iPhone XS Opinion: Do you think 13 Pro is a big change from a XS?

[Jake3231]

I've been using an iPhone XS since early 2019, and it's been a great phone. It was an incremental upgrade at the time, but the A12 has held up really well, and the revisions from the 2018 models seem to have ended up being the prerequisite for many of the later software features that would come out (AR features, multi camera capture, high-performance OS features).

I was thinking I might upgrade to the 13 Pro, but it's not quite as big of an improvement as I had hoped. Because the XS hasn't really missed out on any software features, my only complaint with it is the battery life. Since I've been pretty happy with the XS, I am considering just getting the battery replaced and keeping it another year or two. Alternatively, a 13 Pro would include the last few years of revisions and silicon advancements to ensure it supports the next few years of software features. What would you do in this situation?

 

[xxray]

I’m upgrading from my XS Max. Could I wait another year? Or even 2-3? Sure. But I’m ready for some modernization updates.

• 5G/Qualcomm/better modem
• Better battery life
• Brighter screen
• Ultrawide band support
• WiFi 6
• Better cameras that can actually take pictures in low light/at night
• Ultrawide camera
• Increased water resistance
• MagSafe
• ProMotion (if you get the Pro model)
• Faster processor

 

[EM2013]

Replaced the battery on my xs max & it’s good as new. 11, 12, 13 are speed bumps & camera upgrades.

I’d rather wait for a redesign with the spec bumps.

Replace your battery & wait

 

[Jake3231]

I’m upgrading from my XS Max. Could I wait another year? Or even 2-3? Sure. But I’m ready for some modernization updates.

• 5G/Qualcomm/better modem
• Better battery life
• Brighter screen
• Ultrawide band support
• WiFi 6
• Better cameras that can actually take pictures in low light/at night
• Ultrawide camera
• Increased water resistance
• MagSafe
• ProMotion (if you get the Pro model)
• Faster processor

This was sort of my thinking as well. Those would all be really nice to have, though I wonder if those things are worth the price of upgrade in terms of the functional upgrade it would have.

If I had a X, I think the 13 Pro would definitely be a bigger upgrade, but because the XS has the A12, it seems to keep getting new software features, which has removed a lot of the upgrade incentive that would have otherwise existed.

 

[The Lions Den]

Although i was looking forward to a redesigned phone, with Apple’s trade in value at $320, I figured it was time to upgrade from my XS Max to the 13 pro max.

If the 13’s hold value as the 12 has this year, an upgrade on a redesigned 14 could only cost me $250-300.

 

[IsaacM]

Yes.

 

[lazyrighteye]

I've used an XS, 11 Pro, 12 Pro and look to move to the 13 Pro (I'm on iUP). Point being, I have first-hand knowledge of each device. While the XS is a fantastic device, the jump from it to a 13 Pro will likely prove massive. The camera, alone, will be bonkers. Overall performance and resolution should also be notable.

I also err on the side of "life is fleeting and precious" and, in general, tend to recommended "yes" over "no."
So if your ducks are in a row, everything is good, and you have the means, get to it while you can. Cheers.

 

[StaceyMJ86]

The main reason why I upgraded from my XS Max to the 12 Pro Max last year was for the Qualcomm modem, 5G that was already live in my state, flat sides, new color and bigger screen. I haven’t been disappointed yet and am keeping my 12PM Pacific Blue for another year.

 

[Jake3231]

I've used an XS, 11 Pro, 12 Pro and look to move to the 13 Pro (I'm on iUP). Point being, I have first-hand knowledge of each device. While the XS is a fantastic device, the jump from it to a 13 Pro will likely prove massive. The camera, alone, will be bonkers. Overall performance and resolution should also be notable.

I also err on the side of "life is fleeting and precious" and, in general, tend to recommended "yes" over "no."
So if your ducks are in a row, everything is good, and you have the means, get to it while you can. Cheers.

That perspective is really helpful to hear! The potential camera upgrades are exciting, especially since the XS camera is already so good as is.

 

[Appl3FTW]

Hell yea

 

[Jake3231]

@lazyrighteye Since you've used all three models, I'm curious to ask: What did you think of the newer models replacing 3D Touch with Haptic Touch? And the case shape change from a more rounded style to the flatter design on iPhone 12?

 

[lazyrighteye]

That perspective is really helpful to hear! The potential camera upgrades are exciting, especially since the XS camera is already so good as is.

Exactly. The XS cam was awesome. The 11 was notably better. The 12 notably better. So... math!

 

[lazyrighteye]

@lazyrighteye Since you've used all three models, I'm curious to ask: What did you think of the newer models replacing 3D Touch with Haptic Touch? And the case shape change from a more rounded style to the flatter design on iPhone 12?

Great question! At first, I hated it. But then... I had no choice but to accept and embrace. So I did. And have. At this point, I can hardly recall the "old way."

 

[wiggaty]

I've been using an iPhone XS since early 2019, and it's been a great phone. It was an incremental upgrade at the time, but the A12 has held up really well, and the revisions from the 2018 models seem to have ended up being the prerequisite for many of the later software features that would come out (AR features, multi camera capture, high-performance OS features).

I was thinking I might upgrade to the 13 Pro, but it's not quite as big of an improvement as I had hoped. Because the XS hasn't really missed out on any software features, my only complaint with it is the battery life. Since I've been pretty happy with the XS, I am considering just getting the battery replaced and keeping it another year or two. Alternatively, a 13 Pro would include the last few years of revisions and silicon advancements to ensure it supports the next few years of software features. What would you do in this situation?

I'm kind of in the same boat. Got the XS on launch day 2018 upgraded from an iPhone 6 - battery just hit 78% a month ago. The XS is still a great phone, everything still feels pretty quick. My use cases are relatively light: web browsing, news, some social media and photos. I've been going back and forth on replacing the battery or upgrading this cycle to a regular 13 or 13 mini (personally think the 13 Pro is going to be too heavy for my taste and hope they eventually move away from steel). Historically - I was an every-2 year upgrade cycle for iPhones 1 - 6 but kind of got out of needing to always have the latest and greatest. There's nothing in the 13 that I feel like I want/need to have, however, I'm sure the performance increase over the XS will be noticeable.

One of the only reasons why I am still considering an upgrade is that my resale value for the XS will be pretty much nil next cycle, and it's always nice to get something for an old phone.

 

[Jake3231]

I'm kind of in the same boat. Got the XS on launch day 2018 upgraded from an iPhone 6 - battery just hit 78% a month ago. The XS is still a great phone, everything still feels pretty quick. My use cases are relatively light: web browsing, news, some social media and photos. I've been going back and forth on replacing the battery or upgrading this cycle to a regular 13 or 13 mini (personally think the 13 Pro is going to be too heavy for my taste and hope they eventually move away from steel). Historically - I was an every-2 year upgrade cycle for iPhones 1 - 6 but kind of got out of needing to always have the latest and greatest. There's nothing in the 13 that I feel like I want/need to have, however, I'm sure the performance increase over the XS will be noticeable.

One of the only reasons why I am still considering an upgrade is that my resale value for the XS will be pretty much nil next cycle, and it's always nice to get something for an old phone.

The point about resale value is something I hadn’t thought about, but is a good point. I was surprised to see that on EBay it’s not worth quite as much as I thought. Considering it’s the premium model of the 2018 lineup, and it still supports the latest software features, I’d think it would have a higher value than it does.

 

[StaceyMJ86]

@lazyrighteye Since you've used all three models, I'm curious to ask: What did you think of the newer models replacing 3D Touch with Haptic Touch? And the case shape change from a more rounded style to the flatter design on iPhone 12?

I don’t miss 3D Touch and I love the flatter design of the 12 series. After using the 12 Pro Max for almost a year,after holding the device for over an hour, the sides and bottom start to get uncomfortable for me to hold so I use a thin bumper and that has helped with that.

 

[wiggaty]

@Jake3231 - I ended up deciding to change out my battery for my XS at the store today and riding with it for at least another year. While waiting for the phone to be serviced, played around with the 12 Pro and didn't feel like the XS was any slower. None of the 13's moved me to want to upgrade. Really not a fan of the weight on the 13 Pro (weighs as much as an XS Max), and getting a 13/13mini wouldn't have felt any different.

 

[Nell]

It hadn't occurred to me that I would even consider upgrading from my XS for another year or two but I'm really tempted by the camera improvements, especially in terms of macro photography. My phone is my day to day camera and, while I'm still very happy with this one, I think this year's updates may be enough to sway me.

The XS does still feel like a new phone though!

 

[fatTribble]

If you take a lot of pictures I would definitely upgrade. I thought the 11 was a great camera boost but the 12 and 13 just add even more camera enhancements. If you have the means, upgrade and enjoy! I moved to the Max last year and battery life is crazy good. Just FYI in case that’s a consideration.

 

[xxray]

I put together a list of changes from the XS Max to the 13 Pro I’m upgrading to:

• Dolby Vision HDR video recording
• HDR video recording at 4K 60fps (previously limited to 4K 30fps)
• ProMotion
• Much better battery life
• ~90-95% faster CPU and GPU
• Ceramic Shield
• LiDAR
• Night mode camera
• Night mode portrait photos
• Cinematic mode video
• Better selfie camera (8MP -> 12MP)
• WiFi 6
• 5G / Snapdragon X60
• Improved LTE reception and performance
• More ergonomic/one-handed design
• 60% brighter screen
• Ultra Wide camera
• Ultra wideband chip
• 3x the water resistance (up to 6m for 30min)
• MagSafe
• Increased contrast ratio screen (1,000,000:1 -> 2,000,000:1)
• Deep Fusion
• Apple ProRAW
• 3x telephoto
• Photographic styles
• Sensorshift image stabilization
• Audio zoom
• ProRes video
• FaceTime HD over 5G
• Dual eSIM support
• Smaller notch

 

[Jake3231]

If you take a lot of pictures I would definitely upgrade. I thought the 11 was a great camera boost but the 12 and 13 just add even more camera enhancements. If you have the means, upgrade and enjoy! I moved to the Max last year and battery life is crazy good. Just FYI in case that’s a consideration.

Battery and camera are definitely big considerations. I'm pretty happy with the XS camera, but the battery is the single biggest complaint I have day-to-day. Even for battery alone, this might be a good upgrade, with everything else being a nice plus.

 

[dukebound85]

I put together a list of changes from the XS Max to the 13 Pro I’m upgrading to:

• Dolby Vision HDR video recording
• HDR video recording at 4K 60fps (previously limited to 4K 30fps)
• ProMotion
• Much better battery life
• ~90-95% faster CPU and GPU
• Ceramic Shield
• LiDAR
• Night mode camera
• Night mode portrait photos
• Cinematic mode video
• Better selfie camera (8MP -> 12MP)
• WiFi 6
• 5G / Snapdragon X60
• Improved LTE reception and performance
• More ergonomic/one-handed design
• 60% brighter screen
• Ultra Wide camera
• Ultra wideband chip
• 3x the water resistance (up to 6m for 30min)
• MagSafe
• Increased contrast ratio screen (1,000,000:1 -> 2,000,000:1)
• Deep Fusion
• Apple ProRAW
• 3x telephoto
• Photographic styles
• Sensorshift image stabilization
• Audio zoom
• ProRes video
• FaceTime HD over 5G
• Dual eSIM support

and yet....the experience I have on my 8plus vs my work 12 is nearly identical in all facets

 

[Jake3231]

and yet....the experience I have on my 8plus vs my work 12 is nearly identical in al facets

I will have to agree with this sentiment - even as much of a tech nerd as I am, I've failed to see much if any practical difference between phones from ~2018 to even the latest (2020) models.

 

[xxray]

and yet....the experience I have on my 8plus vs my work 12 is nearly identical in all facets

Yeah, a lot of these are quality of life improvements if you don’t use the camera much. But quality of life improvements are nice and better the experience overall.

Really, for me, the longer battery life, ProMotion with 60% brighter screen, and improved connectivity (5G, Qualcomm modem, Wifi 6) were the top 3 motivators for me upgrading. Are they necessary? No. But having a brighter, more fluid screen, less battery anxiety, and faster data speeds that are more reliable can remove a lot of day-to-day frustrations.

I could easily use my XS Max for another 3 years and probably have no major problems, so I get where you’re coming from.

 

[SoYoung]

This is the first time I'm stick to the same phone for 3 years and its the first time I don't feel the need to upgrade after all this time. I'm an XS Max user since launch and I really can't justify the upgrade cost. My phone is still running great and its more than just "functional". In performance department, iPhone 11 wasn't a big gap, iPhone 12 wasn't a big gap from the 11 and apparently, the 13 will just be a small gap as well so I don't think I'll see a huge difference like everyone says when my phone is already fast for every routine tasks.

The only big upgrade is the camera, but I'm not the type of guy who always takes pictures so its not a big deal because of occasional usage, the camera is fine for me. For the battery, as long as it last for a day, I don't really need more because I always put my phone on the charger every night and since 3 years I think it happens 2 or 3 times my phone was below 10% at the end of the day.