iPhone XS Max XR to XS Max?

[apolloa]

Ok, so I’m after some advice. I’ve had my XR 128GB since launch. It’s a nice phone, but some things annoy me about it, I had a 6S and used 3D Touch a lot, I have been missing it on the XR.
And the shadow you get around the edge of the screen annoys me, particularly around the notch on sites like this one, it’s due to the manufacturing process of the display as I understand.
And that I can’t take portrait photos of my dog.

So I’ve been considering changing to a Max. My only concern is jumping to an even bigger device, however as much as I do love the small phones, having used a big screen phone now it really is very useful. So I’d want a Max.

I could only afford the 64GB one, but currently I’ve only used 48GB of my XR’s 128GB and can remove some games I don’t play to increase that.

Has anyone else gone from the XR to the Max, if so why did you do so and how was the experience?

I can get a discount on it from a family members work. Only about £137 but better then nothing.

Would I be mad to do this, or would I be happier? I actually don’t see me wanting to upgrade again for a while as to me, this years iPhones are pretty much perfect.

So what would you do?

 

[Shanghaichica]

No. I think if you can get a discount and you’ve identified features of the max that you want then I think you should go for it.

I’m biased though as I’m on team Max.

 

[mjschabow]

If you want to take portraits mode pics of your dog, use the camera app Halide. It’s amazing.

Also be prepared to sacrifice battery life. The XR wins in that category.

 

[apolloa]

If you want to take portraits mode pics of your dog, use the camera app Halide. It’s amazing.

Also be prepared to sacrifice battery life. The XR wins in that category.

Thank you for your suggestion, but I prefer to use Apple’s camera app as it’s easy to use and well integrated.
And I have heard about the battery life, but I think once dark mode comes in iOS 13 it’ll help with this.
[doublepost=1552338782][/doublepost]

No. I think if you can get a discount and you’ve identified features of the max that you want then I think you should go for it.

I’m biased though as I’m on team Max.

Did you have a Plus phone before the Max?

 

[Cladster]

And that I can’t rake portrait photos of my dog.

Halide

And the shadow you get around the edge of the screen, particularly around the notch on sites like this one, it’s due to the manufacturing process of the display as I understand.

Not seeing that on mine, faulty screen maybe?

Has anyone else gone from the XR to the Max, if so why did you do so and how was the experience?

I went the other way and pocketed $800.

Each to their own if you have cash to burn go for it, its not going to do anything much different your XR can do though.

I actually don’t see me wanting to upgrade again for a while as to me, this years iPhones are pretty much perfect.

Well there is Xs reception/wifi and stutter issues all over this and Apple discussion forums.
0 for the Xr.

 

[apolloa]

Halide



Not seeing that on mine, faulty screen maybe?



I went the other way and pocketed $800.

Each to their own if you have cash to burn go for it, its not going to do anything much different your XR can do though.



Well there is Xs reception/wifi and stutter issues all over this and Apple discussion forums.
0 for the Xr.

Nope the shadow issue has been reported by several others, and here in the UK we don’t seem to have any reception issues, if anything I’d say my XR is worst then my 6S was!
And how did you pocket $800 by choosing an XR over a Max?

 

[Cladster]

Nope the shadow issue has been reported by several others, and here in the UK we don’t seem to have any reception issues, if anything I’d say my XR is worst then my 6S was!
And how did you pocket $800 by choosing an XR over a Max?

Ok, first i have heard of any shadow issue with Xr, not seeing it myself. Here in Australia i am finding Xr has better reception and call quality than the XS max i had, similar to iPhone 8 which is a blue tick phone has and better reception in rural areas. Last one that had it was the 6S. I travel around a bit for work maybe in a city would be no difference.
I sold my Max 64gb for $1500 and got my Xr new for $700.

 

[StellarVixen]

OP, sounds to me like you are buying a phone as a long term investment. If so, I would get the XS Max, it will age better than XR.

My $0.02, it is not written in stone.

 

[apolloa]

Ok, first i have heard of any shadow issue with Xr, not seeing it myself. Here in Australia i am finding Xr has better reception and call quality than the XS max i had, similar to iPhone 8 which is a blue tick phone has and better reception in rural areas. Last one that had it was the 6S. I travel around a bit for work maybe in a city would be no difference.
I sold my Max 64gb for $1500 and got my Xr new for $700.

Thank you that makes sense how you saved money. You have to remember reception depends on the geography makeup and bands used by the carriers. One country is not the same as another. But it’s a valid point when you say your XR is better then your Max. Was that on the same carrier?
I’m going to change mine anyway as the one I’m with piggy backs off O2 which used to have a good signal, now it’s pretty poor. So I’m changing at some point to EE which is better.

OP, sounds to me like you are buying a phone as a long term investment. If so, I would get the XS Max, it will age better than XR.

My $0.02, it is not written in stone.

I’m hoping I’ll keep it a while. I truly can’t see a reason to change from this years models?

 

[StellarVixen]

Thank you that makes sense how you saved money. You have to remember reception depends on the geography makeup and bands used by the carriers. One country is not the same as another. But it’s a valid point when you say your XR is better then your Max. Was that on the same carrier?
I’m going to change mine anyway as the one I’m with piggy backs off O2 which used to have a good signal, now it’s pretty poor. So I’m changing at some point to EE which is better.



I’m hoping I’ll keep it a while. I truly can’t see a reason to change from this years models?

Depends. Maybe this year's models get something you wish (3 cameras, bidirectional inductive charging, faster FaceID, better SoC...etc)...


If you are person who does not see all of this as important...then I agree, there is no reason to change for at least two years if you get the XR or XS Max now.

 

[Cladster]

Thank you that makes sense how you saved money. You have to remember reception depends on the geography makeup and bands used by the carriers. One country is not the same as another. But it’s a valid point when you say your XR is better then your Max. Was that on the same carrier?

Yeah who knows, we have lots of black spots here, big country. Same carrier.

What i actually did was went back to a 8 first then the Xr deal came along on gumtree, it was a clean swap so couldn't pass it up.
[doublepost=1552341003][/doublepost]

I’m hoping I’ll keep it a while. I truly can’t see a reason to change from this years models?

I only buy off gumtree or ebay now, and will only buy new or near new, and only if price is at least $400 below retail.
This one is tempting, $400 off.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/1455-Br...rentrq:6ebb10251690ac1e66587df6ffede295|iid:1

 

[apolloa]

The other option I have is to see if this years XR gets a spec bump to an OLED screen. And if they ditch 3D Touch as that may mean better support for the half way house they’ve come up with in the XR.
[doublepost=1552341399][/doublepost]

Yeah who knows, we have lots of black spots here, big country. Same carrier.

What i actually did was went back to a 8 first then the Xr deal came along on gumtree, it was a clean swap so couldn't pass it up.
[doublepost=1552341003][/doublepost]

I only buy off gumtree or ebay now, and will only buy new or near new, and only if price is at least $400 below retail.
This one is tempting, $400 off.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/1455-Brand-New-iPhone-XS-64-GB-Space-Grey-Unlocked-AU-Stock/153411433755?_trkparms=aid=111001&algo=REC.SEED&ao=1&asc=56923&meid=a8b4073c62f14bd3bede7d95ad8dfa87&pid=100675&rk=1&rkt=15&sd=153411433755&itm=153411433755&_trksid=p2481888.c100675.m4236&_trkparms=pageci:7eb0bfbf-4447-11e9-9e9d-74dbd18040c3|parentrq:6ebb10251690ac1e66587df6ffede295|iid:1

400 dollars off! But in Australia that’s worth it as you do seem to be charged a LOT over there.
Did you find much difference in size between the XR and Max? Have you noticed the XR being easier to handle one handed?

 

[Cladster]

Did you find much difference in size between the XR and Max? Have you noticed the XR being easier to handle one handed?

Well its shorter and a bit lighter so yeah, max is a bit thinner though, why don't you just get one from Apple you have 14 days to try.

 

[apolloa]

Well its shorter and a bit lighter so yeah, max is a bit thinner though, why don't you just get one from Apple you have 14 days to try.

I may do, I’ve played with them enough in the stores and have to admit before I got the XR I played with the Max a lot, just felt it was too big, but having the XR I’ve kind got used to the bigger size, and I appreciate the bigger screen.

 

[Wide opeN]

I upgraded to the Xs Max from the Xs close to a month ago.

Size is no longer an issue and I've grown very fond of it. It makes me happy too, to know I have the very best that Apple has to offer. I paid cash for mine, so keeping it for 3 years minimum is mandatory.

I'm shifting my mindset and am going to start treating my phone like a car or house payment. Meaning, I'm done trying to keep up with the latest. I'll purchase the absolute best at a 3-5 year interval. It just makes sense...

So yeah, if you're like me I'd go ahead and get it, especially if it's discounted. Then fasten your seat belt and enjoy the device for the upgrade cycle of its remaining life.

 

[tt061282]

So here is my .02 cents. I have an iPhone X, XS Max and Xʀ. I do live in the United States.

That said... I choose my Xʀ daily over either of the other 2. My main reasons is battery life and the fact that the 6.1” screen is bigger than my old Plus models and just feels better in hand than my Max does.

Honestly there is nothing I miss from the Max. I don’t miss 3D Touch, but I never really used it. I used the other great Camera apps for Portrait Mode photos. I use these same apps on the Max and X too so I can’t miss Portrait Mode for “objects” or my pets. I find the A12 to be integrated better on my Xʀ than on my Max. Which may sound weird, but I believe it’s to do with the display. Now that I brought that up... I don’t worry about PPI this Or resolution that. That’s not all that makes a quality display. The only thing on my Xʀ that’s not more “vibrant” are the blacks. Other than that this “poultry” 326PPI “sub-1080p” display works great for me.

 

[bambooshots]

Ok, so I’m after some advice. I’ve had my XR 128GB since launch. It’s a nice phone, but some things annoy me about it, I had a 6S and used 3D Touch a lot, I have been missing it on the XR.
And the shadow you get around the edge of the screen annoys me, particularly around the notch on sites like this one, it’s due to the manufacturing process of the display as I understand.
And that I can’t take portrait photos of my dog.

So I’ve been considering changing to a Max. My only concern is jumping to an even bigger device, however as much as I do love the small phones, having used a big screen phone now it really is very useful. So I’d want a Max.

I could only afford the 64GB one, but currently I’ve only used 48GB of my XR’s 128GB and can remove some games I don’t play to increase that.

Has anyone else gone from the XR to the Max, if so why did you do so and how was the experience?

I can get a discount on it from a family members work. Only about £137 but better then nothing.

Would I be mad to do this, or would I be happier? I actually don’t see me wanting to upgrade again for a while as to me, this years iPhones are pretty much perfect.

So what would you do?

XS isn't an option for you?

 

[Cladster]

There is a reason Apple released the Xr after Xs max, not hard to figure out why.

 

[eyeseeyou]

And the shadow you get around the edge of the screen annoys me, particularly around the notch on sites like this one,

I didn’t notice that on my Xr but now that you mention it after looking very closely for a while I’m pretty sure I can now see a shadow...

 

[mjschabow]

So here is my .02 cents. I have an iPhone X, XS Max and Xʀ. I do live in the United States.

That said... I choose my Xʀ daily over either of the other 2. My main reasons is battery life and the fact that the 6.1” screen is bigger than my old Plus models and just feels better in hand than my Max does.

Honestly there is nothing I miss from the Max. I don’t miss 3D Touch, but I never really used it. I used the other great Camera apps for Portrait Mode photos. I use these same apps on the Max and X too so I can’t miss Portrait Mode for “objects” or my pets. I find the A12 to be integrated better on my Xʀ than on my Max. Which may sound weird, but I believe it’s to do with the display. Now that I brought that up... I don’t worry about PPI this Or resolution that. That’s not all that makes a quality display. The only thing on my Xʀ that’s not more “vibrant” are the blacks. Other than that this “poultry” 326PPI “sub-1080p” display works great for me.

Curious, aside from Halide, what other camera apps do you enjoy? I’m thinking about getting into some 3rd party camera apps for fun!

 

[apolloa]

So here is my .02 cents. I have an iPhone X, XS Max and Xʀ. I do live in the United States.

That said... I choose my Xʀ daily over either of the other 2. My main reasons is battery life and the fact that the 6.1” screen is bigger than my old Plus models and just feels better in hand than my Max does.

In what way dis it feel better, please explain further how you feel and handle the difference in sizes.

XS isn't an option for you?

I have thought about it, looked at it but I’ve got used to a bigger screen now with the XR. Plus it doesn’t have the zoomed screen mode.

I didn’t notice that on my Xr but now that you mention it after looking very closely for a while I’m pretty sure I can now see a shadow...

And now you won’t un-see it.

 

[Shanghaichica]

Thank you for your suggestion, but I prefer to use Apple’s camera app as it’s easy to use and well integrated.
And I have heard about the battery life, but I think once dark mode comes in iOS 13 it’ll help with this.
[doublepost=1552338782][/doublepost]

Did you have a Plus phone before the Max?

Yes I had the 6 plus, 6S plus and then the 7 plus. After the 7 plus I got the X but I hated the size so upgraded to the max when it came out. Even before I had the 6 plus I’d had a couple of galaxy note phones. So I’m always going to gravitate towards bigger phones.

 

[Cladster]

I have thought about it, looked at it but I’ve got used to a bigger screen now with the XR. Plus it doesn’t have the zoomed screen mode.

Didn't know that, rules out a XS for me then, use it on my Xr.

 

[AlexJoda]

I don’t think that at this time half way to the next generation iPhones in fall it makes sense to buy a XS Max. The new Samsung S10 shows where the development goes and the XS Max already looks dated. Investing in a Max now means that you will loose a lot of money!

Stay with your XR, its a great phone! Is has a better battery life which also means that you don’t have to replace the battery so early. The display will also last longer too with no burn in effect from OLED and you have no problems with PWM. The resolution in points is the the same as the XS Max but in a more compact phone. Halide is a great tool for portrait shots of everything and maybe Apple with implement something similar in iOS 13.

The XR is a clear winner for me and I will use it for the next years to come....

 

[Hicksmat1976]

Ok, so I’m after some advice. I’ve had my XR 128GB since launch. It’s a nice phone, but some things annoy me about it, I had a 6S and used 3D Touch a lot, I have been missing it on the XR.
And the shadow you get around the edge of the screen annoys me, particularly around the notch on sites like this one, it’s due to the manufacturing process of the display as I understand.
And that I can’t take portrait photos of my dog.

So I’ve been considering changing to a Max. My only concern is jumping to an even bigger device, however as much as I do love the small phones, having used a big screen phone now it really is very useful. So I’d want a Max.

I could only afford the 64GB one, but currently I’ve only used 48GB of my XR’s 128GB and can remove some games I don’t play to increase that.

Has anyone else gone from the XR to the Max, if so why did you do so and how was the experience?

I can get a discount on it from a family members work. Only about £137 but better then nothing.

Would I be mad to do this, or would I be happier? I actually don’t see me wanting to upgrade again for a while as to me, this years iPhones are pretty much perfect.

So what would you do?

I thought you were a WUM then I noticed how often you post so I came away surprised about your situation.

I think you'll struggle keeping to 64GB, its actually less than that in real terms.

I guess you must like wasting money and making life hard for yourself?

1st world problems indeed.