iphone 8 review

iPhone 8 long-term review: The silent competition

Released without any hint of hype, the iPhone 8 has settled itself into a comfortable position beneath the iPhone X. It isn’t groundbreaking, particularly unique or exciting, but it’s a solid phone that addresses many of the problems I had with the iPhone 7.

Battery life is good, if not great, but the addition of fast wireless charging means topping it up is easier than before. I’ve popped a wireless pad on my table, so the iPhone receives a charge whenever I’m sitting down. In addition, I haven’t noticed any battery degradation – which many an iPhone has suffered in the past.

Performance remains fantastic, and the steady stream of  iOS 11 patches have fixed many bugs, while also with bringing some more to the fold. I feel iOS is more at home here than on the iPhone X, but that might change with the iOS 12.

Eagle Magpie

While the glass back’s prime purpose is to enable wireless charging, it does make the phone far more delicate. I’d use a case with this device at all times – just to be on the safe side

What is the iPhone 8?         

It’s been 10 years since the original iPhone was released. Back then it offered the consumer an alternative to devices featuring tiny QWERTY keyboards, introducing multi-touch and classy designs instead. Now, Apple is celebrating the occasion with the biggest change in how the iPhone looks and works since its inception.

The iPhone 8 isn’t that phone, however; it’s the iPhone X, which will cost £/$999 when it’s released in November. Instead, the iPhone 8 plays it safe, offering an alternative to those who are happy with large bezels and comparatively small screens.
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iPhone 8 price

Prices for the iPhone 8 start at £699/$699 for 64GB and £849/$849 for 256GB. That’s cheaper than the iPhone X, but it’s a higher starting price than the iPhone 7 (£599, 32GB).

iPhone 8 release date

Apple’s latest smartphone is available now from various networks and the Apple Store. To get the best price, check out our iPhone 8 deals page.

iPhone 8 – Design

Visually, the iPhone 8 is almost exactly the same as the outgoing iPhone 7. It’s still your typical slab, with rounded corners and curved edges. The aluminium rear, which has been around since the iPhone 6, has been ditched for a glass panel here that feels very similar to the front.

The switch to a glass rear is both for design purposes and functionality, but it’s immediately obvious just how much better it feels. Developed in conjunction with Corning, the glass is much grippier than aluminium and adds a notable extra bit of weight. On the Plus model it feels too heavy, but here it works perfectly. Sandwiched between the glass is the 7000-series aluminium rim, which is home to the volume rocker, antennas and lock switch.

My one slight annoyance with the glass design is that it doesn’t quite blend into the aluminium rim as it did in previous models. There’s a notable lip between the end of the glass and the start of the metal, and my fingernail often gets caught in it. It’s a minor design quirk, however.
The obvious downside with glass is its fragility. The worry here is that a drop that wouldn’t have left any lasting damage on the iPhone 7 will leave the iPhone 8 with a seriously cracked rear. For instance, even though the Samsung Galaxy S8 is supposed to benefit from tough Gorilla Glass 5, my device ended life as a glittering mess of glass shards after a 2ft drop onto a wooden floor. Apple clearly realises this is an issue, claiming the iPhone 8 has the ‘most durable glass ever in an iPhone’. My unit has been fine so far, but I haven’t put it through any rigorous drop-tests.

applaud Apple for switching to glass, but my overall view of the iPhone 8’s design is that it feels dull, predictable and quite some way behind Android flagships such as the Galaxy S8, LG V30 and the Essential Phone. The 2017 trend to trim the bezel surrounding the display – which provides more screen in a smaller body – is coming to the iPhone X, but the iPhone 8 still sports a sizeable bezel and fairly small screen.

At least Apple has ensured the iPhone 8 is still IP67-rated for water-resistance, a feature that’s fast-becoming a prerequisite on flagship phones. It also retains the exceptional Taptic engine that provides thoroughly satisfying nudges and buzzes throughout the operating system.

iPhone 8 – Screen

At 4.7-inches, with a barely over-720p resolution, the display on the iPhone 8 doesn’t whip up much excitement. However, there is actually plenty to like here, and the few changes Apple has made do make a noticeable difference in use.

The main upgrade is True Tone, which first debuted on the 9.7-inch iPad Pro. It’s a clever feature that dynamically alters the display’s white balance depending on the environment you’re in. It’s like the Night Shift mode in iOS, but on a hardware level. It sounds minimal, but it really does work to soften the blue tones in the display, with the end result of being more comfortable on the eyes.

Apple is also now supporting the Dolby Vision and HDR10 formats, so you can play back HDR movies from iTunes and supported content from Netflix. Unlike the iPhone X, which Apple claims has a ‘True HDR’ screen, the iPhone 8 doesn’t. Still, watching Mad Max in HDR does look noticeably better than on the iPhone 7.