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glenthompson

macrumors demi-god
Apr 27, 2011
2,983
842
Virginia
My wife is still on her XS Max and is t interested in upgrading. I have a XR and the only thing I would upgrade for is a better camera.
 

Böhme417

macrumors 6502a
Mar 11, 2009
987
1,346
Still? There are probably more people using a XS or older than the newer models.

I went from a XS to the 12 Pro, and frankly, I kind of feel like it was $1300 wasted. Basically, the only things of note are the battery (purely for it being new) and the better camera(s). For apps, it doesn't seem any faster, and I have way more Bluetooth issues with my 12 Pro than I ever had with my XS. And 5G should not be considered a feature at this point in the game.
 
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mebehere

macrumors 65816
Sep 21, 2012
1,099
1,081
If you have a good, vibrant, color-accurate, high-contrast, non-yellow screen, I’d keep what you’ve got.

My 12, “upgrading” from an XR has none of the above qualities. Buyer beware and good luck.
 
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TheIntruder

macrumors 68000
Jul 2, 2008
1,701
1,195
The A12 in the XS supports almost all of the new software features in iOS 15, except for improved panoramas and a couple related to 5G of the iPhone 12.

In terms of hardware, camera improvements and the U1 are what the XS lack. Whether those are compelling enough to upgrade will vary.

My only regret with my XS is that I didn't get the 128GB model instead of the base 64GB, but I can't justify the cost to upgrade, versus freeing up space by just deleting a lot of the old photos I've kept horded on my device.
 
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TheJing

macrumors 6502a
Jun 13, 2011
676
14
Somewhere in Europe
I love taking photos and night mode is worth it imho. For me at least to get the 11.

Yea, the camera is one of those things worth upgrading for for many people and it makes sense.

If I took more than a picture per week on average, I would probably upgrade too. I went through old photos the other day and ended up keeping only 250 out of the 3500 pictures/screenshots/videos from the last 8 years, so pretty much any camera past the iPhone 7 is more than enough for my needs.
 

srbNYC

macrumors 68000
Jul 7, 2020
1,782
1,623
New York, NY
Just checked my XS, and my battery health shows max capacity 86%. That seems pretty good for a 2-year-old phone with heavy use, doesn't it? I'm pleased; definitely up for holding on to it unless a new model really has something significant.
 

Knowlege Bomb

macrumors G4
Feb 14, 2008
10,198
8,833
US
The XS was my least favorite phone in the lineup since probably the 4S. I've upgraded every year mostly out of habit but the XS was the one phone I just could not wait to be rid of. Admittedly, a lot of it had to do with me choosing white/silver instead of my usual space gray and the cracked back glass but those things aside, I would have gone back to my X at any point were the option made available.
 

Saladin12

macrumors 65816
Apr 26, 2021
1,029
1,920
The XS was my least favorite phone in the lineup since probably the 4S. I've upgraded every year mostly out of habit but the XS was the one phone I just could not wait to be rid of. Admittedly, a lot of it had to do with me choosing white/silver instead of my usual space gray and the cracked back glass but those things aside, I would have gone back to my X at any point were the option made available.
Oooh I've got the gold XS and wish I had the white/silver one (my wife has that one). I do wish Apple (+ other manufacturers) would stop using glass on the back of the phones. It's just one extra element to smash!
 

shakopeemn

macrumors regular
Jul 29, 2014
212
132
I’ve loved it ever since but, admittedly, I’ve treated it badly and now it’s deffo seen better days. Completely shattered glass back, minor scratches on front screen, and the battery could deffo be better. It’s well loved, shall we say.
No one needs / wants your kind of love. ?
 

shakopeemn

macrumors regular
Jul 29, 2014
212
132
I’ve had the iPhone XS since it was released back in 2018, but never really had the need to upgrade. But I like the look of the mini iPhones mainly due to their size.

Is anyone else looking to upgrade from their XS this year? If so, what are your reasons?

Still using the XS after a few years. Fantastic screen and just the right size! Fits in pocket when needed much better than the XR or 11.
 

M.PaulCezanne

macrumors 6502a
Mar 5, 2014
884
1,629
My wife and I bought 2 XRs outright planning to maybe upgrade with 13s. They're totally fine and we have zero need for more bandwidth so I doubt we will (unless they suspiciously slow down when the 13 arrives ;)).
 

mzeb

macrumors 6502
Jan 30, 2007
358
612
Had my XS since launch and won't upgrade unless Apple releases a phone without a lightning port. (I have a Razer Kishi controller that uses the lightning port and want to use it for a bit longer if I can).
 

Zaft

macrumors 601
Jun 16, 2009
4,553
4,032
Brooklyn, NY
I had an XS Max until I recently upgraded to the 12PM.

The main differences are the camera and the screen. The 12Pm is way more vibrant.
 

kingtj1971

macrumors 6502a
Feb 11, 2021
500
582
Alton, IL
I'm still using an XS Max here and haven't really been eager to upgrade it. For starters, I bought this as a version with 512GB storage capacity to hold my whole music collection and have plenty of room for videos and photos. So that makes it more compelling to keep using it.

But I've also got issues like driving a Tesla Model 3 where the phone acts like my primary car key. Lots of people talk about issues they had with the car not always unlocking when in proximity of the phone after they upgraded from an iPhone X or XS series to something newer. I don't really feel like dealing with that new problem if I upgrade.

I know someone here pointed out that he felt Americans tended to upgrade phone handsets on a 1-2 year basis just because they're subsidized by the carriers and they encourage trading up regularly. That was definitely a thing, but in recent years I think it's finally slowing down quite a bit? With the latest phones having such high price tags, carriers aren't willing to subsidize 100% of their cost anymore in many cases. So upgrades are still $450+ out of your pocket, up front, and then the rest covered by your contract renewal - especially if you want models with more storage capacity and what-not. Plus, more and more people switched to far cheaper plans where you're not under a contract and you simply buy the phone up-front. That's what I do with T-Mobile right now. I'm using one of their "Connect" plans that costs me $25/month for unlimited talk and text plus 5GB of monthly LTE data. It's essentially another "pay as you go" plan but I was able to call in and arrange it to auto-bill my credit card on file so it's not harassing me each month to "refill" it.
 
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JJL2026

macrumors member
Jun 1, 2021
52
27
I have the xs max and it’s still going strong. I would love to upgrade to 13 pro but will probably ride my xs max as long as I can.
 
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forestinjersey

macrumors 6502
Oct 24, 2013
354
356
Recently swapped from a XS Max to a 12 Pro, honestly not much difference, I like the look of the flat sides but my XS Max was way more comfortable to hold. Looking to get the 13 Mini. I have an iPad Pro which I use way more than my phone now.
 

Motionblurrr

macrumors 65816
Jul 1, 2008
1,303
1,623
The XS/XS Max was a freaking beast when it launched. I mean, Apple did want $1,000 or $1,100 for the big boy, so of course you'd be getting your moneys worth 3 years later.

Usually the unloved "boring" iPhone generations are the ones that stick around gracefully and have the processing power to do so.

IIRC, the A13 chip was just a more efficient A12, so the power jump wasn't as drastic as say, A11 to A12 GPU. Granted, you need a decent battery on the XS because the A12 is hungry lol
 
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