Apple iPhone 8

Apple typically waits at least 6 months before unveiling the replacement for its previous models. With the iPhone 8, it only took a few minutes. They announced the iPhone X almost immediately after its presentation.

While not as exciting as the iPhone X, the iPhone 8 is still a good phone on its own. But is it good enough to upgrade from the iPhone 7?

Let’s find out!

As with many iPhone upgrades, the 8 is more of an evolution than a revolution. Design-wise it has barely changed from the iPhone 6, at least when you look at the front. It has the same home button, earpiece and display size.

When you flip over the phone, the glass back proves this isn’t an older generation. The glass isn’t just about looks. It also means Apple can add wireless charging. Unfortunately, reviewers found the smooth glass and very slippery.

They add that a glass back, while allegedly stronger, is prone to scratches and, of course, breakage. Most suggest using a cover.

The 4.7-inch LCD display now sports True Tone tech (first found on the iPad Pro). Experts were pleased with color accuracy and vibrancy. The True Tone tech allows the phone to measure ambient light and adjust the temperature and brightness. While useful, many reviewers didn’t notice much difference with the feature enabled.

Still, most consider it the best IPS LCD available due to its brightness and natural colors. The only complaints found mentioned a lack of sharpness and large bezels compared to the latest generation of flagship phones.

If you’re upgrading, performance is where the iPhone 8 sets itself apart. It uses a new A11 six-core processor and 2GB of RAM.

However, all six cores don’t run at the same time in most cases. Instead the phone uses four during common tasks. The remaining two kick in when it needs to maximize performance—such as during games or augmented reality apps.

While it might seem like a slight change, most critics were surprised how much faster the iPhone 8 was—even compared to the 7. Whether reviewers were multitasking, using AR games, playing graphics-intensive games or browsing web pages, the phone breezed through every challenge they threw at it without skipping a beat

Despite all this power, Apple opted for a smaller 1,821mAh battery. Fortunately, they added in quick-charging and wireless charging. But don’t worry. Reviewers could get around a day’s worth of battery life during normal usage. If you’re a heavy phone user—or plan to use AR often—it drains quickly. If you do need to charge mid-day, the addition of fast charging makes top-offs snappy.

Apple’s cameras have always excelled. The iPhone 8 is no exception. While it keeps the same 12MP camera as the 7 that’s where the similarities end.

The phone comes with a larger, faster sensor and optical image stabilization. It also has a new flash and image signal processor built into the A11 processor.

When reviewers tested it out, they snapped excellent pictures with good dynamic range, color reproduction and clarity most of the time. Still, they noticed in low light situations they had minor issues with noise and exposure.

While a great phone, many reviewers find it difficult to recommend considering the minor differences from the iPhone 7. When compared to the iPhone 6, they suggest upgrading—especially if you don’t have the money to spend on the iPhone X.

Digital Trends states, “If you… want a smaller phone without compromising on power then the iPhone 8 is going to tick all your boxes.” The Verge adds, “It’s Apple’s new default phone, and it’s pretty great that a default phone is actually this good.”