Apple iPhone 8 Plus Review

The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus are Apple’s new handsets launched last week during. Its first event at the new Steve Jobs Theater at its new Apple Park campus. But what you probably won’t notice in the new phones is that Apple is breaking from tradition. This year by launching a third flagship model that’s completely different from the 8 and 8 Plus. It is called iPhone X, as is the 10th anniversary edition of the device. It’s smaller than the 8 Plus yet has a larger OLED screen with a controversial notch, and starts at $1000. We hope to have a review of it soon.

The iPhone 8, however, is by no means a slouch of an update. I’ve been testing both the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus (following some hands-on time with the iPhone X at Apple’s event). And I must say that the impressive update goes much deeper than the shiny new glass exterior…

iPhone 8 and 8 Plus Video Review

But about that glass… for those willing to spend on an upgrade purely for aesthetics. To me the new glass material and slightly tweaked colors look. And feel much more premium than the iPhone 7 lineup, even though I’ve only had gold iPhones. 8 Plus and Silver iPhone 8 to be reviewed.

And it’s not Gorilla Glass 5, I’ve confirmed, because Apple has worked with Corning to make its own. Better-than-Gorilla Glass 5 material. I haven’t tested it and don’t plan to but we’ll link to those who do this sort of thing when it’s public.
The gold model is a more subtle shade. This year that actually depends on the light somewhere between the gold. And rose gold models in the iPhone 7 lineup. The back glass is almost a creamy, dark rose gold accent for the edges. And the aluminum band around the camera, compared to just the gold.

In case you’re wondering, it’s actually the same glass used. On the iPhone X, but not the same color for the silver and space gray models. The X models have a sort of colorless quality that gives the colors a unique look. I noticed in my hands-on with the device (X (still won’t come in gold).

From experience with the stainless steel Apple Watch. I have to wonder how badly the band around the iPhone X will scratch. The 8 and 8 Plus keep an aerospace-grade 7000 series aluminum band that we already know holds up pretty well.

The silver model also feels more high-end with a mirror-like. finish compared to last year’s silver aluminum components. As for the new space gray finish. Which I had some time with during Apple’s event last week. It’s similarly a cross between the iPhone 7’s matte black and jet black models. That is, a very dark gray color (not like last year’s matte black model). But a mirror-like finish and jet black like the iPhone 7.
The glass isn’t a huge change to the overall design of the device. But for most it will certainly feel like a nice upgrade over last year’s models. With perhaps some big fans of the Jet Black iPhone 7 being the exception. All our iPhone 7 cases should work similarly to the iPhone 8 models we’ve tried. Save for possibly blocking wireless charging access (which depends mostly on thickness). What’s not new is the white front on the silver and gold models for the 8. And 8 Plus, unlike the iPhone X which has no white on the front which helps little with its edge-to-edge display.

Apple also says that the new devices have 25% louder speakers, and I can confirm that. It’s not dramatic, but it’s definitely noticeable when compared to an iPhone 7. There’s a tiny bit more bass which helps the speaker phone calls more than I expected.

Display 

The displays on the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus may not be given the same OLED treatment. The upcoming iPhone X, But what they do have is an all-around better-looking hue than last year’s models.

Apple introduced its True Tone technology. That adjusts the temperature of the display to the ambient light. And makes some improvements to color accuracy and more. And the result is that the display is warmer and easier to read in more situations. When compared side-by-side with my iPhone. 7.
Apple is using the exact same glass for the front of the device as the back. And that means you can expect a stronger display with a “50 percent deeper strengthening layer. Than last year’s models. The display alone isn’t enough to make you run to the Apple Store and trade in your iPhone 7 or 7 Plus. But it’s another noticeable upgrade if you’re in the market for the device.

Cameras 

There’s a lot under the hood to improve the camera and video on the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus. A new Apple-designed image signal processor in the A11 Bionic chip. Bigger and faster sensors. A quad-LED True Tone flash, an Apple-designed video encoders. And more—but what does this mean for real-world users?

The first thing you might notice is the zero shutter lag. Which Apple tells me it’s been able to achieve in both the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus with some help from the A11 Bionic chip. The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus came close, but the 8 and 8 Plus were the first iPhones to offer true zero shutter lag and in my testing. That really made for a more satisfying experience when taking photos.

I also appreciated some of the new haptic feedback Apple added when you tap the shutter button. A nice touch that means a lot now that zero shutter lag has arrived. Initially you might think the haptics would blur images but they don’t at all. It’s enough to feel like a real shutter button. And there’s more: you can now shoot slo-mo in 4K at 60fps and 1080p at 240fps (as you can see in the video above).

Here are some real-world shots I took on a tripod with. The iPhone 7 (left) and the same shot with the new and improved 8 camera (right). The difference isn’t striking, but the 8 is clearly on the up side in less than ideal lighting conditions.
Like last year, the Plus model is still the only one with the new portrait mode, thanks to. Its wide-angle and telephoto camera that the 8 lacks, but this year Apple is adding. its new portrait lighting (beta).
The feature adds portrait mode. Giving you 5 filters that mimic professional photographer lighting. Available to apply in real-time or after the shot is taken. I found the feature to work quite well and often without enhancing. Any of my portraits taken against natural light The feature. but, seems particularly well-suited to portraits of a human face, unlike the main portrait mode. Which also works quite well when shooting inanimate objects.

Studio Light and Contour Light effects performed consistently well. While Stage Light and Stage Light Mono effects seemed to struggle a bit more. And often you could see some issues with masking around the subject’s face.

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