Buying an iPhone is Hard

[Seven Costanza]

IMO, it all really comes down to software updates. With the exception of some Google specific Android devices (old Nexus phones, the current Pixels, etc) Android OEM's aren't particularly good about regular software updates- most Android devices are shipped with an OS that's at least a year behind the current Android OS, and take forever to get updated (if they do at all).

For the majority of people this matters not a whit. If you're security conscious at all (think financial stuff, messaging, etc), iOS and Apple is really the way to go. Each iPhone released will get at least 4 years worth of regular iOS updates, as well as timely security patches, small version updates and the like. These are pushed out to everyone at virtually the same time. With each newer version, you're assured of support for an additional year. For instance, this most recent iOS 11 update (Sept 2017) was pushed out to 5s models- which were released in September 2013. Most assuredly this will be the last update a 5s will get from Apple. 2018's update will most likely be the last the 6 gets, 2019 the last the 6s gets, etc... (note: as SJH and his 3G proves above, your phone will still work even if it has been sunsetted by Apple)

YMMV whether this sort of thing is important to you, but hopefully that helps inform your purchasing decision. I think each person's case is unique, but sometimes ponying up the extra 100 bucks to buy a more recent version may in some cases make sense, given the additional years of software support.

 

[GoJeff!]

Got my wife the X over the 8 plus in the end. I think the blackened studio portrait effect is pretty mediocre (cut off extremities, bright objects in the background not blacked out) but the camera itself is very nice. The facial recognition is better than I expected and easy enough to use that my wife barely realizes she is using it. The lack of a button is not an issue at all.

Overall. it's nice. I also think it looks a lot better than the 6/7/8 design, which I never cared for.

 

[mauf]

I upgraded to the X (from the 6S+) about 3 weeks ago.

I chose the X because I was willing to pay a premium to have a screen that is (substantially) the same size as the Plus in a device that’s (substantially) the same size as a standard iPhone. This, along with the upgraded camera, are the two reasons you might decide it’s worth the extra money to buy an X instead of an 8 or 8+.

I’m having some issues with the Bluetooth connection to my in-car system, but I suspect that’s an iOS problem (so I’d likely be having that problem anyway).

A few other random observations:

— FaceID works seamlessly about 95% of the time, which is comparable to my experience with TouchID.

— Got used to the lack of a home button within a day. The new commands are very intuitive.

— The new way of accessing the control center (swipe down from the top right) is not as elegant as on the regular iPhone. It’s no big deal for me, but would be a significant inconvenience for someone with smaller-than-average hands.

— The camera on the X is noticeably better than the camera on my old phone (and the camera on the Plus was always decent).

— Nobody will know you’ve got the latest and greatest iPhone — if you put a case on it, it looks like a random cell phone you got free for signing a 2-year cellular contract. As someone who hates status symbols, I think this is awesome.

— The battery life is better than my old phone’s, but still leaves a lot to be desired. There’s no option to display your battery percentage on the main screen (though it’s always visible in the control center), which annoyed me until I realized that the percentage isn’t very accurate anyway.