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WhyLifeIs4

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jan 7, 2026
11
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Hello, I have been using the iPhone XR since 2018 and it is on its last leg. The battery capacity is 77% and it only charges at an angle. I am curious what you all think about me upgrading. Thank you!
 
Absolutely go for it! The base 17 is one of the best iPhones in recent memory — it will be a seriously awesome upgrade

  • Better and brighter display w/ProMotion & Always-On
  • Faster chip
  • Bigger battery
  • Insane camera upgrade front and back
  • 5G support
  • More RAM
  • Action Button
  • Dynamic Island
  • USB-C
  • MagSafe charging
  • Satellite SOS
  • Car Crash Detection
 
The iPhone 17 has got to be considered as the best value iPhone of all time. They could have skimped on the display, but they didnt (it’s identical to the 17 Pro). Go for it OP you wont regret it.
 
Yes, I upgraded a family member from XR to 17. The camera quality is the biggest difference. The XR was great, but getting quite laggy on iOS 18.
 
Absolutely go for it! The base 17 is one of the best iPhones in recent memory — it will be a seriously awesome upgrade

  • Better and brighter display w/ProMotion & Always-On
  • Faster chip
  • Bigger battery
  • Insane camera upgrade front and back
  • 5G support
  • More RAM
  • Action Button
  • Dynamic Island
  • USB-C
  • MagSafe charging
  • Satellite SOS
  • Car Crash Detection
Don't forget Dynamic Island. I thought this was completely superfluous at first, but I find myself getting useful info from it all the time.
 
Hello, I have been using the iPhone XR since 2018 and it is on its last leg. The battery capacity is 77% and it only charges at an angle. I am curious what you all think about me upgrading. Thank you!

Upgrading from a XR will be huge. There will be so many changes, everything is simply much better on a new iPhone 17 with bigger battery, better and bigger screen, hugely improved cameras, 5G and the general speed improvements due to the new chip. There is also MagSafe which is really useful.

Overall there is nothing to think about, just simply purchase the base 17. It is a great iPhone. My mum has one. This year’s base iPhone is so good that the only reason to recommend getting a Pro/Pro Max is for the zoom lens and the bigger screen (of Pro Max). Otherwise it is the best base iPhone in years and cannot go wrong in purchasing one.


The base iPhone 17 will last for many years to come. Will easily recommend buying it.
 
Definitely time for an upgrade. It would cost more to repair the XR than to replace it at this point.
 
It's up to you. If you want to also repair the XR and keep it as a trophy/collectors item, do it, or not if you don't want to

your money, your rules
 
Hello, I have been using the iPhone XR since 2018 and it is on its last leg. The battery capacity is 77% and it only charges at an angle. I am curious what you all think about me upgrading. Thank you!
A few things:

First about your XR. 77% isn't bad at all. Typically when devices start to only charge at an angle, it has to do with the charge port being dirty. You should try to clean it out. I find a wooden toothpick is a pretty good tool for that.

Second, I agree with others. The base 17 is an amazing value. I'm still shocked they put as much in as they did and didn't charge more for it.

Third, you didn't really say what your use is or preferences are. You might be better suited with a different phone, but if you think the 17 is the right one based on the current line up, then I say to go for it.
 
I would say yes, an upgrade from an XR will be noticeable in some ways. I wonder how noticeable it will be though ultimately. I had an XR that did not live up to the water resistance and completely died after water go into my kayaks dray pocket. I replaced it with an 11. Only I noticed there was the camera improvement. I changed a few years after to that to a 13 that I got through work and handed down the 11 to my mom. Again only big change I noticed was the camera. This year I went to a 17 pro max and would you believe that only big change I really notice is the camera? I never had issues with websites loading, YouTube playing videos or some basic gaming. I am sure things load somewhat faster but I was never sitting ages waiting for anything to load before. A lot will obviously be what you do with your iPhone. I can imagine if I was using iMovie and GarageBand or more taxing apps I would see a difference. Day to day use of the browser, YouTube and a simple game or two has not felt like a massive upgrade from the 13. Now the battery is definitely better. I am sure it will be more noticeable going right from the XR to the 17 opposed to my slightly more gradual change. Don't expect anything world changing.
 
I would say yes, an upgrade from an XR will be noticeable in some ways. I wonder how noticeable it will be though ultimately. I had an XR that did not live up to the water resistance and completely died after water go into my kayaks dray pocket. I replaced it with an 11. Only I noticed there was the camera improvement. I changed a few years after to that to a 13 that I got through work and handed down the 11 to my mom. Again only big change I noticed was the camera. This year I went to a 17 pro max and would you believe that only big change I really notice is the camera? I never had issues with websites loading, YouTube playing videos or some basic gaming. I am sure things load somewhat faster but I was never sitting ages waiting for anything to load before. A lot will obviously be what you do with your iPhone. I can imagine if I was using iMovie and GarageBand or more taxing apps I would see a difference. Day to day use of the browser, YouTube and a simple game or two has not felt like a massive upgrade from the 13. Now the battery is definitely better. I am sure it will be more noticeable going right from the XR to the 17 opposed to my slightly more gradual change. Don't expect anything world changing.
The screen alone should be a big noticeable upgrade for the OP, going from 60hz LCD to OLED with full fat Promotion 120 hz and very slim bezels. 17 is also smaller and lighter than the XR even though it has a larger 6.3” screen, not to mention significantly better battery life. So big quality of life upgrades for sure.
 
Have you decided yet? There is no question that the iPhone 17 is leaps and bounds better than the XR, and it will be a fantastic upgrade!

Cameras, screen, battery life & performance are a substantial leap.

Here’s some specs from the compare iPhone models on Apples website.

IMG_6414.jpeg

IMG_6413.jpeg

IMG_6415.jpeg


IMG_6410.jpeg

IMG_6412.jpeg

IMG_6411.jpeg
 
That's an easy yes and you'll see an enormous upgrade from the phone you have. The iPhone 17 base is perhaps the best iPhone this year for what you get for the money. It is better in spec than the Air and £200 cheaper, I'd say it is a no-brainer.
 
I recently upgraded from an SE 2020 to the 17 Pro. The SE was fine. It met all my needs, but this was a “you’re 80 years old, treat yourself“ purchase, and a local provider had excellent plans available, so I made the switch. I must say I am enjoying the upgrade. The smoothness of every operation, the Face ID, the superior Find My capabilities, the extended battery life, mag safe, CarPlay performs so much better… nothing really earth-shattering but so many little improvements that make it more enjoyable to use on a daily basis. Unless you are really into mobile photography, I would not go with a 17 Pro, but I would definitely recommend upgrading to the 17.
 
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iphone 13 mini vs. 17. $300 vs $800. i use my phone in physical work environments, and as much as the 17 is a great phone, i would hate to damage it, so think a 13 mini might be the best option for a while. by then, the 17 will be in the apple refurb store.
 
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