor quicker. My 8+ isn't as responsive to taps. Idk if it is the screen protector or the screen itself. But I don't want to waste time and $ on screen protectors for the 8+ when I know I will upgrade for sure.

$250 for an extra GB of RAM, OLED screen, dual OIS cameras w/ optical zoom, IP 68 water resistance is quite a big price increase.
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8+ owner here. I'll get a new phone for sure with my carrier this year and I'm eligible for an upgrade in October so I could wait for the Xr and don't waste a month of contract.
The price difference is big, actually in Europe is about $350 so even if I'm really tempted by the Xs I don't know if I can justify spending so much more.
I think the display is the most important part of a smartphone and although I'm happy with my 8+ LCD I know the ppi on the Xr are lower, so it would be a step backwards to me. Still a retina display, still a good resolution, but not great.
Dual camera: I take many shots with the telephoto lens, so I'd miss it.
3D touch: don't really care as iOS 12 allows to long press on the space bar to move around text and that's my main usage of 3D touch. Peek and Pop are good, but I only seldom use them.

In the end I don't know what to do, if the Xr had the same ppi as my 8+ I'd go for it without any doubts as the dual camera and OLED wouldn't be enticing enough, but as I'm going to look at the display for a few hours every day I want the best possibile technology there.
I don't think I'll get the Max, I got tired of having a big phone in my hands and in my pockets. That's another advantage of the Xs over the Xr.
With the difference between Xs and Xr I could sell my Apple Watch series 1 and buy a series 4, so that's part of the equation. If I decide to keep my series 1 for another year I'd have more budget for the Xs, otherwise I may save some money by going for the Xr and have a new Watch
 
ArtOfWarfare said:
Wasn't the appeal of the iPad Mini supposed to be the price being ~$300? Cross shopping between that and the $1200+ XS Max doesn't make much sense...

Although it does reveal just how insane the XS Max pricing is.
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Rationally, you are absolutely correct. But we’re talking about apple prices here. Sadly, there are no other up to date devices with the Mini’s screen size and functionality (landscape home screen for ex.) I’ve given up on thinking about Apple’s pricing points, otherwise I’ll need to look at other companies.
 
Same as high end cars - each year is better but rarely dramatically - I mean look at how Porsche treated its Boxster....
 
gnipgnop said:
So dumb..."Well, as long as you ignore the higher screen quality, higher resolution, HDR support, two lens camera system, better zoom capability, dual-SIM capability, faster LTE technology, additional RAM, and 3D Touch, then the XR is basically the same phone as the XS".
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xr has dual sim
 
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