iPhone XR

The Apple® Store in Kahala Mall was open at 8am this morning for the iPhone XR debut. Sadly, there were few people there. No waiting lines even at 10am when the mall officially opens. What about the pre-order pickup? Did anyone actually pre-order the device? Doesn’t seem likely. The “bad press” about the “budget” iPhone is probably to blame.

iPhone XR

After playing with a display model, an inquiry was made about the availability of the various models. Most seemed to be in stock. A confirmation about the $200 iPhone 7 trade-in allowance was also made. Then, an iPhone XR in the (PRODUCT)RED color was purchased.

The Apple® associate is a nice guy, but he really wasn’t that knowledgeable about the device. Most of his presentation was hype. The “Genius” who was supposed to set up the new device and deactivate the old iPhone was more concerned about assisting other customers. Fortunately, any “tech savvy” fool could complete the process with no assistance.

The iPhone XR is actually a really nice device. The “bezel” isn’t that thick. The LCD display is more than adequate. It is a big “smartphone,” however. And, the weight is a bit cumbersome. Nonetheless, the time to take advantage of the decent trade-in value for iPhones with the “Home” button is right now. Waiting until next year will probably see such devices drop in value to the equivalent of a cheap doorstop.

Addendum: At the Apple® Store in Ala Moana Center this evening, absolutely no one was at the iPhone XR display table. And, there were no lines for in-store pick-up either.