"D.S.L.R.-like photos with a blurred-out background and a sharpened foreground. "
The depth of field is adjusted by the size of the f-stop on the lens of most DSLR cameras. What isn't clear is how this is adjusted on the dual lens cameras.
4
I'm annoyed by iPhone reviews that completely disregard non-Apple products in their comparisons. The iPhone bezels were close to the worst in the industry until the X with ludicrous top and and bottom bezels on the plus phones. The reviewer treats Apple catching up as a revolution in ergonomics, completely blind to it's competition. The LG G3, 4 generations ago, an eternity in phone years, had already a 5.5 inch QuadHD screen and was easy to use in one hand. The bezels were exceptional at the time and the ergonomics on the power and volume buttons position felt perfect. I guess it wasn't an Apple product so it didn't happen.
23
Last year I bought the SE model , I’ve raved the product it fits in shirt pockets ,jackets just the right size in the car. and cost “value” can’t be beat.
I’ve been a consumer of Apple products for almost 20 years but
it appears that Apple feels there’s no market for the SE and aging customers like me, feel there’s no one for me to impress with a large fancy phone to bad the SE really hit the right note.
Just hope the phone life span out last my life ,I’ve had a great ride with Apple products.
11
Apple has simply tariff-proofed its iPhones - anything Trump does is built into the sales price for these. Older models are likely already in inventory in the USA, but the new series will be imported, and Apple won't have to change its price regardless of trade wars.
6
In so many ways our smart phones are used in place of our computers. In fact they have become our personal computers and so much more. At $1099 you are not buying a cell phone. You are buying a camera, navigation system, web browser, messenger, social networking device, game player, e-reader, music player, video player, and general purpose computer, that also makes phone calls. It’s well worth the price.
21
@Tom
Wish I had your disposable income!
Learn sometime how the other half lives!
15
@Stephanie Bradley I grew up as part of the other half. I understand a $1000 smart phone is not for everyones budget. Fortunately there are many more affordable smart phones available to satisfy most budgets.
5
And you can have all of that of perfectly good quality at under $200 with an android phone. Well, at under $250 with Trump's tariffs fully in place.
9
First Brian, why are you publishing a picture of my dog, Jet? Second, I agree with you on phone size. My Galaxy S7 is reasonable size and when I read in bed at night I have a tablet that I would never want to carry around with me. Third, after getting with the program and finally using an OLED screen for the iPhone X last year, Apple is finally getting with the rest of the Galaxy program and going with an edge to edge screen. Well, almost; there is still the notch. Seriously, I doubt that I would find any phone worth $1,000, I had a hard time justifying $660 for my unlocked S7 a couple years ago considering that it is now worth about $150. That makes new cars look like a solid investment. It took a long time to trade in my Palm Treo; so I suspect I will own my S7 for quite a while yet.
8
Calling the iPhone XR the entry-level model all but guarantees that it will become the iPhone 5C of the current cycle, unwanted by anyone except parents buying it for their children, and subject to heavy discounts by cellphone companies. I can hear it now: "You have an iPhone XR? That's like a baby's toy."
1
the author places a lot of stock in "fitting in your pocket." Sadly, most women's clothes don't have pockets. I have pocket envy. I also think it is sexist to place so much value on a phone fitting in a pocket.
8
@Susan I think it's sexist not to put pockets on women's clothing. Pockets are as useful to women as they are to men, after all.
18
Those aren't "DSLR-like" photos. Those are photos that look like they were taken with lenses with very wide apertures for a very shallow depth of field. Film cameras can take them, too, as well as any non-single-lens-reflex (SLR) camera.
8
@David No, it is correct to call them "DSLR-like" because they are NOT taken with a single lens with a shallow depth of field. My understanding is that these are essentially computationally created from different pictures using masking, blurring, and blending. In fact these new models allow you, after taking the picture, to simulate with a slider adjustment a crisp background, like an SLR f16, to a blurred background like f2.8. The original pixels of the background with the dog is in fact a sharp focus image which has been blurred to give the "bokeh" effect.
4
These expensive cell phones are excellent communication devices. That use is worth $100 or perhaps $150.
All the remaining functions serve, for most users of these devices, as an adult video toy.
The extent to which we feel good when using them and displaying them to others reveals the extent of our ego enhancement.
6
@Edward Scherrer
Such a silly comment. I don’t have to carry a camera ever again , no beeper, no notebook for jotting notes , no need to carry street maps, remember those big street map books. Don’t have to cram dozens of slips of paper with various lists on them, no hard photos of the kids getting trashed in a pocket of my wallet.
Can mostly do away with credit cards. I got through security at the airport once with a picture of my drivers license on my phone when I left it once. On and on . Not to mention no need to have a tape measure, ruler or calculator handy.
You just need a phone ?get a flip phone and a big bag to carry everything else around and quit bugging the rest of us.
36
@Eric Lambeth-And most if not all of that could be done on a device half or less the cost. Said differently, think of the phone's cost and the cost to feed it in terms of what a person who can't afford that cost buys the cheaper devices because feeding his family is more important.
2
Anytime someone dismisses the values and experiences of others as the trappings of the ego, I immediately think “hmm, sounds like the ego talking.”
8
The huge jump in smartphone prices is because carriers (Verizon, AT&T, etc.) have stopped subsidizing the cost of new phones. A 32gb iPhone 4 cost $700 not subsidized. Considering all of the additional features and uses a 64gb iPhone XS has, the $1000 price tag isn't crazy. The different purchasing options that are now offered make it much more palatable.
8
Bring back the iPhone 4 form factor.
3
Bigger is (more expensive,more expensive is )better
"Can you put it in your pocket?"
Isn't that one of the best ways to accidentally drop or lose an expensive and daily-essential item? I fail to understand the obsession with pocket and phones/cameras. Personally, I use a handsome and discreet belt pouch.
3
@Svirchev
LOL!
Handsome and *discreet* -- along with "belt pouch" is the epitome of an oxymoron!
A "belt pouch" is about as discrete as a Trump tweet!
2
The key fact in whether to buy a phone is 5g followed by 5g followed by 5g.
The passing off press releases with reviews of doo dads as news and insight is well illustrated by this and the mob of similar reviews that ignore the spiffiest phone you can buy now will be obsolete as compared to an ordinary cheap phone in eighteen months due to 5g.
9
Does not seem like an objective review, more of an advertisement. What is the Times relationship with Apple, and was the Phone provided for testing free? Is there an expectation of a positive review otherwise free products would be cut-off?
5
Size matters, and bigger is not better. I'm not upgrading; it's an appliance, get over it.
3
@D Priest. I agree about the size issue. If it doesn't fit in my pocket comfortably it's out.
11
It’s amusing to see what I assume are older people equivocating their garbage, old Android phones where Google is selling everything on it to advertisers, to the latest in tech / best that money can buy iPhones.
It’s a false equivalency.
9
Can we talk about the health effects of IPhones?
You know, SAR levels and whatnot.
I happen to own an IPhone 6S Plus and have to be careful not to have it too close to my body for too long. Accidentally sat on it once for not more than 5 min (don't ask; can't remember how this happened) and ended up with a haemmorhoid (?!). Sorry for the TMI.
Thinking of geting rid of it.
throughout the review-article I felt the reviewer is biased towards Apple and iPhone.
Either reviewer has not seen
outside of Apple ecosystem or is just ignorant.
I could point out many things that a iPhone user may like to see in the next iPhone which the reviewer conveniently skipped - expandable storage, better battery etc.
its ridiculous to pay $1000 for a phone that comes with 64GB storage.
I wish NYT reviewers were more objective in their reviews.
8
"While driving, it was easier to read maps.". you should not be reading while driving.
2
@Richard Gaylord -- reading "maps" means he isn't _reading_, he is looking at the map for directions to his destination. It's actually SAFER to have a larger screen in this scenario! Or, maybe you were joking.
14
@Reflex65
Eyes on the road and mirrors and on nothing else.
Basic.
1
@In deed I think it's much safter to drive with traffic information on; one more thing that alerts you in advance of sudden slow downs.
Why were you looking at your phone while you were driving?
@Jake News -- MAPS! It's how you get to your destination!
10
I wonder how the NYT can offer such reviews without making into such brazen advertisements. I wonder this because the journalistic integrity in the front page of the paper has standards that would not normally permit such lapses.
Let's compare this review to a Ben Brantley theatre review, what's the difference? Well, for starters, there's a very good chance the review will be negative, or mixed or good, however every time I see a tech review like this, it's always good: Who Doesn't Like a New IPhone?
That leads me to the second part of my complaint, when Mr. Chen asks: "So who should get the entry-level iPhone XR?" Really, is that even a question, or is it a rhetorical statement? I'll tell you who will buy the IPhone XR, the wealthy class of successful upper-middle class citizens of the developed world.
Indeed, the number of people who can afford $750 for a phone is a small wealthy elite, perhaps not as small as the folks who buy $1,000 phones, but still, let's look at the actual rates: in 2017 3% of the world's population bought an IPhone. Stats point to these wealthy few replacing their phones ever 2 to 4 years, which means that about 90% of the human population sorts out much cheaper forms of communication.
Oh, but I shall be criticized by these techaddicts because I'm counting 7 billion people, and really half of them don't count: why count poor people, especially since two-thirds of the world's population do not even own smartphones?
8
Anybody who spends an average of ... 5 and a half hours (!!!) a day on his cellphone should start by getting a life before trying to persuade us to buy new phones.
4
Greed.
3
And how much will my service plan cost to operate this "phone"?
Looks like I'll need that second mortgage.
3
iJunk
2
yawn fest. The phones we have are already more than adequate. Just go outside already. People look like idiots staring at their phones all day. Bunch of sheep.
11
When Samsung came out with their 1000 dollar phone this author wrote...
"Though the Galaxy Note9 is an impressive piece of technology with a huge 6.4-inch screen, fantastic battery life and an excellent camera, I would steer most Samsung fans toward the Galaxy S9, its roughly $700 sibling, which is a perfectly capable multitasking device." So why does he not feel the same way about the iPhone XS ? I smell an Apple fan boy!
25
“Since you have to pay so much for your next iPhone, you will probably live with it for a long time.” Which is why I don’t plan on parting with my iPhone 6s (and its headphone jack) until it either meets a calamitous end or an upcoming version of iOS is not compatible with it. And I still use my iPhone 4s just as a Bluetooth streaming music player.
8
But Apple (nor anyone else) wants you to happily use one phone for a long time. How non-consumeristic and un-American!
1
You make a good argument, but I'm still glad I bought two iPhone SEs for a total of $300 this year to replace ageing Galaxys. Done. Their performance is snappy, and if I want to read things on the plane I've got an iPad.
I really wish they had kept that iPhone 5/SE design and size.
3
Ah, but you have an iPad. I have only the phone to go with my laptop. I like my 3-year-old iPhone 6s, but the new cameras are eventually going to pull me in.
1
I always thought the bigger screens would be unwieldy but I switched from the 6 to the 8+ and within a weekend I had totally adjusted. I used my wife's 7 and it felt so tiny!
Granted, I'm over 6' and a big guy so I can see how the bigger phones would be hard with smaller hands.
Those of you who are debating whether you should make the jump to the bigger screen, I say go for it!
1
I am guessing a lot of people will opt for the iPhone XR this year. Think about it; most of us who were interested in the iPhone X already bought one and we're not about to drop another $1000+ after less than a year of use. Well, alright, except for a few crazies with way too much money and way too little sense. Everyone else will see the XR is 99% of the XS and costs $250+ less. $250 is a lot of money for an OLED screen and a second rear camera, which is really all you get for the extra cash. Oh yeah, and the cheaper phone actually has longer battery life and a larger screen this time around? Flip the author's question on its head: why would you not opt for the larger screen when it costs $250 less?
I think Apple released a winner this year, but it's not the iPhone XS or XS Max.
2
These bigger phones are Apple's way of making $$ without worrying about the quantity sold. I dont understand how they keep increasing the size. I dont want a huge phone I want a phone.
GREED at Apple like everyone else.
4
To buy or not to buy, that is the question. How INSANE is it that we’re talking about $1,000+ for a phone (yes, I know there are many other great features, but first and foremost it’s a phone). We’ll soon think that price is inexpensive.
I often joke that we’re going to see some Hollywood sci-fi film set in the not-too-distant-future, and someone will be talking about “the new iPhone 7,800, which only costs $10,000.”
6
@Sherry I disagree. The thing that I use my iPhone for the least is making phone calls. I can literally go days without a phone call from anyone except my mother (who calls daily, lol). My friends, family, and coworkers communicate primarily by texts, email, and FB.
I find it remarkable, not insane, that for only $1000, I have a computer in my hand that has so many features and abilities that I can take a weekend trip without my laptop or even my iPad. The camera is so good that my "real" camera hasn't been used in months. I remember paying $1000 for the last PC that I bought more than a decade ago. It didn't have 1/10 the computing power, memory, or abilities of my iPhone, and certainly didn't fit in my pocket.
18
@Sherry
"but first and foremost it’s a phone"
I think most people spend time on their phones for reading email, news, etc. and using their apps. In that sense, the "phone" part is not its primary function (calling people) and not even it's second most used function.
7
I believe in using the best device for the job:
- My now ageing iPhone 6 is just fine for web searches, messaging, and phone calls when I am away from home.
- If I want to stream a movie or do anything graphical my laptop coupled with a 27" screen is the best, except for my TV of course, with either ROKU or Amazon Fire.
- If I want to take a picture, I have my pocket ultra ZOOM with 30 times tiny telephoto that no phone camera can match.
For the time being that's all I need. I don't need either Facebook or Twitter.
3
I didn't think I minded the plus phones as they actually did fit fine in the front pocket of most of my pants and shorts, but after having the X for sometime, it is just way easier to reach the whole screen. I don't plan on upgrading this round (still have 8 months on my interest free loan), but I think the X's size is about perfect. The screen is about the same size than the 6 Plus but the overall phone is smaller. If I want a bigger I have a desktop, a 55" TV, and a tablet.
2
so, does the increased size of the display mean everything on it is larger in proportion?
on older models, only some of the display is adjustable in size, and the absolute size is no different between an iPhone 5 and a larger iPhone 6 - for example, the vertical alfabetical index to the right of the contacts list... which someone with only limited design experience, but great eyesight, determned should be as hard to see as possible, deciding on about 4 point Helvetica text in sky blue on a gray background.
2
Crazy. Overhyped.
My zippy One plus 6 will run circles around any phone and costs half of the price of a new iPhone XS. Apples first appropriately-named product.
5
The next step will be artificial intelligence driving massive world wide surveillance.
Privacy should be considered a constitutional right in America.
Every new electronic invention should include instructions on how to negate or refute the purpose of the device.
Our lives come first before unfettered communication!
2
It costs $1,000.00. One thousand dollars for a phone is a bit rich for me. I use a Samsung phone that I purchased from Best Buy for about $100.00, got unlimited data and calls and texts for $50.00 from Boost (which is less than half of what Verizon Wireless was charging me) and I'm perfectly happy with it. Android, easy to use. Camera isn't the best but I can live with that.
If Apple dropped the price to $500.00 I might consider it as a Christmas gift for myself. But I'd prefer to purchase groceries and pay the rent instead of spending gobs of money on a new phone.
3
With all due respect, if you’re so hard up that it’s paying rent or a new iPhone - you’re not Apple’s target demographic.
15
@Lawrence Imboden Please people, stop saying you settled on a non-Apple phone for less $$, less quality, and lackluster features because that’s all you’re willing to afford. There is no comparison to 100$ phones, they all are inferior to iPhones. Choosing to spend a little money on a cheap product and willingly settle for the Android experience is not an accurate indication of what others should do. Just because you settle for less, why should the rest of us?
13
@artbythor I bought my fiance a Huawei se which easily beats the Iphone 7 i got through serendipity . . for $250, more memory, more camera functions, microsd card, fingerprint security, better battery . . . To get an Iphone matching the Huawei specs would cost over $700 . . . and the screen and keyboard are lousy . . .
Typical Appletista type review. Apple is wonderful no matter how many issues there are with their phones. Women have been complaining that the new devices are too large for the phones, I did see anything about that in the review. The prices are outrageous. Apple has figured out that the US market has peaked and that their volume of new phone sales won't be as great. So, by accident, they raised their prices to make-up for lost volume.
The edge to edge is nice but I think Samsung has had it for at least one year. Next time be more objective.
11
@barondw The size issue was a principle part of the review. As for the the market peaking, that's why Apple and other manufactures bring out new phones.
Also, the prices aren't outrageous for those who can afford them. And last year's iPhone X just dropped about $200 in price.
2
@barondw
"Women have been complaining that the new devices are too large for the phones"
If you recall, other companies had larger screens before Apple did. Apple followed the trend (not set it). Also, the non-plus versions were reasonably sized. My experience is that most women bought the plus-sized version because they kept it in their handbags.
3
Phone to dinner parties? I don't think I'm taking advice from someone who has to have their phone on the table during dinner...in particular a dinner party which should one of the few times in today's society when one engages in CONVERSATION.
And did the author have a case on these phones (which is a 100% necessity...I'm partial to the Speck Presidio - the rubber grip prevents it from slipping and sliding)...the phone is nearly impossible to use one handed unless you have hands the size of Andre The Giant! And forget about taking photos single handed.
As for the price...most people divide it over 24 months...most people won't flinch over an additional $10/month.
4
I refuse to pay that much for a phone of any kind. That's more than most laptops and tablets cost. I got a much less expensive android phone that does everything I want and was less than $300. It's a smart phone, I can take pictures, access the internet and social media, etc.
5
@Jo
When you think of it primarily as a phone I wholeheartedly agree. When you think of it as a pocket computer which can also make phone calls, for me at least it changes the equation. It all depends on what you are going to use it for.
8
I always get a laugh from all the complainers! An Apple stockholder since June of 1985, six days ago I got exactly what I wanted in my very first iPhone - a discontinued but brand new 4-inch iPhone SE for my no data, 13 year old AT&T Prepaid plan (10 cents a minute). Although I did have to pay Best Buy $194.99 plus tax, it works great, and I expect it to do so for at least the next 5 to 10 years. I can still remember renting that black rotary dial model from AT&T... you remember, the phone no one could own before about 1982?
4
AT&T would have given you the phone for free as long as you added your son’s line to your existing plan. $15/Mo. That’s a pretty good deal on a child’s 1st phone...
Would love to see a little more connection to real life people who aren’t all about their tech. $250 extra for a jazzed up camera and several of these other alleged benefits is not worth it to me. A smartphone is essential. I don’t value all the things a tech writer does and I resent that I will inevitably have to pay for them because apple stops supporting my comfortable, smaller, totally fine phone.
3
@Marsha Jacqueline
"People who aren't all about their tech" would typically not go out and buy the latest electronic gadget. That said, Apple does have the older models still available. They do not cost anywhere near as much and for most tasks that people here are talking about (reading emails, making calls, browsing the web, decent camera), they can do them perfectly well.
1
The issues I find with iPhones and Apple products in general is that they have very short support cycles. You may plan to use this new shiny new $1400 phone for a number of years, but don't be fooled, probably after three, the OS will move past it and the latest apps won't install.... That's probably the real reason why the old ones got cheaper, since usable lifespan is reduced by a year.
7
@Not Convinced
I have a six day old iPhone SE that I am using as a prepaid phone, which, besides food and water, is truly essential. As far as I can tell, I have no need for apps - which seems like a good thing, since, by choice, I have no data. Early morning and late night, I alternate between my late 2010 and mid 2013 Macbook Air notebooks, both having recently self-upgraded their own software to the latest available versions.
1
@Not Convinced It's called Planned Obsolensce. Where some products are designed to fail or wear out after a certain period of time.
a feature, not a bug, concept courtesy of the old IBM.
Why would people want an Iphone camera that blurs out the background? Perhaps that is the
most important element of the photo, not the dog, however cute. Is there a way to change settings to get the pix one actually wants. Think I’ll stick w my digital Olympus SLR a while longer.
5
It’s called portrait mode, and yes, you can change it.
4
@Kathy
One big reason people use SLRs instead of cheap cameras is that you can get the expensive lens and control the depth of field (what is in focus and what is not in focus). It allows you to put your subject in focus and blur a distracting background. It is not possible to do that with small cameras and certainly not with iphone-sized cameras. Apple uses two lenses to figure out the depth and using software, blur the background to make it look similar to a photo taken by a fancy SLR lens.
6
I think eventually I will give up on having a phone and hoping to replace that with a bezel free ipad mini and a watch.
Most incoming call are scams or other annoying sales pitches anyway and my primary form of communicating is instant text.
1
Two things:
- An iPhone should fit in a pants or suit pocket without being too long, wide or thick. Thanks iPhone 5 and 6.
- A new iPhone should be part of an extension to a plan thus it shouldn't cost much. An iPhone XS at $1,000? No thanks.
8
Why would I ever want an even larger phone? I do not even remotely understand this trend. I’ve been an iPhone user from the start but I will not be purchasing a phone that I can barely hold in my hand and that won’t fit in any of my pockets. Baffled!
11
@Jeff
A simple example - if you commute on the bus or train every day, it is easier to use a phone instead of a laptop to pass the time (reading the news, watching videos, etc.). Doing that on a bigger screen is more comfortable than on a smaller screen. I'm sure there are many other reasons why people want bigger screens.
8
I'm not sure whether this phone is worth it, but people balking at the price would do well to remember that for many people, their smartphone is their home computer. They don't have an iPhone, a laptop, a tablet and a desktop: the have an iPhone and maybe a landline, and that's it.
It's not the choice I would make, sure, but I can see the market for the bigger, more expensive devices. They're still vastly less expensive than cars, on which many people spend far more than they ought to.
3
What's next for Apple? A leasing program? $1 a month for 12 months with $1,059 down! And one can trade it in each year until he or she goes to that great phone booth in the sky. THAT'S thinking outside the box and should add another trillion dollars to Apple's market cap so it can buy back more stock and wait for the next tax cut.
1
@Ensign Apple technically already has a leasing program called "iPhone Upgrade Program". TBH, it's a really good deal.
1
The writer actually notices a difference of 0.02 inches? Really? This is such a obvious advertisement posing as a news piece that it is offensive.
49
Please, this getting to be as boring as men’s fashions. Thin tie, wide tie, thin tie, wide tie. Cuffs, no cuffs, cuffs, no cuffs, Thin,thinner,thinnest, just thin. Please, marketing is sucking cash out of savings. “I may have to work forever, but I’ll have the greatest and newest...everything.”
4
I've got the 8 plus and I really like the improved photo performance over the 7. Admittedly you have to shop carefully for shirts with pockets wide enough to accommodate it, but for us older folks the extra size is more than worth it.
I hate the too-small and crowded keyboard in the vertical mode - the horizontal is too clumsy as it requires two hands to operate. Apple would do everyone a favor if they designed it to be operated by one hand in all situations.
As for cost, rest assured that Apple is making a big margin on most or all of their phones - and probably still avoiding taxes by keeping their profits overseas.
Until I try the phone I am very concerned about the missing Home button. I don't crave sleek design or goofy features like pressure sensitivity that nobody uses. Or flamboyant gestures to accomplish what a key could do!
No size fits all - that's obvious. Overpriced - Apple's forte. But nice to have if you've got the folding green.
2
I think the importance of watches will dramatically increase. Garmin's Fenix 5 Plus now plays music directly to Bluetooth earbuds, another huge step forward in doing sports.
I also find my phone increasingly staying in my bag, coat, ... while reading messages and notifications on my watch and using Siri via earbuds for calls and quick texts. Better wireless earbuds will make this even better.
So I agree the market for a high end smaller device will grow.
2
"The prices of Apple’s phones, for one, have shot up"
Last year's iPhone X was $999. This year's iPhone Xs is $999. You get an improved phone for the same price.
Last year the iPhone 8 cost $699, this year it costs $599.
Last year the iPhone 7 cost $549, this year it costs $449.
There is a new, larger, "Xs max" that costs $100 more than the smaller Xs. This size iPhone X was not offered last year. Is this the sole basis of Mr. Chen's claim about prices shooting up?
Everybody gets it that these things are expensive, but I would expect a higher degree of factual accuracy from a Times review.
6
Oh hummm… my flip phone still works great for phone calls and the wifi-only Ipad Pro is good for everything else, thanks to my provider's hot-spots. The tablet cost far less than most smartphones, is great for typing (with a wireless keyboard) and automatically limits screentime and the dangers of walking into traffic or posts as well as increasing eye contact with real human beings.
3
No phone is worth $1,000. And again the Times shows that a trillion-dollar company doesn't have to spend money on advertising when it can get rave reviews from the Times for free. It's always funny to see reviewers write about how much better this year's iPhone is than last year's, when a scant 12 months ago that same reviewer was heaping blushing praise on that "gotta have it" model.
19
Did you ever wonder what the syllable “phone” means in iPhone? How about a phone that emphasizes clear audio and mike??? You know, a phone.
12
I think people aren’t realizing that the Xs Max is actually SLIGHTLY SMALLER than the iPhone 7 and 8 Plus. So it’s not their largest phone ever but largest display. It’s not an iPad people, stop freaking out.
6
I'm still using a dumb phone. It's small enough to hide in the palm of my hand. I can make phone calls and send texts. My goal is to be the last American doing it this way.
4
Early reviews suggest that the Google Pixel 2 still has the best smartphone camera, even when compared to the new iPhones about to be released. And the Pixels only have a single camera lens.
I've been an Apple fan for years, but this might be the year I switch over. I'm interested to see what the new Pixel 3 looks like in a few weeks.
3
These are really expensive. I'm a long-time Apple ecosystem inhabitant (since 1984) who is headed for the fixed income stage of life.
I don't think I'll be able to afford Apple's increasing membership fees, although their walled garden is convenient and beautiful.
17
While I realize it would've been difficult for Apple to top last year's iPhone X debut, given the extent to which it was thoroughly revised to mark the occasion of the iPhone's 10th anniversary, I'm nonetheless chagrined to discover that the XS is almost entirely unchanged aside from negligible improvements in its camera and processor. Yes, the revisions in iOS 12 - which I've been running in beta form for the past couple of months - are welcome, plus Apple addressed at least a few of the iPhone X's design flaws in it, but especially considering its hefty price tag, I see no valid reason to upgrade.
What makes this year notably different, however, is a marked change in what used to be a strong rationale for upgrading: its resale value either on eBay or resellers such as Gazelle. Until this year, one could sell a year-old iPhone at a loss of only $200 or so, thanks mainly to its lack of availability in countries where Apple has no retail operations. (Until about four years ago, one could even resell it for a slight profit.) Today, however, my 256GB phone is apparently worth less than half its original purchase price.
All of the above also suggest, at least to me, that we may have hit "Peak Apple." While I'm sure the XS Max in gold will appeal to status symbol-oriented types, I'm dubious of its continued worth to mainstream consumers.
3
I am sorry but NO, no iPhone are worth the high price.
I rather buy any chinese android phone over apples dito any day and every day.
5
I respectfully disagree. I've had iPhones since the 4. I currently have a 6s and I'm scheduled to get the battery replaced later this week. I've handled the 8 plus and the X and I don't want anything to do with them. They're far less easy to manipulate one-handed, which is primarily how I interact with the phone. Also, the camera on the 6s is perfectly adequate for my needs. My current phone already has the 'best' screen of any of my devices by pixel density (and probably color gamut). My phone is not my primary means of consuming media and the quality of the screen is not the limiting factor there. My primary concerns would be increased performance, efficiency, and battery capacity and while those are all improved, it's certainly not enough to justify the upgrade in my book. Hopefully apple changes their mind about what consumers want in the next couple of years before my 6s kicks the bucket. I really like iOS compared to android.
2
iPhone 5 se for me. 32gb, good camera, pocket size and $149 total wireless model. No contract.
With the money you save you can get the iPad mini. What’s to think about?
12
I always pined for an iPad mini as a full fledged phone because of the bigger screen. I doubt phones will morph to that size equivalency but Apple is headed in the right direction for me.
4
Um, so basically the iPhone is now an iPad.
15
Ugh. I am a smaller-stature woman with small hands. I like carrying a lightweight handbag. Phones this size are just uncomfortable to hold and heavy ("heavy" relative to other phones) in a bag. No thanks, I'll stick to smaller phones. Make the battery last forever and upgrade the camera, and come out with a "X-petite" the size of a 5-series iphone, please.
15
@io I agree, it would be nice to see an iPhone SE - sized phone with the X-type screen. When my 5S died I found a 3rd party refurb SE (unlocked) for $170 – I would suggest anyone else who likes the small iPhone grab an SE now. Since Apple stopped making them I wonder if the prices will go up? I'm very happy with mine so far, and $170 is a lot less than ~$900!
Folks, stop complaining about the price and act with your wallet. Apple keeps raising prices because you are buying iPhones. The iPhone 6 Plus was my last purchase from Apple. I bought a Note 8 last year after seeing the prices of the iPhone X (and that notch!). The MSRP of the Note 8 is high too, but good sales happen often within the Android realm. I scored mine at $250 off and was given a $100 Best Buy gift card with my purchase. $930 - $250 - $100 = $580 net price.
My wife will probably continue with iPhones but she keeps her phones for easily 3 years on average, and she doesn't necessarily buy the latest and greatest edition.
6
The bigger phone trend has to stop.
I've had a Samsung Galaxy Note 4 the past four years, and recently switched to a Moto G6 Play as a stopgap. The G6 with a case on it is slightly narrower than the Note 4 without, and that's been a pleasant relief. The XS Max, with almost identical dimensions to the Note 4, would put me "right back in it", so to speak.
I'm also disappointed Apple didn't see fit to update the SE, or to produce a new SE-sized phone with a full-front display. It's such a handy size, and now the only way you can get a mobile device that size is with an iPod Touch, which is WiFi only and pretty much hopeless for voice calls.
Accordingly, I think the author's advice is good (Max as a PC replacement, something smaller for anyone with a PC), though given his comment about the possibilities of 3D Touch I'm wondering what he thinks about the XR losing that feature.
I'd like to see someone talking about the implications of switching from Android to iOS given the current phones and operating systems, or vice versa, especially given iMessage's tendency to assimilate everything in a very one-way manner that's difficult to get out of once done.
5
@Chicago1 As it so happens, I use both an iPhone X and a Pixel 2 XL (the latter for work purposes), plus my primary computer is a MacBook Pro. Given that iMessage can now be used even on macOS to send ordinary texts, I don't think it'd be that difficult nowadays to transition away from it - though yes, it's still impossible to do so (AFAIK) without losing all of one's stored texts. On the other hand one can always forgo iCloud and use Google Drive for storage, which works nearly as well on iOS as it does on Android, as well as Google Photos. This makes all the more sense if you use a Windows PC versus a Mac.
I fully concur regarding ever-increasing phone sizes - and I still remember when making phones as *small* as possible was the ideal (back in the now-geriatric-seeming flip-phone days) - but also hope we're at least approaching the maximum feasible size barrier, which I would assume is the point at which users with smaller hands can no longer hold it with only one to make phone calls.
My utterly non-tech wife couldn’t disagree more. She traded a 7 Plus for a X and hated it because of the smaller size. She can’t wait to get her hands on the XS Max, which is ever so slightly smaller than a 7 Plus.
2
Knowing the purpose for which you want a phone is the guiding light. There were some things that were not good about my Windows phone, but it was a great business phone. Likewise my Android Blackberry -- weird things there too, but a great, basic business phone. If you want a portable computer, then get a low-end MS Surface or the likes.
I have trouble reading small letters. Just for that reason I choose the bigger one.
I am still waiting even bigger one in the future.
If you becomes fifty and still reading a lot of news trough the iPhone, you will be able to understand this in time.
10
@Jonah Goh Just FYI, you can adjust the text size upwards even on standard-issue iPhones for readability purposes. (You can also wear reading glasses, of course.)
1
@Jeff Your proposed solution works as long as your memory improves with age. As the text becomes larger, the number of words per line decreases. You need to be able to mentally reassemble longer and longer parts of sentences and paragraphs.
2
"While driving it's easier to read maps." This requires some elaboration. Distracted driving caused by cell phone use is reaching epidemic proportions and is a serious risk to everyone on the road, especially pedestrians, cyclists and other drivers.
Any time cell phone and driving are mentioned together we need to know the context. Was it mounted on a bracket on the dashboard for easier hands-free viewing while driving, or held by hand, usually requiring the driver to look down and away from the road? The latter is common.
The National Safety Council reports that cell phone use while driving leads to 1.6 million crashes each year. Nearly 390,000 injuries occur each year from accidents caused by texting while driving. 1 out of every 4 car accidents in the United States is caused by texting and driving.
We try to regulate this by law, but the effort has been largely unsuccessful. What's left is social sanctions, and that includes the promotion of responsible practices by the media.
29
@J.C. Hayes Fair point, but dashboard phone mounts are effectively ubiquitous nowadays, and taking a look at one's phone map while at a stop light is harmless. While I obviously agree that "mapping while driving" is as dangerous as texting while driving, it's nonetheless a false equivalency to compare the two directly, especially considering every modern mobile phone includes at least one map app with voice navigation. One generally doesn't need to touch their phone after entering an address for driving directions.
7
I am very unhappy with the trend towards increased size and weight; they must be designed with large masculine hands in mind...
my iphone X has already caused me to have muscular pains leading to imbalance. It is also much harder to use the phone with one hand while riding a crowded subway, because my fingers can no longer reach across the width of the device.
Basically I am slowly losing the advantages of the small phone over a pad, and may have to start looking for an Android phone still available in small formats
11
I have an 128GB SE and I’m very happy with it. I don’t think everyone wants or needs a large phone and I’m one of theese people. I understand the drive for profits will have us upgrade our devices regularily but the pace of upgrading is bordering on the insane. Insane for us, insane for our shortened attention span, insane for our screen addiction, insane for the resources of this planet and insane for those people paid peanuts to make those devices. No, bigger is not always better. And I’m not talking about ergonomics here.
19
@Bogdan - I also use the SE, because it is small. I replaced my iPhone 6 with it to get smaller. I don't type on it, using Siri instead, and only use a few apps, mainly GPS. If I need to use a screen, as in reading web pages or email or elaborate apps such as controlling my Nikon camera, I use my iPad or desktop.
I want phones to get smaller, not bigger.
I am glad I got one of the last iPhone SE.
9
@Bogdan Another satisfied SE user here! Apple-- let people buy phones as large as they want, but please don't abandon those of us who want an SE-sized phone!!
1
An important feature of the new iPhones not emphasized in reviews is that the Xs and Xs Max (but not the Xr) have 4 antennas instead of 2 using a technology called 4x4 MIMO with LAA.
It improves not only download rates but should improve signal quality in places which may have weak signal such as Manhattan office towers without repeaters or in some parts of convention centers. For those of us that need to use the phone as a phone, this is very important.
The Xs and Xs Max also have better waterproofing than the X. In addition, the battery life of the Xs Max is 90 minutes longer and the Xs 30 minutes longer than the X.
The cameras on the Xs and Xs Max, while having the same number of pixels as the X, have larger sensors which allow for capturing pictures in lower light.
Apple and Verizon (and perhaps other cell providers) offer special "yearly upgrade" programs where after 12 payments the customer can trade in the phone for the next model.
23
Apple's cameras do create high quality images, I grant you. But the highly reflective screen makes it virtually IMPOSSIBLE to see what you are photographing outdoors on a sunny day. Which defeats the main job of a camera, wouldn't you say?
8
I switched to a Galaxy S9 (Android platform) earlier this year. In my opinion Apple has a couple of habits that were impossible to ignore. Their business model seems to be: Make a "new" phone...charge more money...upgrade the IOS slowing down the phone you just bought...make a more expensive phone with "upgrades" that are barely detectable....charge more money.....upgrade the IOS. You get the idea. In addition Apple crosses the line between "security" and proprietary bait and switch. I'm confused at a business practice that includes making the customer jump through multiple hoops for something as simple as changing an email address or phone number. I have a perfectly good ipad that won't update because I've changed email and phone numbers and now can't update my device. Their product is just not ground breaking anymore. It is one of many colors on the palate. The prices that are charged combined with the lack of freedom made for an easy decision to switch. I feel like someone who finally realized the snake oil salesmen is actually selling water with olive oil. I feel free. Jump in the water is fine.
20
I know. Mr. Chen's comments on the greater ease of writing memos with the larger phone. I am writing this comment, solely by dictating into my Samsung 9. don't the Apple phones have a competent dictation system which makes playing with the keyboard unnecessary? At least for short memos?
5
Yes.
1
I love Apple products and have been using them for years. But, $1,000 for a high end phone. And parents buy these high priced phones for their kids. Ridiculous. I will pass.
17
@Rodney
I’m with you.
2
OMG! It's bigger.
What will they think of next.
22
Am I the only person that is not impressed with the innovations to price increase ratio of the iPhone? Since Steven Jobs died the price of the iPhone has tripled from its carrier (AT&T, Verizon...)
subsidized price of $399. With a 2 year plan the top iPhone was only $399 year after year of major improvements and major innovations: first combining a phone, camera, pager, palm pad, iPod al into one device to operate seamlessly. Then later the Apps !!
Now that the bean counters aka Tim Cook are in control the prices of the iPhones have skyrocketed. I am not impressed with increasing the size, additional colors or increasing pixels to the camera or even increasing storage capacity any first rate engineer could do this.
You want to impress me? Create a battery that last 7 days before recharging. I have a Texas instrument calculator that is 35 years old and it still runs on solar power. Since Steve Jobs died in 2011, 7 years ago, the bean counters at Apple have raised the iPhone price for its top iPhone from $399 to $1100. Considering Apple has over $250 billion sitting in petty cash I think there should be an enormous backlash over the price increases.
I am waiting for the backlash, let this be the first firing salvo.
104
@OscarZ " I am waiting for the backlash, let this be the first firing salvo."
Your words no doubt have Apple shaking in their boots right now, Oscar.
1
@OscarZ
I think you are comparing apples (pun intended) and oranges. The monthly access fee was higher because the fee included the price of the phone. Now the price of the phone is unbundled and the monthly fee for unlimited talk, text and data is much lower!
2
It never cost $399. It cost $399 with a super expensive two year plan where you were essentially paying it off over two years.
1
I’m no professional photographer - but I took around 5,000 photos of my son during the first year of his life last year.
I will be upgrading from my iPhone 7 largely for the camera, screen quality and I need to bump up my storage size.
Very few people NEED these phones, save your Apple bashing for tech site forums. Upgrade if you want and can afford it. Don’t if you can’t
35
I use my phone many times more than my laptop. While I won’t be upgrading this time, my iPhone X was completely worth it. I take lots of photos and the camera is so much better.
Someone wrote about “how advanced of a camera do you need to upload selfies to Instagram?”
Well, I don’t use social media but I have young kids and love having near-professional quality photos of them growing up.
17
My “ancient” iPhone 6 died two days before the new Apple products were announced, and when I expressed interest in going smaller with a new iPhone SE, the salesperson said if I waited until the announcement, one of two things could happen: the price of the SE would drop considerably, or it would instantly disappear from the store and the Apple website. I’m glad I didn’t wait! Even with some tradeoffs, the smaller phone suits me much better. I hope that by the end of this one’s natural lifespan, Apple has decided to listen to those of us who don’t want to go the phablet route and has added a smaller device into their lineup.
14
All the skeptics out there aren't doing the one thing they're supposed to do before deciding to criticize these phones: They're not trying them on! They should use these phones for a week at least before making an argument. They might want to try and borrow one from a friend if they don't want to buy right away. If they still don't like 'em then its safe to say that they make a strong and valid argument. But this is most definitely not the case in most instances and its just ridiculous to form a preconceived notion. Yes these phones are expensive but that doesn't necessarily mean they're overrated.
6
@Ben Parkins. Borrow from a friend....that would never happen. Unfortunatley, you can only try them out in the store, right? I need new one as my 6plus dying the apple imposed death after three years. Hate idea of no home button or jack....would like to try out for week...can someone lend me their?
Borrow a phone from a friend for a week?
2
@Sharon Well obviously you wouldn't expect your friend to lend you a brand new iphone right away in September. And that too for a week! But maybe after a couple of months you could just suggest the idea of swapping phones for a week so that you might get a feel of what you'll be getting into should you decide to purchase one yourself. It doesn't sound that crazy at all. I'm sure anyone would be happy to help out. I've done that and it definitely helped me decide.
New iPhones! While oldsters whine about the price, teenagers around the world are conspiring on how to get one for Christmas. Nothing like returning to school in January with the latest phone. Apple knows this, their demo is targeted to a very young group and it works very well, look at Apple’s revenue. As long as the phones continue to sell, there will be new, bigger, better every year.
6
@Lawyers, Guns And Money - At a grand a pop, the best hope any of my kids have for getting one of these is to get a job.
10
@Jim - if they’re lucky, that job will be working for Apple. They’ll get a discount!
When phone makers decide to actually improve the voice quality of the phones call me! Until then, all the added gizmos, big screens, cameras (who buys a phone for the camera?), and apps mean almost nothing if I cannot understand the person on the other end of the line - afterall, which part of P-H-O-N-E don't people get?
21
@Nick Pusloskie, "who buys a phone for the camera?" The answer is "I do." I have hated talking on the phone for all of my 53 years. I own a cell phone for everything but the phone function! I take pictures because I am teaching myself photography and the pictures I take on my iPhone are literally better than my best friend's hugely expensive stand-alone camera. I also use my phone as a GPS, a texting device, a way to order dinner, a means of playing music and radio broadcasts from around the world, a flashlight, a notepad, a movie editor, a TV remote, etc., etc. Phones stopped being exclusively phones years ago. When a friend told me that there is a phone app that allows a doctor to monitor someone's heart, we seriously discussed why they bother calling them "phones" anymore. (But "tricorder" was already taken.) If a "phone" is important to you, great. Land lines and flip phones are still out there. But spare us the superior attitude.
27
Excuse me? Superior attitude? Nothing of the sort.
For the money phone manufacturers and communications companies charge for their products, you can get a pretty good entry level camera set and practice and learn photography - and I dare say that your photos will come out better overall.
FYI, I have not had a landline for decades; I have a cell PHONE - and it isn't, contrary to what my kids, grandkids or you think - a fold phone.
But as to my original premise - the voice quality on PHONES are, obviously, not a priority. So, again, all the gadgets and gizmos - which I have on other devices - mean nothing. I need to be able to actually understand the person on the other end of the PHONE.
5
@Nick PusloskieThey have/are with Voice of LTE.
I too want a smaller phone. I have an SE. It fits easily into my front pocket, and is easy to retrieve. It's big enough to read news articles, watch YouTube, and use any app that I need. If I wanted to have a bigger screen, I would get a mini iPad.
21
Here’s a thought on how to get the XS at a significantly reduced price: wait. All the goodies described in the article can be had for much less, and with all the bugs worked out, as soon as Apple releases and hypes the next new model in their lineup in a year or two. The XS sounds great. I might buy one but for now my 7 is just fine.
2
Um, folks this is not a phone. It is the most comprehensive, complete, fastest portable computer with a camera lens which happens to be able to make phone calls as well.
Let's see if ipad and mini ipad sales retreat.
This is the future...again. I am anxiously awaiting the dental implant chip, holographic screen and thought controlled unit.
15
Will the screen crack when I drop it? Is it scratch proof? Is it waterproof? Can it be used without a case (that just makes the phone even bigger)?
72
My kids all have old iPhones near the end of their life. They are pretty enmeshed in the iOS ecosystem, but seeing the sizes and prices of the new iPhones has me checking out Android models for any upgrades. There is a budget range Motorola that gets good reviews for $189!! Let that price sink in; it is one fifth the cost of a new iPhone. The iPhone is likely better, but 500% better? Not likely even close.
65
@Jim
Then they can buy an earlier model. Problem solved.
@Jim
Checking out Android for your kids?? They will lose all their friends.
Only MIT students think Android phones are cool.
2
I had a Motorola phone a few years ago. It worked well for a few years, but then the mini usb connection started to fail. It was a decent phone until then.
Such a waste of resources. Buy a new phone every 6 months and where does the old one go? maybe to someone who doesn't need the new iPhone 15 but it's just as likely they don't go to other people and end up in the ever-growing e-waste pile we ship to China. This isn't just a bash on Apple but other companies like Samsung. The iPhone is groundbreaking in the fact that they are amazing at getting people addicted to their phones.
60
I don't think this is at all accurate. iPhones retain value as long as they function. Like the 20 year old Toyota's pickups you see all over the world, a working Apple supported iPhone will travel the planet to find a home.
6
@Patrick - So don't buy a new phone every 6 mos. How many people actually do that? Wait 5 years if you like. Should Apple et al. forgo giving new buyers (whose phone may well be years old) the opportunity to get the latest technology by updating phones only every, say 5 years? Should car manufacturers introduce models only every few years?
1
@Patrick I would assume most frequent phone buyers are savvy enough by now to know they can sell their old phones on eBay or through various resellers. While yes, they may ultimately end up in a scrap heap, most are likely "downcycled" to less affluent parts of the world. Mobile phones are quite literally the only means of communication in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa, so I think it's a safe assumption many end up there.
Am I the only one who wants a SMALL smartphone? I would have to believe that many men do. Men don’t carry purses in which they can carry huge phones, and women who carry their big $800 phone sticking out of their back pocket have questionable judgement (they are begging to have it stolen, lost, or broken). In fact I don’t know a single man that owns one of Apple’s oversized “Plus” phones. The only iPhone I would considering buying is the smaller SE released back with the iPhone 7. It was very popular when it came out because of its small size, but now is dated. Where’s the new SE?
46
A ridiculous amount of money for a phone. Have to wonder if any of the hipsters and tech geeks who fall for this Apple money grab also complain about not having enough money for rent or a down payment on a home. It's just a phone people!
7
@DM I am currently using Iphone 4s, and have been happily doing so for the last 7 years.
Because I am a very visual person, after this review, I am more inclined to spend more on an XS than XR, what with the dual camera option giving a DSLR-like picture.
If I end up upgrading to an XR or XS, it will not only be a phone for me; it will be a phone, a video, a camera, a voice recorder, an audio player, an NPR player, podcast player, all in compact package, and I plan to use it for the next seven years, if not more.
14
There you go again, Mr. Chen. When Samsung note came with larger screens, OLED displays, and camera improvements, etc., price and quantum of improvements were panned. Now, year(s) later, when Apple follows, you justify the hefty price. Now the larger iPhone with 512 GB space will cost over $1400. More than most laptops. Are wall street expectations driving such mad margins rush? Buyers need to think about mortgaging home to buy phone. 5G is 12-16 months away and we will be surely asked to upgrade in a one or two year cycle so any major investment in phone today is surely short term. Buyers beware.
39
Wait, the fact that the body of the XS Max is 0.02in slimmer that the Plus bodies "amounted to meaningful improve in ergonomics..." as your thumb could now reach keys on the side..seriously?
18
@Jay
The sentence is awkward and reads that way, but I believe the main reason its easier to type one-handed on the XS Max is the lack of bezel. The keyboard is right there at the bottom of the screen, instead of a half inch further up it as on my 6s Plus.
2
You realize that you live in a Third World country when telephones become luxury items
6
I tether my 4” phone to my iPad and, I believe, get the best of both worlds
6
I have an iPhone SE - the same size as the old iPhone 5, AND I LIKE IT THAT WAY. I don't like the ever larger phones, as they are cumbersome despite what this article claims. I don't want to use my phone as a computer or a high end camera or use it as a game station, etc. I need an efficient practical device for texts, emails, calendar, and certain apps related to business. I fear that Apple will eventually phase out the smaller SE and leave people like me forced to buy a bulky device I don't need. Though I am a great fan of Apple - and have been for many years - I think they are employing the marketing tactic of planned obsolescence in order to keep raising sales. That makes me very angry.
87
@Romeo Salta The SE has been officially phased out. But don't worry-as you get older, your eyes will appreciate a larger, brighter display. And the X.Xs phones aren't any wider than an SE, just taller. The big gain comes the screen using all of the available space.
I'll bet that if you try the Xs in person, you'll find it quite comfortable, even as one who likes the size of an SE.
1
@Romeo Salta
The iPhone SE isn't for sale on the Apple web site any longer.
1
@Tim — The SE is certainly still for sale at Verizon stores both for monthly plans and for prepaid options. At least a week ago it was.
No mention of the needed RAM increase included on these phones. I hope that the minor glitches users experienced on older phones are improved.
3
I'm still using a 4S because it fits in a small pocket at the front of my Baggallini purse (where it is safe and protected). It is 4 5/8" tall and 2 1/2" wide (with the case). I just looked up all the Apple models and none are small enough for me. I don't need a huge screen as I use my laptop for that. Seems to me it's time for Apple to swing in the other direction and make a "mini" iPhone for people like me. I can't imagine putting one of those huge phones in a jeans pocket, either (guys?). Anyone else having the same problem?
38
@Kate Yes. I have an iPhone SE - the same size as the old iPhone 5, AND I LIKE IT THAT WAY. I don't like the ever larger phones, as they are cumbersome despite what this article claims. I don't want to use my phone as a computer or a high end camera or use it as a game station, etc. I need an efficient practical device for texts, emails, calendar, and certain apps related to business. I fear that Apple will eventually phase out the smaller SE and leave people like me forced to buy a bulky device I don't need. Though I am a great fan of Apple - and have been for many years - I think they are employing the marketing tactic of planned obsolescence in order to keep raising sales. That makes me very angry.
13
@Romeo Salta I, too, have the SE and it is all I will ever need. I read that they have phased out the SE already !
@Kate I have been using my 4s for seven years, would continue using it if only it can keep up with the changing technology :(. Many apps no longer support iOS 7 I keep on my phone to prevent it going sluggish. I also wish Apple kept producing a smaller size phone.
4
I don't understand the point of a blurred-out background. In the picture of the dog the background just takes up space. Why not simply crop the picture so that the dog is all that remains?
11
@Don Wiss. Then you should stick with the less expensive single lens! But two lenses allow you to take pics that have depth of field which is a feature previously you could only get on a higher quality camera like a dslr camera. This feature really could eliminate the need for a separate higher quality but small camera which is something I had been considering purchasing.
2
@Don Wiss His photo is not the best example, but there are many times when you want to give some space around your subject as well as some context. A blurred background avoids distractions from your main subject.
13
@Don Wiss that feature is excellent for portraits.
1
If I am going to pay $1099 for a phone, I want to be able to make free calls to the moon. I think Apple is taking a huge risk here by making its phones luxury items.
There are many good phones out there at reasonable prices to make enough people take a pass on these and future Apple phones.
13
@NS
"I think Apple is taking a huge risk here by making its phones luxury items."
Apple makes Veblen goods. Higher cost means more sales. That gives them a trillion-dollar market cap.
6
Am I the only one who realizes that an iPhone now cost the same or more than a laptop or desktop computer?
Apple has to realize that if customers will be asked to pay $1000 to $1200 for a telephone, they are going to keep it longer than a single update cycle.
I am still on my iPhone 7 that is paid for and clear, and I can’t see a need to upgrade.
129
Asked to? No one is forcing you to. I’m typing this in a 6, 4 yrs old and going strong. Does everything just fine.
1
@Matthew
Ditto, 6s, 4+ yrs; working fine!
@Truth Is True
I agree. I upgraded from iPhone 5 to iPhone X, so won’t upgrade again until XV.
1
That should be pronounced iPhone 10 Excess- not XS.
Do not need a Playstation in my hand, have a much better camera (a Leica) that does not need fake Bokeh, do not trust Face ID on any device from any manufacturer, hate glass backs, do not care about the OLED at increased price and think the pricing is obscene.
It is a phone, people. A phone plus navigation, streaming audio, email and a web browser. I have an iPad Pro and a MacBook Pro for more serious work. There is no phone worth about the same money.
67
@David Gregory I get it--I've resisted a phone for years. My iPad has served me well. But your arguments can be applied against yourself. Why have an iPad when your laptop can do those things? Because there are things the iPad does well that the laptop doesn't. Likewise, I've found that I can't pay for purchases at the store with my iPad. They won't let me bring my DSLR to concerts and similar venues. A quality camera means I can grab great photos even if I hadn't planned on it. Ditto for videos. So, why not invest in one device that can do so much and has the power to still be relevant several years from now?
5
@David Gregory
"do not trust Face ID on any device from any manufacturer"
They could make big bucks by charging for a Face ID delete.
1
@Tim soon smartphones will be banned from concerts and other such venues as well. It is BECAUSE they’ve became quite capable imaging devices and because they are a distractive nuissance. So one of the advantages of a larger, better camera phone is negated or will be shortly.
The one thing I didn't read in this article, and the main thing I care about is this. Has Apple created a screen set-up that you can actually see when outdoors in daylight? That's what I want to know. We've all done this -- try to find a shadow in which to stand, or having to cup our hand over the screen in sunshine. With all the billions of dollars Apple makes, and all the millions of iPhone users, you'd think we'd get a screen you can see at noon.
84
@Carmela Sanford That's a good question. Let me narrow it for you:
Is the OLED screen on the XS better in bright sunlight than the LCD screen on the XR?
That's what I'd like to know.
9
I can see the screen on my X fine in daylight.
I see many people being critical of the price tag on the new iPhones. If you don’t like the price, don’t buy one, but the price tag is not a reason to be critical of the product’s functionality.
Like many people, I use my phone often for work and for pleasure. During work hours or while traveling for work I’m on it all the time. Modest increases in functionality, ergonomics and processing speed can make me more efficient at work, which hopefully means less time at work. Away from work, if I spend less time fumbling with the phone, that can mean more time actually interacting with my family. Processing speed is important when using the camera function to capture moments with my small children. So yes, while the price tag on the new iPhone is high, I made the easy choice to upgrade expecting to realize a reasonable return on my time - my most limited resource. I don’t want to spend a lot of time staring at my phone, but when I have to, I want that time to be as productive as possible.
Access to the bleeding edge of technology in any industry is expected to be prohibitively expensive. I don’t know why people would expect the iPhone to be any different.
13
@G Hill Sorry, but the price does play a huge factor in the decision to buy something. The iPhone XS and XS Max are great devices, but they do not warrant such a huge price gap over the competition.
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@G Hill. Also, if anyone here (probably no one) watched Apple's event keynote, they'd have seen Lisa Jackson talk about Apple doing what Patagonia is doing: pushing people to keep products longer. Adding an extra year or two on whatever a person's phone upgrade cycle is definitely helps with the price.
14
@G Hill - I agree. Even an expensive smartphone is usually an excellent value considering its many uses. I don't understand the complaining about cost for the high end. People who need or want a less expensive device have many choices.
I ordered a Xs Max and calculate the cost per day at $1.84 (if I keep the device 24 months). Considering the many uses each day it will be the least expensive piece of technology I own.
8
I must say, as the number of applications grow and my eyes grow weaker as I age, this is a welcome improvement. On the other hand, I will never be able to fit this phone in my pocket... bring back the fanny pack!
2
@MP Murse (men purse) is more stylish than fanny pack :)
There is NOTHING that would make me pay this for a phone. And to be very frank were I inclined to do so, I would never pay it for an Apple product.
This is just absurd and the idea that Apple is offering this as an everyday product is embarrassing.
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@mj
It's okay. Even without you, Apple will sell all the phones that they can make. And your not buying will help make room for me to finally upgrade from my iPhone 5 to one of the newer models.
23
Once you realize the Apple operating system is essentially the same for iPhones going back 3 or 4 generations, the need and desire for an upgrade disappears. I don't see how this business model can possibly last for 3 to 5 more years.
7
@JTS Apple's business model will continue to be successful because people want to show off their latest vanity toy.
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I selected the smaller size since I have smaller hands. My company says it will arrive in a few days. Can’t wait to test out the new toy!
3
@Jammer same here.
These things are made in China. Let's see what they cost after the latest round of tariffs go into effect.
My guess is that because Apple's profit margin is so high, (they didn't get to be the world's most valuable, if not avaricious, company for nothing,), they'll eat the additional cost and lobby to make this new tariff imposition go away.
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@MIKEinNYC
Looks like apple has all it's orchards in a row according to this from the Associated Press
"And in a victory for Apple Inc. and its American customers, the administration removed smart watches and some other consumer electronics products from the list of goods to be targeted by the new tariffs."
19
The screen display on the XS & XS-Max models looks exactly like a woman's mammogram.
Did no female @ Apple pick up on that?!
7
@LEFisher. Looks like a tattooed arm to me but I see what you see too.
2
@LEFisher
I thought it was a NASA image of Mars or something. Apparently it's a close-up of a soap bubble.
1
@LEFisher First-world problem.
2
Do even 5% of iPhone users need the camera to be this advanced? Just how professional do selfies have to be for uploading ton Instagram?
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@DL
> Do even 5% of iPhone users need
> the camera to be this advanced?
Yes. We (my wife and I) now almost always use our iPhone cameras in place of the DSLRs that we previously carried. And given the old saying:
"The best camera in the world is the one you have with you"
we're now almost always equipped with a fine camera whenever a shot turns up.
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@DL Yes. The advancement of the camera in an iPhone is one of the most important reasons people upgrade. And, each iteration of iPhone as Apple has seen that folks are using them as primary cameras, they've put more into the built in camera.
2
@DL wrote "Just how professional do selfies have to be for uploading ..."
I'm sure there are many like me who don't take selfies but rather use the camera as cameras have been used for decades.
6
But Brian, why no mention of the iPhone X? How is it different from the newer ones? Hopefully its not just chopped liver now? It would have been nice for it to be included in the comparisons with the new playthings, as some of us did make the financial outlay to buy it this year.
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@JetPete
While awaiting Brian addressing this omission, you might check out Forbes comparison (hint: several incremental improvements):
https://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonkelly/2018/09/15/apple-iphone-xs-vs-i...
@JetPeteThe iPhone X is no longer. The Xs replaced it. The Xs is essentially last year's X with a newer processor, so there is no reason to keep it in the lineup.
2