iPhone 7/Plus Upgrade from an iPhone 7?

[Clix Pix]

Loving my iPhone X here! I adored my jet black iPhone 7 Plus, too, but really, the X is just an amazing and fun iPhone and I am delighted with it. I'd thought that Face ID might be an issue....it's not. Swiping gestures are very intuitive and I don't miss the Home Button at all. Camera is terrific, the iPhone X is fast, fast, FAST in everything it does. What's not to love? I am fortunate that I am not experiencing any vision or eye issues with it, no headaches, etc.

 

[BJB Productions]

Last year, I had been considering upgrading to the 2017 iPhone because it's the 10th anniversary model. However, I just couldn't get over the X's notch and all the changes seem way too "beta tester" to me. The 8 just wasn't worth losing the $27/mo credit on my iPhone 7.

That's where I'm on the fence, too. I know the screen in incredible, but the other features are definitely in their infancy.

 

[victoriani]

Just got the iPhone X yesterday and it’s definitely worth upgrading from the 7. It’s a beautiful iPhone and an accumulation of all of the designs over the years from Apple. A fitting device to celebrate ten years of the iPhone. The camera is amazing and finally, so happy to have the same features as the Plus users! 😀

 

[newellj]

That's where I'm on the fence, too. I know the screen in incredible, but the other features are definitely in their infancy.

I am finishing up week 3 with this thing. As you know, I have some irritations and a few complaints. I had some irritations and a few complaints with my iPhone 7, too. They're mostly different between the two. 😉 Having said that, though, I really don't think "in their infancy" is at all fair. On the contrary, even if you or I decide we don't really like them, I think that both the hardware and the software of the X is truly remarkably polished for a first generation product. There is really no sense in which you can say that this is a half-baked, rushed-to-market, v.0.9 beta product. Or to put it differently, if I'd been on one of the teams that worked on the X, I'd be damned proud to tell people what I had done.

Not trying to jump down your throat, but I did want to offer a different view based on living with this thing for three weeks.

Oh, and as a progress report, I think I've finally got the draw-and-shoot routine down for ApplePay on the X. That was one of my leading frustrations and I think I've worked it out after a couple of weeks of being annoyed by the change.

 

[rockitdog]

This is different for everyone. The iPhone X pricetag is tough for me to swallow since there are Androids that bring as much or more to the table for less money. Is it worth $200 more than the 8 Plus? For me the answer is no. $200 to send Animojis isn't worth it to me. I would like to have OIS but it's not a $200 feature for me. I'm also not big on the weird aspect ratio. I love having a 16x9 display - no awkward black bars when watching videos or ugly notch either. I feel like the 8 Plus is the best all around package. That being said, it's not worth upgrading if you have a 7/7 Plus. I'd save the money, the upgrade from the 7/7Plus is an incremental upgrade - not a major one.

 

[eoblaed]

Has anyone upgraded from their iPhone 7? I have my X delivery sitting on my desk and I'm debating if it's worth it (price). Are you happy with your upgrade?

My main draw for upgrading is camera. I'm a photographer and sometimes I just can't haul my DSLR around. I don't care much about animoji and that stuff. FaceID does have a draw since I work in extremely cold conditions often and wear gloves. I also typically like to resell my unlocked phone every year or two while it still has a decent battery.

Thanks!

I upgraded from my 7 Plus.

Got my X on launch day and haven't regretted it for even a second.

 

[BJB Productions]

This is different for everyone. The iPhone X pricetag is tough for me to swallow since there are Androids that bring as much or more to the table for less money. Is it worth $200 more than the 8 Plus? For me the answer is no. $200 to send Animojis isn't worth it to me. I would like to have OIS but it's not a $200 feature for me. I'm also not big on the weird aspect ratio. I love having a 16x9 display - no awkward black bars when watching videos or ugly notch either. I feel like the 8 Plus is the best all around package. That being said, it's not worth upgrading if you have a 7/7 Plus. I'd save the money, the upgrade from the 7/7Plus is an incremental upgrade - not a major one.

That's how I'm feeling. Sure, I'd love all the features... if it was $200 less. Will the price go down in future versions? I doubt it, it's selling like hot cakes. Will I eventually end up getting an X? most likely, I'm just not sure which year.

 

[rockitdog]

That's how I'm feeling. Sure, I'd love all the features... if it was $200 less. Will the price go down in future versions? I doubt it, it's selling like hot cakes. Will I eventually end up getting an X? most likely, I'm just not sure which year.

I think Apple is more likely to release lower costing iPhones Xs along side of their flagship devices, like they did with the 5c. I’m fine with LCD, I don’t need OLED.

 

[44267547]

I think Apple is more likely to release lower costing iPhones Xs along side of their flagship devices, like they did with the 5c. I’m fine with LCD, I don’t need OLED.

The only strongly rumored LCD iPhone is to debut along side the iPhone X in 2018 is a 6.1 LCD display to adopt Face ID. My guess is that will be one of the last year's for LCD panels from Apple, as they likely will migrate all OLED panels eventually.

 

[DeepIn2U]

To the OP ... you're a photographer but consider not just the internal camera's on the back (sure Bokeh effect) but also 3rd party add-ons to improve teh camera. None yet for the X many for the iPhone X.

I think the new form factor alone is a significant upgrade over the iPhone 7 with larger display in a smaller casing. The iPhone X takes really nice pictures. But with Face ID, you might appreciate that more because it will unlock if you're wearing a hat and you don't have to worry about taking your gloves off as you would with touch ID.

iPhone 7 is smaller than the iPhone X by both dimensions and weight. "larger display" and resolution is in favour of the iPhone X though, not the case.

https://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone2=8858&idPhone1=8064

Dimensions:
iPhone 7
138.3 x 67.1 x 7.1 mm (5.44 x 2.64 x 0.28 in)
iPhone X
143.6 x 70.9 x 7.7 mm (5.65 x 2.79 x 0.30 in)

Weight:
iPhone 7
138 g (4.87 oz)
iPhone X
174 g (6.14 oz)

My main reason (aside from camera) for swapping now is I generally like to get top dollar for my phones when I resell. Looking at what the 6s vs the 7 are going for right now, it's probably only a $200 difference if I was to sell in a year, but it's still something to consider. However, I'm worried if I wait another year, my 7s battery will be shot and it could have other issues. It's already pretty slow but it's probably due for a software restore anyway.

I've yet to use an iPhone beyond the 3GS that had battery issues beyond 1 year (as in charge capacity and longevity vs brand new). I'd not worry too much about it.

My plan ... I'm keeping the iPhone 7 256GB that I have. I'm not a shutter bug but I'm starting to learn about the camera. Should the camera quality in pictures be as good as I've seen personally from the iPhone 6s to the 7 as the X is to the 7 then I'll upgrade next year.

my 256GB matte black is no longer made, and with AppleCare+ if Apple cannot replace it in a timely manner I'm betting on an upgrade to the 8 (256GB Space Grey); hopefully! Still I'll get a decent resale value on the 7 in comparison to the 8 even if no wireless charging considering barely any speed differences from Apple for the X/8 on wireless vs lightning cable. The only benefit in terms of charging is 5V lightning cable and that is only a 10-20% margin. More fragile frame same design ... I'll take my chances.

 

[BJB Productions]

I opened up the X today and I think I'm pretty certain I won't be keeping it. I just can't justify the price. What actually bothered me the most was not being able to easily unlock the phone while it's sitting on my desk. I have to align my face right over the phone if I want it to unlock. I'm sure this will be improved upon each year. The screen, of course, is amazing but not a necessity. Oh, also no battery percentage drives me bonkers! That could easily be added back in a software update.

I'll either stick with my 7 for another year or maybe get an 8. My main concern is if my 7 will make it another year. It's already pretty slow but I haven't tried a restore which might fix it.

 

[newellj]

Something that I did the other day might be worth trying. I rescanned my face, holding the phone as far away as possible. My face was fairly small in the scanning circle. This has seemed to improve the angles at which FaceID recognizes me. It has been better in desktop situations, for example. I still have the attention awareness features turned on in settings, but you could try turning those off if you're interested.

 

[Clix Pix]

My iPhone X is on a stand when on my desk, and when a message comes in or an email, it's a simple matter for me to glance over at it, and FaceID immediately does its magic and unlocks the device for me so that I can read the message previews before deciding whether or not to read the full email or message.

 

[BJB Productions]

My iPhone X is on a stand when on my desk, and when a message comes in or an email, it's a simple matter for me to glance over at it, and FaceID immediately does its magic and unlocks the device for me so that I can read the message previews before deciding whether or not to read the full email or message.

That's nice, I would definitely consider a stand in the future. I do wish you could set it to open to the home screen without swiping up if desired.

 

[Clix Pix]

Ever since I bought the very first iPhone back in 2007 I've always kept my iPhones propped up on a stand while at home. Yes, it would be nice if we could simply have the thing open up to the Home Screen immediately without the need to swipe up.....but, hey, it's still a less cumbersome process than having to press the home button and then having to type in a passcode on one's phone or iPad.

 

[newellj]

Ever since I bought the very first iPhone back in 2007 I've always kept my iPhones propped up on a stand while at home. Yes, it would be nice if we could simply have the thing open up to the Home Screen immediately without the need to swipe up.....but, hey, it's still a less cumbersome process than having to press the home button and then having to type in a passcode on one's phone or iPad.

But TouchID, you just touch or press the Home button, depending on whether the phone or iPad needs to be woken up. I agree with you on FaceID (the desire to skip the upswipe), but given the way the phone operates I haven't really thought of a good alternative. Not that anyone pays me to do things like that, but I have thought about whether there would have been a better way, given the hardware. 😉

 

[Clix Pix]

I never had very good luck with Touch ID and finally gave up using it altogether, so was not excited about the idea of Face ID, figuring that it probably would not work out well for me, either -- and was I surprised! It is MUCH more effective for me than Touch ID ever was.

 

[BJB Productions]

I never had very good luck with Touch ID and finally gave up using it altogether, so was not excited about the idea of Face ID, figuring that it probably would not work out well for me, either -- and was I surprised! It is MUCH more effective for me than Touch ID ever was.

Interesting. I have pretty small fingers. First gen TouchID was slow and not always accurate. Second gen changed everything for me. It's still not perfect but when it works, it's great.

 

[newellj]

Interesting. I have pretty small fingers. First gen TouchID was slow and not always accurate. Second gen changed everything for me. It's still not perfect but when it works, it's great.

I agree that the second gen TouchID was a game-changer. Much, much faster and for me, it never missed - like never, but my skin has become relatively dry and my hands don't tend to be wet when I'm using my phone.

It makes you wonder if Apple will be able to make similar gains in FaceID over the next couple of years?

 

[Acrophobiax]

Has anyone upgraded from their iPhone 7? I have my X delivery sitting on my desk and I'm debating if it's worth it (price). Are you happy with your upgrade?

My main draw for upgrading is camera. I'm a photographer and sometimes I just can't haul my DSLR around. I don't care much about animoji and that stuff. FaceID does have a draw since I work in extremely cold conditions often and wear gloves. I also typically like to resell my unlocked phone every year or two while it still has a decent battery.

Thanks!

Honestly, people who are thinking about upgrading from an iPhone 7 to an iPhone 8 shouldn’t upgrade, it’s a waste of money, the camera qualities look almost the same not to mention the performance which i literally can not tell a difference. An upgrade would be if you’re going from like an iphone 6/6s to the iphone 8 or the 7 or the iphone 5/5s to the iphone 7/8. Now if you’re going from the iPhone 7 to the iPhone 8 Plus or the X that’s a small upgrade, with the 8 Plus you’d be getting portrait mode with portrait lighting, with the X you’d be getting a completely different iphone. Just to wrap up, if you’re going from the 7 to the 8, don’t waste your time or money, just wait until next year for a newer version of the iphone x with improved cameras and the A12 processor.
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Honestly, people who are thinking about upgrading from an iPhone 7 to an iPhone 8 shouldn’t upgrade, it’s a waste of money, the camera qualities look almost the same not to mention the performance which i literally can not tell a difference. An upgrade would be if you’re going from like an iphone 6/6s to the iphone 8 or the 7 or the iphone 5/5s to the iphone 7/8. Now if you’re going from the iPhone 7 to the iPhone 8 Plus or the X that’s a small upgrade, with the 8 Plus you’d be getting portrait mode with portrait lighting, with the X you’d be getting a completely different iphone. Just to wrap up, if you’re going from the 7 to the 8, don’t waste your time or money, just wait until next year for a newer version of the iphone x with improved cameras and the A12 processor. But anyways, enjoy your iPhone X, if you feel as if you’re not getting your money’s worth, just switch to the iPhone 8 Plus, you’d still be getting the portrait mode and portrait lighting-DSLR effects! 🙂

 

[thesaint024]

That's nice, I would definitely consider a stand in the future. I do wish you could set it to open to the home screen without swiping up if desired.

I did the 7 to X upgrade, and I'm personally pleased. But I'm surprised to hear that your 7 is slowing down already. I had zero complaints about my 7 up until I started using the X. It was snappy and I felt REALLY guilty about buying a new phone when the 7 was working so well. One of my main reasons for upgrading like clockwork at least every 2 years is because of the camera. I'm really appreciating the small improvements in video (stabilization) and the zoom for stills (only plus previously). The zoom allows for that portrait mode that I don't use much, but when I do, I'm really impressed. I rarely pull out the DSLR anymore. Of course for the tough lighting or action situations, DSLR's have no equal, but I'm using the iPhone for 95%+ of my pics because I always have it on my person. I like the camera improvements, but the 7 is great too. I personally think pictures are priceless, so it always justifies an upgrade. YMMV. Something's not right with your 7 as a one year old phone. Hopefully a reset fixes whatever it is.

 

[44267547]

I agree that the second gen TouchID was a game-changer. Much, much faster and for me, it never missed - like never, but my skin has become relatively dry and my hands don't tend to be wet when I'm using my phone.

It makes you wonder if Apple will be able to make similar gains in FaceID over the next couple of years?

The one thing I want to personally mention, I know many have complained about touch ID does not work when your fingers are wet, but my fingers are never wet when I use touch ID on my iPhone. I guess I just have never had that experience where I have a reason to touch my iPhone if my hands are wet or damp, so touch ID was never an issue for me in that area.

In reference to your second part of your post about how Face ID will improve over the next couple years. I don't necessarily think it improve upon speed when unlocking the iPhone, which it could and likely will, but I don't see that being a major concern. I do however believe it will improve based on how the machine learning process and Face ID adapts to more positions with the face in becoming more successful when unlocking the iPhone. (Laying down for example.)

 

[newellj]

Having owned this X for almost a month now, and still having my 7 around and using it for everything but cell-connected activity and Apple Watch pairing, I still feel both phones and the tech they represent are great. One of the things that is really striking is how polarized a lot of the discussion about the X tends to be. The display, the gestures, FaceID vs. TouchID, etc. Half the population of iPhone users seems to be about to die over the X, and when you listen to the other half, you wonder how they ever managed to live with all the limitations of the iPhone.

 

[x-evil-x]

I had the 7+ and got put on the yearly upgrade program with it. No way in hell I would of got a 8+ from a 7+. The X was a really nice upgrade for just a year release. All around its a much much better phone.
Also, Ios 11 slowed down my 7+ a lot I just did the upgrade on it.
I started fresh on the X with no backups and the phone is blazing fast.

 

[BJB Productions]

Having owned this X for almost a month now, and still having my 7 around and using it for everything but cell-connected activity and Apple Watch pairing, I still feel both phones and the tech they represent are great. One of the things that is really striking is how polarized a lot of the discussion about the X tends to be. The display, the gestures, FaceID vs. TouchID, etc. Half the population of iPhone users seems to be about to die over the X, and when you listen to the other half, you wonder how they ever managed to live with all the limitations of the iPhone.

As I mentioned, the main reason for me upgrading is the camera. I can't always take my DSLR everywhere I go. If this phone were to have a kickbutt camera FAR superior of it's predecessors, I would buy it in a heartbeat.

I admit it's a lovely phone; there's no denying that. But I can't help personally feel there's just not quite enough there to justify the price. I feel like things could get a lot better if I wait two years. Of course things will ALWAYS be getting better every year; but after doing some camera testing, I could barely even tell the difference between my iPhone 7 and the X on my Mac comparing both images. Low light the X did do moderately better; but it's such a incremental difference.

I really like the design of the 8; and my only reason for upgrading now would be to fetch a better price for our 7s. If history repeats itself, they'll be around $150-200 next year vs this year $400-450.

One of my main reasons for upgrading like clockwork at least every 2 years is because of the camera.
I personally think pictures are priceless, so it always justifies an upgrade. YMMV. Something's not right with your 7 as a one year old phone. Hopefully a reset fixes whatever it is.

Exactly!