I know, the screen estate seems almost identical, but the body appears so much more clumsy and bigger to hold than the X..
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iPhone XR X to XR owners - impressions
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I’m copying some text from earlier post of mine from another thread...
Going from a X to a XR can make absolute sense for a number of reasons and I happily “downgraded” to a XR from a X. Here are some of mine:
Going from a X to a XR can make absolute sense for a number of reasons and I happily “downgraded” to a XR from a X. Here are some of mine:
- Camera is awesome. Took some videos at a club last night for a Halloween party, inside and outside the venue, and was quite impressed. I lose the ability to portrait objects other than humans as well as quality of zoom, but I gain a higher quality single camera, bokeh effect, depth control, and stereo recording.
- Smaller GUI elements; everything is a bit tinier on the XR versus the X, which gives the home screen more breathing room and I find it easier to type on the keyboard.
- Faster Face ID
- Cheaper, including AppleCare+
- The colors. I love my white XR!
- Super loud speakers. Louder than the X.
- Better battery life
- Faster processor
- I prefer the aluminum frame over the stainless steel build. I think it looks super sleek, feels good, and it matches all my other Apple products.
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I can’t rave enough on how good the iPhone X/XS feels in the hand. The glass, the curvature, I know it’s an expensive phone, but it certainly feels like an expensive phone and that much I can appreciate upgrading from the aluminum from the previous Gen iPhones.
It’s not about the screen being bigger, but the XR and Max having a higher point resolution. The Display Zoom on the XR and Max essentially emulates the point resolution of the X/XS. There isn’t a smaller iPhone with the same aspect ratio as the X/XS that Display Zoom could be based off of.
Yes I understand that. I wonder if Apple could have made up a slightly taller point size based off iPhone 5 with 320 wide and a bit taller height (even if there was no physical phone this size)? Probably too much work for them to do for the few people that would use display zoom on the X or XS.
You doubt that the typical consumer would be aware that a bigger screen would contain more information? That would require a tremendous amount of stupidity.....
The last few customers I overheard speaking to the Apple reps just wanted the cheapest iPhone to
replace their old broken ones. They definitely were not concerned with how much info displays on the screen LOL.
I was thinking that as well as I typed that reply. Only issue though is it would be a new point resolution (no current phone with it) and as such no apps would be defined for it. Good thought though on using the 5/SE with 320 width but extending the height.
Got a blue XR this morning and have had an X since it came out.
Quick observations:
- color/contrast of the X is superior, not by a ton but it's there. Most noticeably the blue/green of text bubbles is very washed out in the XR vs the X. Blacks are actually not as bad as I thought they'd be on the XR esp considering the X has 1m to 1 contrast ratio vs 1400 to 1. The XR impressed me by how nice of a screen it has, tested many videos, side-by-side, etc. The most blaring differences I found in high quality videos were the X had a splash more color/contrast/sharpness and the clarity of background details was more apparent. Not a deal breaker but you could see the difference. If you don't have both phones though, you'd never know or fault the XR.
- with true tone on and same level brightness my X had a considerable yellow hue vs the XR which was fairly more white.
- had no trouble using the XR with one-hand and I have normal sized hands
- weight a bit more than the X but less than the Xs so I feel it's a good balance
- XR is slower to lock when you press the power button
- Speed seems pretty similar between the two, opening apps, etc.
- I have bad eyesight so the screen/keyboard size is perfect for me
- loved the inclusion of Display Zoom on the XR, I feel they should include it for every model
- the colors are all so pastel-ish, I feel they will release more colors ie metallic, etc and I'll be pissed
Power support needs to get their hardshell frosted matte cases out asap I hate the feel of clear cases as they get grimmy and greasy!
Quick observations:
- color/contrast of the X is superior, not by a ton but it's there. Most noticeably the blue/green of text bubbles is very washed out in the XR vs the X. Blacks are actually not as bad as I thought they'd be on the XR esp considering the X has 1m to 1 contrast ratio vs 1400 to 1. The XR impressed me by how nice of a screen it has, tested many videos, side-by-side, etc. The most blaring differences I found in high quality videos were the X had a splash more color/contrast/sharpness and the clarity of background details was more apparent. Not a deal breaker but you could see the difference. If you don't have both phones though, you'd never know or fault the XR.
- with true tone on and same level brightness my X had a considerable yellow hue vs the XR which was fairly more white.
- had no trouble using the XR with one-hand and I have normal sized hands
- weight a bit more than the X but less than the Xs so I feel it's a good balance
- XR is slower to lock when you press the power button
- Speed seems pretty similar between the two, opening apps, etc.
- I have bad eyesight so the screen/keyboard size is perfect for me
- loved the inclusion of Display Zoom on the XR, I feel they should include it for every model
- the colors are all so pastel-ish, I feel they will release more colors ie metallic, etc and I'll be pissed
Power support needs to get their hardshell frosted matte cases out asap I hate the feel of clear cases as they get grimmy and greasy!
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Actually after doing some more comparison tests and tweaking my X screen in the display accommodations, my XR is boxed up and ready to be returned. It's a great phone for many, but I still think the form factor and the screen of the X is still better for me. I knew I was on the fence but I went into it with an open mind. Definitely color me impressed by the XR as it does a lot of things well, I"m just an OLED guy through and through and once you see those inky infinite blacks, the contrast, and sharpness, it's hard to accept anything less than that when I'm going to be staring at that screen so much. I also found the speed of the X and XR very comparable I found they were basically equal in opening apps, etc.
Thanks for posting your observations. Not questioning what you saw, but the first thing I noticed on my XR is that the green message bubbles of from a friend who uses Android are a deep, rich green on my XR, not the lighter, more washed-out (not quite the accurate term) of my 6s.
I think you made a wise choice to keep the X. Had I invested in a X, I would probably be hard pressed to go to the XR, thought display zoom on the XR is a feature that I really appreciate. I just wouldn't want to take a loss financially. Regardless, the X is a great phone, and you doubtlessly made a good choice for you after being open to a comparison.
Thanks for your input I wonder if I needed to tinker with the display accommodations on the XR I found it odd that the text bubbles were so very washed out. I had been comparing both screens with true tone off/on and with the same brightness. The improvements to my X screen were substantial when I went into the Color Tint to get the yellow hue I had lived with for so long, gone. I really was impressed by the XR screen just as a whole I felt it wasn't a necessary switch.
One thing I wanted to mention on size/weight was both the max and XR seemed fine when I handled them in the store naked (the phone, not me). However once I slapped on glass protectors and even minimalist cases, they got considerably heavier. I find I get "pinky fatigue" from holding both after a good while, and I do go down rabbit holes on my phone ending up spending like an hour watching someone review phone cases or a parrot who swears like a sailor. I think the X is that weighted balance that didn't cause my pinky to hurt like the max or XR would. I actually would look at my pinky and see a dent in it from using the heavier phones. I personally am not a consistent user of wireless charging and miss the all aluminum body days when things were lighter.
I understand about the size/weight. I was setting up and getting acquainted with the XR yesterday and thought, "This isn't very heavy or big." Then I just a glass screen protector and a Spigen [no, not "Spine," but thanks anyway, Autocorrect!] Neo-Hyrid case on it. Yep--it "grew"! I'm fine with two-handed operating of it, though. I like the larger display and the screen settings "as is," with TrueTone enabled. The deep, rich green of the text bubble still gets my attention.
It's good to have choices, isn't it?
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Thanks both - I've been after this sort of feedback to make my mind up about whether to keep my XR or swap it back for the XS. I have been wondering whether I will eventually adapt to the XR coming from the 6S, but as it's already heavier and clumsier to use, once a case is added, I was doubting whether it will get more comfortable and natural to use. You've given me the answer.
I traded my X back in for the XR.
I liked the X size better. I think the steel is better than the aluminum. The screen on the X is def better (the resolution and the blacks)
Even still, I am happy with the XR. The fonts looked a little bad compared to my X and I realized it was smaller; after sizing the font up a bit, it looks much better. I find the camera IQ to be better as I didn't use the zoom lens that much anyways.
Overall, the X is better than the XR, but when taking the cost into account I would choose the XR every time.
I liked the X size better. I think the steel is better than the aluminum. The screen on the X is def better (the resolution and the blacks)
Even still, I am happy with the XR. The fonts looked a little bad compared to my X and I realized it was smaller; after sizing the font up a bit, it looks much better. I find the camera IQ to be better as I didn't use the zoom lens that much anyways.
Overall, the X is better than the XR, but when taking the cost into account I would choose the XR every time.