iPhone XR Moving from iPhone 7 Plus to iPhone XR - Has anyone done that move and liked it?

[Yebubbleman]

For context: I've been an iPhone 7 Plus user since 2017. I've hated it for two and a half of three years of the time that I've owned it due to sporadic glitchiness of both the hardware and various versions of iOS (it seems a bit more reliable on iOS 14 than it was on 11 and 13 [I skipped 12 on it], though I do now have totally new glitches on iOS 14). I had wanted to upgrade to the iPhone 11 last year, but I never got my finances in order fast enough. I had an open mind going into the iPhone 12 event, but I'm very wary of all of the changes (both to the body design as well as under the hood) seeing as Apple has a bad track record when it comes to reliability on drastically new body designs (as was evidenced by widely known issues with the iPhone 3G, 4, 5, 6 and especially 6 Plus, 7 and 7 Plus, and the original iPhone X). Given this, my current plan is to wait for the Apple Certified Refurbished 256GB iPhone XR to pop back up on the Apple Certified Refurbished iPhone section of the Apple Online Store and then use the cost savings from what I would've spent on a new iPhone 12 or 12 Pro ($400-550 to save for a more substantial upgrade one to two years down the line.

Given this, I was averse to the iPhone XR when it first came out because I didn't like what I'd be losing in going from the 7 Plus; namely the telephoto lens, 3D touch, a 1080p screen resolution and higher pixel density, the home button and TouchID, and some iPhone Plus specific UI features.

Well, flash forward some two years, and now in iOS 14 (and 13 before it), 3D touch is pretty much neutered, I've come to terms with the fact that the home button is not coming back (save for on the SE, which is a bit too small for my liking), Plus is sadly dead, and the only surviving iPhone Plus UI tweak that exists that is solely on the Plus and not the XR is the rotating home screen in landscape mode (which, while cute, never really did anything other than give me the warm fuzzies about Apple making use of the fact that the Plus iPhones were phablets). I've come to realize that unless I absolutely have to, I'm not going to watch video on my phone for an extended length of time (I have iPads for that). And I've watched a video review of the XR's camera that more or less said that the telephoto lens in the iPhone 7 Plus and 8 Plus were both weaker than the digital zoom in the XR and that photos taken with the XR will still be better than that of the 7 Plus and 8 Plus.

Has anyone else moved from an iPhone 7 Plus to an iPhone XR and not regretted it? What was your experience?

 

[JPack]

It was a couple years ago, but the first thing I remember was the speed. Definitely appreciable difference between A10 and A12.

In terms of the form factor, it feels far more compact than the 7 Plus. I noticed the display itself was narrower but got used to it quickly. The single rear lens felt like a downgrade, but I don't use the telephoto enough to feel a real loss. I used the XR for a couple months before I handed it to a family member as a I strongly prefer the Max sized screens.

In short:

Camera - I don't feel you lose a lot without telephoto, but I would strongly recommend an iPhone 11. The ultra-wide is useful in many situations.

Display - Never noticed the PPI difference. Notice the slightly smaller display, but get used to it quickly.

3D Touch - I hardly used it during the iPhone 7 era and iOS 13 completely killed it. No loss there.

Overall - Fits in the back pocket a lot better than 7 Plus.

 

[Yebubbleman]

It was a couple years ago, but the first thing I remember was the speed. Definitely appreciable difference between A10 and A12.

In terms of the form factor, it feels far more compact than the 7 Plus. I noticed the display itself was narrower but got used to it quickly. The single rear lens felt like a downgrade, but I don't use the telephoto enough to feel a real loss. I used the XR for a couple months before I handed it to a family member as a I strongly prefer the Max sized screens.

In short:

Camera - I don't feel you lose a lot without telephoto, but I would strongly recommend an iPhone 11. The ultra-wide is useful in many situations.

Display - Never noticed the PPI difference. Notice the slightly smaller display, but get used to it quickly.

3D Touch - I hardly used it during the iPhone 7 era and iOS 13 completely killed it. No loss there.

Overall - Fits in the back pocket a lot better than 7 Plus.

That's all good to know! The XS Max at the 256GB capacity that I want is currently available refurbished at Apple, but it's a good $300 more than what I'd spend on the 256GB XR refurbished at Apple. I've thought about getting one, but (a) at that point, I might as well bite the bullet and get the 256GB 11 brand new at that point (and I'm not doing that primarily out of cost and because I still want to do a more substantial upgrade in a year or two when this body style [and the new technologies under the hood] mature more).

 

[glenthompson]

I went from a 6s+ to a XR. Like the size of the XR better. My wife has a XS Max and the screen is slightly better and the camera is way better. I didn’t need the better camera and liked saving a few bucks.

 

[pdxmatts]

That's all good to know! The XS Max at the 256GB capacity that I want is currently available refurbished at Apple, but it's a good $300 more than what I'd spend on the 256GB XR refurbished at Apple. I've thought about getting one, but (a) at that point, I might as well bite the bullet and get the 256GB 11 brand new at that point (and I'm not doing that primarily out of cost and because I still want to do a more substantial upgrade in a year or two when this body style [and the new technologies under the hood] mature more).

What carrier are you with? T-Mobile is giving a $530 trade in for the 7+ when you upgrade to a new phone on a 30 installment plan. ATT is giving $350. Just a thought as you may be able to get the iPhone 12 for the price of an older refurb.

 

[Yebubbleman]

I went from a 6s+ to a XR. Like the size of the XR better. My wife has a XS Max and the screen is slightly better and the camera is way better. I didn’t need the better camera and liked saving a few bucks.

Considering how much I miss the 6s Plus I had before I switched to a 7 Plus, I'm definitely considering the angle of how it is compared to that phone as well. I think my main fears are with the loss of the 7 Plus's telephoto lens, and the loss of both phones' 1080p screen. I'm not huge on the rounded corners and non-rectangular display, but that's pretty much gone on all smartphones industry-wide; plus, again, I'm not likely to watch media where an odd display shape actually matters. I have an iPad for that kind of task. All in all, where those things bothered me when the X, XR, and XS Max were new, I've since come to terms with it and just want to get off my 7 Plus already.

What carrier are you with? T-Mobile is giving a $530 trade in for the 7+ when you upgrade to a new phone on a 30 installment plan. ATT is giving $350. Just a thought as you may be able to get the iPhone 12 for the price of an older refurb.

I'm on Verizon and don't really have any immediate need to switch. Plus, I'm on the verge of filling up my 7 Plus, which is a 128GB model, so a 256GB model would be preferred for the extra headroom. If I could snag that kind of a deal, I might still have pause for reliability concerns. But if they had the kind of deal where I could trade in my 128GB 7 Plus for a 256GB 11 for the cost of the 256GB refurbished XR ($550), I'd definitely consider it strongly.

 

[tatsuki]

I have the iPhone 11 came from a 6+ the slightly lower resolution isn't visible imho. My only dislike with this phone is the narrow screen, compared to the old Plus screen you lose some width on pages. I have a S8+ from samsung as a work phone and it's obvious moving phones, I probably notice it more because I use two different phones during the day, if I only had the 11 I would have gotten more used to it.
Everything else on the 11 is amazing crazy battery, great camera, fast processor. And I think the XR and 11 are pretty similar (I briefly had an XR and really liked it, but decided to wait another year and returned it)

 

[kanga1622]

DH moved from 7+ to XR about 18 months ago. He has had no issues and been happy with the switch. It fit better in pockets so he has enjoyed that.