iPhone 8 (Plus) review: is it still worth buying in 2020?

The last iPhone with a home button-already a classic

Anyone who wants to buy an iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus today may think of one thing: a deal. But is it still worth buying in 2020? Our updated tests provide clear answers.

True-when Apple introduced the iPhone 8 in its September 2017 keynote, some people wanted a fast-forward button. The world is waiting for the iPhone X, and a few minutes later saw the public eye. Looking back, it was misjudged. Because although the iPhone X disappeared after just a year, Apple still insisted on using the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus. Even today (as of March 10, 2020), the iPhone 8 can still be used as a cheap alternative to the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone XR in the Apple Store.

table of Contents

1. iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus price history
   

2. Hardware and performance: Is the processor still adequate for current applications?
   

3. How long will the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus be updated?
   

4. Opposition to buying iPhone 8 (Plus) in 2020
   

5. Possible alternatives for iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus
   

6. We tested it on the iPhone 8 release date (September 2017)
   

7. Specifications iPhone 8 / iPhone 8 Plus
   

8. Design and Craft
   

9. Display stand
   

10. Impressive benchmark, smaller battery
    

11. Wireless charging
    

12. Camera and multimedia
    

13. Portrait lighting on iPhone 8 Plus
    

14. Otherwise we notice
    

15. in conclusion
    And alternatives

iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus price history

The iPhone 8 with a 4.7-inch display starts at 529 euros at Apple. For the iPhone 8 Plus with a 5.5-inch display, you need to pay at least € 649. By the way, Cupertino initially requested much more, 800 or 970 Euros. Apple prices are one thing. iPhone 8 (Plus) has been shown as a special offer again and again. For example, at Amazon, the refurbished model has 64 GB of memory and costs less than 300 Euros! You can find a brand new version of the iPhone 8 at Media Markt, Saturn or Otto. And the market for second-hand iPhone 8 models is huge.

Hardware and performance: Is the processor still adequate for current applications?

Short answer: yes. Since Apple matches the hardware and software closely, the built-in A11 Bionic processor is fine for most applications and games in the App Store. You don't need to worry about the long waiting time and intermittent time. On the other hand, be careful when choosing storage, as you cannot expand storage on any iPhone. Don't save in the wrong place.

Both versions of face ID or touch ID-biometric authentication are more or less considered equally secure. iPhone 8 is the last Apple phone with a home button and Touch ID. For example, those who often wear certain types of sunglasses are safer when using Face ID alternatives. Also, like newer Apple smartphones, some users find pressing the home button to exit the application more intuitive than swiping up from the touch screen.

Note the camera-the biggest difference between iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus is because only the iPhone 8 Plus has a dual camera on the back. The resolution is the same as the two megapixels on both models. The iPhone 8 camera will still correspond to an excellent middle-class smartphone in 2020 and should meet most requirements.

How long will the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus be updated?

Usually, the corresponding iOS update applies to Apple iPhone models for five years. This means that iOS 14, which will be launched in the fall, will definitely be applicable to iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus. We expect Apple to provide corresponding iOS updates by 2022. Nor did anyone object to buying from this.

The best iPhone: which Apple smartphone do you actually want to buy Leaderboard In the Apple Store, there are iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro (largest), iPhone 8 and iPhone XR. Which is the best? Still worth the wait for iPhone SE 2? Read now

Opposition to buying iPhone 8 (Plus) in 2020

Sounds good for you so far? Then there is a possible damper. According to rumors, Apple plans to launch the iPhone SE 2 in the spring of 2020, and according to well-known analysts, this is based on the iPhone 8. Since Apple certainly does not keep both devices in the program, it can be assumed that the iPhone 8 will fly out of this range. Then the latest price will continue to fall. Therefore, if you can wait longer, we recommend that you wait for the release of iPhone SE 2 (also known as iPhone 9). You can still decide whether you want to use (used) iPhone 8 (Plus).

Possible alternatives for iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus

In our article "The Best iPhone-The Apple Phone You Actually Want to Buy", we will compare the advantages and disadvantages of a single Apple phone with you and provide detailed buying advice. The iPhone XR may currently be a replacement for the iPhone 8. You can also find the iPhone X on the second-hand market as a compact alternative. Apple no longer offers it. If you have Android, you can find our current recommendations and upcoming phone models here.

Below you can find our original test report of the iPhone 8 (Plus) when it went on sale in September 2017.

We tested it on the iPhone 8 release date (September 2017)

Thanks to bezel-less displays: If you trust the current survey, smartphone buyers will take battery life very seriously. You can especially get this feature from the iPhone 8 Plus. Testing has also shown that the iPhone 8 is mature and may be the last evolution of the famous iPhone 6 design.

The iPhone 8 is the iPhone 7S that will never exist. Just like the iPhone 7 is strictly the iPhone 6SS. But please forget to name it-before the iPhone X (10) went on sale in early November, we were dealing with Apple's current top smartphones. And I hope to catch your attention with the following characteristics.

Specifications iPhone 8 / iPhone 8 Plus

• CPU: A11 Bionic / M11 Motion Coprocessor
• Display: 4.7 / 5.5 inches (P3 color space, 3D touch, True Tone technology)
• Resolution: 1,334 x 750 or 1,920 x 1,080 pixels
• Memory variant: 64/256 GB
• Weight: 148/203 grams
• Main camera: 12 mega-pixel, f 1.8 / 12 mega-pixel dual camera, f 1.8 (wide-angle) and f 2.8 (telephoto lens). Optical image stabilizer on iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus
• Front camera: 7 megapixels, f 2.2
• Weight: 148/203 grams
• Base price: € 799/909 (RRP)
• Highest version price: 969 / 1,079 Euros

Design and Craft

The problem with the iPhone 8 is that now, not only every Apple fan knows that there will be an iPhone X and how it will look. Except for the luminous host, the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus look like the last guests of this party, which is too long, with thick (screen) edges under the eyes, and more than just a bag of fries in the belly.

You can also get positive results from all of them. Anyone who has held the iPhone 6 and iPhone 7 in their hands knows what the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus will bring. Apple adheres to its 2014 design path. However, when you look closely, there are some design changes. So the back is now made of glass. Apple uses both sides of "the most stable glass in smartphones".

Apple did not install the glass back because of its demarcation from previous iPhone models, but had other considerations. Because both new iPhones support Qi-based wireless charging. tell you later. The glass back plate results in a higher housing weight. The iPhone 8 now weighs 148 grams, and the iPhone 8 Plus weighs 203 grams. The iPhone 8 Plus is 16 grams heavier than the iPhone 7 Plus and is still protected from water and dust according to IP67.

After admiring the glass back cover, it's best to immediately place the iPhone 8 (Plus) in a good protective case. Even if it is "the toughest smartphone glasses ever", there are already a lot of drop tests online, and it's no surprise that the new iPhone is absolutely indestructible. Most iPhone 7 cases are also suitable for the iPhone 8, or have been modified.

If the back glass breaks, it is expensive. As the repair service iFixit found during the disassembly of the iPhone 8, its back was fixed to the rest of the case with a large amount of adhesive. Therefore, the exchange is difficult and time consuming. The iPhone 8 Plus, which sells for up to 450 euros, is under discussion, but Apple has not confirmed.

There is nothing to complain about the overall process quality. Apple has been the bank here for years. The iPhone 8 didn't shake at all and there was no gap. All you need is a camera that still protrudes from the case. As a result, the Apple smartphone was not lying on the table.

Display stand

We especially welcome the True Tone display because we already know Apple's automatic white balance from the iPad Pro and don't want to be without it there. With the help of the ambient light sensor, the display can continuously adjust the color temperature so that the colors look natural. If you don't like this, you can disable the feature in iOS 11 in Control Center.

Compared to the previous generation, Apple's resolution remains the same. The iPhone 8 has a resolution of 1,334 x 750, and the iPhone 8 Plus has a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels. Of course, the 2960 x 1,440 pixels of the Samsung Galaxy S8 sounds even more impressive on paper.

However, in daily life, we never want to get higher resolution because the content looks so clear. The use of OLED displays in the iPhone is still too long.

Impressive benchmark, smaller battery

In the Apple keynote, the performance comparison between the new smartphone and previous generations is almost a classic. Apple did not owe him on September 12. The A11 Bionic SoC installed now combines six cores and 4.3 billion transistors. According to Apple, two of the six cores have been tweaked for best performance and the results are 25% faster than the A10 Fusion chipset in the iPhone 7. The other four cores were trimmed to increase efficiency, albeit at a 70% speed increase. If you do need power, all six cores start at the same time, and the back of the glass is significantly warmed up.

The benchmarks were performed on the iPhone 8 Plus

Currently, there is almost no app in the App Store that can exhaust the power of the iPhone 8. No matter which application or game we use to power the iPhone 8, we won't wait long. The GPU developed by Apple in conjunction with the Metal 2 software solution also played a role. We don't think current smartphones can match the performance of Apple's test devices. Looking at the benchmarks, the smartphone will continue to operate for the next three years.

iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus pictures

According to iFixit experts, the battery has shrunk compared to the iPhone 7! The battery capacity of the small iPhone 7 is 1,960 mAh, while the energy splitter capacity of the iPhone 8 of the same size is about 1,822 mAh. According to Apple, there is no change in battery life. The manufacturer still specifies a maximum video playback time of 13 hours for the iPhone 8. For the larger iPhone 8, the light should go out after 14 hours in the same situation. Tip: Using a USB-C power adapter and a MacBook's Lightning cable can charge your iPhone 8 faster than using the included power adapter.

In daily testing, we actually achieved almost the same battery run time as the previous generation, and in some cases it took longer. Even with the ambitious iPhone 8 Plus, you can easily spend the day. If you slow it down a bit and use your phone or apps infrequently, you can use it for two days or more. On the other hand, the 4.7-inch iPhone 8 definitely has to be connected to power at the end of the day.

Wireless charging

Sorry, as the first Apple smartphone, the iPhone 7S supports iPhone 8 wireless charging, which can be achieved through the glass back cover. Apple relies on the widely used Qi standard. There is no shortage of corresponding charging pads in the accessory industry. By the way, charging can also be done through most protective covers. Starting in 2018, Apple itself will provide its own "AirPower Pad", its own wireless charging station, which can accommodate not only iPhone 8 (or iPhone X), but also AirPods and Apple Watch.

Camera and multimedia

The built-in camera has hardly changed. We already know the aperture, resolution, and dual cameras of the iPhone 7 generation (still reserved for Plus models). But, of course, the iPhone 8 also made some very welcome changes.

Both the iPhone 8 and Plus models benefit from a redesigned faster sensor, optical image stabilizer and "deeper" pixels. Although the resolution is still 12 megapixels, these efforts make the photos look beautiful and require little post-processing for the average user. HDR mode is active by default, and if you don't like it, you must disable it manually in settings.

The smartphone is still more interesting for amateur photographers, it is definitely the iPhone 8 Plus with dual cameras on the back. In the direct image comparison between iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone 7 Plus, we found marginal but noteworthy differences that also apply to the comparison between iPhone 7 and iPhone 8. The new iPhone has a higher dynamic range. In general, compared to all previous iPhones, the new generation of products is better able to cope with harsh lighting conditions such as dusk.

iPhone 8 (Plus) test camera image

Portrait lighting on iPhone 8 Plus

You may already be familiar with portrait mode, which Apple originally offered as a beta version as part of the iPhone 7 Plus version. With the iPhone 8 Plus, the so-called portrait lighting mode was not added until the iPhone X only appeared here. Apple also hopes to understand it as a beta version from the beginning, but the results are very promising at first glance, and indeed impressive.

Apple says the iPhone 7 Plus does not support portrait lighting mode because of the new image processor (ISP) installed in the iPhone 8. With the depth information obtained from the dual cameras and the A11 bionic processor, you can create a portrait photo in seconds, and if you're not too careful, it looks like a professional hand. Of the five available modes, "Stage Lighting Mono" is undoubtedly the most impressive. Apple is providing dual camera depth information as an API to third parties, so Apple hopes that more other applications will move in this direction in the near future. Until then, check out the original sample images in the media library.

The video can land in Slo-Mo mode upon request and be transmitted at 240 frames per second (fps) and into the smartphone memory at 1080p resolution (120 fps). With 4K resolution up to 60 fps, you can also choose 24 or 30 fps. So far, no one really needs a classic camcorder. To shoot 4K video with iPhone 8 at 60 fps, you must first select Format-> High Efficiency in the camera settings.

Portrait lighting mode on iPhone 8 Plus

Neither backwards-Apple also doesn't have a jack connection for the iPhone 8, so you only need to connect the headset via Bluetooth or the adapter. This is still part of the scope of delivery. When we tested the iPhone 7th generation and the latest iPad Pro 10.5, the internally mounted speakers surprised us. Is there more?

Yeah Apple still found a way to further adjust the stereo speakers. We can't understand the 25% increase in maximum volume promised by the manufacturer during testing. However, compared directly with the iPhone 7, you can clearly see that the speakers are louder. In addition, we can perceive a larger "bass". Of course, on music nights, you can still connect better sensitive headphones.

Otherwise we notice

• Some iOS 11 bugs also plague iPhone 8 (Plus). For example, we are annoyed with keyboards that have only been cropped on the iPhone 8 Plus.
• During the test, we were unable to understand the interference noise found by some American media when they called. The voice quality of both models is very good, at the level of the previous generation.

Leaderboard

Apple iPhone 8 Plus has been categorized into the following smartphone rankings.