Should you preorder Apple's iPhone 8, or wait for the iPhone X?
With pre-orders starting this Friday, and the first deliveries hitting Sept. 22, it may be tempting to buy an iPhone 8 instead of waiting for the iPhone X, coming Nov. 3. There are a few factors to consider before going either route.
Cost, naturally, will be the overarching concern for most people. At $699 -- $50 more than the iPhone 7 was a week ago -- even a 64-gigabyte iPhone 8 may be too expensive. The $999 price tag on the iPhone X could be a non-starter unless your phone is your primary computing device, or you're simply affluent enough that it doesn't matter. When you consider that you could buy a MacBook Air or a complete Windows PC for the same amount, that should give pause.
Either device may be more affordable under Apple's iPhone Upgrade Program, which guarantees a new iPhone and AppleCare+ every year in exchange for monthly payments and trading in your old iPhone. Remember though that in any circumstance, your budget also needs to account for apps and accessories. A case may be virtually mandatory, since Apple has opted for glass backs on both products, making them a magnet for scratches and fingerprints even if they don't crack.
Feature-wise, both phones will do what you need them to do. They each have A11 Bionic processors, wireless charging, waterproofing, 64 or 256 gigabytes of storage, and basic augmented reality support. The X and the 8 Plus share dual-lens cameras with optical zoom and support for Portrait shooting, a slight edge going to the f/2.4 aperture on the X's telephoto lens.
If price isn't a concern, the obvious advantage of the X is its edge-to-edge, 5.8-inch OLED display -- which is not only bigger than what the 8 Plus has to offer, but features high dynamic range (HDR) including much starker 1,000,000:1 contrast. This is clearly the future of the iPhone, and some people are no doubt willing to pay extra to get a glimpse.
The X replaces a home button with gestures, and Touch ID with Face ID, but since even the press has barely had any time with the device, it's too early to judge whether these changes are seamless and a net gain. Privacy critics have expressed worries that despite Apple's promises, Face ID may be less secure, for instance because police, criminals, or others could theoretically take your phone and just point it at you to unlock it.
A unique perk of the phone's AR capabilities is animoji -- emoji that match your face movements -- but realistically, that hardly justifies spending over $1,000.
One final point to consider is how scarce the iPhone X may be, regardless of how much money you have. The company could be manufacturing less than 10,000 units a day, which even with a November launch may not be enough to meet global demand. For many people the phone's Nov. 3 ship date could turn into Dec. 3, if not later, which means you need to ask yourself just how badly you want cutting-edge technology. OLED may become de facto on next year's iPhones -- and the X will inevitably see a price drop around the same time.
Cost, naturally, will be the overarching concern for most people. At $699 -- $50 more than the iPhone 7 was a week ago -- even a 64-gigabyte iPhone 8 may be too expensive. The $999 price tag on the iPhone X could be a non-starter unless your phone is your primary computing device, or you're simply affluent enough that it doesn't matter. When you consider that you could buy a MacBook Air or a complete Windows PC for the same amount, that should give pause.
Either device may be more affordable under Apple's iPhone Upgrade Program, which guarantees a new iPhone and AppleCare+ every year in exchange for monthly payments and trading in your old iPhone. Remember though that in any circumstance, your budget also needs to account for apps and accessories. A case may be virtually mandatory, since Apple has opted for glass backs on both products, making them a magnet for scratches and fingerprints even if they don't crack.
Feature-wise, both phones will do what you need them to do. They each have A11 Bionic processors, wireless charging, waterproofing, 64 or 256 gigabytes of storage, and basic augmented reality support. The X and the 8 Plus share dual-lens cameras with optical zoom and support for Portrait shooting, a slight edge going to the f/2.4 aperture on the X's telephoto lens.
If price isn't a concern, the obvious advantage of the X is its edge-to-edge, 5.8-inch OLED display -- which is not only bigger than what the 8 Plus has to offer, but features high dynamic range (HDR) including much starker 1,000,000:1 contrast. This is clearly the future of the iPhone, and some people are no doubt willing to pay extra to get a glimpse.
The X replaces a home button with gestures, and Touch ID with Face ID, but since even the press has barely had any time with the device, it's too early to judge whether these changes are seamless and a net gain. Privacy critics have expressed worries that despite Apple's promises, Face ID may be less secure, for instance because police, criminals, or others could theoretically take your phone and just point it at you to unlock it.
A unique perk of the phone's AR capabilities is animoji -- emoji that match your face movements -- but realistically, that hardly justifies spending over $1,000.
One final point to consider is how scarce the iPhone X may be, regardless of how much money you have. The company could be manufacturing less than 10,000 units a day, which even with a November launch may not be enough to meet global demand. For many people the phone's Nov. 3 ship date could turn into Dec. 3, if not later, which means you need to ask yourself just how badly you want cutting-edge technology. OLED may become de facto on next year's iPhones -- and the X will inevitably see a price drop around the same time.
Comments
You mean totally unlike now when they could just hold your finger against the home button?
- iOS 11 has a quick-disable of biometrics via 5 rapid clicks of the side-button.
- Face ID won't work if you close your eyes or look away.
- Anybody using force can make you authenticate any device.
...sorry but total nonsense, AI.
- The price of the X cannot be justified for what it is. Maybe the price is meant to limit sales closer to production capacity, but I think the price also gives nitrous fuel to Apple's critics.
- There are also design and UI elements to the X that don't seem very Apple, eg The Notch, and the two step: Face ID/swipe to get to the home screen that were immediately obvious. It might work better with familiarity.
- The 8's are only incremental refinements over the 7, but have also increased in price.
I hope this isn't a jump the shark moment.And then the first link!
2436x1125 @3x
1125/3 = 375
iPhone 8
1334x750 @2x
750/2 = 375
That means the 8 and the X display exactly the same number of objects horizontally, with exactly the same size in pixels. When rotated to landscape and say for example when using a keyboard, the keyboard will be exactly the same size in both 8 and X, as well as the space left above keyboard where you type text. With iPhone 8 Plus, you will get more space above the keyboard to type text if you switch to landscape mode. With iPhone X you won't get that more space.
From a practical standpoint this means movies or other content displayed in landscape mode in 16:9 format will be smaller on the X than on the 8 Plus even though the overall screen size is larger. The visible area will be 111 mm by 62.5 mm and you'll see letterboxes on each side while the 8 Plus will use the full 122 by 68 screen.
Do both the 8 Plus and the X have optical image stabilisation on both lenses? Apple says dual optical stabilisation for the X and just Optical stabilisation for the 8 plus. Apple's wording is not clear, but if the Plus has digital stabilisation only on the telephoto it would be another benefit to the X in addition to a better aperture.
I'm still on the fence about OLED technology. The LCD displays are plenty good enough for me. I liked the idea of an "edge-to-edge" display in hopes that I could get the plus-sized screen in a non-plus form factor. I like the looks of the X...when it's off. As mentioned above, the "notch" comes across as very un-Apple-like. When I saw it during the event, I felt another "Steve would never have allowed this" moment.
Speed hasn't been an issue for me. I don't game and I can't recall ever using my phone and wishing it were faster.
The X would be a somewhat significant upgrade from my 6S+ (jumping over the 7 and 8). Right now, there's less chance I'll pre-order and more change I'll wait to see it in person before I buy. I just haven't been able to get all that excited about upgrades the last few years as I have in the past.
...basically like using a green screen without the green screen. neat. (hmm time