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acorntoy

macrumors 68000
May 25, 2010
1,997
2,211
XS and XS Max are still made and sold through other retailers for $100 off.The point of keeping the XR in the “official” lineup was that Apple needed to expand its budget selection clearly after a year it was roasted for having too expensive of a lineup.
 

brucemr

macrumors regular
Sep 25, 2019
173
169
There's certainly all of that, it just doesn't touch upon the part of the XR still being sold along with the 11.

Canning X and Xs, after 1 year, is what is unusual. They were Apple‘s first entry into an ultra premium $1000+ market. They did it for reasons people have discussed here. Plus possibly one more...they didn’t think they would sell. The market for a $1000+ phone is not the type interested in saving “only” $100-$150, and get last years model.

Historically they have typically always offered previous models for 1 and often 2 years. Those phones were flagships when introduced. But pricing was not far off what Xr and 11 were when introduced.

Leaving the Xr (and the 8) in the lineup is normal. They did it to give value conscious potential iPhone buyers, who might not otherwise be able to afford Apple, a way onboard...by offering them 1 and 2 year old models, similar as they have always done.

I will not be surprised if next September they keep both the Xr and 11 in lineup.
 
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Aydy

macrumors 6502a
Nov 22, 2015
627
452
The Xs/Xs max are for all intents “Pro” models but without the pro identifier (in name). Apple are likely to be moving forward with the high end devices with the Pro tag as identifier. It’s possible the Xs/max were dropped because the ‘name’ didn’t fit. Pro in spec, pro in price but not in title
 

teknikal90

macrumors 68040
Jan 28, 2008
3,343
1,892
Vancouver, BC
There's certainly all of that, it just doesn't touch upon the part of the XR still being sold along with the 11.
well the XR doesn't have an OLED screen. It seems there is the second differentiator between the 'default' and the 'budget' is the number of cameras - been there since the 7 series.
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In my experience people don’t understand the difference unless they are into tech. I know people with OLED iPhones who didn’t even realise the screen was OLED or base their buying choice on that. I think price is the major selling point and people buy whatever iPhone they are comfortable paying for regardless of specs.
all they know is that the Pro phones are better in every way to the regular 11. that's why the price difference is reasoned. If the 11 exists above the XS but is yet inferior in build quality and screen tech and the lack of 'zoom', the product line would look confusing.
 

C DM

macrumors Sandy Bridge
Oct 17, 2011
51,390
19,458
well the XR doesn't have an OLED screen. It seems there is the second differentiator between the 'default' and the 'budget' is the number of cameras - been there since the 7 series.
Well, the original question was basically why was XS discontinued while XR wasn't. OLED and camera count don't really address that difference.
 

TimothyL

macrumors 6502
May 4, 2019
370
264
They discontinue one of last years model each year so that people buy the newest ones.
 

ScreenSavers

macrumors 68020
Feb 26, 2016
2,115
1,688
Bloomingdale, GA
The XR is a low priced version of the 11. It’s really not cheap enough to attract much interest though. The 11 is an obvious upgrade for a small price difference.
 

C DM

macrumors Sandy Bridge
Oct 17, 2011
51,390
19,458
The XR is a low priced version of the 11. It’s really not cheap enough to attract much interest though. The 11 is an obvious upgrade for a small price difference.
Well, going by that, the same can essentially be said about the XS in comparison to 11 Pro, yet XS was discontinued (while the XR wasn't).
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They discontinue one of last years model each year so that people buy the newest ones.
Why one and not both of that's basically the goal?
 

teknikal90

macrumors 68040
Jan 28, 2008
3,343
1,892
Vancouver, BC
Well, the original question was basically why was XS discontinued while XR wasn't. OLED and camera count don't really address that difference.
Yeah it does... XS has OLED. XS also has dual cameras. So it clashes with the 11.

The Xr have neither. So it doesn’t clash with the 11.
 
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The-Real-Deal82

macrumors P6
Jan 17, 2013
16,293
23,998
Wales, United Kingdom
all they know is that the Pro phones are better in every way to the regular 11. that's why the price difference is reasoned. If the 11 exists above the XS but is yet inferior in build quality and screen tech and the lack of 'zoom', the product line would look confusing.
It’s not ‘better in every way’ though, that’s a misleading statement. Certain aspects of the Pro series are better but they share the same chip, cameras (x2), build quality is Apple premium and you get the same iOS experience. Apple also markets the iPhone 11 much more than the Pro series both on TV and in their own stores as they know the lions share of the market are more drawn to it via its expensive but also reasonable price in the market.

I have experience of using the XR through work and it’s a very decent and well built iPhone. A lot of people buy on association too and recommendation.
 

The-Real-Deal82

macrumors P6
Jan 17, 2013
16,293
23,998
Wales, United Kingdom
Why one and not both of that's basically the goal?
It’s been repeated dozens of times now but the best guess is margins and not pulling sales away from their least appealing flagship range. The lower end picks up the most sales so they offer more models. Apple don’t want you paying £850 when they can maximise their profit further by tempting you to pay £1k+.
 
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bniu

macrumors 65816
Mar 21, 2010
1,118
302
Simple, you want to have a linear relationship amongst the different products and prices.

For apple, it's an A11 based device, A12 based device, A13 based device, and flagship A13 based device.

The iPhone 11 is the standard phone with an LCD display. If someone wants an OLED display, they will pay to upgrade to that experience. The person who pays extra for the flagship OLED display is not going to be the same person who wants to save a few bucks and go with last year's phone in the XS. The XS will simply not sell. You will have some carriers selling the XS and XS Max at steeper discounts but that is to clear out old inventory.

People willing to shell out over $1000 for a new phone aren't going to be so concerned about saving $100 to get the XS. People who are more price sensitive and feel that even the iPhone 11 is too much will find that the XR is at a price they find more acceptable.
 
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C DM

macrumors Sandy Bridge
Oct 17, 2011
51,390
19,458
Yeah it does... XS has OLED. XS also has dual cameras. So it clashes with the 11.

The Xr have neither. So it doesn’t clash with the 11.
The 11 uses LCD (just as the XR).
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It’s been repeated dozens of times now but the best guess is margins and not pulling sales away from their least appealing flagship range. The lower end picks up the most sales so they offer more models. Apple don’t want you paying £850 when they can maximise their profit further by tempting you to pay £1k+.
I got what some have said in relation to this. Simply following up on what some others have been saying.
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People willing to shell out over $1000 for a new phone aren't going to be so concerned about saving $100 to get the XS. People who are more price sensitive and feel that even the iPhone 11 is too much will find that the XR is at a price they find more acceptable.
It would seem like there wouldn't be much of a market for the plain 11 going down that path.
 

Arcontia

macrumors 6502a
Apr 6, 2017
885
2,329
The Xs/Xs max are for all intents “Pro” models but without the pro identifier (in name). Apple are likely to be moving forward with the high end devices with the Pro tag as identifier. It’s possible the Xs/max were dropped because the ‘name’ didn’t fit. Pro in spec, pro in price but not in title

yup but I expect that the current 11 Pro’s will not be retained in the lineup anymore after next years new phones replace them, just like with the X and Xs
 

nordique

macrumors 68000
Oct 12, 2014
1,976
1,600
Their logic?

Why keep selling a phone that competes with your Pro models while is no where near as popular as the XR?

Their logic is to maximize profits
 

C DM

macrumors Sandy Bridge
Oct 17, 2011
51,390
19,458
Their logic?

Why keep selling a phone that competes with your Pro models while is no where near as popular as the XR?

Their logic is to maximize profits
But then the XR would similarly compete with the 11 potentially affecting its sales.
 
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The-Real-Deal82

macrumors P6
Jan 17, 2013
16,293
23,998
Wales, United Kingdom
But then the XR would compete with the 11 potentially affecting its sales.

Where I live it’s more likely to take sales away from the iPhone 8/8+ due to the pricing structure. The iPhone 11 is a healthy seller. The XR is getting a lot of attention in the run up to Xmas though with stocks running low in certain places.
 

azentropy

macrumors 601
Jul 19, 2002
4,013
5,353
Surprise
Anyone know what Apple's logic is behind discontinuing the Xs, while continuing to sell the XR? I can understand them discontinuing the Xs to push 11 Pro sales, as a lot of people would have just opted for the Xs as the upgrade is minimal. The exact same thing can be said for the XR and 11, if not more so.

So why continue to sell one and not the other? Would I be right in saying that 3D Touch has a big part to play in it.

Because the XR allows a for a lower price point then all the new 11 Phones (11, Pro, Pro Max). A lower price Xs wouldn't as it would still be higher than even the 11.
 

C DM

macrumors Sandy Bridge
Oct 17, 2011
51,390
19,458
Because the XR allows a for a lower price point then all the new 11 Phones (11, Pro, Pro Max). A lower price Xs wouldn't as it would still be higher than even the 11.
The 8 allows for an even lower price point. It certainly seems like there's fairly decent (mostly sales related) reasoning for the XS to no longer be sold, while it seems that the XR would sort of be undercutting the 11 by still being there.
 

azentropy

macrumors 601
Jul 19, 2002
4,013
5,353
Surprise
The 8 allows for an even lower price point. It certainly seems like there's fairly decent (mostly sales related) reasoning for the XS to no longer be sold, while it seems that the XR would sort of be undercutting the 11 by still being there.

Yes, but there is still room between the 8 and the 11, so they slot in the XR. The point was not to continue an old phone that conflicts with the pricing of the new phones. Not saying I agree with it, but that is what they are thinking IMO.
 

JPack

macrumors G5
Mar 27, 2017
12,446
23,003
Because the vast majority of iPhone sales occur in the mid-range.

Keep in mind the ASP for iPhone is about $700 and the XR and 11 represent the bulk of the iPhone sales for Apple. It makes sense to include two models to capture the $600-$700 segment.

It's the same reason why car manufacturers produce several mid-range models but only a couple top-end models.

1575927065053.png
 

44267547

Cancelled
Jul 12, 2016
37,642
42,491
Their logic?

Why keep selling a phone that competes with your Pro models while is no where near as popular as the XR?

Their logic is to maximize profits

This. Apple would never let a previous model iPhone to stand in the way of potential profits for the next generation iPhone.

The exact same concept why Apple discontinued the Series 4 Apple Watch in place of the Series 5. If Apple retained the Series 4 in place, consumers would gravitate towards the discounted price and they wouldn’t see the value just for a compass/always on display for the Series 5, especially when they share the same processor.
 
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aakshey

macrumors 68030
Jun 13, 2016
2,786
1,276
The reason is nobody in their right mind would buy a XS for $900 when they can get an 11 Pro for $1000. So you’re wasting time and money in inventory management, backend, systems, logistics, and of course worse margins. And even more importantly, you’re confusing the customer.

It is in the customer’s best interest to have one option of each type. And as few options as possible.

Otherwise you’ve seen the mess companies like Samsung have put themselves in.

The fewer the options, the less confused the customer.

More options make sense when they add value. A $100 buck saving is a special date’s worth of money for the audience that the Pro iPhone caters to, they will only get confused and blame Apple for so many options. Ultimately not buying any iPhone at all.

XR is offered because it is for the common masses. Those whose entire week’s ration might be USD 100. They might not buy an 11 because they can’t afford it. USD 600 might be a big deal there. When you’re anyway spending so much more frivolous money around the USD 1000 mark, USD 100 makes no difference one way or the other.

If Mercedes was to sell a 4 year old brand new model for 45k compared to 50k for the latest model, would you buy it?

But if you could get a second hand budget car for 8k instead of 10k for brand new, you might consider it if you are short on cash.

That’s how the low end market works.
 
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