Expert’s Rating
Pros
Cons
Our Verdict
Back in 2017 , the iPhone 8 was a bright smartphone . It might be the cheapest smartphone that Apple sells now but we would n’t recommend it any longer unless you ’re really on a mean budget . The iPhone XR is a dependable balance of value and features .
Despite being launched in 2017 , the iPhone 8 is still part of Apple ’s official smartphone line - up . It might look like a bargain compare to the latest example , but should you really bribe it ?
The iPhone 8 was an incremental update to the hugely populariPhone 7 , adding wireless charging and improved camera tech . Two years on it ’s still uncommitted to grease one’s palms from Apple and various stockists , but how does it mensurate up to the current market ? Here ’s our updated revaluation of the iPhone 8 .
iPhone history
This iPhone has been supersede with a New modelling . Find links below to our reviews of all iPhone models , including the former generation.iPhone 16is expect to plunge in September 2024 ( seewhen is the undecomposed time to buy a new iPhone ) , whileiPhone SE ( 4th generation)andiPhone 17are probable to appear in 2025 . Find out aboutApple ’s September event detailsandhow to watch the Apple September event hot stream ; or for other Apple products , learn more about all thenew Apple ware coming this yearandwhen is the next Apple event . You might also like ouriPhone buying template , best iPhone dealsandcomparison of every iPhone that is usable to corrupt today .
UK pricing and availability
Despite being rather old , Apple is still sell the iPhone 8 as part of its smartphone line - up . It ’s now the cheapest iPhone you’re able to buy from the official store .
It ’s just £ 479/$449 for the base 65 GB model and £ 529/$499 if you want to skip over to 128 GB . If you ’re looking for a newer iPhone that ’s affordable , the iPhoneiPhone XRhas now dropped to £ 629/$599 .
This is the iPhone 8 ’s low ever price following theiPhone 11launch .
You canbuy the iPhone 8 directly from Appleor networks includingEE , Vodafone , O2andThree . discover the lowest prices in our roundup of thebest iPhone 8 deals .
Design and build
The iPhone 8 sports a interchangeable form element to the iPhone 7 ( and 6s , and 6 ) but with a fistful of changes . So , while it ’s slightly thicker than the iPhone 7 at 138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3 mm and 10 g heavier at 148 g , there ’s a reason why .
Much of the added bulk can be attributed to the introduction of a trash rear , much like the design of the iPhone 4 and 4s . It provides the smartphone with a much more agiotage look when compared to aluminium , but you may be worried about how well it ’ll shatter .
Apple claims the glass is custom - made with a “ 50 percent deeper strengthening layer ” , although we ’re not sure what this is compared to as the previous iPhone boasted an Al unibody . There ’s also the foundation of a sword substructure alongside the 7000 Series Al band to leave excess shape reinforcement .
It wo n’t protect against all dip , but it should hopefully contain it shattering from less significant drops . And those with an iPhone 7 will be well-chosen to be intimate that most , if not all exist type should fit the iPhone 8 too , ideal for those that vex about overlook the smartphone .
MobileFun , which kindly provided us with an iPhone 8 sample , stock up a mountain chain ofiPhone 8 casesandiPhone 8 Plus typesetter’s case . We ’ve also polish up up some of the best in our guide to thebest iPhone 8 display case .
The glass , like the atomic number 13 unibody it replaces , is gently curved at the border to offer a comfortable , snug fit in the hand . Contrary to what many may trust , the blend of glass and Al really seduce the smartphone easier to grip , along with offer a in high spirits - end look and wireless charging capability .
The iPhone 8 also boast a ‘ clean ’ look when compared to previous iterations of iPhone , as it has take out much of text edition from the blue - back of the smartphone . It still say iPhone , design in California and Assembled in China ( plus the CE marks for European buyers ) but markings admit the item figure are nowhere to be seen .
There ’s also redesign stereo speakers present on the iPhone 8 , boasting a 25 per centum hike in book compared to the iPhone 7 , along with deeper bass . It bring it in line with the stereo - equipped iPhone 7 Plus and afterward , and bring many benefit let in a frontwards - facing speaker for clean-cut audio when keep an eye on videos on your smartphone .
Along with general sound improvements , Apple has been make strides in augment world and spatial audio , with the young stereoscopic photograph loudspeaker system aid to raise the AR experience on iOS .
There ’s also a difference when it get to the uncommitted colouration options . While the iPhone 7 was uncommitted in a range of colours , the iPhone 8 is limited to three : Gold , Silver and Space Grey , although the Silver variation boast a white front and rear with a silver band ( which , in our feeling , looks absolutely stunning ) .
These are different shades than those available in the past though , thanks to the glass rear of the iPhone . It boasts a six - bed ink process that allows for a ample profundity of colour present on all models of the iPhone 8 , compliment by a colour - meet aluminum ring that run along the side .
Oh , and the unanimous - state Home button first introduced on the iPhone 6s is still present on the iPhone 8 , unlike with the iPhone X , XS and so on . And those hoping that Apple would return the conclusion to hit the earpiece shit will be disappointed , as it ’s unfortunately not the pillowcase .
Features and spec
When the iPhone 8 launched it mark more of an all - pear-shaped improvement to the smartphone , rather than one killer feature .
Display
countenance ’s start out with the display : it ’s still a 4.7 in Retina HD display ( far large screen are now useable on the XR , XS and XS Max ) with a sub - FHD 1334 x 750 resolution , but it feature True Tone technology unlike the iPhones before it . First insert on the iPad Pro 9.7 in in 2016 , True Tone engineering allows your iPhone to detect the ambient spark in your configurations and adjust the white counterweight of the exhibit consequently , to aid provide a better and more well-off viewing experience .
The effect is at once detectable when looking at the smartphone , peculiarly when under an off - blank light like those in our office . The presentation picked up on the swooning levels and made the display warmer and thus , easier on the eyes .
It ’s a bit like Night Shift ( wecompare True Tone and Night Shift here ) , but much more subtle and reactive based on your surround – only those that purposely front for the change in hue will notice it , but the benefit to eye strain will be general .
In addition to the True Tone video display tech , the iPhone 8 display sport a wider colour gamut for honest vividness reproduction , and double - domain pixels for wider viewing angles . Of of course , it also features the the likes of of 3D Touch and an oleophobic coating to resist smudges from your grubby mitts .
All this equates to an imposingly crisp , detailed and vivacious display , despite the sub - par resolution . While Apple ’s sub - FHD display provide better shelling life history and an improved graphical experience , many similarly - priced Androids boast at least a FHD exhibit , if not something greater .
We ’re not demand for a 4 K display , but at least find it up to Full HD so we can savour watch Netflix at native 1080p .
Processor
actuate beyond the display , at launch the iPhone 8 feature the most hefty Mobile River chipset designed by Apple to date .
The A11 Bionic chipset provided telling gains in the performance section – but much more than that , too . It can also assist power mellow - end AR experiences , and the ‘ neuronic locomotive engine ’ can serve process over 600 billion operations per bit .
When translated to real - life usage , at launch the iPhone 8 ’s A11 Bionic chipset was probably the most muscular Mobile River chipset available on a smartphone , as is shown in our benchmark below .
It can still handle anything , from gamy - end 3D game to augmented world experiences return in substantial time , without even the smallest turn of lag . But note that the A12 Bionic chip in the iPhone XS is quicker still .
The A11 Bionic chipset also boast a 2d - generation Apple - plan performance comptroller that help to allow keen performance when act as games and using power - athirst apps without using too much stamp battery power . It wo n’t make your iPhone last for days on end , but it lasts a bit longer during intense gambling sessions .
Benchmark results
The superpower of the A11 Bionic baked inside the iPhone 8 was indorse up by our benchmark results , which at launch were some of the proficient we ’d ever interpret from a smartphone – particularly with regards to the Geekbench 4 score .
We performed several tests , with a higher number indicating a better score for each : Geekbench 4 , GFXBench OpenGL , GFXBench Metal and JetStream .
Let ’s start with Geekbench 4 , which measures the power of the A11 Bionic ’s C.P.U. and is a well indicant of the universal tycoon of the smartphone . The iPhone 8 scored a walloping 4271 and 10438 in single- and multi - core tests , allow for the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S8 ( 2017 , 6466 ) , Note 8 ( 2014 , 6822 ) and OnePlus 5 ( 1955 , 6726 ) in the dust .
These were the high scores we ’d see in any smartphone to day of the month – but apparently these have since been surpassed by the XS coevals of phones .
Next , we flow GFXBench OpenGL , the graphical benchmark usable for iOS and Android , allowing us to equate carrying out when gaming with competing flagship devices . We run two tests in GFXBench OpenGL : T - Rex and Manhattan .
Rather unsurprisingly , Apple ’s iPhone 8 got the perfect 60fps score in both , compared to 60- and 55fps from the Galaxy Note 8 , 60- and 54fps from the Galaxy S8 and 59- and 55fps from the OnePlus 5 .
Some may reason that it ’s affected by the sub - FHD display of the iPhone 8 , as the the like of the S8 and Note 8 have improbably gamey answer displays to office , and while may be is true , the results stay the same .
We also ran the same test in GFXBench Metal to equate graphical functioning when utilising Apple ’s Metal API built into Io and used by iOS game devs . The score were much more impressive this clip around , as the iPhone 8 score 119- and 100fps severally in T - Rex and Manhattan , compared to 60fps across each on 2016 ’s iPhone 7 .
last , we ran JetStream , a bench mark that test the speed of the mobile web browser app .
In the lawsuit of the iPhone 8 , that ’s Safari , arguably the best mobile browser app on the market . It seems to be backed up by our bench mark results too , as it knocked the iPhone 7 Plus ( 168.7 ) off the top spot with an incredibly grudge of 228 . It ’s blisteringly fast liken to Google Chrome on the Galaxy S8 ( 54.9 ) , Note 8 ( 49.6 ) and OnePlus 5 ( 71 ) too .
For a better apprehension of these benchmarks , take a looking at the infographic below :
Battery life and wireless charging
After years of fans ask the company to offer wireless charging on the iPhone , Apple finally abide by , and announced that ( in un - Apple mode ) it ’d be compatible with Qi - certified radio receiver chargers .
That ’s right : there ’s no proprietary system like with the Apple Watch , meaning it ’s compatible with the millions of Qi wireless chargers found around the humanity , from public place like McDonalds and Starbucks to those that you could buy online for habit at family .
With that being said , Apple was due to release its own wireless charging lusterlessness dubbedAirPowerwith advanced wireless charging tech not offered by competitors , but it ’s now strike down that project .
At launching wireless charging was limited to 5W , which mean that although it could be used with more powerful Qi battery charger , but it wo n’t institutionalise the smartphone any quicker .
Apple later upgraded the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus to ‘ fast wireless charging ’ via a software package update in iOS 11.2 , but that break it up only to 7.5W. In comparison , some Android smartphones can charge at twofold that speed , 15W.
The iPhone 8 features a 1,821mAh battery that is actually over 7 percent smaller than the stamp battery found in the iPhone 7 , which would leave many to think that the iPhone 8 is risky off in the stamp battery department .
Somewhat surprisingly , Apple ’s 2nd - genesis functioning controller seems to run very well – the iPhone wo n’t last days on a single charge , but we ’ve find the iPhone 8 to last all day with average use of goods and services .
And besides , with the plus of radio set charging it ’s easier than ever to put your phone in a wireless charging birthplace when at work or at abode to top up the battery .
Cameras and photography
The camera has had a bump in spec too , although it ’s not flat coat - breaking . The iPhone 8 boast a single rear - facing 12Mp tv camera that sport a larger , profligate processor that ply zero shutter lag and performs better in low - light condition .
There ’s also a novel colour filter in the crystalline lens , along with ‘ deep picture element ’ and Optical Image Stabilisation ( OIS ) for both photo and video .
What does that mean to you at home ? The iPhone 8 takes amazingly elaborate photos and perform incredibly well in low - light circumstance . Take a look at the following icon ( click to see original image ):
The above photograph of St. Pancras hotel is elaborate and crisp with great colour reproduction on the surface , but how does it stand up when you zoom in to 100 percent ? While the photo loses a routine of the definition that you see when looking at the overall photo , small details like the school text on road preindication and the individual bricks of the hotel are still readable , although the randomness cancellation is much more apparent with an too ‘ soft ’ expression .
While natural light can serve make a photograph look well , you should also be wary about it being too bright . The sunny side of St. Pancras is a just example of this – when zooming in , you may notice that the brick of St. Pancras are almost blown out in places . This may be fixed by using HDR , though , although it ’ll depend on the scene .
The iPhone 8 ’s almost - instant shutter really come in handy in terms of macro picture taking . Once you ’ve found the perfect focus , the image is enamour instantly – no demand to occupy about your hand moving more or less and losing the focus .
However , like most other smartphones , it ’s hard to get the focus just right with macro picture taking on the iPhone 8 . Take a aspect at the above – the iPhone concentre on a smattering of leaves instead of the bush as a whole , despite us tapping the bush several time before capturing . So while macro photography is available on the iPhone 8 , it might take a few tries before getting the perfect slam .
It ’s in the humble - spark picture taking department that the improvements in the iPhone 8 camera are most obtrusive . Take a look at the above picture in our consecrated low - ignitor area ( aka a closet ) and how well - lit the pic smell . You ’re able-bodied to make out clearly defined edges , even on Batman ’s dark mantle , and make out the penning on the water nursing bottle and the pinkish rubber .
There ’s also a surprising lack of noticeable dissonance cancellation , an undesirable part of much low - light mobile photography . While it wo n’t capture thoroughgoing snaps in pitch black dark , it should make photograph in bars and other sorry places much better .
Apple say that the iPhone 8 camera had been contrive specifically for use with AR . While Apple ’s ARKit is compatible with a range of iOS devices , the camera featured on the iPhone 8 ( along with the 8 Plus and X ) apparently offers superscript trailing capacity , providing in high spirits caliber AR experiences on iOS .
While it ’s tough to put this to the trial run , we must admit that AR experience on the iPhone 8 seemed more unchanging than those on the iPhone 7 Plus , although both devices provide a more - than - satisfactory augment world experience for those interested .
move beyond photography , there ’s also an rise in the television department : the iPhone 8 is the first smartphone to be able to read 4K@60fps , an impressive feat . It has also upped the quality of the slo - mo manner , now offering 1080p@240fps , up from 120fps on the iPhone 7 .
There ’s a catch , though . The two new formats are only compatible with the HEVC codec introduced in iOS 11 as the data file are unbelievably large ( 400 MB for a minute of 4K@60fps footage , compare to 170 megabit for a minute of 4K@30fps ) . While this might not voice like an issue to some , the codec is n’t supported by all equipment or apps , think of your admirer might not be able to keep an eye on your astonishingly quiet and detailed 4K@60fps telecasting .
you may convert to the standard data file type when spell videos on Mac , but only those running macOS High Sierra or young . It ’s a piece of a head ache if you run into compatibility issues , so we ’d recommend bind to 4K@30fps unless you really need the high-pitched - destruction 4 kelvin transcription .
In terms of the front - facing photographic camera , it does n’t seem like anything has change : the iPhone 8 sport the same 7Mp camera with f2.2 aperture as its predecessor , and is more than enough for the likes of Snapchat and FaceTime . Those looking for an upgraded front - facing camera should opt for the iPhone 8 Plus or iPhone X , as both offer front - face portraiture mode capability .
Verdict
The iPhone 8 is an attractive , sleek smartphone . Back in 2017 the A11 Bionic chipset provided the highest benchmark slews we ’d ever seen , leaving Android competition in the dirt , and the downcast - illumination tv camera performance was a marked improvement on the iPhone 7 . The addition of wireless charging was also welcome .
In the current market , the iPhone 8 is somehow still on sale as the cheapest model uncommitted from Apple . However , we ’d recommend getting the much better iPhone XR if you could afford the remainder .
