IPhone 8 Plus: Best bang for the buck Apple Upgrade*
So while everyone is on the hype about the Iphone X, I'm all about the IPhone 8 Plus. There are a lot of reviewers saying to skip this phone or saying "Why did Apple even bother with it?". I for one, am a fan and hopefully after reading what I got to say about it you'll be one too.
So I'll start out by saying I have an IPhone 6s Plus. I had to return my Note 7 because of the recall and it was the same day the IPhone 7 came out. I settled on an IPhone 6s Plus because everyone was on that 7 hype so the older models were less expensive and readily available. Also the Wicked Wahine has an IPhone so we'd be able to use Apple services together. I'd had IPhones in the past but moved to Android because the customization capabilities and camera performance. I used to chase the latest and greatest phones as I used to be in the mobile phone business. As they got more expensive I just couldn't keep up so I needed to change the way I looked at cellphones. I had to get the most bang for my buck and it had to be the least hassle to get. The reason why I went 6s Plus after I turned in my Note 7.
As you know the IPhone 8 was released late last month but was over shadowed by the IPhone X (10). Both phones were announced during an Apple Event held at their new campus in Cupertino Ca. All eyes were on the IPhone X and even though it was called the IPhone 8 it was dubbed IPhone 7s by many. By most accounts it is exactly that but let's not use that moniker to demean it's significance. The IPhone 8 compared to my current phone is a major upgrade. Going from a 6s Plus, the newer device boosts a faster A11 Bionic chip, a Dual Camera setup (wide-angle/telephoto), IP67 rated for Splash, Water and Dust and now has Qi wireless charging. Now some of these features have been seen on many Android devices for years now but now that Apple is implementing them on their phones you'll see a better polished design and execution of them. One of the predictions is that since Apples are using Qi Wireless charging standard that you'll see more wireless charging pads in public places.
Above are some photos I took using the Dual lens Camera. The first one is from a moving car, the second one is low light using portrait mode and the last one is a foodie close-up. As you can see the camera does an excellent job under various conditions, with good color contrasting. The different modes you can shoot in are simplified and it doesn't have a manual mode but the software does offer some cool effects that you can apply before or after taking a picture. I'm not really a camera expert but for everyday usage its a great camera.
One thing that I loved about Sony phones in years past, is they were water-proof. Many manufacturers adopted this tech in their phones over the years and Apple finally joined the party with the IPhone 7. Now with the IPhone 8 you see it make another appearance, so its safe to say you will continue to see this feature in all new IPhones which is great. IPhone 8 is IP 67 rated. On the box it says that the phone is "Splash-Resistant". They only say that because they don't want to cover the potential water damage under the warranty but if you carry an IP 67 rating you are protected from total dust ingress and from immersion in water of up to 1 meter for up to 30 mins. Check out one of my favorite YouTubers John Morrison as he tests it the Apple IPhone 8 and Galaxy S8.
Lastly comes wireless charging. Again another feature that has been around in other devices for years. Now that IPhones have this feature it does bring more manufactures motivation to produce Qi Wireless chargers. Wireless charging and I have a love/hate relationship. It's extremely convenient to not have to plug anything in. It's as easy as putting your phone down and it's starts charging, the downside is once you pick it up it stops charging. Also it's slower than regular charging. There are fast-induction chargers but they'll never be as fast as the plug-in kind. The part I love the most about wireless charging is in order for it to work, Apple had to change the design materials to have a glass back. I love the new look of the IPhone 8! Yes it is a finger-print magnet but it looks so good.
For those of us that are kind of locked into the Apple ecosystem, love phones but are more concerned with actual practicality of a consumer product, this would be a phone to get. The 3 major features I went over were the deciding factors for me upgrading from the 6S plus to the 8 Plus. I wouldn't have upgraded from a 7 if I had that because the only major feature missing besides the internals is the wireless charging. Lastly the IPhone X looks like a great phone on paper but it's still the first of its generation. With every new iteration of a product there are going to be bugs. I also wasn't ready to give up touch ID for Face ID. I'd rather have the last version of a proven generation than be a beta tester for a new one.