Apple is the industry leader when it comes to providing complete user experience via their products. With their flagship iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR, they still have the upper hand in the premium smartphone market. How does the Apple iPhone 8 compare in 2019? Let’s find out more about it in this review of Apple iPhone 8.
Apple’s approach has not changed much in the decade. They release new products with minimal upgrades, and the same holds for Apple iPhone 8. Apple iPhone 8 is very similar to its last generation counterpart iPhone 7.
If you have used the iPhone 7 before, you will find iPhone 8 familiar. At the time of release, spending $1000 on iPhone 8 might not be a smart move, but now with a price tag of $599, it stands unique in the current smartphone market when it comes to features and functionality. iPhone 8 is an excellent entry point if you want to get into the Apple ecosystem.
Pros & Cons of Using Apple Products
If you are considering any of the Apple products that are on the market today, it is important to consider the whole Apple ecosystem and the advantages and drawbacks that come with it. Even if you own a single product, you will be pressured to use Apple-exclusive features and services.
While for some this may be a dealbreaker, others will find it beneficial to have such a well-rounded system.
– Exquisite design
– Seamless hardware and software compatibility
– Native apps and features
– Excellent customer support
– Not moddable
– Lacking third-party product support
– Generally expensive
If you want to buy an iPhone 8, you can do so without a contract by purchasing it from Amazon. It will still have all of the features and integration with Apple, but you will not be bound to a contract with any carrier.
Design
The Apple iPhone 8 design looks outdated. It carries over the design from the last three generations which mean heavy-bezel at the front. The rear, however, saw the use of glass which in turn enabled wireless charging on the phone. Even the form factor of the iPhone 8 has not changed when compared to iPhone 6, 6S and 7. If you keep all these iPhone together, you will find it hard to label them correctly. The iPhone 8 measures 7.3 mm thick, 67.3 mm wide and 138.4 mm tall. It is a small phone with a 4.7-inch display.
The design falls apart due to the huge bezel which is not ideal as you are spending a hefty amount on the smartphone. The camera bump is also present which makes it vulnerable to scratches and damage. However, if you buy a proper case, it won’t pose any issue, and you can place it on a surface without worrying about any scratches. iPhone 8 also comes with the Touch ID fingerprint scanner that is located at the bottom center. It also acts as the home button. Lastly, the power/lock key is located on the right side. Overall, the design is not radical to attract your attention.
Camera
iPhone 8 camera is one of the best phone cameras you can get your hands on! It is not a dual-camera but still manages to perform impressively in broad daylight and night conditions. The 12-megapixel camera comes with f/1.8 aperture, HDR and optical image stabilization. The low-light performance is improved due to the inclusion of a new image sensor in the A11 bionic chip. With the camera, you can take great pictures and also record videos at 4K 60fps. The front camera, on the other hand, offers 7-megapixel with f/2.2 aperture. It works fine for taking selfies and video calling.
Processor and OS
The processor used in the iPhone 8 is the six-core A11 bionic chip. It is the same processor which is used in iPhone 8 Plus and X. Apart from the raw performance, it also brings another flurry of features including improved low-light photo quality and video quality, all thanks to the new image sensor. Apps and games run flawlessly with minimal loading time. In short, you will get the best possible experience when it comes to raw performance.
iPhone 8 comes with iOS 11 which is a great OS to get started. Apple has been proactive when it comes to software update, and as of writing the review, they have already pushed the iOS 12.2 update which gives you access to more advanced features including Group FaceTime mode, new emojis and more! The 12.2 update also provides more stability and performance to the phone. Furthermore, it also offers a seamless app multitasking. Heavy apps also perform seamlessly. Overall, the performance is top-notch, even performing strongly in the benchmark tests.
The bionic A11 chip brings the best out of the phone, scoring 4,270 and 10,259 in single-core and multi-core performance respectively. Galaxy S8, in comparison, only manages to score 1,762 and 5,723 in single-core and multi-core respectively. It also beat Galaxy S8, its chief rival at the time of its release in AnTuTu benchmark with a score of 214,490 compared to 155,249 scored by Galaxy S8.
Display and Sound
The display has not changed at all from the last gen iPhone 7. It is still a 4.7-inch Retina HD display with a resolution of 750 x 1334. The PPI stands at 326 which means crisp image quality. However, they have added their new True Tone display technology. It improves the contrast and color offered by the display, by monitoring the ambient light surrounding your iPhone — adjusting the display parameters to best suit the lighting conditions. In the end, you get a better image quality even on an old-gen display.
The competition, Samsung S8 offers QHD+ AMOLED display which offers better color reproduction.
However, the sound quality of iPhone 8 has seen an upgrade, and it is now 25% louder with the inclusion of stereo speakers. The bass is better than the previous gen which makes watching videos and movies fun and entertaining. If you want silent operations, then you can take benefit of the Bluetooth 5.
Battery life
As it is a small phone with a 4.7-inch display, it packs only 1,821 mAh battery. That’s a downgrade compared to iPhone 7’s 1,960 mAh battery. The battery performance is optimized, and your handset can last one day (almost) with careful usage.
The Qi wireless charging standard is a bonus as it can help you elongate its day-to-day battery life if you put your iPhone on the wireless charging pad while not using it.
Conclusion
Apple iPhone 8 is a solid smartphone. If you are on a limited budget and want to jump ships, then you can get started with iPhone 8. If you already have an iPhone 6 or 6S or an older smartphone, the iPhone 8 provides enough features worth upgrading for.
Do you think that iPhone 8 still stands a chance in the current market conditions? Comment below and let us know.
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