iPhone XS iPhone 7 to iPhone XS

[meteoreos]

I'm thinking about upgrading to the XS as I've had my iPhone 7 since 2016. It still works perfectly fine, and honestly, it's fast enough for my usage. However, it is a few generations old now.

Has anybody gone from a 7 to a XS? Was it worth the upgrade?

 

[TexasAggie013]

I went from 7 to XS and have really enjoyed it. My 7 was in perfect condition as well. The main reason for upgrading for me was the camera and the ability to have my personal and work numbers on the same phone. Obviously I haven't been able to test out the second item yet, but the camera is fantastic as most here have already mentioned. The battery life on the XS is even better than what I remembered my 7 being when it was new. I had some problems with the ESPN app but gave up and deleted it and haven't had any battery problems since.

All of this is not to say that the 7 wasn't a fantastic phone, I would have probably been happy with it for another year or so. At the end of the day I had to reconcile the cost, new features from 7 to XS, and expected life of the XS. This phone is solid. I expect to have this phone for 3-4 years. It feels more future proofed than any other iPhone I've ever bought. I'd be interested to hear if any other readers agree with that feeling. Again, not to take away from the 7. It still is a fantastic phone. But I felt that moving up to the XS was money well spent and will continue to be for many years.

Obviously, the choice is yours as you'll use your phone differently than me. But I have really enjoyed the XS and do not regret the upgrade.

Let me know if you had any specific question and I'd be happy give my two cents.

 

[meteoreos]

I went from 7 to XS and have really enjoyed it. My 7 was in perfect condition as well. The main reason for upgrading for me was the camera and the ability to have my personal and work numbers on the same phone. Obviously I haven't been able to test out the second item yet, but the camera is fantastic as most here have already mentioned. The battery life on the XS is even better than what I remembered my 7 being when it was new. I had some problems with the ESPN app but gave up and deleted it and haven't had any battery problems since.

All of this is not to say that the 7 wasn't a fantastic phone, I would have probably been happy with it for another year or so. At the end of the day I had to reconcile the cost, new features from 7 to XS, and expected life of the XS. This phone is solid. I expect to have this phone for 3-4 years. It feels more future proofed than any other iPhone I've ever bought. I'd be interested to hear if any other readers agree with that feeling. Again, not to take away from the 7. It still is a fantastic phone. But I felt that moving up to the XS was money well spent and will continue to be for many years.

Obviously, the choice is yours as you'll use your phone differently than me. But I have really enjoyed the XS and do not regret the upgrade.

Let me know if you had any specific question and I'd be happy give my two cents.

I want to upgrade because of the OLED display more than anything. How is it compared to the LCD that the 7 has? Also, how was the transition from TouchID to FaceID?

 

[snowman1]

Not the exact scenario as what you're asking about, but I upgraded from an iPhone 7 to a X (not XS) this past month - that being said, your experience should be even better than mine since the XS improves upon the X in basically every aspect.
The primary reason why I got the X was because of the OLED screen, and it has exceeded all expectations. Everything looks sharper, and the contrast is really amazing (this is especially evident when using all black apps like Clock - on the 7, the black is more of a dark dark gray. On the X(S), it's true black). The edge-edge screen is also amazing and gives you so much screen real estate in a phone that is about the same size as the 7 - I have come to really appreciate the extra screen real estate. There is also something really futuristic about seeing your content fill the entire glass surface of the phone. Granted, there is the notch, but I rarely notice it.

The transition to FaceID has been seamless. At its best, it matches the speed of TouchID on the 7 (and remember that the XS supposedly has faster FaceID than the X) - it's usually this quick when I actively pick up my phone/take it out of my pocket to use it/opening apps with authentication (ex: 1Password). It is a little less reliable when lying on a table face-up (i.e. sitting at a desk, trying to use the phone without picking it up) or when trying to unlock while using my phone in bed. In these circumstances, I'm usually able to unlock after 1-2 more tries by adjusting my position. This isn't ideal, but the seamlessness with which FaceID works in just about every other circumstance more than makes up for these relatively less frequent hiccups. Overall, FaceID is definitely a worthy successor to TouchID and I'm very satisfied with it.

All in all, I think if I found a lot of value in upgrading from a 7 to a X, you should DEFINITELY find a lot of value in upgrading to a XS.

 

[brewno]

I went from a 7Plus to an XS.
I mean, I still have to receive the new phone... can't wait to try it out.

 

[The Rebel Alliance]

I upgraded from a 7 to a Xs. I‘ve had every iteration of the iPhone from the 4 to the 7, and the Xs has easily been the best iPhone upgrade I’ve experienced.
The screen is beautiful. My wife now has my old 7, and comparing them side by side is like looking at the 7 next to my first gen iPod touch. No comparison.
I was skeptical about Face ID, but it has been an easy transition. Face ID disappears in a way that Touch ID never could. There are some shortcomings, as other people have mentioned, but, overall, I find it to give an incredibly seamless user experience.
I’m looking at the Xs as a 3-4 year phone for me. I was hesitant to spend so much money on a phone, but it has been better than I expected all around. I don’t think you’ll regret it.

 

[cornerexit]

I’d wait. No 5G LTE hardware in these new 2018 phones. So they are already obsolete.

 

[macdragonfl]

I went from an 8 to an Xs. I really consider the 8 the 7s. The camera is unbelievable until you use it, I love taking pictures it's a whole new experience. 30 mins or so to adjust to the new gestures. Face ID has been extremely fast and reliable, love opening bank app and it just take me to the main screen seamlessly and secure. Size wise it feels the same, it is of course heavier which I like as it feels more solid and premium to me. I gave the 8 to a family member I have not used in about 10 days. I had to do something on it for him today, I could not believe how small the screen looked now. The OLED screen is the icing on the cake as it is one of the best out there.

 

[KOTN91]

I’d wait. No 5G LTE hardware in these new 2018 phones. So they are already obsolete.

Lol 5G won’t be coming to the U.K. until 2021 at the earliest and won’t be ubiquitous for several years after that, which is about the shelf life of the XS

Agreed though personally I don’t see the value in the upgrade from a 7 given the fact it’s up to 3 times the price

 

[winxdon]

Has anybody gone from a 7 to a XS? Was it worth the upgrade?

I went from 7plus to X, in short, I don’t think the X justifies the price.

The screen is nice and is better than 7plus but not day and night to my eyes, well at least for instagram, Facebook, YouTube on cellular and just reading texts.

What I’ve found is that you could only focus on not many things at once on the screen, from a distant the bezel less display looks futuristic compare to older iPhones, but for reading contents, most people could only look at one line at a time, or one picture at a time, then you forget how big or small the bezels are.

So why I switched? Because I like gadgets and you have the novelty

I don’t have the XS but I’m sure it’s a great phone. You will feel the speed increase on the new phone but not by much as the 7/7plus is plenty quick for everyday tasks.

Get it if you like gadgets and want to experience the new design from Apple, you may feel it cost more than it should but you will be a happier person

 

[Frankfurt]

I moved up from a 7 to the XS. I am overall happy with the purchase. I probably would have waited another year as my 7 is truly flawless in any way, but I had promised it to another family member.

Some considerations before upgrading based on my experience now after a month of use with the XS:

XS Pros:
- the camera: hands down a huge leap vs the 7
- OLED: display is crisper and larger - but its not overly relevant unless you really are into displays
- Speed - no doubt more snappy than the 7, but again not a critical difference unless you are into gaming or VR stuff
- will easily last 3-4 years given the processor and 4GB RAM

XS Cons:
- Price: up to 3x of a 7 -- that is a huge mark-up
- Weight: it is noticeably heavier than a 7. When wearing dress pants or suits the phone will move around quite a bit when carried in your pants.
- Size: it is larger than the 7, not critically so, but for my taste on the edge of what is convenient.

I am undecided on Face ID vs Touch ID. The latter always worked well on me. Face ID is great when it works and annoying when it doesn't for example with sunglasses, in bed or when looking at it in a weird angle.

I would have voted for the XR, if that could have been had in the size of a 7. As the XR is too big for my use, I really had no choice but picking up the XS. It is a beautiful phone though and assuming I keep it indeed 3-4 years, it is worth the price.

 

[willdude]

I also went from a 7 to an XS, and am very happy with it. My 7 was still great, so I went into the XS really just intending to try it out, and return it if I didn't like it more. I was generally skeptical about the loss of the home button and Touch ID. I was frankly amazed by how much I liked using the XS. The edge-to-edge screen, Face ID, and swipe gestures all feel incredibly natural. And while neither thing individually is a huge upgrade (again, the 7 was still great), the improved OLED screen, better camera, faster internals, and wireless charging all add up to a generally improved experience. The only real downside for me is that, as someone with small hands, it's definitely harder to use one-handed. But I've gotten so used to it that going back and using a non-X phone feels almost archaic. So if you can afford it, and want it, just go for it.

 

[meteoreos]

All brilliant advice, appreciate it.

Price wise, I’m not that bothered because I can get around £250-300 for my iPhone 7, so it’s justified (somewhat).

I’m more concerned about getting a rubbish screen after reading through the forums. Yellow tints and all that, don’t want to be returning to find a good screen etc

I will purchase maybe mid-November when (hopefully) these apparent screen production issues have been resolved

 

[KeepCalmPeople]

I went 7 to XS - if the cost is not an issue, it is a all around improvement. My 7 was flawless too - I had intended to give it to my daughter, but after enjoying the XS so much, I ended up buying her a used X.
The screens are always a lottery, depending on how OCD you are. I expect the Xr will also have its fair share of complaints about QC.

 

[imagineadam]

I too have had and still have my 7 from launch and it works great. I have the jet black 128GB. I’ve had the 4,5,6 and now the 7. I’d really love the XS I’m sure I’d love it but.... I really feel like I’d be kicking myself if the 2019 or 2020 iPhone has ProMotion and I didn’t wait. So I’m waiting!! I’ve used the iPad Pro that has it and it’s amazing! Once you use it you want it in your iPhone so bad. I really feel like phill will be up there next year telling everyone how they are taking the “Super Retina display to the next level”. So for now I wait.

My 7 runs iOS 12 perfectly fine and it actually loads apps faster than iOS 11 maybe even 10 although I miss iOS 10’s lack of home button delay.

I also had apple care plus on my 7 and I replaced my battery for “free” in the last week of that warranty so my battery health is back to 100% and I’m gonna keep this thing going for another year.

This is the first time in a 2 year period where I feel like my phone hasn’t slowed down after iOS upgrades so I will continue on. I really like to get my bang for my buck. I really hope there is promotion next year... if not well man it will be hard not to upgrade after 3 years!

 

[DevinNj]

All brilliant advice, appreciate it.

Price wise, I’m not that bothered because I can get around £250-300 for my iPhone 7, so it’s justified (somewhat).

I’m more concerned about getting a rubbish screen after reading through the forums. Yellow tints and all that, don’t want to be returning to find a good screen etc

I will purchase maybe mid-November when (hopefully) these apparent screen production issues have been resolved

One thing to remember is the amount of people who post about issues, especially on a tech forum, compared to the number of phones sold overall without issues, is relatively a low percentile. Knock on wood, I've been very lucky when buying a new device. The last couple of years I've waited until Black Friday here in the states to upgrade, and get some sort of deal/incentive, and by then most bugs are usually worked out if there are any. Just my .02, anyway.

 

[chanerz]

8+ to Xs here. Happy with the purchase.

 

[macdaddy1991]

Went from a 7plus to the XS max and like you the 7 was plenty fast still. The new display is the reason I upgraded and it has been worth it.

 

[omelet1978]

I had a 6S and went to an iPhone X.

It is a major update and worth doing if you can find a deal. Mine would have cost $1450 new, but I was able to buy it for around $550 less than that buy getting a slightly used X off of eBay (256gb w/ Applecare for another year and a half). If you take your time and can find something like that then it is worth the purchase.