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The Phone That’s Failing Apple: iPhone XR

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Re: The Phone That’s Failing Apple: iPhone XR

#111
post #70

Why is Apple diluting their brand? What happened to the simple product line? iPhone X this and iPhone X that is simply bad marketing. Are there product driven people in Apple anymore?

I posted this in another thread, but one thing I think that is hurting the iPhone upgrade cycle is that there are now so many iPhone versions no one can remember which "generation" they all are. Since 2016 we've got iPhone SE, 7, 7 Plus, 8, 8 Plus, X, XS, XS Max, and XR. With so many versions, I think there is less social pressure (internalized or real) to upgrade because it's not like people even really know how old…

XS reminds of an extra small version..

Re: The Phone That’s Failing Apple: iPhone XR

#113
The iPhone XR is failing because of Apple's arrogance. They shoved in a 720p display into a smartphone in 2018. They even dismissed concerns about it[1]. The other reason is there are too many models in their lineup in a desperate attempt to capture market share - something Steve jobs was against.

The desirability is not there as it used to be, since they're now almost pushed into a price war with other makers in the segments who were already well established before Apple.

Finally, there are simply too many issues surrounding iOS. Either the wifi stops working, or the phone is made to perform too slow in the pretext of battery throttling or something else is compromised. This is unacceptable from a company that reached $1 Tr. I am not kidding you when I tell you guys I know sweatshops that can do better quality code than Apple's iOS. Get your shit together, Apple!

[1] https://www.trustedreviews.com/news/iphone-xr-screen-issues-...

Re: The Phone That’s Failing Apple: iPhone XR

#114
Personally, these last two iPhone generations were a bit overwhelming, confusing and strange. I did upgrade to the X but I honestly say, I didn't even look at this years' offering with any interest. I like the X. I'm happy with it but here's just simply not enough interesting things going on to make the new ones worth checking out. Maybe it's just these two generations -- but this constant push to raise the prices on the higher end to astronomical levels is leaving a pretty sour taste in my mouth...

The Android market on the other hand is something I couldn't resist checking out, it's like the wild wild west out there: all these various companies are constantly in the news with loads and loads of weird and quirky ideas. Now, granted, I did end up switching to iOS because I found the Android offerings inferior, I still can't help but sometimes think about trying out the newest and most interesting on that end. "The grass is always greener on the other side", as they say.

It's also the case that the killer apps are simply not there. Unlike the 2018 iPhones - I really did look at the new iPad Pro and thought to myself that I'd love one since I've been using the first gen 13" Pro ever since it came out and the redesign is cool. On second and third thoughts, though I had to admit to myself that even with the 120hz panel, I wouldn't really gain much in practical terms. And the entry price, which in my country is almost $500 more than the first generation's, really doesn't justify something that's that much of a hard sell..

Now, granted, this is all just my personal opinion and might even change this September if Apple has some surprise queued up for us, who knows?

For now, though, I can't help but feel like that $1500-$2000 for a new tablet and smartphone every year or two is better served as part of my savings account.

Re: The Phone That’s Failing Apple: iPhone XR

#115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I posted this in another thread, but one thing I think that is hurting the iPhone upgrade cycle is that there are now so many iPhone versions no one can remember which "generation" they all are. Since 2016 we've got iPhone SE, 7, 7 Plus, 8, 8 Plus, X, XS, XS Max, and XR. With so many versions, I think there is less social pressure (internalized or real) to upgrade because it's not like people even really know how old…

XS reminds of an extra small version..

So many people wish it was extra small!

Re: The Phone That’s Failing Apple: iPhone XR

#116

I cannot help but think that an iPhone XR mini would have been a great seller if it hit the $450 range. I just don't understand Apple these days, its like they have reverted to the early 90's where they kept jacking the price until even the loyal customers had to exit the ship. I had so believed they would repeat the iPod strategy and start at the top end and slowly squeeze the market by introducing models that fille…

> Greg Joswiak, Apple vice president of product marketing, told CNET in an interview Wednesday that the device has “been our most popular iPhone each and every day since the day it became available.” https://www.cnet.com/news/apples-iphone-xr-has-been-its-top-...

Keep in mind that the iPhone XR launched on 10/26, a month after the iPhone XS on 9/21.

What Greg Joswiak says is likely true, but you have to account for the fact that peak demand for the XS has already passed by the time the XR is launched, so total XS sales to date could still be more.

Re: The Phone That’s Failing Apple: iPhone XR

#117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes! You hit the nail on the head! The iPhone needs to be split between iPhone Mini, iPhone and iPhone Pro, instead of current model of “last year”, “this year medium” and “this year large”. As much as I wanted to love the iPhone SE, it always felt like last year’s model. It wasn’t a differentiated product that had a proper update cycle. A lot of people in the community were hoping for a proper update to the SE. I al…

How often do people find in practice they have to think about specs at all? I'm typing this on an SE. It is, of course, literally last year's phone (two years) but both when I bought it and now, there's nothing except the camera that doesn't feel well above adequate (and the camera, while missing some neat low light features, is adequate) and there's a few things that feel optimal about it that simply aren't availabl…

Doing OS updates, taking pictures and storing stuff on limited storage.

Re: The Phone That’s Failing Apple: iPhone XR

#118

I must confess I don't know the difference between the iPhone X, XR, XS, XS Max. It all seems very confused and stinks of marketing getting their claws into it. It was simple when they were numbered sequentially. Now I wonder if there will ever be an iPhone 11 as that suggests there can't be a premium on the iPhone X* as people will poo-poo that.

Three of these are easy to understand, especially if you know anything at all about how Apple has been naming iPhones since the beginning of the product line. The fourth is the XR. Which is, as TFA indicates, a head-scratcher of a product.

This is purely speculation but I wonder if the XR only exists because of fear that they wouldn’t be able to scale up the OLED supply chain enough to satiate total demand for the new model iPhone (and incidentally make a lower cost phone too). Otherwise I too agree, why offer it?

Re: The Phone That’s Failing Apple: iPhone XR

#119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes! You hit the nail on the head! The iPhone needs to be split between iPhone Mini, iPhone and iPhone Pro, instead of current model of “last year”, “this year medium” and “this year large”. As much as I wanted to love the iPhone SE, it always felt like last year’s model. It wasn’t a differentiated product that had a proper update cycle. A lot of people in the community were hoping for a proper update to the SE. I al…

How often do people find in practice they have to think about specs at all? I'm typing this on an SE. It is, of course, literally last year's phone (two years) but both when I bought it and now, there's nothing except the camera that doesn't feel well above adequate (and the camera, while missing some neat low light features, is adequate) and there's a few things that feel optimal about it that simply aren't availabl…

I don’t think it is the specs or even the real world performance, but rather the unease/sense of compromise you feel spending $450 for an “outdated” phone regardless of the actual user experience.

On the other hand, people can spend $550 for OnePlus 6T, a current generation phone, and feel better about their decision.

Re: The Phone That’s Failing Apple: iPhone XR

#120
post #3

Everyone I know who owns an iPhone XR only got it because they're in some upgrade plan that gives them a new phone every year or two. Nobody actually wants it. There's die-hards who needs the XS because it's the latest and greatest, while those who want something a little cheaper are buying an 8 Plus or original X. I really feel like the XR is a repeat of the original iPhone 7 in that it's a phone with no target audi…

> Everyone I know In the grand scheme of things, and in the overall market, everyone you know still comes out to a rounding error. Don't get too caught up in anecdata. > I really feel like the XR is a repeat of the original iPhone 7 in that it's a phone with no target audience You're right, there. If people want a high-end iPhone, they'd get the XS. If they want a cheaper phone in the X form factor, they'd get an X.…

Force touch (at least as implemented in my iPhone 7+) is horrible.

I can’t reliably use Trello to move cards or delete apps in home screen.

The app shortcuts are nice but I made do without them for years and now I can invoke them from Siri anyway.

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