iPhone 8 (Plus) – News, Features, and Release Date
Last updated June 16, 2021
Apple’s Media Event brought us three new iPhones. We already covered the iPhone X in greater detail and explained its exciting features. However, that’s not where our coverage of the Media Event ends. That’s because we still have two additional iPhones – the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus.
As you probably know by now, the iPhone 8 is the successor to the last year’s model. It brings improved specs and an enhanced design and pushes the entire line a couple of steps further.
If you’re interested in upgrading, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s take a deeper look at the iPhone 8 and its features.
All-Glass Design
The previous iPhone generation brought a sturdy aluminum case. Even though we’ve seen some bendable iPhones before, the iPhone 7 is considered to feature an amazing build quality. Still, Apple decided to change that.
The new iPhones now come with an all-glass enclosure. What this means is the back, and the front is now made of glass with a stainless-steel frame that sits in the middle. Naturally, this made us wonder if the iPhone 8 is going to be prone to breaking due to all that glass. Right now, we have to wait until we actually get out hands on the new devices. In the meantime, we rest assured that Apple made a significant effort of creating a robust material. In fact, the company’s unveiled during the Media Event that the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus are made from ‘the most durable glass ever in a smartphone.'
When it comes to other design-related features, not much has changed. The iPhone 8 comes with slightly rounded corners and a protruding circular camera on the back. Its larger cousin brings two cameras that also stick out a little bit.
When it comes to available colors, the new phones will be available in three options. These are Space Grey, Silver, and Gold. The aluminum frame comes color-matched to each device.
Finally, we shouldn’t forget to say that the new iPhones are water and dust resistant.
Introducing – ‘TrueTone’ Display
Apple’s TrueTone display isn’t a new thing – but this is the first time it appears on an iPhone. This technology was introduced along with the 9.7-inch iPad Pro. Now it’s available on the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus.
So, what exactly is the TrueTone display? This is a Retina HD display that brings high pixel density. What this means is that you’ll enjoy in clear and crisp details, where even the small details, like thin lines, won’t be lost. However, this technology goes a step further. It uses sensors to scan your environment and adjust the display to suit that environment better. For example, sometimes the display will be dimmed and show yellow-like colors to help you to avoid eye strain. In other words, the new display is now capable of adjusting the intensity of white light on its own.
Aside from that, the TrueTone display brings unparalleled color accuracy. No matter if you’re looking at your photos or playing a game, you can count on vibrant and true colors.
Dimensions of the screens haven’t changed. The iPhone 8 brings a 4.7” display, while the iPhone 8 Plus brings a 5.5” screen.
Home Button
As we previously reported, the high-end iPhone X comes without the well-known Home button. You can read this information on just about every tech website in the world. Since this can create confusion, it’s important to be said that the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus still have the Home button on them.
Also, you’ll still be able to use Touch ID to unlock your phone and authenticate Apple Pay purchases. Even though the iPhone X comes with Face ID that enables face scanning, this isn’t the case with the rest of this year’s iPhone.
Photography
Ever since the iPhone 4 was unveiled, photography is an integral part of Apple’s strategy. With this year’s phone, the situation isn’t any different.
Back-positioned cameras on the new phones are similar to those on the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. However, some improvements have been made. For example, the iPhone 8’s camera comes with a larger and faster sensor capable of capturing more light. In theory, this means that low light photos should be much better now. There’ also a new color filter and improved optical image stabilization.
A new photography feature has been introduced, named Portrait Lighting. We already have the Portrait Mode on our phones that allow us to create amazing portraits and play around with different effects. However, Portrait Lighting is a feature unlike any other previous photo effort. It uses machine learning to map your face which results in a significantly improved lighting. You will be able to use this feature even after the photo had been shot.
Let’s also take a look at video shooting. According to Apple’s claims, the iPhone 8 brings the best video recording every in a smartphone. You’ll be able to shoot 4K videos at 60 frames per second, as well as 240fps slow motion videos in full HD resolution.
Wireless Charging
As many of us expected, Apple has finally decided to introduce wireless charging. Both the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus now come with wireless charging enabled. This was one of the reasons why the company had to turn to glass and adapt the design.
You won’t have to depend on Apple’s accessories to charge your devices. This is because charging is done through the Qi standard, used in almost any third-party product out there. If you’re interested in buying an Apple-made product, you’ll be able to find a device called AirPower. This is the company’s own charging mat capable of charging up to three devices at the same time. However, the AirPower will be available next year.
Processor & Internals
One of the big announcements yesterday was the company’s new A11 Bionic chip. This is perhaps the central part of your phone that powers the majority of its functions. The new A11 chip is up to 70% faster than the chip used in the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. This kind of improvement should be seen as soon as you power your phone on. Applications should open in an instant, and even complex operations like photo editing should run with ease.
Another interesting new is that the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus come with the first-ever GPU made by Apple. GPU powers your phone’s graphics so you can expect better gaming experience. The core part of the new GPU is Augmented Reality (AR). The new iPhones are capable or running AR games using new gyroscopes and accelerometers. We’ll have to wait for a while until iOS developers take full advantage of this feature and create games that combine graphics with a real-world view.
Models & Pricing
The iPhone 8 starts at $699 and comes with 64GB of storage. The iPhone 8 Plus starts at $799 and also comes with 64GB of storage. As you can see, this is a price bump of $50 from the previous generation. However, those models came with 32GB of storage.
The most expensive models bring 256GB of storage. The top-tier iPhone 8 is priced at $849, while its larger cousin is priced at $949. Note that the pricing might vary by carrier.
Preorders & Release Date
Apple will open online pre-orders on September 15th in select markets, including the US, the UK, France, and China. Those who pre-order can expect the phones to arrive starting from September 22nd.
During the next month or so, we expect from Apple to broaden the availability to new countries. By the end of this month, countries in Eastern Europe and the Middle East will have access to the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus.
Conclusion
That’s all you need to know about the newest iPhone generation. Once again, you can find a detailed article about the iPhone X by following this link.
Even though some might consider the new iPhone to be too similar to the last year’s models, we don’t agree. The iPhone 8 brings numerous improvements inside out that you’ll definitely feel as soon as you get your hands on one of the new models.
