iOS 17 was announced at WWDC 2023, and with it came the end of software updates for the iPhone X and iPhone 8, released in 2017.

A new report from SellCell suggests that the release of iOS 17 will see iPhone X and iPhone 8 models lose over 40% of their total value.

The report used past iPhone 6S and 7 sales history to forecast these value drops. "The iPhone 6S and 7 ranges depreciated by an average of 42.8% of their remaining value by the time Apple rolled out the iOS 16 update. The iPhone 8 and X are likely to follow suit."

It looks like owners of the iPhone 8, 8 Plus, and iPhone X should think about selling their devices sooner rather than later in anticipation of the release of the iPhone 15 alongside iOS 17 in September.

Apple has provided software updates to devices for around five years, giving you some of the best value and longevity in smartphone support. But, like most things in tech, the software outpaces the hardware at some point; unfortunately, that time has come for Apple's first full-screen iPhone.

What's next for iPhone?

iOS 17 is gearing up to be a great improvement to iPhone users with the addition of Contact Posters, StandBy, Check In, and finally, the ability to use multiple timers simultaneously in the Clock app.

It's not a software update you want to miss out on, especially considering the rumors surrounding the iPhone 15 lineup gaining the Dynamic Island across the board. Of course, Apple will still support hardware repairs of iPhone X and iPhone 8 models until the company renders them obsolete, which is still a few years away. 

But, if you want to have the best iPhone, you'll need the best iPhone software, which means considering an upgrade sooner rather than later.

If you've been following along with the news this week you probably already know that there is mass confusion about whether Apple is about to make the iPhone X and iPhone 8 essentially obsolete. At least, obsolete in terms of software updates.

Things all started when one leaker said that both the iPhones — plus the iPhone 8 Plus of course, and a handful of iPads — would not be supported when iOS 17 rolls around later this year. The update is expected to be announced during the WWDC23 event on June 5.

But then, just hours later, another leaker said that was completely wrong. Apple's aging iPhones will get iOS 17, just like they got iOS 16 last year. We're in the midst of a good old-fashioned leak-off, and it's all just far too confusing.

I will say this though. The leaker that contradicted the first, the one that says iOS 17 will support all the same devices that run iOS 16 today? They also leaked the iPhone 14 Pro's Dynamic Island. So, right now at least, they seem most likely to be on the money.

But I'd argue that Apple should cut the older models loose. It's time. Let me explain.

Five years is a lot of years not to sell an iPhone

This is arguably at the bottom of my three-pronged approach to why iOS 17 should not support the iPhone X and iPhone 8. But these things tend to come in threes, so here we are.

The iPhone X ushered in a new wave of iPhones sans Home Buttons. By contrast, the iPhone 8 was there to give people something comfortable. I went iPhone X, as you might expect. But I know some who stuck with the familiar shape and interaction the iPhone 8 brought along. They weren't ready for things to change, see.

But that was in 2017, a long, long time ago. Apple's said to be ready to revamp the iPhone SE and do away with the Home button for good.

If people are still rocking those iPhone X and iPhone 8 handsets there's a good chance that they are very much due for an upgrade. They don't need to throw their five-year-old model in the trash and rush out to buy the best iPhone they can find. Far from it. But those models are missing out on so much, thanks in part to that creaking A11 Bionic chip. And that's before we get into the many camera upgrades we've seen since then.

Time to put jailbreaking to bed

One of the reasons some people like to keep their iPhone X or iPhone 8 around is to jailbreak. Those phones are jailbroken at the bootrom level thanks to the A11 chip, meaning that Apple can't patch them using software.

That in turn means that, so long as the jailbreaking tool of choice has been updated for the new software, every version of iOS installed on an iPhone X or iPhone 8 can be jailbroken. The actual mechanics of the jailbreak are already done. And they have been for years.

Now, even the biggest jailbreaker will admit that the scene isn't what it once was. Apple has removed the need in recent years as it continues to add new features to iOS. Multitasking and widgets are two examples of reasons people used to jailbreak their iPhones. Both features exist in iOS by default today.

There's one reason to jailbreak that isn't going away though. That's, unfortunately, piracy. There are plenty of bad reasons for Apple to stick to its App Store method of software installation and management, but piracy is a good one. And jailbreaking allows people to pirate apps and games with surprising ease. But by making it less appealing to stick to older iPhones while still running the latest software, Apple puts the pressure on. Do you want to steal a $0.99 app, or get the fancy new features?

They've got to go eventually

Finally, we're back to that A11 Bionic again.

Apple will very likely ship the iPhone 15 Pro with the A17 Bionic later this year. It'll surely be the fastest chip ever put inside an iPhone. And the same was said about the A11 Bionic in 2017. But today? Today, it's getting long in the tooth.

That's fine, but Apple could well start hitting the limitations of that chip if it hasn't already. The day Apple starts to struggle to implement features or experiences because the A11 Bionic can't keep up is the day it shouldn't be supported. I'd argue it's a year too late, but iPhone X and iPhone 8 owners might disagree there.

In short, Apple has to drop support for its old iPhones eventually. Why not with iOS 17?

If Apple follows its usual release cadence we can expect it to unveil iOS 17 at its WWDC23 event on June 5, 2023. But a new report claims that Apple is getting ready to drop support for some big hardware at that time.

That report believes that Apple's iOS 17 won't support the iPhone that started the current design language, the iPhone X. It also won't support the phone that a lot of people still cling to in the shape of the iPhone 8 as well.

It isn't just the iPhone, either. Plenty of iPads are also thought to be getting cut loose with the 2023 software updates.

But a secondary, contradictory report has added confusion by saying that Apple will retain support for at least some of these devices.

No more updates for you?

The original report, which comes via a Twitter leaker with a track record, also claims that the first-gen 9.7-inch and 12.9-inch iPads will also be left without iPadOS 17 support. The report was first spotted by MacRumors and also claims that the fifth-gen iPad will not get a big new software update this year.

While this doesn't necessarily mean that owners of those devices will have to immediately rush out and buy the best iPhone or iPad they can find, it does mean that they'll need to upgrade to something a little newer if they want to be able to enjoy whatever new features Apple unveils at WWDC23.

We've already been told to expect some quality-of-life improvements from iOS 17 in particular, which could make missing out on iOS 17 particularly upsetting.

Maybe, maybe not

However, a more recent report from another anonymous leaker posting to the MacRumors forums claims that the same iPhones that were supported by iOS 16 will continue to be supported this time around as well. That would mean that the iPhone X and iPhone 8 will still get iOS 17 come September time.

The leaker didn't specifically say that the iPadOS 17 update would support all existing devices, but they did add that devices running A11 chips will be good to go.

It's also worth noting that this second leaker is the same person who confirmed the existence of the Dynamic Island before the iPhone 14 Pro was announced.

With this all said, it's now unclear exactly which devices will get which software updates.

If you're using something newer than an iPhone X you can be pretty sure you'll get iOS 17 either way.

If you don't need full-blown protection and just want to prevent scratches on your glass-backed iPhone 8, then check out these slim-hipped little minxes!

You should Totallee check out this one!

This case is made by Totallee. It's a pun. I'm very funny. Check it out for $18

Peel is like skin, so you know it's thin

See, now that's a rhyme. I'm on a friggin' roll here. Grab one for $25.

I zo, you zo, we all zo for Tozo!

Good luck getting that out of your head for the rest of the day. You're welcome. $9 on Amazon.

Ba Ranvoo

Any Babe fans out there? No? Ugh, millennials. This one's $11 on Amazon.

If you want to protect your iPhone 8, it's as EasyAcc…

Nothing. I just wanted it to be like I was Candlejacked while writing that head. This is a great option for $9.

Spigen of Thin Fit...

ALL THE PUNS. $10 on that website named after a South American river. You know the one. Orinoco, I think.

Casekoo a question?

Do you want a really thin case for iPhone 8 or not? Get this one for $11.

Shock Tech

What? Can't I just be serious for once? Jeez. $8.

I... Have... The Civpoweeeeer!

Leather, anyone? This is as thin as it gets, and it's only $15.

ESR: Excellent, slim, rubber

That's probably not what it stands for, but it works in this case. Pretty colors for only $8.

Updated July 2018: Updated pricing and added the Civpower and ESR cases.

You love your iPhone 8 Plus, right?

I mean, it's a beautiful piece of tech, and it'd be a shame if some silly, stupid case was shadowing it's impeccable beauty. What's worse than a bulky case hiding your iPhone? Not having a case on your iPhone 8 Plus at all.

The middle ground? A stunning, shiny, simple, sleek, see-through clear case that'll both protect your iPhone 8 Plus and show off its true all-glass beauty (cue Homer drooling sounds).

Here are 10 great clear cases to show off your iPhone 8 Plus' true beauty!

1. Trianium iPhone 8 Clear Case

TPU Bumper Cushion + Scratch Resistant clear design = YAAAAAAS. This case will cost you around $6 to $9.

2. RANVOO Ultra Slip iPhone 8 Plus Case

It's like a second, invisible skin — but for your iPhone 8 Plus! And only for around $10-$12!

3. Matone iPhone 8 Plus Crystal Clear soft Case

Add a li'l extra protection to your iPhone 8 Plus while still keeping it's glam on display with the Matone iPhone 8 Plus Crystal Clear soft Case! This case will cost you around $8.

(Check out those thousands of positive Amazon reviews, tho…)

4. JETech iPhone 8 Plus HD Clear case

Full protection? CHECK. Slim design? CHECK. Access to all controls? CHECK. Affordable $5 price tag? CHECK. Clear AF CHECK CHECK CHECK.

5. Spigen Ultra Hybrid iPhone 8 Case (with clear protection)

How clear is this case? Well once it's on your iPhone 8 Plus, you're going to be like "WOAH WHERE DID IT GO".

You can pick up this case for $12-$15.

6. Spigen Liquid Crystal iPhone 8 Plus

What's clearer than crystal? Liquid crystal.

Duh. (Plus it will only cost you around $9 - $11).

7. GeekZone iPhone 8 Plus Crystal Clear Case

Show off your iPhone 8 Plus' beautiful glass back while protecting it with a hard back panel TPU bumper for around $6-$8!

8. i-Blason iPhone 8 Plus clear case

While this case is clear as clear can be, the bumper surrounding it comes in clear, black, gold, blue, and rose gold colors for around $10.

9. ESR Slim Fit Clear Case

Ultra thin structure + Shock absorbtion + Clear design = YAS YAS YAAAAAS.

This case will cost you around $6-$11.

What are your top clear case picks?

Is there a clear case that we missed on our list that you're obsessed with? Let us know what your top picks are in the comments below!

Updated August 2018: We have removed the Humixx iPhone Clear case from the list because it is no longer available.

What you need to know

• Apple has brought its iPhone 8 Logic Board replacement program to an end.
• The company had previously identified a small percentage of iPhones that had a manufacturing defect.
• The program ran for three years.

Apple has brought its iPhone 8 Logic Board replacement program to an end after three years.

First noted by MacRumors, the program ran for three years from August 2018 but is now no longer on offer. Apple has removed the program from its website.

Apple announced in August 2018, that it had "determined that a very small percentage of iPhone 8 devices contain logic boards with a manufacturing defect" that caused devices to experience unexpected restarts, a frozen screen, or failure to power on. Apple repaired identified devices free of charge. Specifically, it applied to units sold between September 2017 and March 2018 in Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Macau, New Zealand, and the U.S.

The scheme did not apply to the iPhone 8 Plus. Whilst the shuttering of the program will likely have a minimal impact on users, anyone who qualifies and needs the issue fixed will likely now have to pay for a repair from Apple, or consider a third-party option.

Apple's iPhone 8 was released four years ago and has since been supplanted by numerous new iterations of the iPhone including most recently the iPhone 13. Apple's new best iPhone boasts an A15 Bionic processor, big camera upgrades, and an improved display.

Apple offers a number of service programs for devices with identified faults and flaws. Currently, it has programs for the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro regarding sound issues, as well as display replacements for iPhone 11, AirPods Pro fixes, and the iPad Air.

What you need to know

• A YouTuber took a broken iPhone 8 and transplanted its internals into a custom iPhone 12-like case.
• The new iPhone still has Touch ID, but otherwise looks livery similar to an iPhone 12.

When you make an iPhone out of glass it's always going to break when it's dropped. But what do you do then? According to one YouTuber you take that broken iPhone and turn it into another one. In this case, it's an iPhone 8 that was turned into an iPhone 12.

Sort of, at least.

The YouTuber in question is Tech Ninja and their broken iPhone 8 was very broken indeed. Using a custom iPhone 12 body, the YouTuber transplanted everything that still worked, into it. The result is an iPhone 8 in a squared-off iPhone 12 body, albeit with Touch ID and no notch. But to the casual observer, and at a distance, this is very much an iPhone 12.

Check it out — it's a fascinating watch. We've all seen the insides of an iPhone before but there's something about watching one actually be built that's so interesting.

Don't fancy going through all this to get an iPhone 12? There are some great iPhone to be had right now, so why not treat yourself to a new one? I'd suggest putting it into a case though — especially if you just broke your old iPhone like Tech Ninja!

What you need to know

• Filmmaker Jennifer Zhang was stuck in lockdown with no work to do, so she created a movie using nothing other than an iPhone 8.
• The movie had zero budget but still turned out to be a compelling feature film.

Filmmaker Jenniger Zhang has already been nominated for awards left and right and she might be onto another winner with her new movie — Charon. Filmed singlehandedly using nothing more than an iPhone 8 Plus, Charon is a wild ride through lockdown for all of us, not just Zhang.

Just the synopsis is enough to whet the appetite.

That already sounds like my jam, but the trailer drives the potential home.

Zhang says that the whole project came about because she was in lockdown herself and wasn't sure what state her other projects would be in after COVID-19. She set herself a challenge to create a movie using only what she had — an iPhone — and set inside her apartment. I'd say the results speak for themselves.

Now I just need to find a way to watch this thing.

As great as this turned out, the iPhone 8 Plus camera is starting to show its age. Maybe Zhang should check out the best iPhone deals we could find and snag herself a nice iPhone 12 Pro instead.

The iPhone SE is essentially an iPhone 11 with the body of an iPhone 8 and the camera of an iPhone XR (in fact, it's a better camera than the iPhone XR). The iPhone 8 was released in 2017, and you cannot purchase a new device at retail anymore. The choice seems pretty clear.

iPhone SE (2020) vs. iPhone 8: Break it down now...

The iPhone SE outclasses the iPhone 8 in every respect. Thanks to the improved signal processor, it's got a better processor and a better single-lens camera than even the iPhone XR.

iPhone SE (2020) vs iPhone 8: Comparison

If you're looking for a low-cost iPhone, get the iPhone SE. It has the performance of an iPhone 11, with a smaller screen that's easier to use in one hand. While it only has a single-lens rear camera system, it's still an excellent camera, complete with Portrait Mode.

According to Apple, the iPhone SE's A13 system-on-a-chip has a CPU 1.4x faster than the iPhone 8's A11, while the GPU is twice as fast as the older model. Cellular speeds are up to 60% faster, with Wi-Fi speeds up 38% over the iPhone 8.

If you still want an iPhone with Touch ID, the iPhone SE has it. Ditto the familiar design that Apple's been using since the iPhone 6 in 2014. It has the same 4.7-inch Retina display as the iPhone 8 and has three storage options. It's also more readily available: with the launch of the iPhone SE, Apple has discontinued the iPhone 8.

iPhone SE (2020) vs iPhone 8: Bottom line

The iPhone SE isn't flashy. It's not supposed to be. The 'SE' could stand for "Steady Edition." It's a reliable, powerful iPhone at a reasonable price for people looking for just that. It doesn't have all of the bells and whistles of more recent iPhones like Face ID or Night Mode, but it's the no-nonsense iPhone experience that many people need. It also doesn't hurt that it should receive updates for the same amount of time as the iPhone 11 lineup, which probably means updates for the next several years.

Comparatively, the iPhone 8 has a slower processor, less advanced camera system, and only available as pre-owned. It's also not available from most retail outlets.

Though the iPhone 8 is still a great phone, the 2020 iPhone SE has just enough features to make it worth upgrading.

Resetting and DFU mode are the last two steps on the iPhone 8 and iPhone SE 2 troubleshooting ladder. When nothing else is working, these steps are your go-tos for getting your phone back into working order. A reset is just a forced reboot — one that you can do even if your device is malfunctioning. DFU (device recovery mode) mode, in contrast, is the last resort: It puts your iPhone into a state where it can still communicate with iTunes on Windows or Mac and be restored, but it won't trip the boot loader or iOS, in case your software has become royally borked.

• How to reboot your iPhone SE 2 iPhone 8
• How to put your iPhone SE 2 or iPhone 8 into DFU mode

How to reboot your iPhone SE 2 or iPhone 8

The 2nd-gen iPhone SE and iPhone 8 reassign the "double press and hold" reboot button combination of iPhones past to Emergency SOS, as the combo is a simple and easy one to remember in the stress of emergency situations. Unfortunately, that means the reboot combination has changed for these models. Here's how to reboot your device if your iPhone 8 or iPhone SE 2 stops responding and you can't force quit apps or turn it off by holding down the power button.

1. Quickly press the volume up button.
2. Quickly press the volume down button.
3. Press and hold the side button until the power off slider appears.
4. Slide the power off slider to the right.

How to put your iPhone SE 2 or iPhone 8 into DFU mode

If all else has failed, you may need to restore your iPhone; if it won't restore normally, you'll need to put it into DFU mode.

1. Plug your iPhone 8 or iPhone SE 2 into your Mac or PC.
2. Make sure that iTunes (macOS Mojave and PCs) or Finder (macOS Catalina and later) is running.
3. Turn Off your iPhone 8 or iPhone SE 2(if it isn't already).
   1. Quickly press the volume up button.
   2. Quickly press the volume down button.
   3. Press and hold the side button until the power off slider appears.
   4. Slide the power off slider to the right.
4. Press and hold down the On/Off button on the right side of your iPhone for 3 seconds.
5. Press and hold down the volume down button on the left side of your iPhone while still holding down the On/Off button.
6. Keep holding both buttons down for 10 seconds. (If you see the Apple logo, you've held them too long and will need to start again.)
7. Let go of the On/Off Button but keep holding the volume down button for about 5 seconds. (If you see the "Plug into iTunes" screen, then you've held it too long and will need to start again.)
8. If the screen stays black, that's it! Your iPhone should now be in DFU mode.

At this point, iTunes should show you an alert saying it's detected your iPhone 8 or iPhone SE 2 and will allow it to be restored.

Reminder: If you see any logos on your device, you might be in Recovery Mode, but you're not in DFU mode. If Recovery Mode works, great. If not, try for DFU Mode again.

Questions?

Let us know in the comments.

Updated July 2020: Updated with more info on DFU mode.

If you were intrigued by the new iPhone SE taking on the iPhone 8 form factor but left ultimately disappointed that there was no Plus-sized version, Back Market has a deal that may be just what you're looking for.

It's offering refubished Apple iPhone 8 Plus models for just $369 right now. Considering the phone goes for $550 these days new and around $400 in refurbished conditon, this is a great deal. The models are offered in mint condition with a 1-year warranty so you'll have a like-new experience.

Apple's iPhone 8 Plus has been officially discontinued with the release of the new iPhone SE, so deals on it in brand new condition are likely to become even rarer. It features a 5.5-inch Retina HD display with a pixel resolution of 1080 x 1920 at 401 ppi. It also supports True Tone so colors will look natural in any lighting conditions. You'll get Touch ID and a home button instead of Face ID on the all-screen iPhones. That will be a pro or a con base on your perspective.

Inside, it's powered by the A11 Bionic chip, the same as in the iPhone X, with 64GB of storage. It features a 7MP front-facing camera and dual 12MP rear cameras that can take some fancy Portrait photos. The glass back also allows for convenient Qi wireless charging.

Once you've got yourself a new phone, check out our list of the Best iPhone 8 Plus cases and get yourself some protection to keep it in mint condition.

The phones sold by Back Market are also unlocked so you can use your new iPhone 8 Plus with any GSM or CDMA carrier of your choosing. We reviewed Back Market to get a better look at the quality of devices supplied and had a very positive experience.

If you don't want to spend $400 an up on the new iPhone SE, Woot has several refurbished iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus models on sale today with prices starting at just $199.99. That means you can get a similar spec phone for half the price. The devices on sale at Woot may have some signs of cosmetic wear, but have been tested to ensure they are in full working condition and come with a 90-day Woot warranty. The models are available fully-unlocked or GSM-only, so be sure to check carefully before placing your order.

$899.99 $1299.00 Save $399 1623157769

Having now been replaced by the 24-inch M1 iMac, Apple's 21.5-inch iMac has been discontinued. That means big savings at third-party retailers including at Amazon where it's discounted by $399.

Prices Vary 1622214797

This sale includes iPhone models, the Apple Watch, iMac and iPad devices, Beats headphones, Apple services, and more. The deals vary by product, so be sure to check them all out now.

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Change how you use your iPad with the Apple Pencil. This stylus lets you use your iPad as a notepad, a canvas, or a drawing board for all of your ideas. Today's deal saves you 20% instantly at Verizon.

$599.99 $699.00 Save $99 1621519150

Updated in late 2020, the Mac Mini has Apple's M1 chip that combines CPU, GPU, and machine learning for faster performance, better graphics, and an all around streamlined device. This version has 8GB RAM and a 256GB solid state drive.

From $329 1621244196

Apple Watch Series 6 models are available for some of their best prices ever right now. The lowest price is on the red 40mm version which is $70 off with 44mm and cellular models seeing discounts of up to $91.

The most affordable option on the sale is the iPhone 8 from $199.99. It's offered with 64GB or 256GB of storage and comes in space gray, gold, silver, and red colorways. Introduced in 2017, iPhone 8 features, a 4.7-inch Retina display with True Tone, six-core A11 Bionic chip, IP67 water-resistance, 7MP front camera, 12MP rear camera, and Touch ID fingerprint recognition.

Its design has been cribbed for the updated iPhone SE with some internal spec bumps, though the iPhone 8 is still a solid purchase in 2020. We compared the 2020 iPhone SE to the iPhone 8 to help you make sense of all of the similiarities and differences. At full price, you'd probably want to shoot for the SE but with prices this low it's well worth considering the iPhone 8.

If you were intrigued by the new iPhone SE taking on the iPhone 8 form factor but left ultimately disappointed that there was no Plus-sized version, Woot's deals today on the iPhone 8 Plus may be just what you're looking for. Starting at $299.99, the 5.5-inch model is powered by the A11 Bionic chip, the same as in the iPhone X and iPhone 8, with 64GB or 256GB of storage. It features a 7MP front-facing camera and dual 12MP rear cameras that can take some fancy Portrait photos.

The deals are good for today only or while supplies last, so be sure to act fast to avoid missing out on the phone you want. Woot usually charges $6 per order for shipping, though by logging in with an Amazon Prime membership, you can skip the shipping fee and save that $6 instead. If you've never been a Prime member before, you can start a free 30-day trial to score free shipping at Woot and Amazon, along with access to all of Prime's perks such as the Prime Video streaming service, exclusive members-only discounts, and more.

Choosing the perfect color for your iPhone is a decision of utmost importance. Your phone will be your constant companion through thick and thin, so it's important to choose wisely since you'll be staring at it every day. Right now, the iPhone 8 is available in three colors. All three are understated and sophisticated, but very different from one another. Take a look at the options below to see your choices, as well as links where you can buy them.

Dark outer space vibes

Instead of the standard (and somewhat boring) black, Space Gray provides the same understated appeal but with a little more dimension. This is a great color for dark and mysterious types or just anyone who prefers a versatile, low-key color palette. We prefer this outer-space inspired look over white or black any day.

For that upscale look

This is all the glam without the glitz. It's a beautiful shade of light gold that looks upscale and valuable but without a gaudy look. It is said that this color may show scratches and scuffs more than the other color choices, so you'll definitely want a case for it. But make it a clear one, so that lovely luxurious gold color shows through.

Keeping it simple

If you're not into dark shades but prefer an understated look, then this silver shade is for you. Like the gold, it leans to a lighter shade of silver, almost white but with an attractive metallic sheen. Silver is another one of those colors that goes with everything, so you won't have to worry about it clashing with your other accessories.

If you were intrigued by the new iPhone SE taking on the iPhone 8 form factor but left ultimately disappointed that there was no Plus-sized version, Visible has a deal that may be just what you're looking for.

It's offering Apple's iPhone 8 Plus for just $360 right now. Considering the phone goes for $550 these days and we've seen refurb prices around $400, this is a stellar deal. Even better, if you pre-pay for two months of service, you'll score a $100 Mastercard gift card in the process making this an even better value.

Apple's iPhone 8 Plus has been officially discontinued with the release of the new iPhone SE, so deals on it in brand new condition are likely to become even rarer. It features a 5.5-inch Retina HD display with a pixel resolution of 1080 x 1920 at 401 ppi. It also supports True Tone so colors will look natural in any lighting conditions. You'll get Touch ID and a home button instead of Face ID on the all-screen iPhones. That will be a pro or a con base on your perspective.

Inside, it's powered by the A11 Bionic chip, the same as in the iPhone X, with 64GB of storage. It features a 7MP front-facing camera and dual 12MP rear cameras that can take some fancy Portrait photos. The glass back also allows for convenient Qi wireless charging.

Phones sold by Visible are unlocked so you can use your new iPhone 8 Plus with Visible or any other carrier. Visible itself runs on Verizon's network and we rated it highly in our review thanks to its unlimited data and not requiring a long-term commitment.

Most iPhone users enjoy taking gorgeous photos and high-quality videos. Unless you are in the habit of immediately downloading or offloading all of your content into the cloud, you'll want some space to store every take, at least temporarily. Sometimes it's not convenient or even possible to take everything off of your phone as soon as you shoot it.

The same goes for music and videos. If ever you find yourself with low signal or low data, you may be left wishing for more storage space for your favorite music and movies. For anyone who ventures outside of cell signal or occasionally runs low on data, the extra storage will come on handy when you want to play your favorite music and movies. Especially for anyone with kids, this can make a huge difference during long road trips.

For those of you who rarely run the risk of running low on signal or data, keeping everything on the cloud may not seem so scary. If your photos and videos can be offloaded to the cloud or downloaded immediately, then you won't need so much storage available for photos and videos.

As for entertainment media, sometimes streaming works just fine. If you don't plan on leaving the areas where cell signal is readily available, and your data usage is not limited, then massive music and movie downloads won't be necessary. If this is the case, you may be able to make do with the 64GB iPhone 8.

You may not realize that Apple recently released a new version of the iPhone called the iPhone SE. It's the exact same size as the original iPhone 8, comes with all the same storage capacities, as well as a newer, faster processor. It's also water-resistant, and it comes at a great low price point compared to other new iPhone models. So if you're looking at the iPhone 8 because of its attractive pricing, check out the iPhone SE too! You may find that it's a newer phone for a great price.

The iPhone 8 Plus is just a better version of the iPhone 7 Plus. The processor is upgraded, the cameras got a slight upgrade, the water-resistance rating got a bump, and it has a glass back, meaning it can charge wirelessly. The good news? The iPhone 8 Plus still has Touch ID and the old iPhone form factor, so if you're not a fan of the notch or don't want Face ID, you don't have to get it.

Although its older, the snappy responsiveness that the A11 Bionic chip gives you on the iPhone 8 Plus still performs well today. Plus, it really is a mammoth of a phone. It's big in your pocket, big in your hand, but the big screen makes it a great device to game and watch movies.

The iPhone XR features quite a few upgrades over the iPhone 8 Plus, including the new design, a bigger display, Face ID, and dual-SIM support, but still has some of the same features like wireless charging and an LCD display.

While the iPhone XR won't feel as big or bulky in your hand as the iPhone 8 Plus, it does have a larger screen, clocking in at 6.1-inches compared to the 5.5-inches of the iPhone 8 Plus. The iPhone XR does only have a single rear-facing 12 MP camera, but thanks to the software are can still take portrait mode photos and use Smart HDR — you won't even miss that second lens.

The iPhone XR is a great option for those who don't mind spending a little more to get a more updated and modern looking device.

If money isn't your main concern and you want a massive phone, the iPhone 11 Pro Max is for you. It's just about the same dimensions as the iPhone 8 Plus, but because of the near-bezeless design, the screen is a gigantic 6.5-inches.

If you thought the two camera array on the iPhone 8 Plus was good, the iPhone 11 Pro Max has three cameras, giving you more options when you go shooting. It has the same 12MP wide-angle and telephoto lens you're used to, but with the addition of an ultra-wide-angle, meaning you can get some truly impressive landscape photos.

A bonus of getting Apple's newest phone is you know that it will be supported with updated for years to come, so you won't have to worry about maybe needed an upgrade in two years if you don't want to.

At just over two-and-a-half years old, the iPhone 8 Plus is hardly a flagship anymore. But it's still a very capable phone for most people. It's rocking Apple's A11 Bionic system-on-a-chip, the same processor that was on the iPhone X, and thus this phone has many of the same capabilities as that one, just with a Home button and Touch ID instead of Face ID.

In fact, the inclusion of Touch ID might just be a selling point of the phone. While plenty of people have moved to phones with Touch ID and, consequently, without a Home button, there are still a lot of people out there who want both. The Home button is a nice, reliable physical place that you use to get back to your Home screen, while some are still wary of Face ID while trusting Touch ID.

The iPhone 8 Plus is also less expensive than the iPhone 11, but still has two cameras on the back (albeit, there's no ultra-wide). It's still capable of shooting photos in Portrait Mode and using Portrait Lighting effects to edit them.

You also get a fairly large display. The screen is an inch smaller than the one the similarly-sized iPhone 11 Pro Max, but the iPhone 8 Plus is also half the price. At 5.5 inches, the iPhone 8 Plus display will be big enough for your on-the-go content viewing.

Apple has recently released a new, low-cost iPhone, an updated iPhone SE. Recent reports indicate that it might also be set to unveil an iPhone SE Plus at some point soon-ish (they were reportedly due for a simultaneous announcement, but recent events have led to a delay for the large phone).

Where the new iPhone SE uses the same chassis as the iPhone 8, the iPhone SE Plus will reportedly will do the same for the iPhone 8 Plus. You can expect similar internals on both phones, primarily the same A13 processor found in the iPhone 11, and it's likely we'll see a dual camera system similar to the one on the iPhone 8 Plus, but with better image signal processing for more advanced computational photography.

The new iPhone SE is rumored to cost the same as the old one, $399. Given that Apple tends to charge a $100 premium to go up a size class, it wouldn't be surprising to see an iPhone SE Plus come in at $499, down $50 from the current price of the iPhone 8 Plus.

What you need to know

• The 2020 U.S. Census will be performed using the iPhone 8.
• 500,000 canvassers will be equipped with an iPhone 8 and an app.
• The government seems to have chosen the iPhone because of its popularity and security.

The United States Census has historically been performed by canvassers, called enumerators, fanning out across the country with pen and paper to gather information from neighbors and collectively perform the massive count of all citizens.

That is about to change in a big way this year. As reported by CNET, the U.S. Census Bureau is equipping all of its canvassers with an iPhone 8 and an app that they will be used in place of pen and paper. In total, the bureau is provided 500,000 of its enumerators with an iPhone in order to perform the count.

According to CDW-G, the contractor that the U.S. Census Bureau hired to help with the technological upgrade to the 2020 Census, the iPhone became the device of choice because of its familiarity and its security.

A spokesperson for Apple says that the company is proud that the iPhone became the device of choice in order to carry out the 2020 U.S. Census.

You can read the full report about the role of the iPhone and apps for the 2020 U.S. Census at CNET.

The iPhone 8, the end of the original design era, at the end of 2019. If you'd bought one when it launched two years ago and were asking me if you were still good to keep going with it today, and for another year or two, I'd say sure.

With Apple's typical build quality, the headroom designed into its A11 Bionic chipset, and the constant software updates it's both gotten and will keep getting for some time to come, I'd say absolutely.

But buying an iPhone 8 new, now, and in the age of iPhone 11? But starting at $449?

iPhone 8 in 2019 review: Design

The iPhone 8 still comes in two sizes, regular and Plus, with a 4.7-inch or 5.5-inch LCD Retina display. And it still looks every bit like an iPhone, of course. Apple has this habit of making new phones look like old phones. Even when they rebuild the phones at the atomic level, developing whole new formulations of existing materials, like they did from iPhone 6 to iPhone 6s, or when the switch those materials completely, like going from aluminum to glass for the iPhone 8. They don't just keep pouring new batter into old molds, they make all new molds as well.

Apple just really, really believes that their designs are the best possible designs that they're currently capable of for that type of device meant to do those types of jobs. And they're not going to change for whim or whimsey or for simple changes sake. They're only going to change when they can make it meaningfully better.

Which is what they did the exact same year with the iPhone X.

But here's the thing. We're humans, and as much as we hate boredom we also hate change. Because human. So, for everyone who may have thought the iPhone X was just too much change, Apple also made the iPhone 8, which was more and better of the same.

More properly, the ultimate version of the same: The last iPhone in the lineup to include the original, iconic, forehead and chin design, with the Home button square — circle! — in the middle of chin.

No, you don't navigate this one with those new-fangled iPhone X-style gestures. You click the Home button to go home. You double click it to multitask. You hold it to summon Siri. And you rest your finger on it to unlock with Touch ID. No face needed.

The enhanced ion-exchange glass, same as on the iPhone X, was state-of-the-art at its time. Part of the ongoing close collaboration between Apple and Corning that allows iPhones early and custom access to whatever eventually becomes the next generic version of Gorilla Glass.

It's not as strong as the glass in the current iPhones 11, and it's slippery, like the 11 and unlike the textured 11 Pro. Regardless, glass is still glass, so all it can ever do is give you better odds of surviving an unintentional scratch or drop.

If you share my — and the original Star Wars movie's — love for the look of used technology, that's one thing. If you want to keep it mint, you'll need to case and screen protector it out.

The glass also has a seven-layer coloring process for both opacity and depth, in silver, space gray, and the 2017 version of coppery gold. Sadly, my favorite, the product RED version, is no longer available new.

The two layers of glass, front and back, and bound along the sides by color-matched 7000 series and "aerospace" grade. To prevent attenuation between the different antenna systems, there are still breaks in the bands. Those are color-matched as well.

They're also microscopically sealed to protect against liquid and particle ingress. It's IP67, and rated for up to 1m of water for up to 30 minutes, same as the iPhone 7. Not 2m like the iPhone 11 or 4 meters like the iPhone 11 Pro.

The speakers are 25% louder than the iPhone 7, though nowhere nearly as capable as the wide stereo of iPhone XS or spatial audio of the iPhone 11. Still, they're good enough for listening to podcasts or making speakerphone calls. Not too Mikey, not too Vader.

The display is Apple's Retina. Not Super Retina like the OLED iPhone X and later, or even Liquid Retina, like the edge-to-edge iPhone XR and later. Just good old Retina.

The iPhone 8 has a 1334-by-750-pixel resolution IPS LCD display at 326 ppi, and the iPhone 8 Plus has a 1792-by-828-pixel resolution at 326 ppi.

Both are DCI-P3 wide color gamut, which means richer reds, deeper magentas, and more vibrant greens. And they still look great, almost as good as the Liquid Retina… just bracketed by bezels.

It's got the same True Tone ambient color temperature matching as every modern iPhone, so whites look paper white, not yellowish or blueish white, and the same 1400:1 contrast ration and 625 nit max brightness of the iPhone 11, just nowhere near the 2,000,000:1 and 800 nit sustained, 1200 nit peak of the iPhone 11 Pro.

So, while even the iPhone 8 Plus can't match the iPhone XR or iPhone 11's 6.1 inch Super Retina display in physical size or screen to bezel ration, they still go blow for blow when it comes to quality, and the iPhone 8 Plus even beats them on total pixel density — 401 poi vs. 326 ppi for the regular 8, XR, and 11 — if that's something that really matters to you.

iPhone 8 in 2019 review: Camera System

The iPhone 8 has a single 12mp f/1.8, optically stabilized, wide-angle rear camera system, similar to the iPhone XR, albeit without the focus-pixel and segmentation mask generated Portrait Mode, or any of the Smart HDR features that came with more recent versions of the A-series Bionic chipsets.

The iPhone 8 Plus has a dual-camera system, adding a 12mp f/2.8, telephoto lens to the mix. So, yeah, the iPhone 8 Plus has a wide-angle and telephoto, like the iPhone X and XS had, an unlike the iPhone 11 has, because Apple went with wide and ultra-wide there instead.

The dual camera does allow for portrait mode and Portrait Lighting, though. So, you can still get your bokeh and stage effects on.

It was a really good camera for its time, with deeper pixels to reduce cross-talk, and a then-new color filter, for wide dynamic range, truer tones, and less noise.

Thanks to the A11 Bionic's image signal processor, it handles all the auto-white balance, auto-focus, and auto-exposure you'd expect, and analyzes the scene for lighting, people, motion, sky, fabric, other textures, and other elements and continuously optimizes for capture.

Again, it's not as good as the current-generation A13 Bionic and Smart HDR system, and if photography really matters to you, whether it's documenting your travel or preserving the memories of the friends, family, and pets you love, design aside, this is the biggest difference you'll experience between a 2017 and 2019 iPhone, especially as we move in 2020 and beyond.

That's especially true for low light photography. Apple has just introduced Night Mode for the first time on the iPhones 11, and it's just the beginning of the next leap forward in computational photography. Whereas, the iPhone 8 is pretty much the end of the first leap.

Don't get be wrong, it's no slouch, it just doesn't compare to the latest and the greatest.

The same applies to video. The iPhone 8 can record 4K at 60 FPS. And it can maintain that capture rate for extended periods of time without breaking a sweat. It just can't do 4K at 60 FPS with extended dynamic range the way the iPhones 11 can, if that matters to you.

Likewise, it can't record in stereo audio like the iPhone XS, XR, and 11 can do.

When it comes to the front-facing camera, the differences are even more pronounced. And that's due entirely to the absence of the TrueDepth camera system that debuted on the iPhone X.

Never mind 12mp, 4K 60fps or 120fps slowfies, there's wide angle, and no portrait mode, no Animoji or Memoji, and no anything that requires depth data, because there's no depth data.

If you're the kind of person who's already shaking your fist at the very idea of augmented reality on a camera system, then what there is on the iPhone 8 — 7mp, f/2.2, wide gamut — will suit you just fine.

iPhone 8 in 2019 review: Power and performance

The A11 Bionic was Apple's first attempt at integrating neural engine functionality into their system-on-a-chip, or SoC. Built off the same but better performance.EFFICIENCY fusion design as the A7, it added the ability to support features like Face ID… which didn't matter so much for the iPhone 8.

More recent chips, like the A12 in the iPhone XS and XR, have made the neural engine right and proper with 8 cores, and the A13 in the iPhones 11 has pushed machine learning out, throughout the CPU and GPU as well.

The biggest improvement the A11 had over the A10, though, aside from just a speed increase, was that instead of four cores it has six, two high-performance and four high-efficiency. Instead of being locked in pairs, all six cores can be addressed at the same time for some impressively massive parallelism. And, it had Apple's first, custom, three core graphics processor. All of which, in typical Apple fashion, let A11 out-performed a lot of even desktop Intel silicon at the time, never mind Qualcomm's phone stuff.

It also had Apple's custom performance controller, which is part of what lets Apple provide faster performance and better efficiency. In other words, be more powerful with less power draw.

As far as that relates to battery life, Apple rates the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus as getting roughly the same amount of battery life at the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.

That's about an hour and a half less on the Plus than on the iPhone XR and two and a half hours less than on the standard iPhone 11.

Up to 13 hours of video and 40 hours of audio on the iPhone 8, and 14 hours of video and 60 hours of audio on the iPhone 8 Plus, versus 16 hours and 65 hours, and 17 hours and 65 hours respectively for the XR and 11.

The 11 Pro and 11 Pro max, meanwhile, are rated for 18 and 20 hours of video and 65 and 80 hours of audio respectively.

That's still enough to get many people through the day, and in the era of inductive and fast charging, easily through the day.

The iPhone 8 has the same inductive charging capabilities as any of the newer iPhones — up to 7.5 watts on any Qi-compatible charging pad or surface.

Also, the same wired potential. Yes, it comes with the rinky-dinky 5 watt Lightning to USB-A cable and adapter in the box, like the iPhone 11 does to this day, but if pony up the extra $20 for a USB-C to Lightning cable, and $30 for an 18 watt adapter — or just use a USB-C MacBook brick if you have one – and you fast charge up to 50% in just 30 minutes.

Which, legit, still isn't as fast as some other phones, but it's a good balance between speed and not generating so much heat as to thrash the long term health of your battery.

If the longest battery life possible is important to you, and you don't mind the size, though, you should go with the iPhone 8 Plus.

iPhone 8 in 2019: iOS 13 and Ecosystem

Even though the iPhone 8 debuted in 2017, Apple just updated it to iOS 13 day and date with the brand-new iPhone 11. That's one of the biggest advantages of Apple's approach: Build massively over-powered chipsets, put them in really well-manufactured phones, and then update them with new software and services for 4-5 years.

The iPhone 6s, which debuted in 2015 with iOS 9, just got iOS 13 in 2019, so the iPhone 8, which debuted in 2017 with iOS 11, and just got iOS 13, should still get iOS 14 next year, iOS 15 the year after that, and maybe more.

And can use iMessage, FaceTime, Apple Pay, Apple Cash and Apple Card in the US, Apple Music and Apple Arcade, as well as Apple TV+ as of November 2019.

And all the bazillion iPhone apps in the App Store, with exception of any features that might require a TrueDepth camera on the front or other, newer hardware like the U1 positioning chip, eventually.

Likewise, the iPhone 8 is compatible with Apple Watch and AirPods, should you want to get your health and near-field audio on.

That's the other big advantage to Apple approach: Make an ecosystem and keep it as compatible as possible and the benefits to one product become the force-multiplied benefits to every product.

Up to and including things like Today at Apple, which offers free classes on photography, video, music, design, and development at every Apple Retail location.

If you're reviewing this stuff fairly and accurately, all of those value adds simply have to be factored into the value proposition of the device.

How much does it cost and how much does it deliver for that price?

iPhone 8 in 2019: Pricing and conclusion

Phones, tablets, watches, everything has been getting more and more expensive over the last few years as everything from manufacturing to components to new technologies like TrueDepth cameras ratchet up the costs.

But, at the same time, as Apple's been pushing price points at the top, they've started doing something interesting at the bottom as well.

It really started with the 9.7-inch iPad — now 10.2-inch — hitting $329 dollars, which I and many others called the best damn deal in tech. Now, the Apple Watch Series 3 has just been re-introduced at $199, which may just be the co-best deal?

There are rumors that Apple might do something iPad-like with a new iPhone SE next year. But, for now, there just isn't an equivalent.

The closet you can get is the iPhone 8. Everything that, while classic, was brand new in 2017, starting at $699 for the regular and $799 for the Plus, are being re-introduced for 2019, starting at $449 for the regular and $549 for the plus.

That's for 64GB. 128 GB will run you an extra $50, $499 and $599 respectively.

Now, I'm not going to say that's another of the best deals in tech. Not even close.

If you aren't in a rush, maybe wait and see what early 2020 brings. Otherwise, starting at just $599 — just $150 more — you can get an iPhone XR, which offers more colors, a more recent chipset, a better camera, Face ID, and an edge-to-edge display. If installment plans are an option for you, the difference between an iPhone 8 and an iPhone 11 can come down to a burger or latte or two a month.

You can also sometimes get good, even great deals on second-hand iPhones if you know how to avoid the potential risks.

But, if you absolutely don't want to spend even a dime more and you want to buy new, or you absolutely see the classic design as a positive and not a negative, and they can pry the Home button and Touch ID from your cold dead digits, then the iPhone 8 still offers some of the advantages of a modern iPhone and for much less than any new iPhone.

Sure, you can get current gen phones with decent to outstanding specs for the same price, maybe even a little less. But they don't run iOS, the components aren't always as consistently good or feature sets as complete, consistent, or considerate to humans, and they don't come with the Apple ecosystem, which does add significant value well above and beyond the cost. Especially if you've already invested in it.

So, If you love everything about your existing iPhone 4 or 5, 6 or 7, or if you just want to get off your last, old, free phone and get onto iOS, with a quality built, fairly feature complete iPhone that's see you through the next few years, you can get in on the iPhone or iPhone 8, and starting at $250 less than the current iPhone 11 — $449.

Apple introduced some incredibly detailed battery info with iOS 12, and it's the easiest way to determine if you should be getting a new battery for your iPhone 8 or 8 Plus, or if it's still fine.

To find your battery info:

1. Go to your device Settings, then find Battery.
2. Tap on Battery Health.
3. You'll see Maximum Capacity and Performance Capability. A lower capacity means your device may have fewer hours of usage between charges. The Performance capability will let you know if it's time for a new battery or not.

If you got the iPhone 8 or 8 Plus recently, then the battery should still be around 100 percent capacity, and have Peak Performance Capability. If it's anything below 80 percent (in my opinion), then it may be time for a replacement.

You will want to check out Apple's iPhone Battery Replacement page and select the option that will be most convenient for you. Options include:

1. Bringing it to an Apple Store for repair
2. Sending it to Apple for repair
3. Talk to Apple Support on the phone
4. Schedule a call
5. Call Apple Support later
6. Chat online with Apple Support

Usually, the easiest option is to go to the Apple Store. But since Apple Stores tend to get very busy, walk-ins may require a long wait time, so you should always make a Genius Bar appointment at the nearest store.

If you have AppleCare+ on your iPhone 8 or 8 Plus, then it should still be under the extended warranty coverage. Or if you're still within the year of purchase, you'd still be under warranty. A battery replacement will cost nothing if that's the case, so you should make the most of it and get a fresh new battery when you need it.

For devices that are out of warranty and do not have AppleCare+, a battery replacement is going to cost $49 for the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus.

However, Apple is providing battery replacements for only $29 for eligible iPhone 6 and later (including iPhone 8 and 8 Plus) devices. But this is only going on until Dec. 31, 2018, and prices return to the normal $49 in the new year.

Technically, yes, you can choose to go with the DIY route. However, it's actually a pretty lengthy process, and you're going to need a good amount of time and patience to replace the battery yourself. We don't really recommend this since it does void your warranty if you open up your device.

However, if you insist, then we recommend following iFixIt's guides for the iPhone 8 battery replacement and iPhone 8 Plus battery replacement.

This is where it can get a little tricky. If you go this route, you should definitely only go to an Apple Certified business. Otherwise, if you get your battery replaced at a non-certified shop, it will void your warranty since it's not Apple Certified.

Of course, if you're already out-of-warranty anyway, then it wouldn't matter too much.

Since the very first iPhone launched, Apple has always made its hardware hard to get into and repair yourself, and the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus are no different.

The glass back on the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus is held to the frame and the internal hardware with a strong epoxy, meaning it's essentially fused with the inside of the phone. It's not a simple matter of prying the glass back off the phone; you have to dissolve the epoxy either using extreme heat or extreme cold.

While you could potentially find a third-party repair shop willing to do fix the glass back, there's no guarantee that a repair shop will be able to do it safely, and even if they do, it will void any warranty (both standard and AppleCare+) if you have it.

Apple technicians have the proper tools, knowledge, and skills to fix your phone. Plus, you won't void any warranties.

If you have AppleCare+, repairing the back glass on the iPhone 8 and the iPhone 8 Plus will cost you only $29; however, it gets significantly more expensive with AppleCare+. If you didn't (or don't) spring for the extra warranty, it would cost you $149 to replace the back glass on the iPhone 8 and $169 for the iPhone 8 Plus.

The popular YouTube channel, JerryRigEverything, makes a living tearing down phones, opening them up, and showing people how to replace parts, batteries, and other hardware. Even with his knowledge and experience, he had to go through some extreme measures to replace the glass back on his iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus.

As you can see — and he even mentions it in the video himself — it's not worth the risk to perform the task yourself.

For the second year in a row, Apple has introduced a new, PRODUCT(RED) iPhone in the spring. Last year it was the RED and white iPhone 7. This year, iPhone 8 — and it's RED and black.

April 13, 2018: iPhone 8 in PRODUCT(RED) is now available in stores and for immediate delivery.

If you preferred not to pre-order, today's the day Apple's brand new, fiery hot iPhone 8 in PRODUCT(RED) becomes available in stores and for immediate delivery.

See at Best Buy

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The back is even more RED than last year, a result of the glass treatment that goes 7 layers deep. (And maintains the ability to use inductive chargers.)

The front is what's all new. Where last year it was bright white, this year it's deep black. It's great for everyone who always wanted black... and for those who just want everyone to know they have the new PRODUCT(RED).

Check out the video above — and, yeah, hit subscribe while you're at it — and the pics below.

• Best accessories for the PRODUCT(RED) iPone

April 11, 2018: (PRODUCT)RED iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus now available in stores and for immediate delivery.

Just like last year, Apple has released a new iPhone color for the spring — and it's (PRODUCT)RED. iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus begin shipping in Product RED on Friday, April 13, in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, the UK and US on Friday, April 13. Brazil, Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, UAE. Other regions to follow.

See at Apple

Greg Joswiak, Apple's vice president of Product Marketing:

Deborah Dugan, (RED)'s CEO:

The most notable difference this year is the inclusion of a black rather than white front plate. Not only will that appeal to those who prefer the red on black look, but it differentiates this year's (PRODUCT)RED iPhone from last year's, which is important.

People are both easily bored and hate change. We want something familiar but different. And just how familiar and how different varies from person to person and situation to situation.

Do you prefer The Force Awakens because it's the next iteration of what you know and love, or do you prefer Rogue One, because it mixes some of those elements up in interesting new ways?

This year, Apple is asking the same question. Would you prefer iPhone 8, a better version of what you're already familiar with, starting at $699. Or are you ready for iPhone X, a more radical departure, starting at $999.

Both phones have many of the same core feature enhancements, including camera sensors, processors, and inductive charging. It's how you can tell Apple is offering both as legitimate options. It makes choosing between — and reviewing — them a challenge.

See at Apple

iPhone 8: In brief

• 4.7 and 5.5-inch options
• The most powerful phone/pocket computer on the market
• Significantly improved cameras
• Wireless charging
• Fingerprint biometrics
• Gold color option

• Deleted bezels
• Deleted Home button
• OIS on both wide and telephoto cameras
• New design
• Face ID biometrics
• Low pricing

If you want an all-new iPhone experience, iPhone X will be here in a month or so. If you love everything about your existing iPhone, including the Home button and Touch ID, and you just want it to be faster, with better cameras, and convenience features like inductive charging, iPhone 8 is here for you right now.

iPhone 8: Second opinion

I review iPhones from the point-of-view of an iPhone owner and someone immersed in the Apple ecosystem. Increasingly, though, iPhones are being bought by people switching from Android.

In order to provide a second opinion, and from a perspective very different from mine, we collaborated with ace YouTube reviewer Michael Fisher to get his take and an early look at how iPhone 8 compares to the competition.

iPhone 8 Unboxing

Included in the iPhone 8 box is the phone itself, information pamphlets and Apple stickers, Lightning EarPods, 3.5mm to Lightning adapter, a Lightning to USB cable, and an AC adapter.

Given that Apple has sold MacBooks and MacBooks Pro with only USB-C ports going on three years now, the lack of a USB-C cable with USB-A adapter is beyond ridiculous.

Likewise, in an era of fast charging, the lack of an AC adapter that can charge fast is disheartening.

iPhone 8: Name and design

About the laziest way I could start this review is with some crack about how Apple should have gone with "iPhone 7s" for the name. (Almost as lazy and predictable as saying Apple should have gone with "iPhone 6sss".)

I think Apple originally went with the "number" / "number + s" convention to try and market around the generations where the more substantive changes were internal rather than external.

We tend to be superficial and so the excitement over new optics, silicon, or other enhancements can pale by comparison to new visual design. iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4s were seen as more acceptable, especially in a market where most people upgraded only every two years or so. (It also kept Apple from running out of single-digit numbers in 2015...)

Then, Apple learned to hack our superficiality by adding color variations to the s-years. Turns out, we'll grouse about the look staying the same but we'll leap at the chance to get it in gold.

Now, the market has matured. I think we've matured as well. We've realized that both "number" and "number + s" generations can introduce significant improvements, including virtual assistants, display sizes, biometric identity scanners, pressure sensors, fusion camera systems, and more.

iPhone 7 exemplified that. Apple's industrial design team could have made it triangular or donut-shaped if they'd really wanted to stick with the old naming pattern. Instead, they iterated on materials while leaving the shape almost the same.

Same with iPhone 8. Instead of sticking to pattern for pattern's sake, Apple seems to believe the all-new industrial design combined with the new internals are enough to warrant a full number increase for the name. (And they're willing to use up one of the precious few single-digit versions left — or intent on burning through them as fast as possible.)

What all-new industrial design, since iPhone 8 looks so much like iPhones 6 through 7?

The all-new industrial design that rebuilt iPhone 8 down to an atomic level. That Apple once again made iPhone 8 fit into exactly the same shape as the last few iPhones before it shows, like last year, just how dedicated the team is to that shape. Like switching from vanilla to chocolate cake but using the same mold.

It's as if Apple's industrial designers resolutely believe they've achieved the Platonic ideal for a device of this size with a Home button and Touch ID sensor — Form iPhone — and they're not going to change it just to be trendy or simply for change's sake.

It might be admirable. It might just be stubborn. It might keep them customers adverse to change and cost them customers who find it boring. Either way, it's clear that Apple's hardware team took the new glass and new aluminum and went out of their way to fit it all into precisely the same shape, even knowing the just-as-same-old "bored now" comments that would follow. (Perhaps because this year, they knew they'd have an answer for those people with iPhone X.)

The new glass in iPhone 8 is the result of a close partnership and collaboration between Apple and Corning. One that goes down to the engineering level. It allowed both companies to collaborate on an ion-exchange process that goes 50% deeper than before, and support it with an internal, laser-welded, steel and copper substructure.

Thanks to Apple and Corning's partnership, iPhone 8 (and iPhone X) also has exclusive access to this ultra-durable glass. At least for now.

It's still glass, though — once again on both sides, like iPhone 4 and iPhone 4s before it. (Though now, serenely, absolutely free of FCC indicia.) And glass breaks, just like ceramics shatter and metal bends. (Physics, it turns out, is a jerk.) But at a materials level, it feels like Apple is doing everything possible to make its new glass the most resilient possible, and to mitigate against the smaller scratches and fractures that can lead to cracks and breaks over time.

And that's good, because glass is slippery. iPhone 8 isn't as bad as Nexus 4, which if you put it in the middle of a flat table would eventually find its way to the floor, but it's slipperier than any iPhone since iPhone 4s. So, if you typically put your iPhone on armrests, sofas, or other non-flat surfaces, stop doing that or get a case with a higher coefficient of friction. At least until Apple figures out how to make its new glass less slippery.

Over the course of the last week, I've seen both iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus survive some pretty nasty falls, and I've seen one hit stone tile and crack across the Home button. (The internet is full of drop tests already as well, because internet.)

I'm sure I could keep dropping iPhone 8 until I shatter them on both sides, just like I could keep crossing the street until I got hit by a car. I'm not terribly interested in discovering either of those failure points right now. I do have a history of dropped phones, which is why I have Apple Care and recommend it to anyone who asks. It's a relatively small investment, and an excellent value for a device that has literally become the cyborg extension to my life.

The glass — and iPhone 8 — comes in three new finishes marketed under three not-so-new names: space gray, silver, and gold.

Apple says there's a seven-layer color process behind the finishes that allows for both opacity and depth. It reminds me of how Jony Ive and team got so much depth in the original iPod finishes. The silver and space gray end up looking pearlescent white and slate, the gold, opalescent taupe. And because they're glass, the antenna lines are all gone.

The new aluminum is 7000 series and "aerospace" grade. It's silver, gray, and coppery/rose-ish gold on the three finishes respectively. To prevent attenuation between the different antenna systems, there are still breaks in the bands. Those are color-matched to the glass.

They're also microscopically sealed to protect against liquid and particle ingress. That means, like iPhone 7, iPhone 8 is IP67 water and dust resistant under IEC standard 60529. In my quick splash and immersion tests, they can take the same kind of dipping and keep on ticking. (Sorry.)

That's despite having a speaker system that Apple says is 25% louder and with deeper bass than last year's. In my testing it's absolutely lounder and hass more bass, but I'm not sure it's clearer. I don't have golden ears, nor am I a fan of booming systems, so I'll hit up some of my more musical colleagues to get a better sense of the speaker quality. Calls sound fine, not too Mickey, not too Vader.

Practically speaking, I wasn't sure how the loss of the previous aluminum chassis would affect the rigidity needed for 3D Touch, especially on iPhone 8 Plus. Thanks to the combination of new glass and new aluminum, though, I haven't had any problems. The best compliment I can give is that I haven't even noticed the difference, and that's a pretty impressive feat of engineering.

Put that in your iPhone 7s bubble pipe and pop it.

iPhone 8 True Tone Display

Last year, Apple brought DCI-P3 wide color gamut to iPhone with its richer reds, deeper magentas, and more vibrant greens. The results were dazzling and there's simply no going back. The next best step would be HDR (high dynamic range), which allows for even more detail in highlights and shadows.

LCD, which is the technology Apple has used for all iPhones to date, has many great characteristics, but the brightness and contrast ratio needed to really showcase HDR isn't one of them. We still have the building blocks in iPhone 8, including hardware-level support for 10-bit HEVC and a brightness level that goes up to 625 nits. So, like the latest iPads Pro, iPhone 8 will do the best it can with HDR. But, it's really the upcoming iPhone X, with a 1:1,000,000 contrast ratio OLED display, that will put real, end-to-end HDR in our hands and pockets for the first time.

What we are getting this year is True Tone. It debuted on the 9.7-inch iPad Pro over a year ago but this marks the first time it's been available on iPhone. The technology is cool: A four-channel ambient light sensor measures the color temperature of your environment and then adjusts the display so that white looks white. Not warm, yellow, incandescent white. Not cool, blue, fluorescent white. White. Paperwhite.

It's different from Night Mode, which subtly shifts the display towards the warmer, more yellow temperature as the day wears down in an effort to mitigate against the sleep-damaging effects of staring at screens all evening.

True Tone works 24/7 to make sure when you read an eBook, look at a photo, browse the web, watch a movie, or do anything at all on iPhone 8, the color is accurate. And not just accurate to how Apple individually calibrates it down to the sub-pixel level at the factory. Accurate to how you're looking at it every moment, from sunlight to candlelight, halogen to Hue. Carrying your iPhone around becomes like carrying a tiny, printed book or magazine around. It just looks right.

Like DCI-P3 and HDR, once you see, you want it everywhere and it's incredibly hard to go back. Like whiplash of the eyes hard.

iPhone 8 Wireless Charging

Once upon a time, Apple said it was unclear how much convenience wireless charging actually added. Same with NFC payments. Steve Jobs, famously, said no one wanted to watch video on an iPod. Now we have the TV app in our Home screens, Apple Pay in our hands and, with iPhone8, Qi standard inductive charging from any nearby pad.

I'm not a huge fan of inductive charging. I've had it on phones since my Palm Pre in 2009 and on one Android phone or another over the years.

It does offer convenience. Rather than having to reach for and find the end of a Lightning cable, and fumble with getting it into the Lightning port, you can simply drop your iPhone 8 down on the pad and it'll start charging. Mostly.

My experience is that every once and awhile, it'll miss the sweet spot or get jostled off of it at some point and simply not charge. The same is true for iPhone 8.

It's also not as fast or as efficient as wired charging. The current Qi implementation feels about as fast as using the tiny square brick that comes with iPhone 8. Meanwhile, wired charging with an iPad brick is significantly faster and, and getting faster still with an iPad USB-C brick — up to 50% in 30 minutes.

Still, setting up a Qi pad on the table next to your bed or the desk where you work is nice. When you're tired or busy — as long as you make sure the connection takes — it's super nice.

Two things have to happen for it to go beyond super nice, though. At least for me.

• The presence of Qi pads in restaurants, coffee shops, hotels, and vehicles has to rapidly increase.
• Contact charging needs to give way to short distance charging.

Apple pushing Qi could and should help with the first one. There's nothing like flooding a market with tens and eventually hundreds of millions of implementations to get supporting industries to take notice. When every Starbucks, McDonald's, Aloft, and Uber has one, the value will be astronomically higher.

Apple super-setting Qi, the way the company is already doing with it's AirPower pad, coming next year, could and hopefully will result in the technology improving faster. As long as the pad/pod is on the table or desk, I should be able to drop my iPhone anywhere within a few inches and have it just charge, sweet spot be damned.

AirPower will charge either an iPhone, Apple Watch Series 3, and AirPods (with an upcoming and sold-separately new charging case), or up to two iPhones and a Watch or AirPods. It's already an example of Apple super-setting Q, and hopefully just the first.

iPhone 8 Camera System

As petty as the "iPhone 7s" naming quibbles are, a real argument could be made for calling this device iCamera 8. Neither name accurately reflects the full range of capabilities we now have in our hands and pockets but its clear the camera is one of the things Apple puts extreme effort into year after year, and one of the primary reasons people upgrade their iPhones year after year.

The quality of call you place to your loved ones is certainly important. But the photos and videos you take of them — the memories in time and space you capture — are absolutely priceless.

Having the "world's most popular camera" comes with enormous responsibility. And having the "best camera you have with you" comes with enormous pressure to make it the best camera you have period.

With iPhone 8, Apple takes another step in that direction. The rear-mounted camera system remains single lens (wide-angle) on iPhone 8 and dual lens (wide-angle + "telephoto") on iPhone 8 Plus, and 12 megapixels. The wide angle likewise remains f/1.8 and the tele, f/2.8.

What's new is the sensor. The pixels are "deeper", which further reduces cross-talk and improves accuracy. It's also larger and faster. That means it will pull in more light and let you capture more immediately, so you get the moment you want, not some moment close-ish thereafter.

There's also a new color filter, which is a rarity these days in the camera world. Apple isn't saying much about it yet, but the company is promising it provides better, truer colors across a wider dynamic range, and with less noise.

Like iPhone 7, the wide angle lens has optical image stabilization (OIS). Also like iPhone 7 Plus, the telephoto lens does not. That means low-light won't be as tack-sharp as absolutely possible under some circumstances. If you want OIS on both, you'll have to wait for iPhone X.

You do get the new quad-LED flash, still named True Tone, which is confusing now since the new display technology has been given the same name. The big deal with the new version is slow sync.

Typically, when you take flash photos at night, you get lit up subjects and blacked out backgrounds. Slow sync combines a slow shutter speed with a short probe pulse that better exposes both the subject and the background.

Slow sync is exactly the type of feature I never realized I was missing on my iPhone until I shot with iPhone 8. Then I wished I could go back in time a retake every extreme low-light photo I've ever taken. So my memories would look like they existed where they really were and not in some cave.

Apple's new ISP (image signal processor), built into the company's A11 Bionic system-on-a-chip (see below), does all the usual auto-white balance, auto-focus, and auto-exposure, but also analyzes the scene for lighting, people, motion, and other elements and continuously optimizes for capture. That way, when you hit the shutter, it's not just ludicrously fast, it's ludicrously good.

It's also speedy enough that HDR is simply left on automatic by default. You can toggle it off if you really want to but you shouldn't. The ISP will read the scene and, if it thinks HDR would be a benefit, it'll shoot in HDR about as fast as it would without.

It'll also detect things like sky, fabric, and other textures. That way, even after it does its fancy new hardware accelerated multi-band noise reduction, it can go in and make sure texture is not only maintained but not interfered with by compression. The result is skies that look deep and clear, weaves where you can almost see every strand and thread, and gravel that you can almost hear the crunch.

It also detects things like concerts, which are traditionally hard to resolve, and then figure out the background while focusing on the action. Snow and ice too, so rather than massive blowouts you get detail in the frozen landscapes without losing your subjects to shadow.

It's all part of Apple's continued goal to give everyone an easy-to-use camera and Camera app that's ready the moment you pull it from your pocket and, when you hit the shutter, captures you the absolute best, most natural-looking photo, in the widest range of situations and circumstances as possible. And, year after year, iteration by iteration, pixel by pixel, Apple is delivering.

When comparing to iPhone 7 it was small differences that I noticed. Leaves in the background or wooden planks on the floor that were clear and distinct rather than smeared together. Even in low light.

Those kinds of details might not matter to you but they make the scene more real and more powerful, and that matters to me and, I think, to everyone who cares about imaging quality.

Here's what a gentleman at Apple Store 5th Ave. told me on launch day about why he was picking up an iPhone 8 Plus:

Of course, the cost of all this silicon-enhanced photography is that it sometimes fails you. It's not often — usually when you're combining several factors like extreme low-light and motion detection, you can hit the limits of the system. But those are often the shots you'd never have gotten before. Maybe never even tried. Now the expectations have changed and you're willing to try almost everything.

That brings me to iPhone 8 Plus. Optical zoom and Portrait Mode — now out of beta — benefit from the better optics. Portrait mode also gets huge boost from A11 Bionic. Where, previously, it felt like the effect was pegging the A10 Fusion on my iPhone 7 Plus, on iPhone 8 Plus it feels like it still has tons of headroom. So much so, that Apple is adding Portrait Lighting — now in beta.

Where Portrait Mode tries to solve for "people like Bokeh in their photos but don't want to carry around big, fancy lenses", Portrait Lighting tries to solve for "people like dramatic lighting in their photos but don't want to carry around floods and reflectors".

Portrait Lighting is only available on iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X. Apple could certainly run the software on iPhone 7 Plus, but the experience isn't what the company wants. (Much like video was exclusive to iPhone 3GS when it launched, and indie efforts to port it down to iPhone 3G resulted in a frustrating 15 fps capture rate.)

Even on iPhone 8 Plus, Portrait Lighting is still a work in progress. Under ideal conditions, you get a Studio Light that illuminates your subject's face, a Contour Light that tunes up the shadows and highlights, a Stage Light that loses the background to inky darkness, and a Stage Mono look that does the same but in black and white.

Under less than ideal conditions, you get hilarious failure replete with miss-detected edges and wackily illuminated faces.

But here's the thing: It costs you nothing to try. Apple supports the HEIF (high-efficiency image file) format not only in iOS 11 but at the hardware level on A11 Bionic. With HEIF, the depth map is stored separately in the same container, so you can toggle it on and off at any time, just like a non-destructive filter effect or one of the new Live Photo modes like Bounce or Loop. That means you're free to experiment with zero risk. If it works, great. If not, tap it off and you have the original, unmodified image. It takes all the stress away and just lets you play. And that's where real creativity and inspiration comes from.

Also, Portrait Mode has made incredible improvements over the span of the last year, though, and I expect Portrait Lighting to be similar.

Most of all I'm wondering what trick Apple's computational photography team can take from the pro photographers bag next? Portrait Backgrounds?

Where Apple is clearly competing with the best in prosumer pocket cameras now there's on area where the company feels its pulled far ahead: video.

For iPhone 8, the architecture from capture to encoding has throughput enough to record 4K at 60 FPS. And it can maintain that capture rate for extended periods of time without breaking a sweat. Seriously, roaming on the cellular network warmed the glass up more.

It can also do 1080p Slo-Mo at 240 FPS. Like the 4K at 60 FPS, these simply aren't features you expect to see on prosumer video cameras, much less "phones". Yet here they are and, in our quick tests, they hold up remarkably well.

Apple's using HEVC (high-efficiency video codec, the horrible acronym for H.265) for the encoding now, which has more overhead but results in files roughly half the size of H.264. Again, it's supported in both iOS 11 and at the hardware level on A11 Bionic, which seems to just chomp through it.

What's more, the ISP is doing predictive analysis on the video at a granularity of 2 million tiles per frame for the same kind of elements as is does for photos, including skies, textures, and motion, and then optimizing the compression to preserve as much detail as possible.

My colleagues, Serenity Caldwell, Derek Kessler, and I are in the midst of our usual in-depth photo and video tests, so expect much more on all of this over the next few days and weeks.

The last but absolutely not least thing to note about the iPhone 8 camera system is that it's been enhanced for augmented reality (AR). Apple's gone all-in on its ARKit framework and, to ensure the best experience possible for ARKit-based apps, the company has calibrated the camera system and updated both the gyroscope and accelerometer specifically for AR.

Since ARKit apps started hitting the store at the same time as I started using iPhone 8, I haven't been able to compare extensively with how they perform on iPhone 7, but they're impressive on both.

For a while, Apple was making previously inert input devices smart: The mic got Siri so it could understand what we said; the Home button got Touch ID so it could tell who we are. The camera has had face detection for a while and will soon have Face ID. But with ARKit it starts to understand that world around us, interpret it, and bring it to strange new life.

Sample furniture as if it's sitting in your very own living room. Raid a castle floating over your coffee table. Land a starfighter in your backyard. See a Sudoku scanned and solved right before your eyes. Punch a hole in the world and step right on through.

It's sci-fi magic. Even if you have to hold your iPhone 8 up in front of your eyes to see any of it. At least for now.

iPhone 8 A11 Bionic

Last year Apple switched from using simple, raw numbers to differentiate its silicon generations to numbers backed up by brand names. So, iPhone 7 launched with A10 Fusion, a reference to it's dual, paired performance.EFFICIENCY cores. Now, iPhone 8 launches with A11 Bionic. It doesn't have human.MACHINE cores so much as it has a Neural Engine block and Bionic — as in the Six Million Dollar Man and Woman (ask your parents) — is just a cool sounding way to market that.

It's also a cool sounding system-on-a-chip. Instead of four cores it has six, two high-performance and four high-efficiency. The high-performance cores are up to 25 percent faster than A10 and the high-efficiency cores are up to 70 percent faster. Instead of being paired, all six cores can be addressed at the same time for some impressively massive parallelism.

It results in A11 Bionic benchmarking faster than some laptops, including MacBooks Pro. In a system that fits in your pocket. Without a fan.

Part of the silicon team's secret sauce here is their performance controller. They've only been singling it out for a couple years, but it's essentially the dispatcher that sits between tasks and chips and makes sure everything is done as fast as possible while consuming as little power as possible.

Also new this year is Apple's first, fully custom, three core graphics processor and the aforementioned Neural Engine block. The graphics, for example, lets iPhone 8 render highly detailed, highly textured models to put into the CPU-tracked 3D space of ARKit. The Neural Engine block accelerates Core ML, the machine learning framework that's increasingly touching so much of Apple's experiences.

What's fascinating is that, when you hear people talk about it, it sounds more like training a pet than coding a computer. Which is amazing. And terrifying. (Though Apple, as always, is keeping everything local to the device so it's private and secure. And, in an AI uprising, I can take an iPhone. I think…)

Equally interesting is that, while competitors were screaming AI from every stage and analysts were worrying that Apple had missed it entirely, three years ago the silicon team was already working towards it for A11 Bionic, just like software teams were already doing computer vision and the hardware teams were already using predictive patterns to optimize battery life.

Speaking of which, I've only been using iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus for a few days, and alongside other phones for relative testing.

I have played some Pokémon Go on iPhone 8 Plus, which is about the worst thing you can do to a battery, and it's held up about the same as my iPhone 7 Plus did. That is to say, it drains, and fast, but at around the same rate.

That's in line with Apple's estimates and long-standing practice of keeping battery life the same while using improvements in efficiency to offer more features or lighter, easier to handle devices.

While I get that lightness is key to usability — if you can't hold up your phone for long periods of time to read a book, play a game or watch a movie, that extra battery life doesn't help you much — we are entering an era where I think Apple has to work for a better balance.

It's not just Pokémon Go, either. It's Snapchat and Instagram and now, AR. Modern usage isn't just checking mail or surfing the web every few minutes. It's firing the display, GPS, cellular data, and hitting the SoC, hard, for long and sustained periods of time.

Yes, batteries are insulators, which increase heat, and they're not RF transparent, which makes radios a challenge, and you can't just pipe more in like it was frosting. But increasing battery life to better meet the demands of modern apps is something Apple's going to need to address.

(It also seems like Apple is doing something strange with GPS on iPhone 8. In low-power mode it no longer updates as continuously as it did on iPhone 7. Even off low power mode, it'll sometimes jump around when waking from sleep. I'm looking into this more and will update with any answers I get or figure out.)

iPhone X is teasing an extra couple of hours of battery life, perhaps due to its new technologies like OLED. If that ends up being the case, it's a good step forward.

Overall, A11 Bionic shows that, even though no one else in the industry is doing silicon like Apple. Not even close. And Apple is happy to keep that team and these chipsets not just racing ahead, but accelerating.

If you're a fan of computers in general, you can't help but want iPhone. A-series powered devices continue to be the most exciting silicon in consumer tech.

iPhone 8 Accessories and Apps

iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus are physically the same design and dimensions as iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. While they're broadly the same shape as iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, and iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, differences in the camera size and positioning, and the absence of a 3.5 mm headphone jack can cause some issues with older accessories. Measure twice, fit once.

Needless to say, there are a ton of accessories available already, from cases to screen protectors, charging pads to car mounts, toys to drones. We regularly update lists of our favorites:

• Best iPhone 8 accessories
• Best iPhone 8 cases
• Best wireless Q1 charging pads for iPhone 8
• Best screen protectors for iPhone 8
• Best car mounts for iPhone 8

Since iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 plus run iOS 11, they're compatible with all the millions of apps in the newly redesigned iPhone App Store. That includes all the apps from Google, Microsoft, Facebook and Instagram, Twitter and all the games you could imagine. If you're coming from either Android or Windows Phone, you'll feel right at home.

There's also a whole slew of just-launched augmented reality (AR) apps as well.

• All the ARKit apps you should download right now
• Best new apps for iPhone
• Best new games for iPhone

iPhone 8 can run AR with processor headroom to spare, and the cameras have been calibrated to provide the best AR experience possible. Many of them are cool. Others open up new worlds and blow your freaking mind.

Every iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus ships with iOS 11, Apple's latest-generation multitouch operating system. It will even let you set up your iPhone 8 simply by bringing it close to your old iPhone.

• Read our iOS 11 review: Smarter, better, faster, bolder

iPhone 8 Pricing and Availability

iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus are available now starting at $699 and $799 for the 64 GB versions, or $849 and $949 for the 256 GB versions. (Apple is no longer offering versions with less than 64 GB, or a version with 128 GB.)

Still, that's $50 more than the starting price of any previous iPhone flagships and, even with the storage increase, that sucks.

Apple hasn't said specifically, but with iPad Pro prices rising as well, it's likely the same cause — the soaring cost of memory chips. It's unclear how long the shortages and related increases in component prices will last, but hopefully, we'll see a corresponding price drop if and when supply and pricing stabilize again.

With your iPhone 8 comes Apple Stores and AppleCare.

Apple Stores are in the midst of a serious upgrade. Not only are they improving the traditional Genius bars to provide for better, hands-on technical support, they've added Creative Pros to help you with using the features on your phones, and Apple Today as a hub for education and arts.

Competitors still haven't caught up to the level of service available in the old Apple Stores, much less the new ones. And there's just no way to even begin to compare the value of iPhone to other phones without including Apple Stores — and Apple Care.

With Apple Care, you're covered against the usual issues for a year. With Apple Care+, you're covered for two years, including up to two $29 screen and $99 water/other repairs/replacements.

If, like me, you're not always as careful with your technology as you should be, then you, like me, might extract significant value from AppleCare+ over the course of a couple years.

iPhone 8 Conclusion

It's not hard to justify iPhone 8. Even in a world where Apple could have gone all in on iPhone X, it would have left some customers behind. That's easy to do when the base is in the tens of millions. It's much harder when it's in the hundreds of millions.

We saw that first hand when iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus launched. Apple didn't hedge with an update of the existing design and that upset some customers. Customers who stayed upset until iPhone SE was introduced over a year later. Maybe, just maybe, Apple has learned a thing or two since then.

Unless you're part of the iPhone Upgrade Program or a similar carrier program, which provide year-over-year upgrades as part of the monthly payment plans, most people simply don't upgrade every year. They upgrade every couple or few years. iPhone 8 will be the first upgrade for people coming from iPhone 6 or iPhone 6s, maybe even from iPhone 5, iPhone 5c, or iPhone 5s. Compared to those phones, especially the older ones, either iPhone 8 or iPhone X will be tremendous upgrades.

If you want an all-new experience, you'll be able to get iPhone X in November. If you love everything about your existing experience, including the Home button and Touch ID, and you just want it to be faster, with better cameras and conveniences like inductive charging, you can get iPhone 8 today.

See at Apple

Color is how we express our style and flare. It's one of the most visually distinctive and personal things about a new iPhone, which makes it one of the most important choices you'll have to make. The original iPhone only came in aluminum and black, but now Apple offers iPhone 8 in silver, gold (a new, blushing copper gold), space gray, and PRODUCT(RED).

If you're not sure which color is right for you, here's what you should consider!

• Distraction dangers
• Discoloration doubts
• Withstanding wear
• Slick vs. stick
• Cases closed
• Coolness concerns
• Who should get the (Product) RED?
• Who should get silver?
• Who should get gold?
• How to sell your old iPhone
• See iPhone at Apple

Distraction dangers

The space gray and PRODUCT(RED) iPhones 8 have black faceplates. That means, when the display is off, dark, or filled with full-screen content like videos or games, the border fades away and you can immerse yourself in what you're doing. TV sets almost always have black bezels for a reason. It makes the frame easy to ignore.

The silver and gold iPhones 8 have white faceplates. That means when the display is lit up, especially for the standard iOS interfaces and for reading on the web, in ebooks, or in messaging apps, there's no dark border framing everything you do. It's why books are almost always uniformly light or white.

I've had iPhones of every color, used each for at least a year, and never found any of the faceplates to be distracting or distasteful. Everyone is different, though.

• If you watch a lot of videos or play a lot of games, the space gray or PRODUCT(RED) iPhone 8 might make things more immersive for you.
• If you read a lot of text or use a lot of standard apps, the silver or gold iPhone 8 may make the pages feel broader and more expansive.

Discoloration doubts

One thing that shouldn't worry anyone anymore is the idea that the white faceplate on the silver or gold iPhone could get stained or otherwise discolored. Same for the lighter back plates.

We've all learned to be deeply anxious when we wear white clothes or have white furniture or carpets for that very reason. Apple, though, took an extra six months to ship the white iPhone 4 and in that time the company nailed it.

My iPhone 4 still looks as clean and crisp as the day I bought it in 2011, and all the subsequent iPhones I've bought with white faceplates have stayed every bit as bright.

• If you're worried about an iPhone with a white faceplate staining or discoloring, or the metallic finishes fading, stop. It'll be fine.

Withstanding wear

iPhone 8 has an aluminum body with an anodized finish. Apple's system is tougher than standard anodization but isn't gloppy looking like some of the ultra-tough treatments. They are metal, though, and so can be scratched.

On the silver iPhones, small scratches have less contrast, which makes them harder to see, depending on the lighting. Gold iPhones are somewhere in the middle. Space gray iPhones have a higher contrast, so scratches are a bit more noticeable. PRODUCT(RED), because of how rich it is, stands out a little more.

Some people won't care. To them, aging is part of what makes great objects great, like an old leather bag, favorite t-shirt, or the Millennium Falcon. Others don't ever want to see any wear.

• If you hate the look of scratches, silver iPhones are your best bet.
• If you like one of the other colors more, you can learn to love the wear or get a protective case.

Cases closed

If you're the type of person who immediately locks your new iPhone up in a heavy-duty case or wallet, you might think the color doesn't matter so much. Fair enough.

Most cases will still show some of the color though, be it the Apple logo, ports, edges, or the faceplate. In other words, just because you'll be wearing a jacket doesn't mean you the clothes beneath don't matter.

Cases can absolutely be used to change up a look, but you should still be happy with the basic look. Choose a color you love, then add a case you love to complete it.

• If you want your case to "pop", a black or silver iPhone will let the accessory be the star.
• If you want your case to complement or fade away, a gold, rose gold or (Product) RED iPhone will share the stage.

Coolness concerns

Silver has a classic elegance about it, and gold gets attention. Especially iPhone 8 gold, which is less intense and slightly blushing, almost like a pale copper. Space gray is equivalent to this little black shirt or dress — it goes with anything. PRODUCT(RED) makes a statement.

• If you want a classic, stick with space gray or silver.
• If you want some extra flair, go with gold.
• If you want to make a statement, consider PRODUCT(RED).

Who should get the PRODUCT(RED) iPhone 8?

If you want the latest hotness — literal five-alarm fire, all-the-hearts hottness — and to support the charity and its work fighting AIDS, then you want the (Product) RED iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus.

• How to sell your old iPhone
• See iPhone at Apple

Who should get the space gray iPhone 8?

If you want a color that won't distract you when you game or watch video, that absolutely won't discolor, even if it does show wear and tear a little more visibly, that's closer to timeless even if it's also more reserved, then get the space gray iPhone 8.

It's the classic for a reason.

• How to sell your old iPhone
• See iPhone at Apple

Who should get the silver iPhone 8?

If you want a color that isn't so dark but still doesn't call a lot of attention to itself, and that doesn't show scuffs and scrapes as much, then get the silver and white iPhone 8 is for you.

• How to sell your old iPhone
• See iPhone at Apple

Who should get the gold iPhone 8?

If you like the luxury look, aren't distracted by white borders, don't mind the middle ground when it comes to how wear and tear shows, and basically know bling is your thing, get the gold iPhone 8. It's almost as rosey.

• How to sell your old iPhone
• See iPhone at Apple

Still undecided?

If you're still not sure about which color you should get, jump into our iPhone forums and the best community on the web will happily help you out.

At the end of the day, the only real answer is this — get the color you like best. Nothing else matters. Just close your eyes, picture your iPhone in your hand, and pay attention to what color you're picturing. Then buy that. And if you change your mind later, you can get a case.

Once you've decided, tell me — which one are you getting?

There's a saying that goes, "A good carpenter doesn't blame his tools", and that can be applied to a plethora of professions, but it seems like photography marries that statement quite nicely.

Professional photographers will tell you that you need top-of-the-line equipment, leenses, gear, editing software, etc., but in reality, having a good eye, a reliable machine to shoot with (it doesn't need to cost you thousands and thousands of dollars), and a little bit of practice can yield some pretty unreal photographs.

Case in point, Toronto-based photographer Barb Simkova who captured a recent, stunning rustic wedding on October 7th, 2017 on just her iPhone 8 Plus.

Do you prefer DSLR wedding bells or iWedding bells?

Are yous someone who thinks shooting a wedding with an iPhone is a super cool, incredibly innovative idea?

Or do you think it's better to play it safe and stick to a traditional DSLR (what's that saying again? If it ain't broke, don't fix it?)

Let us know what you think in the comments below — and let us know what you think of the wedding photos!

In an age of low interest rates and plentiful credit, people expect things to be cheap — as long as the debt is paid. Well, Canadians can expect to participate in the game themselves when buying an iPhone 8 or 8 Plus, because starting today the phones are available through Staples' financing plan.

These are the unlocked versions of the iPhones 8, the very same you'd find at the Apple Store. That means they're unlocked to all carriers in the country and around the world. Starting at $929 for the 64GB iPhone 8 and rising to $1269 for the 256GB iPhone 8 Plus, Staples is looking to make it considerably easier to pay off the phone over two years — without resorting to an often-restrictive two-year carrier contract. Users can finance the phone by signing up for a Staples Personal Credit Card and make equal payments starting at $44.38 per month; interest rates are built into the monthly price of the phone.

Staples is the only retailer in Canada offering financing options for unlocked iPhones; Apple itself offers the same in the U.S., but doesn't up north.

"Buying an unlocked iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus gives you the freedom to purchase the iPhone of your choice with the flexibility of being able to choose your own carrier and the benefit of not being locked into a carrier contract," said Jot Toor, senior vice president of merchandising, Staples. "We are excited to be bringing the new generation of iPhone to our customers with the added convenience of having it unlocked."

While Staples isn't saying whether it will extend its financing plan to the iPhone X, which goes up for pre-order this Friday and goes on sale the following Friday, November 3, now that it's selling the iPhone 8, there's a good chance the good times will keep on rolling. Just remember to pay your bill every month.

See at Staples

Included in the box with your iPhone is a standard Lightning-to-USB cable. It's the same cable Apple has included in the last several generations of iPhone, and it connects to the same power brick Apple has also included. This power setup will charge your iPhone at the same rate previous iPhones have charged, which is good enough for an overnight fill-up but a little on the slow side when you need a quick top-off to get through the day.

Did you know the iPhone 8 and iPhone X can be charged using a different kind of cable, and that by using this cable your phone will actually charge from totally dead to 50% full in right around 30 minutes? It's called Fast Charging; it's new to your iPhone this year, and this is how it works!

Moar juice please

Put simply, the power adapter Apple includes in the iPhone 8 and iPhone X box is the bottom shelf of what your phone is capable of receiving. That little white brick fits nicely in the iPhone box, and gets the job done just fine over time, but as batteries get larger because things on your phone drain the battery faster there's occasionally a desire for more. If you own an iPad as well as an iPhone, you may have noticed the lager power brick included with your tablet will charge your iPhone slightly faster. It's a nice little boost and very cool to know you only need to bring one brick with you places, but it's just the start of what these new phones are capable of.

To fully understand what is happening here, you have to take a look at what these power adapters are capable of. The small white brick included in your iPhone 8 box will provide whatever you plug into it with 5W (watts) of power rated at 1A (amp). Compare this to the iPad charger, which provides whatever you plug into it with 12W at 2.1A, and it becomes a little more clear why one is better. The larger power brick is providing a lot more energy, and these newer phones are capable of receiving a great deal more than what that standard brick is capable of delivering.

How much power is your iPhone 8 or iPhone X capable of receiving? Actually, more than the cable included in box with your iPhone is capable of safely delivering. This is why in order to actually enjoy the new fast charging feature included with your iPhone you need a few things that aren't included in the box.

What you need for fast charging

According to Apple, fast charging is possible with:

• Apple-made USB-C power adapters
• Third-party batteries and power supplies with USB Power Delivery (USB-PD) support

The thing both of these options have in common is you need to also have a USB-C-to-Lightning cable, which thankfully isn't difficult to track down these days and will only set you back $10. The thing you connect that USB-C end into is very important though, and it's the kind of thing you have to pay special attention to what you are using in order to avoid any unwanted damage to your phone.

Apple's big suggestion here is to find something that supports USB-PD, and the reason for that is the additional circuitry in that technology to keep your hardware safe. By design, USB-PD devices communicate with each other upon connection to determine how much power is safe to transfer from one source to another. This means when you connect the phone to a big portable battery, for example, the battery knows it can send more power safely because the iPhone has indicated it is capable of receiving that power.

• See at Amazon
• $89 at Walmart

Apple's other suggestion means you can use any of the USB-C adapters Apple makes to power its new MacBooks to power your phone. This is way, way overkill if you don't already own a new MacBook, because some of these power supplies are capable of providing orders of magnitude more power than the phone is able to receive, but it's a nice way of letting you know if you already have a MacBook which uses USB-C to charge you can use that to also power your phone. If all you are doing is charging your phone, there are approved options on Amazon for under $30.

Really, that's all there is to this. If you use an approved charger, and you keep a USB-C-to-Lightning cable nearby instead of what was included in the box, your iPhone 8 and iPhone X will charge much faster every time. Enjoy!

The third iPhone in Apple's lineup this year is about to arrive. Pre-orders for the iPhone X start on October 27 at midnight PST, with the first devices shipping on November 3.

If you've been waiting for an iPhone X, congrats: The wait is almost over. But what if you're still conflicted? After all, Apple has two other perfectly good new iPhone models on sale right now in the form of the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus. Are there reasons to go 8 instead of X, or X instead of 8? Let's take a look.

Why you should pre-order an iPhone X over an iPhone 8 or 8 Plus

Leaning toward the iPhone X over an iPhone 8 or 8 Plus? Let us help push you over the edge.

Pre-order iPhone X

OLED screens are easier to read in sunlight, crisper, and provide an even nicer reading and watching experience than LED. They do have their problems, but Apple appears to have worked out most of those kinks with its Super Retina display. The iPhone X's display supports True Tone, wide color, 3D Touch, and HDR at 458 PPI (pixels per inch) — it's the densest iPhone screen out there, and movies look incredible. You can check out our comparison chart below:

For more information on the iPhone X's screen, I recommend reading checking out PixelCut's master chart on all things iPhone resolution.

Forget how cool Face ID is for a moment: The TrueDepth camera rig behind it is much cooler. Not only will it be a huge boon to AR experiences like Animoji and Snapchat's face filters, but the potential for what third-party developers can do with the sensors is super-exciting.

The camera also creates amazing selfies thanks to TrueDepth making both Portrait mode and Portrait Lighting available; if anything, Portrait mode looks better on front-facing snaps than it does on rear ones, because the scanned depth map from the TrueDepth's sensors is better than the depth map created by the two iPhone rear camera lenses.

Face ID may feel a little too far out even for Apple's iPhone of the future, but its implementation is solid. The company has built the system to recognize you no matter how you change — hats, glasses, sunglasses, scarves, beards, burqas, caps, wet hair — or what time of day it is. (And while it wasn't outwardly stated during Apple's presentation, it's worth noting that most Face ID examples shown were for people of color; Apple is clearly aware of the failings other face recognition systems have had in the past.)

Your face data is also kept entirely locally on-device in the Secure Enclave, so you don't have to worry about Apple's iCloud servers saving copies of your facial recognition data for hackers to snatch away. And on that note, apps that use the Face ID camera system only get depth data, rather than a full facial scan, for further privacy.

There are several smart touches built into Face ID: Contextual notifications allow for privacy on your lock screen, but expand fully when you look at the display (taking a page from the Apple Watch's raise to expand notifications option). Face ID is also built with multiple accessibility settings to allow users with disabilities to properly use the feature even if they have issues with motor control or gaze tracking.

If you're worried about someone forcing you to open your iPhone, Face ID is also built to quickly fall back to passcode-unlock only. You only have to quickly squeeze the side button and volume up in the event that you're asked to hand over your phone, and your device will automatically lock.

If you like the iPad Pro's gesture-based navigation, the iPhone X's swipes and flicks will make you feel right at home. Even with limited time testing the iPhone X, using it felt eerily natural after a few minutes; double-pressing the home button to multitask instantly felt archaic after using the iPhone X's bottom swipe up gesture.

While both the iPhones 8 and iPhone X get Apple's new and improved image signal processor (ISP) and Slow Sync flash, and the iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X both get Portrait Lighting on the rear-facing camera, only the iPhone X gets a better telephoto lens.

The iPhone X's lens for portraits now sports an f/2.4 aperture in comparison to the 8 Plus's f/2.8 — a significant boost in letting light hit the sensor — and it's now optically stabilized, too. (On the iPhone 8, only the wide-angle lens is optically stabilized.)

This is a huge deal when it comes to shooting nicer low-light portraits and images with the telephoto lens, especially when paired with the new software improvements Apple has made.

The iPhone X has anodized/DLC steel sidings in comparison to the iPhone 8's aluminum edges. Not only does it give the X a classic iPhone look, it also gives the smartphone an edge of security — I feel a lot less scared to drop my phone with a steel edge redirecting force.

Why you should buy an iPhone 8 or 8 Plus over an iPhone X

If you're considering one of these three devices, what makes the iPhone 8 or 8 Plus more appealing than pre-ordering an X on Friday?

If you're suffering through a lagging iPhone 5s, broken screen, or other painful day-to-day relationship with your iPhone, you may not have the patience or inclination to wait until early November — or later! — to get a new device. Though the iPhone X goes on sale November 3, rumors peg it as being extremely supply-constrained (AirPods-style — or worse). If you don't place an order at exactly midnight on the 27th, chances are you might be waiting quite a while for an iPhone X of your choice.

Shop iPhone 8

The iPhone X starts at $999 unlocked for the 64GB model; in comparison, you can pick up the iPhone 8 in the same storage configuration for just $699, or $799 for the iPhone 8 Plus.

That's a lot of money. Money you can do a lot with…

In seriousness, most users aren't going to pay for an unlocked device; they'll instead pay a monthly fee through their carrier or upgrade program, and that's likely to increase $5-$15/month depending on what phone they purchased previously. But even the price of a fancy coffee or lunch can cut into people's budgets, and if you don't need the iPhone X's features, you may not want to spend the extra clams.

The iPhone X's new biometric security system, Face ID, has gotten a lot of press over how it works, but also a lot of worry. While most of this is understandable but unnecessary anxiety, it's understandable if you'd prefer to stick with Touch ID while Apple works the kinks out of its newer system.

The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus take incredible photos thanks in part to Apple's new image signal processor, which uses machine learning and sensor data to pre-track potential movement and provide crisp, clear photos of motion scenes like sports, pets, and more. That same ISP also offers less noise in low-light scenarios and helps power the 8 Plus's Portrait Lighting feature.

The iPhone X has a better implementation of Portrait Lighting thanks to its improved telephoto camera, and its Face ID camera rig also offers users a superior selfie experience. But you might not need all that extra tech — you might just want great photos. And great photos is what the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus will take.

The iPhone X is only coming in silver and black this year, while the iPhones 8 come in silver, gray, and a new copper-style gold. That gold is one of Apple's best anodization options yet — a pale rosy two-tone look that glows in the light. If you'd prefer the gold look to a full-size iPhone X OLED screen, you're going to want an iPhone 8 or 8 Plus.

Which iPhone are you getting?

Let us know below.

The Super Friends of tech have gathered at the Hall of Gadgets to squee with excitement about all the new Emoji coming in iOS 11.1. Rene, Georgia, Lory, Mikah, and Serenity give us the lowdown on Apple Watch Series 3, including battery life, LTE performance, the red dot controversy, and more.

Finally, the team wraps up the show by giving their personal choices between iPhone 8 and iPhone X.

Listen now

• Subscribe in iTunes: Audio
• Subscribe in RSS: Audio
• Download directly: Audio

Show notes

• Hundreds of new Emoji coming in iOS 11.1!
• Apple Watch Series 3

Hosts

• Rene Ritchie
• Georgia Dow
• Lory Gil
• Mikah Sargent
• Serenity Caldwell

Be part of the show!

Send in your comments, questions, feedback, or follow-up to:

• Email: imoreshow@imore.com
• Twitter: @iMore with hashtag #askimore
• Web: Leave a comment below!

Flipkart is kicking off the festival season with its four-day sale extravaganza, which sees the first discount on the iPhone 8, which made its debut in the country last week. The retailer is selling the 64GB iPhone 8 for ₹59,999 a ₹4,000 discount from its launch price of ₹64,000.

The promotion is limited to the 64GB model of the iPhone 8, but it is applicable on all three color options — Space Grey, Silver, and Gold. In addition to the flat ₹4,000 discount, you can get ₹2,000 cashback if you have a credit or debit card from Axis Bank.

Flipkart is offering a buyback guarantee with the iPhone 8, wherein you'll get ₹33,000 back if you return the phone within six to eight months, ₹28,000 within nine to twelve months, and ₹20,000 from thirteen to fifteen months from the date of purchase. You can pick up the buyback guarantee for just ₹99. If you're looking to trade in your current device, you can get up to ₹20,000 toward the purchase of a new iPhone 8.

See at Flipkart

The retailer is also offering enticing discounts on the new 9.7-inch iPad. The 32GB variant with Wi-Fi connectivity is available for ₹22,900, a discount of ₹5,100 from its launch price. All three color options of the tablet are available at reduced prices during the sale.

See at Flipkart

Last year's iPhone 7 and 7 Plus are also heavily discounted right now, with all three colors variants — Black, Rose Gold, and Gold — and the 32GB/128GB storage options on sale. The 32GB iPhone 7 is available for ₹39,900, a discount of ₹16,201. The 128GB iPhone 7 is available for ₹51,999, which comes out to a discount of ₹13,201.

See at Flipkart

As for the iPhone 7 Plus, the 32GB model is available for ₹57,999 — a minor ₹1,000 discount — but the 128GB variant is on sale for just ₹61,999, a decrease of ₹14,201 from its launch pricing. You'll have to act fast if you're interested, because the 256GB variant is already sold out.

See at Flipkart

The 32GB iPhone 6s is also on sale for ₹31,999, a ₹14,901 discount from its retail price. If you're looking for an iPhone under ₹20,000, the iPhone SE is going for ₹18,999 right now. AirPods are also getting a discount, and are on sale for just ₹10,999.

What iPhone are you looking to pick up during Diwali?

The iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and upcoming iPhone X all have great camera systems, but the iPhone 8 Plus and X have a few features over their smaller cousin thanks to a secondary 56mm-equivalent "telephoto" lens system.

If you happen to find yourself in possession of an iPhone 8 Plus, you can shoot using the 28mm-equivalent wide-angle lens using Photo mode, zoom up to 10x digitally, shoot with an added depth of field or lighting effects using Portrait mode, and more. Here's what you need to know!

How to use Zoom on the iPhone 8 Plus

Digital zoom is never going to be great — you're essentially just cropping and enlarging pixels from the original photo. But, more often than not, we use digital zooms when composing iPhone images — especially if we're shooting a subject from far away. Thanks to its multi-camera system, the iPhone 8 Plus offers an up-to-10x digital zoom when composing your images — and better still, that zoom is now a one-handed circular swipe. Here's how it works!

• How to use the zoom feature on the iPhone 8 Plus
• Camera tests: Zoom on the iPhone 7 vs iPhone 7 Plus

How to use Portrait mode on the iPhone 8 Plus

While people love the #plusclub for a variety of reasons, I chose a Plus model for one reason, and one reason only: Portrait mode. Exclusively available for the iPhone 7 Plus, 8 Plus, and upcoming iPhone X, this mode uses the 56mm-equivalent "telephoto" lens on your iPhone to shoot incredible images (in portrait or landscape orientation) with "bokeh"-style blurred backgrounds and foregrounds.

• Portrait mode: The review
• How to use Portrait mode and Portrait lighting
• How to use Portrait mode in low light
• Camera tests: iPhone 7 Plus Portrait mode vs a Canon DSLR
• How to get depth effect 'Portrait Mode' photos with any iPhone

How to shoot with the telephoto lens on the iPhone 8 Plus

When you pick up an iPhone 8 Plus, you're also getting a great multi-camera system to take photographs and shoot video. By default, you shoot with the iPhone's 12-megapixel wide-angle f/1.8 lens, but you can also amp up the magnification and take photos with its 56mm-equivalent "telephoto" lens — both in the Camera app, with Portrait mode, or in a variety of great third-party apps.

• How to shoot with the iPhone 8 Plus's telephoto lens
• Best manual camera apps for iPhone
• Best RAW camera apps for shooting with the iPhone

More great camera content

Want to learn more about shooting photos with your iPhone? Check our full Camera Ultimate Guide!

• How to use the Camera app: The ultimate guide
• How to use the Photos app: The ultimate guide

Brad Mangin is shooting for the PGA TOUR and — wait for it — he's shooting with iPhone 8 Plus. PGA TOUR equipped Mangin with Apple's latest iPhone for the Presidents Cup in New Jersey and has used his work to put together a special Portraits of the Presidents Cup gallery.

Last year, with Portrait Mode, Apple made it so that you no longer needed big, expensive lenses and cameras to shoot photos with a visually more appealing depth of field. This year, with Portrait Lighting, Apple is beginning to make it so you don't need fancy studio setups either. It's early days still and there's a lot of work left to do but it's also apparent we're now fully in the age of computational photography.

Yesterday, it was a few beta images among friends. Today it's a sporting event with cultural icons. Tomorrow, maybe official portraits?

Apple has separately released a new ad for iPhone 8, highlighting Portrait Lighting. It's fun, full of energy, and shows off the feature to great effect.

When iPhone debuted it was all about the best camera you had with you. Now, increasingly, it's about making that camera the best period. It might still take a while, but the path ahead is now clear.

Here's the thing: Every year, every iPhone— every phone by every manufacturer sold anywhere and everywhere around the world — will have some small percentage of battery failures. That can include swelling, combustion, and suddenly failure to charge or hold a charge. It's the realities of the lithium-ion technology currently used in the power cells. It happens every year. It happens all the time.

It may not be widely known because it didn't used to be widely reported. A few outlets would cover it but pretty much everyone knew what it was and took it for what it was — a curiosity more than actual news.

This year, we're getting numerous headlines about it happening twice with iPhone 8. (That's twice (2x) out of however many hundreds of thousands if not millions already shipped.)

The difference in attention being afforded these cases is likely due to heightened sensitivity following the Galaxy Note 7 recall of 2016.

The problem with Galaxy Note 7 was that it exhibited incidents of battery failure far higher than is typical, and those failures were repeatedly causing fires.

Apple is currently investigating the iPhones 8 in question, as the company does any issues following any launch. There is an interesting aside, though, noticed by iMore's sibling site, Android Central's, electrical ace, Jerry Hildenbrand:

What you can do in the meantime, and all the time, really, is follow best practices when it comes to charging your electronics:

• Don't use cheap, damaged, or dodgy chargers or connect good chargers to cheap, damaged, or dodgy extension cords or power bars.
• If you suspect your battery has been compromised, turn off your iPhone immediately and take it to an Apple Store or call AppleCare as quickly as possible.

By all means, stay informed. Pay attention. But, unless Apple finds anything out of the ordinary or the number of battery failures reported starts to exceed industry norms, it's not a story. Or, perhaps, the attention being paid to the phones could be more of a story than the phones.

The iPhone 8 is a successful execution of a familiar idea. From the outside, it appears the very definition of an iterative upgrade, and with the bleeding-edge iPhone X on the horizon and scads of Android phones that have had similar features for years, the 8 doesn't seem likely to carve out a lasting legacy for itself as some iPhones have.

But if you've got a lot invested in Apple's ecosystem (and you don't want to spend a thousand dollars on a phone for some reason) well, the iPhone 8 was made for you. Last week, I took a look at the smaller of the two phones in this generation, focusing on the camera, A11 processor, and wireless charging. Since then I've spent a lot more time with the iPhone 8 Plus, relishing its revised portrait mode and its stellar battery life while testing how well its conventional camera performance holds up to the Galaxy Note 8.

Join me for part two of the MrMobile iPhone 8 Review, and be sure to circle back to iMore's own iPhone 8 Review for all the details that didn't make it to video!

Stay social, my friends

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After seeing how well it worked on the Apple Watch, wireless charging has finally come to the iPhone! This is a great new feature to have, especially as more and more things support the feature in places you go on a regular basis. If you've never used anything with wireless charging before, this new ability can seem downright magical and could very well replace a cable for charging your phone at any time.

It's also going to cause some of you to alter a few behaviors you may have become accustomed to over the last few generations of iPhone. First on the list? You should really stop using the back of your case as a place to hide your cards. It's a really bad idea, and a quick way to ruin your day.

Bank cards, security tokens, really any plastic card you wave in front of an access pad or swipe at a terminal relies on different forms of magnetic transfer. Your bank cards have a magnetic stripe that can become demagnetized when exposed to a powerful magnetic force. Many security tokens and hotel room keys use RFID or NFC to transmit the secure information also rely on electromagnetic induction to function. Nearly every card you would normally carry in a wallet relies on magnets somehow, especially if you live in the US.

When you put these cards in between your iPhone and your case, using the case as a sort of one or two-card wallet, you are exposing these cards to far greater electromagnetic induction energy than they are built to handle as soon as you put your phone on a wireless charger. Your cards will quickly become useless when you put them in between your iPhone and a Wireless charger, and you won't know they are useless until you try to use them. Security tokens will simply not work, and your bank cards will no longer be able to send information.

The good news is this problem only exists between the phone and the charger. While there are a lot of wallet cases out there for the iPhone 7 that put the cards on the back of the phone, these will not be safe for your iPhone 8. The cards can not ever be on the back of the phone while the phone is on a wireless charger. If you're using a wallet case for your iPhone where the cards are on the other side of the screen, there's nothing to worry about.

In my iPhone 8 review I point out that Apple just might be offering two new iPhone because the company realizes it just might have two kinds of customers: Those who want a familiar iPhone experience, only better; and those who an all-new iPhone experience. iPhone X will appeal to the latter. iPhone 8, the former.

I've gotten a lot of feedback on that premise now, and I think it's held up. Here are some examples.

See iPhone 8 at Apple

The horns

Apple is all-in on the horns. The industrial design team could have extended the forehead all the way across. The software team could have hidden the horns in deep, OLED black. Instead, Apple's engineers did the much more difficult job of sculpting those horns and filling them with pixels. They owned them.

But that doesn't mean you have to. Not if you go with iPhone 8 instead.

The Home button

Every iPhone has had a Home button since launch. Even iPhone 7 had a virtual Home button all but indistinguishable from a physical Home button. It's the escape hatch that, no matter how confused you get in an app, you can always click and be taken swiftly, safe to the Home screen.

iPhone X deletes the Home button and replaces it with a swipe up, and shifts Control Center to the top right to compensate. If that's not for you, you might want to stick with the still-buttoned iPhone 8.

Face ID phobia

As goes the Home button, so goes Touch ID, Apple's biometric fingerprint identity sensor. In its place, iPhone X offers Face ID, Apple's biometric face identity sensor. But, unlike Touch ID, which works with up to 5 fingers, Face ID currently only works with one face. It also doesn't work from as many extended angles, and it doesn't work for people who simply don't want their faces scanned.

iPhone 8 has Touch ID.

Gold finish

iPhone X will only be available in silver/white and space gray. iPhone 8 has silver and space gray options as well, but it also comes in gold. The gold is a single hue this year, somewhere between champagne, rose, and copper, but it still looks great.

If you want a gold iPhone, you'll have to get a gold iPhone 8.

Saving C-notes

Why would you buy iPhone 8 now instead of iPhone X later? Here's what some customers are saying.

iPhone 8 has almost all the same features as iPhone X. The telephoto camera isn't quite as big or as stabilized, its selfie camera isn't True Depth, and its display isn't OLED. But, when it comes to chipsets, True Tone, and dozens of other features, iPhone 8 matches iPhone X step for step. And for $200 less ($300 if you go for the non-Plus).

That's an extra $200 (or $300) in your pocket if you go with iPhone 8.

Supply vs. demand

iPhone 8 is available now and in relatively plentiful supply. iPhone X is coming on November 3 and many analysts believe it'll be constrained until early- or mid-2018. That means, if you don't manage to snag one immediately at pre-order, you might be left waiting for days if not weeks.

If you'd rather be using your iPhone than waiting for your iPhone, get an iPhone 8 now.

Two iPhones, some waiting

Offering iPhone 8 is a smart move by Apple for many reasons. It helps mitigate against the higher price point and expected lower availability of iPhone X. And it also gives customers who aren't ready for that much change a year's safety to get more comfortable with it, even as Apple readies it's 2018 lineup.

There will absolutely be some customers who are ready (and waiting) for something new — iPhone X. But there are other customers who still want something trusted and familiar. And iPhone 8 is here for them now.

See iPhone 8 at Apple

The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus have some excellent new camera features including (for the first time) being able to shoot 60 frames per second (FPS) in 4K and a whopping 240FPS in 1080P for ultra-slow-motion video. But these two formats can take up a lot of space on your iPhone — 400MB for 4K at 60FPS (versus 170MB for 30FPS), and 480MB for a 240FPS shot (vs 170MB for 120FPS). As such, they're not enabled by default.

How much space does 4K take up on your iPhone?

Before you can shoot at these frame rates and sizes, you'll need to change your video format from the older (and bigger) H.264 format to the newer (and more efficient) HEVC codec.

How to switch your video format to shoot in 4K/60FPS and 1080P/240FPS

Note: The HEVC codec is not currently supported by all devices or in all apps, and requires High Sierra to convert properly on a Mac. You can AirDrop a movie to convert it from HEVC to H.264, but just be aware.

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Select the Camera section.
3. Go to Formats.

4. Choose High Efficiency.
5. Change your Record Video option to 4K at 60 fps.
6. Change your Record Slo-mo option to 1080P at 240 fps.

Any questions?

Let us know in the comments.

IKEA, the world's largest furniture retailer, launched its new ad campaign today just in time for the release of the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, the first iPhones to adhere to the Qi wireless charging standard. The campaign — created by IKEA and famed advertising company ACNE— very pointedly caters directly to Apple users with sayings that play on Apple slogans such as "This changes everything" and "Think different."

IKEA introduced its Qi wireless charging products all the way back in 2015, and offers freestanding wireless chargers as well as furniture with the chargers already built in. The company also gives customers the option to embed its JYSSEN wireless charger into any nearly any item they'd like in order to allow for a completely tailored experience. The specific items the ads focus on, though, are IKEA's RIGGAD work lamp and VARV table lamp, both of which feature a Qi wireless charger in their base. Like much of IKEA's furniture, these lamps are for people who value aesthetically pleasing minimalism and multifunctional efficiency in their living space.

Morten Kjær, Creative Director at IKEA Creative Hub, shared the company's excitement that Apple has finally adopted Qi wireless charging in a press release:

Business Leader at IKEA Home Smart, Bjorn Block, further extrapolated on the company's initial choice to add wireless charging to its products:

To see IKEA's complete catalog of furniture items that feature Qi wireless chargers, you can visit its website. If you're not ready to commit to an IKEA charger just yet, you can check out other great wireless charging options we recommend for your new iPhone here.

Questions?

What do you think of IKEA's new campaign? If you're planning on getting an iPhone 8 or iPhone X, do you think you'll nab one of these chargers for your place? Let us know in the comments!

Serenity Caldwell and I are in New York City because where better to put Apple's brand new iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus through it's paces than the biggest Apple of the all? We'll be posting a ton of content right here on iMore, and a ton more live and behind-the-scenes moments on Instagram (@settern and @reneritchie) and Twitter [@reneritchie and @settern) and, of course iMore on YouTube. Follow along!

iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus are here, and for the next month, they will be Apple's latest and greatest iPhone models — that is, until the iPhone X appears in November.

Even without the specter of Apple's "future" iPhone lurking over their shoulder, however, the new iPhone models have a lot for potential upgraders to love: While their display sizes remain the same as those introduced with the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, the iPhones 8 add True Tone to the display, better glass fronts — and backs! — along with the supercharged six-core A11 Bionic, improved-motion-detection ISP, Portrait Lighting, Slow Sync flash, 60FPS 4K video, wireless Qi charging and fast charging over USB-C, and support for iOS 11.

Are they worth the upgrade for those who don't want the iPhone X? Read on.

• iPhone 8 vs X
• Colors
• Wireless and fast charging
• Water resistance
• Speeds and feeds
• LTE support
• Camera
• Home button
• Headphone jack
• Should you upgrade from iPhone 5 or 5c?
• Should you upgrade from iPhone 5s?
• Should you upgrade from iPhone 6?
• Should you upgrade from the iPhone SE?
• Should you upgrade from iPhone 6s?
• Should you upgrade from the iPhone 7?
• See iPhone 8 at Apple

iPhone 8 vs X

The iPhones 8 and 8 Plus are at a disadvantage this year: Rather than being Apple's tentpole device updates, they're instead living in the shadow of the currently-announced but not yet shipping iPhone X. If you're considering one of these three devices, what makes the iPhone 8 or 8 Plus more appealing than pre-ordering an X later this October?

iPhone 8 and 8 Plus vs iPhone X: Which should you buy?

Design and colors

iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus came in silver, gold, rose gold, (matte) black, and (glossy) jet black. In contrast, iPhone 8 and 8 Plus have dropped the black looks for simplified silver, light copper-pink gold, and gray looks.

The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus also have redesigned cases to feature all-glass backs. Not only does this enable the technology for wireless Qi charging, but it offers a new two-tone coloration for the new models that looks spectacular in person. It also provides a slightly grippier feel, though we still caution against carrying your device caseless.

If you like your colors from last year and worry about how you'll handle an all-glass phone, consider sticking with your current iPhone until you see how others have handled it. If you simply must have the new gold color or glass frame (and with it, wireless charging), the iPhone 8 or 8 Plus are the models to pick up.

Wireless and fast charging

The iPhone has charged via Lighting cable for quite some time now, but iPhone 8 and 8 Plus add a new charging option to the mix: wireless Qi charging. It's an existing standard, which means the charging technology already lives in cars, at Starbucks, and in plenty of wireless charging pads.

iPhones 8 can charge wirelessly on any of these pads with compatible software updates — whether they have cases on or not — and Apple will have its own AirPower charging mat out in 2018.

In addition to this technology, the iPhones 8 also feature fast charging when using a Lightning cable paired with a 29W adapter — they'll charge up to 50% in 30 minutes.

If you don't have any wireless charging gear and don't need fast charging on your iPhone, you can continue to use your current iPhone without fear. But if your current iPhone's battery is going and you'd like to charge more efficiently and wirelessly, the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus may be the perfect options.

Water resistance

Like the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, the iPhones 8 are fully water resistant at IP67; this means the iPhone is designed to withstand dust and liquids. The liquid part is the key, though.

While Apple hasn't released the definition for their liquid protection, it's equivalent to the original Apple Watch and so should survive splashes and even full submersion into water.

You won't want to use it for shark diving or an underwater camera, but it can save you when you might otherwise have lost your phone.

If you have an iPhone 7 or 7 Plus, the iPhones 8 have the exact same water resistance and aren't an upgrade in this arena. If you're coming from an older iPhone, however, upgrading might keep you from catastrophic spills, rough work conditions, or an accidental toilet drop.

Speeds and feeds

iPhone 7 has a 64-bit "dual" dual-core Apple A10 Fusion processor with integrated M10 motion sensor hub. Until very recently, it was the best smartphone silicon on the planet, paired with 2GB of memory.

iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, however, blow the Fusion processor out of the water. The A11 Bionic has six 64-bit cores, a built in neural engine for processing on-device machine learning, and an M11 co-processor. All of this silicon works together to provide one of the fastest ever phone experiences on the planet, let alone overall mobile device.

iPhone 8 and 8 Plus also offer 64GB of storage by default, with 256GB as the sole upgrade size. You'll get more baseline storage, and your upgrade is also worth more for your money.

If you care about super-fast rendering, graphics, AR capabilities, machine learning, and great bang for your buck on storage space, this upgrade is a no-brainer.

LTE Advanced

iPhones 8, like the iPhones 7, support 24 bands of LTE Advanced, which can hit a theoretical 450 Mbps.

But as with the iPhones 7, the iPhones 8 don't support all networking technology; if you want support for Verizon or Sprint's CDMA network in the U.S., or CDMA in China, you need to buy the version of iPhone 8 that includes it.

If you live in an area that supports LTE Advanced and you don't already have an iPhone 7, you'll want to check out the iPhone 8.

Camera

If you love taking photos, the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus cameras are the best they've ever been. Both the wide-angle (all models) and telephoto camera (Plus only) are hooked up to an improved image signal processor that helps predict movement in frame for sharper photos, less noise in low-light situations, and better Portrait mode images (8 Plus only).

The iPhones 8 also support taking photos with Apple's new Quad-LED True Tone flash with Slow Sync, which times the flash against a slower shutter speed to add flash to low-light photos without over- or underexposing the background of the image.

If you're shooting video, the iPhones 8 now shoot 4K in 24FPS and 60FPS alongside 30FPS, and they also shoot slow motion video in 1080P at 240FPS, doubling the iPhone 7's 1080P at 120FPS.

On the front side, the iPhones 8 sport a 7MP f/2.2 FaceTime HD camera, same as their iPhone 7 predecessors.

While there hasn't been a big change to the lens systems of the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, a ton of work has been done under the hood; as such, if you love taking images and don't plan to pick up the iPhone X, the iPhone 8 or 8 Plus are both excellent options.

Home button

iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus have a virtual Home button (like iPhone 7 and 7 Plus). It uses similar technology to the Force Touch trackpad on the Mac, or 3D Touch on iPhone. It's far more resilient than a mechanical button, and can be programmed to provide different feedback depending on the app you're using at the time. It does require direct finger contact, though, so won't work if you're wearing regular non-touch-sensitive gloves or otherwise can't make contact.

If you love your click home button on the iPhone 6 or earlier, you may not want to upgrade. But if you're okay with a virtual home button and coming from an older iPhone, you'll have a blast with the iPhones 8.

Headphone jack

The 3.5 mm headphone jack left the iPhone line with the iPhone 7, and the iPhones 8 continue this tradition. Instead, Apple expects you to use Bluetooth, Lightning EarPods, 3.5 mm to Lightning adapter, or something like Apple's AirPods

If you own a lot of nice analog headphones and don't want to use an adapter, you may be stuck with your older iPhone. But if you own Bluetooth or W1 accessories, or otherwise no longer need the headphone jack, the iPhone 8 or 8 Plus is a fine option.

Should you upgrade from the iPhone 5 or iPhone 5c? Definitely!

iPhone 5 was introduced in September of 2012. iPhone 5c is essentially the same phone as the iPhone 5 with a new, fun, plastic coating. Neither has Touch ID or Apple Pay, or the improved processor or cameras, or the larger screen sizes and 3D Touch. Given the phone is increasingly the most personally important device we own, if you can upgrade, now's a good time to do it.

Should you upgrade from the iPhone 5s? Seriously!

iPhone 5s was released in September 2013. It has Touch ID but not Apple Pay, and a middling camera by today's standards. It doesn't have the larger screen sizes or 3D Touch, so unless that's expressly something you don't want, you'll immediately see a benefit from that alone.

If you want it to, the iPhone 5s will likely still serve you well for a year or so more, but if you can upgrade a new iPhone will serve you better and well into the future.

Should you upgrade from the iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus? Probably!

iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus were released in September 2014. They're essentially the same size and shape as more recent iPhones, but lack options for the gold coloration, don't have 3D Touch, and don't have cameras that can do 12-megapixel stills or 4K.

If you're due for an upgrade, especially if you care about colors or cameras, check into upgrading.

Should you upgrade from the iPhone SE? Probably!

Apple's 4-inch 2015 iPhone has its fans (our own Lory Gil among them), but the smartphone is showing its age: While still available for sale on Apple's website, the SE is running the iPhone 6s's A9 chip, doesn't feature 3D Touch or LTE Advanced, and its camera isn't up to snuff. It's still not a bad phone, but if you love speed and camera improvements, the iPhones 8 will be a huge leap over the SE infrastructure.

Should you upgrade from the iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus? Possibly!

iPhone 6s and iPhone 6 Plus were released in September 2015. Their antenna lines are much more prominent on the back, there's no black or jet black color option, the Home button is still mechanical, and the wireless support isn't quite as fast or broad. The cameras are still good, but not as great, and the A9 still packs a punch, but not as big a punch as the A11 Bionic.

To consider upgrading, you'll want to be a big enough of a camera buff or AR buff to take advantage of the photography features and sheer speed.

Should you upgrade from the iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus? Think carefully!

The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus are 2016's prior flagship models, and they're still quite speedy. Like the SE and 6s, these older models are still available for purchase from Apple.

While the iPhone 7 gets the same selfie camera as the iPhone 8 and the 7 Plus has features like Portrait mode, the iPhones 8 still have the better camera, thanks to the ISP, and far superior speed.

That said, it's still only last year's model. If you're really considering upgrading and don't use Apple's iPhone Upgrade Program, you'll only want to shell out if you can't live without the camera system, A11 Bionic, wireless charging, or new design and colors.

See iPhone 8 at Apple

Still undecided?

If you're still not sure about upgrading to an iPhone 8, ask questions below or jump into our iPhone discussion forums and the best community in mobile will happily help you out!

Then, once you know, let us know why — or why not — you've decided to upgrade in the comments so everyone else can benefit from your thoughts!

Whether for frequent international travel, ease of switching carriers, or some mysterious other reason that's frankly none of my business, carrying an unlocked iPhone gives you more flexibility than using one locked to a particular carrier. Many iPhones in the U.S. are still sold locked to their carriers, but there are good options out there for getting an unlocked iPhone out of the gate.

So if you're looking to get an iPhone 8 that's unlocked right out of the box, here's how you can do so.

• SIM-free
• iPhone Upgrade Program
• Verizon
• Other U.S. carriers

SIM-free

Your most straightforward option for getting an unlocked iPhone 8 is to purchase a SIM-free model directly from Apple, either online or in an Apple Retail Store. The SIM-free model comes unlocked and is compatible with any major U.S. carrier.

Keep in mind that you'll be paying the full price for your iPhone 8 up front, which starts at $699 for the 64GB model, while the iPhone 8 Plus starts at $799 for the same storage capacity.

See at Apple

iPhone Upgrade Program

Apple's own iPhone Upgrade Program offers customers an unlocked phone no matter which carrier they use. You pay in monthly installments and are eligible for one iPhone upgrade per year after 12 payments. The program also includes the AppleCare+ protection program in its cost.

Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint customers can purchase enroll in the program online, while T-Mobile customers can head to their nearest Apple Store in order to get on the program.

See at Apple

Verizon

If you buy your iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus through Verizon, that device should be SIM unlocked at the time of purchase. The carrier says that it's policy not to lock their LTE-enabled phones, with a couple of statements on the subject:

So whether you buy your iPhone on a Verizon installment plan or pay for it all up front, you can just pull the Verizon SIM card out of the phone and insert another one.

Just remember that if you bought your iPhone from Verizon on an installment plan, then later want to switch to another carrier you'll need to pay off the remaining cost of your phone before you do so.

See at Verizon

Other U.S. carriers

While this piece primarily focuses on buying an unlocked iPhone, I wanted to mention the unlocking situation with other U.S. carriers.

First, a note on these carriers. While each one does allow you to unlock your iPhone, you should note that you'll need to a wait a bit before doing so. AT&T requires you to wait 14 days before unlocking your device if you've just upgraded your iPhone. T-Mobile will let you unlock your phone after 40 days, and Sprint after 50.

iPhones sold directly by Sprint, T-Mobile, and AT&T can be unlocked if you follow the right procedures. However, there's an important caveat here when it comes to AT&T and T-Mobile: while the SIM-free iPhone 8 will work with CDMA carriers (like Verizon and Sprint) and GSM carriers (like AT&T and T-Mobile), the iPhone 8 for T-Mobile and AT&T will only work with other GSM carriers.

So while you're fine if you need to use the phone with AT&T and T-Mobile, or most other GSM carriers around the world, if you decide to move to Verizon or Sprint, you'll need to shell out for a new phone. An iPhone purchased from Sprint, once unlocked, should work with any carrier, but remember that you may need to pay off the rest of the cost of your iPhone before moving carriers.

Questions?

If you have any questions about buying an unlocked iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus, be sure to ask us in the comments!

Powermat chargers, which up until now only complied with the PMA wireless charging standard, are getting an upgrade in the wake of the debut of the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus and iPhone X. No physical changes will need to be made in order to add Qi support - it's the software of the charging pads that will be updated. Powermat Chief Technical Officer Itay Sherman described the difference between the two standards in a conversation with SlashGear on Thursday:

The software update is not compatible with all Powermat technology, however, so if you were hoping to convert your own consumer-grade charger to support the Qi standard, you're probably out of luck.

Though Sherman didn't say when exactly this update would roll out for each individual branch, Powermat expects it to be before the iPhone 8 makes it into your excitedly grasping hands. So next time you visit a Starbucks with your shiny new device, use the magical powers of wireless charging to refill that iPhone battery while you use the magical powers of caffeine to refill your battery.

Thoughts? Questions?

How do you feel about the Powermat update? Let us know in the comments!

The iPhone 8 will support Qi wireless charging and because of that, Apple has made the back of the iPhone 8 all glass. Apple has stated it used the strongest glass they have ever put on a phone to date; however, glass is glass and it can still be scratched and scuffed. Cases are a great way to protect your iPhone 8 from breaking; however, it is possible that a case could interfere with the wireless charging feature.

One of the ways to protect the glass back of your iPhone 8 without hampering the ability to wireless charge is to get a skin. Here are some of our favorite skins you can find for the iPhone 8 right now.

NOTE: The iPhone 8 has the exact same dimensions as the iPhone 7, meaning you can use skins designed for the iPhone 7 just fine.

• bestskinsever.com
• dbrand

bestskinsever.com

For the minimalist lover, bestskinsever.com has really thin, clear skins that will cover completely your iPhone 8.

That's right, not only can you get a skin to cover the back of your phone but also the screen as well. Plus, you can choose from glossy or matte finishes meaning you can choose how your iPhone 8 looks with the skin applied.

The skins start at $8.99, but they can cost you up to $11.99 depending on what finish and what cover (either front, back, or both) you choose.

See at bestskinsever.com

dbrand

You've probably heard of dbrand before; after all there tagline is "we're literally everywhere", and it makes really beautiful skins for all sorts of phones, including the iPhone 8.

Not only will dbrand allow you to cover your phone in a skin, but it also has plenty of design options. You can get skins that look like wood, metal, or other designs. Plus, you can also get skins for the front of your phone, giving you the option of having a two-tone effect.

A back cover skin from dbrand for the iPhone 8 will cost you $9.95; if you choose to get the front covered as well, that will cost you $15.90.

See at dbrand

Will you be getting a skin for your iPhone 8?

Let us know in the comments below!

Apple's new iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus arrive in the United States on September 22, but you can fork over your hard-earned cash for one right now!

Here are the various ways you can buy the iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus.

Not in the U.S? Here's how to order iPhone 8 or 8 Plus in the U.K., and Canada.

Before you do anything else, you'll want to check the state of your current wireless contract, as that will dictate how much you'll pay for your shiny new iPhone 8 or 8 Plus. If you're on any of Apple's major partner carriers, you can check your eligibility right on the company's website: It then stores this information for ordering time.

If you don't have a carrier plan currently, or aren't sure what your various options are, I'd also advise reading our carrier guides:

• Which U.S. iPhone carrier and plan should you get?
• Which Canadian iPhone carrier and plan should you get?
• Which U.K. iPhone carrier and plan should you get?

This largely depends on how quickly you want your iPhone, whether you want to drive anywhere, whether your carrier plan's billing address matches your current address, and if you plan to trade in your old iPhone.

If you choose to have your iPhone order mailed to you, you're at the whim of your local UPS or FedEx drivers. If your driver regularly comes at 8AM, you may get your iPhone earlier than the crowd; if your house or apartment doesn't usually get deliveries until 8PM, you may feel a little FOMO.

In addition, picking up in store is often the only way students or kids on their parents' plan can get their device on day one: Due to certain carrier rules, you may be required to ship the phone to the billing address on file—which may not be your current address.

There's also the trade-in route to consider: Currently, if you want to trade in your old device for Apple's $10/month iPhone 5s to SE program, you have to do this in-store. No ordering online for you.

The best way to order: The Apple Store app

If you want to avoid the rush, you can make your current iPhone be the cause of its own eventual resale-or-drawer-dom demise by ordering via the Apple Store app. This is my preferred method, in large part because the app is quick, easy, requires very little effort on your part, and best of all — you can use Apple Pay.

It might be a little mean to make your current iPhone buy your new one, but hey — all's fair in love and ordering.

• Apple Store app - Download now

If you want to use a computer: Apple.com

If you have a partner carrier plan in the U.S. or elsewhere in the world, you can order your iPhone 8 or 8 Plus on Apple.com.

• iPhone 8 and 8 Plus - Order here

If you need to: Go through your carrier

While I've personally had little luck going through AT&T's store in a timely manner, I know some people swear by carrier websites for fast ordering. Most carriers will offer an online ordering process, including AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile, as well as international carriers.

• iPhone 8 and 8 Plus at T-Mobile
• iPhone 8 and 8 Plus at Verizon
• iPhone 8 and 8 Plus at AT&T
• iPhone 8 and 8 Plus at Sprint

Like the Apple Store app and Apple.com, many of the carriers often offer "pre-registration," which lets you pre-enter your carrier details to speed up the process of acquiring a new phone.

If all else fails: Check the other big box stores

If Apple and the carrier websites aren't doing it for you — or you want to support big-box stores—you can order your very own iPhone 8 or 8 Plus on one of the websites for the electronics store of your choice. Best Buy, Walmart, and Target usually offer online order sales, but I wouldn't be surprised if there were other stores with the same options; if you want to try ordering someplace I haven't listed, your best bet is to check the company's website first to make sure the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus are available.

Questions?

Are you picking up a new iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus? Have other questions about the order process? Let us know below.

Continuing in a tradition the iPhone SE and iPhone 6s line started, Apple's newest iPhones 8 and iPhone X can shoot 4K video, too. Essentially 2160p, that's four times as many pixels — twice horizontal and twice vertical — as 1080p. And with iOS 11 shipping alongside the new iPhone, that video will take up roughly half as much space, thanks to the new HEVC codec being employed.

Whether or not you have a TV that can play 4K, what makes it great is that there's enough data to crop, zoom, pan, down-sample, and stabilize and still end up with great looking 1080p. 4K isn't enabled by default, though, so whether you want it raw, or you want it for editing, you first have to turn it on.

• How much space does 4K take up?
• Enable 4K and change capture formats
• Trim 4K
• Edit 4K
• Share 4K
• AirDrop and AirPlay 4K

How much space does 4K take up?

Any iPhone after the iPhone SE and 6s offer the option to shoot 4K video at 30 frames per second. It's a huge boon for budding filmmakers, but it does take up storage space — even with the new HEVC codec employed in iOS 11.

If you're considering shooting in 4K at 30FPS with your iPhone, here's how much it space it'll take up on your device, depending on length:

• 30 seconds of 4K at 30FPS will take approximately 175MB (85MB using HEVC in iOS 11)
• 60 seconds takes up 350MB (170MB)
• 5 minutes takes up 1.75GB (850MB)
• 10 minutes takes up 3.5GB (1.7GB)
• 30 minutes takes up 10.5GB (5.1GB)

The iPhone 8, 8 Plus, and X also support shooting in 4K in 24FPS and 60FPS, which offers file sizes that clock in at slightly less (i.e. 270MB for H.264, 135MB for HEVC when shooting 60 seconds of 4K at 24FPS) and close to double (400MB for 60 seconds in 4K at 60FPS), respectively. In fact, 60FPS 4K is such a space hog that Apple won't let you shoot in it without turning on HEVC to save your storage.

Can't figure out how to enable 4K 60FPS and 1080P 240FPS on your iPhone 8? Here's the fix!

As you can see, 4K is a bit heftier than your average video — and it's a major reason why Apple's base-model iPhone size is now 64GB, rather than the iPhone 6s's 16GB (which could conceivably fill up an entire phone with 30 minutes of 4K and nothing else). This is also why 4K is off by default — you have to visit Settings > Camera > Record Video to change it.

In comparison, here are general storage sizes (based on 60-second shooting times) for its other video options:

• A minute of 720p at 30FPS takes up 60MB (40MB using HEVC in iOS 11)
• 1080p at 30FPS takes up 130MB (60MB)
• 1080p at 60FPS takes up 175MB (90MB)

And, for fun, here's the space cost for one minute of slo-mo:

• Filming 720p at 240FPS takes up 300MB (not available in HEVC)
• Filming 1080p at 120FPS takes up 350MB (170MB)
• Filming 1080p at 240FPS requires HEVC, and takes up 480MB of space

How to turn on 4K video and change its shooting format

Shooting in 4K can consume 300-400 MB of storage per minute of video when using the H.264 codec (~170MB with the HEVC codec). That works out to 1 GB every 3 minutes or so — or, in other words, a lot.

If you don't have a 256 GB iPhone and aren't in the habit of pulling your video files off your device or using iCloud Photo Library's Optimize Storage feature, you may want to leave 4K video off by default and only turn it on when you really want or need it.

1. Launch Settings from the Home screen.
2. Tap on Camera.
3. Tap Record Video.
4. Tap 4K at 30 fps or 4K at 60 fps to enable 4K.

To turn off 4K, repeat the same steps and choose an alternate option.

If you're running iOS 11, you'll have the option to shoot in Apple's new HEVC codec, which approximately halves the storage space you'll need for shooting in 4K. It's a great space saver, and better yet, it'll automatically convert back to H.264 when you're sharing to other services. Here's how to turn it on or off.

1. Launch Settings from the Home screen.
2. Tap on Camera.
3. Tap Formats.
4. Tap High Efficiency to enable HEVC, or Most Compatible to switch back to H.264.

How to trim 4K videos

You can trim 4K videos the same way you trim any other video on your iPhone, which is to say you can trim it right in the Camera or Photos app.

1. Go to the video you want to trim. Depending on how recently you shot it, you can either tap the thumbnail right in Camera, got to the Photos app and browse for it, or go into the Videos album and look for it there.
2. Tap Edit at the bottom (Camera app) or top right (Photos app).
3. Tap the left or right edge of the video scrubber at the bottom to reveal the yellow edit handles on each side. You can also tap the More button (looks like an ellipse) to use an extension like iMovie to edit the clip.

4. If you choose not to use an extension, drag the edit handles to the points where you want to start and finish the video.
5. Tap Save as New Clip.

How to edit 4K videos

You can also edit 4K videos the same way you edit other videos—using Apple's iMovie app, which lets you add themes, titles, and transitions.

How I shot and edited my iPhone 6s review on the iPhone 6s Plus — in 4K!

Whether you're starting a new project or continuing an existing one, simply import your 4K video the way you would any other video and edit away. Once you're done, you can save it back to your Photos library or share it using any service that supports 4K video.

How to share 4K videos

You can share your 4K video right from the standard iOS Share sheet. Not all services can accept a 4K video, so if you choose one that can't, your iPhone 6s will downscale the video to an acceptable size. (No one wants or needs 4K in their text messages, after all.)

YouTube does accept 4K uploads, so it's a great choice if you want to publish your project to the world.

1. Go to the video you want to share. Depending on how recently you shot it, you can either tap the thumbnail right in Camera, got to the Photos app and browse for it, or go into the Videos album and look for it there.
2. Tap the Share button.
3. Tap the video you want to share. A blue checkmark will appear in the bottom corner to confirm you've selected it.
4. Tap the icon of the service you want to share to. (In this example, YouTube.)

4K and AirDrop and AirPlay

You can also AirDrop 4K movies directly to your Mac or other iOS so you can view or work on them there, or output them over HMDI adapter to a 4K TV or projector.

1. Go to the video you want to share. Depending on how recently you shot it, you can either tap the thumbnail right in Camera, got to the Photos app and browse for it, or go into the Videos album and look for it there.
2. Tap the Share button.
3. Tap the video you want to share. A blue checkmark will appear in the bottom corner to confirm you've selected it.
4. Tap the AirDrop location you want to share to. (In this example, Ren's MacBook Pro.)

And you can additionally AirPlay 4K to your third- or fourth-generation Apple TV or Apple TV 4K, though older Apple TV models that don't support 4K will be downscaled to 1080p for playback.

4K and future-proofing

Even if you don't have a 4K TV or anything that supports it yet, 4K is the next standard. As such, if you have the storage space, shooting important moments in 4K will let you enjoy and edit them in full resolution in the future.

Do you shoot in 4K, iMore? Let us know in the comments.

OK so you know about the phones and you are salivating at the features. You're despondent about the late October pre-order date. These things are obvious. But if you're in Canada, here are some things you may want to reference when deciding whether to buy the latest iPhone 8 or 8 Plus, or upgrade to the expensive af iPhone X.

How much do they cost?

The iPhone 8s are a bit more expensive than the equivalent iPhone 7s which, given the unstable value of the Canadian dollar, makes sense that Apple would continue to hedge. The default storage options are twice as large, too, which could account for the increase (though there is no such bloat in U.S. prices, so...)

iPhone 8:

• 64GB: $929
• 256GB: $1139

iPhone 8 Plus:

• 64GB: $1059
• 256GB: $1269

iPhone X:

• 64GB: $1319
• 256GB: $1529

These are not cheap phones, the iPhone X especially. Even compared to the base U.S. prices, there is an affordance for continued weakness in the Canadian Dollar built in.

What colors are available?

Apple has simplified its color options this year, and that's probably a good thing. So long, Rose Gold.

iPhone 8 and 8 Plus

• Silver
• Gold
• Space Grey

iPhone X

• Space Grey
• Silver

Which carriers will offer the new iPhones?

Pretty much all of them:

• Rogers
• Bell
• Telus
• Videotron
• Virgin Mobile
• Fido
• Koodo
• MTS
• SaskTel

There's a big omission there, and one that we don't know yet: Will Freedom Mobile offer the iPhone this year?

Does that mean the new iPhones will work with Freedom Mobile?

Yes! They all have Band 66 support inside, which is excellent news for Freedom Mobile customers. Even if the Shaw-owned carrier doesn't officially offer the phone for sale, it shouldn't be too hard to buy an unlocked model and put a Freedom SIM inside to receive LTE access.

Are older iPhones getting a price cut?

Yes, they are! The iPhone 7 now starts at $739, and the iPhone 7 Plus starts at $899.

• iPhone 7 Plus: $899 (32GB) / $1029 (128GB)
• iPhone 7: $739 (32GB) / $869 (128GB)
• iPhone 6s Plus: $739 (32GB) / $869 (128GB)
• iPhone 6s: $599 (32GB) / $739 (128GB)
• iPhone SE: $469 (32GB) / $599 (128GB)

When do they go up for sale?

The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus go up for pre-order in Canada on Friday, September 15 and are available to buy in stores and online September 22.

The iPhone X is going up for pre-order in Canada on October 27 and will be available a few days later, on November 3.

Want more? Here's everything you need to know about the iPhone X

Critics love to say that Apple isn't innovating just because it uses the same design one year after another. I say Apple finally found the perfect form, so why should it change anything. Plus, it's always an added bonus when your favorite case fits the newest model, so you don't have to burn even more holes in your pocket.

The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus are nearly identical to the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus respectively. The bigger battery has made the new models slightly heavier, but the size is less than a millimeter larger in height, weight, and thickness.

• iPhone 7: 138.3 mm X 67.1 mm X 7.1 mm and weighs 138 grams
• iPhone 8: 138.4 mm X 67.3 mm X 7.3 mm and weighs 148 grams
• iPhone 7 Plus: 158.2 mm X 77.9 mm X 7.3 mm and weighs 188 grams
• iPhone 8 Plus: 158.4 mm X 78.1 mm X 7.5 mm and weighs 202 grams

As you can see, the specs aren't identical, but they're pretty darn close. The camera size and position are the same from last year's model to this years, too. So you don't have to worry about cutout issues.

The iPhone X is a different story. We're talking about a completely different size, camera position, bezels, and more. So, there's now current iPhone case that will work with the iPhone X. Luckily, case makers are right on top of that! We'll have a list of the best cases for iPhone X so far coming soon!

Apple has announced the iPhone X, its third new iPhone this year. While the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus offer an iteration on a familiar design while making notable internal improvements, the iPhone X takes a new path, both in terms of design and the technology it utilizes.

What is the iPhone X?

Alongside the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, Apple announced a third iPhone this year: the iPhone X (pronounced "ten"). While boasting similar performance to the iPhone 8 Plus, the iPhone X ditches the traditional "chin and forehead" that iPhones have had since the beginning. Instead, the entire front of the phone, save for the notch at the top, is all screen, all the time. The phone features highly durable, water- and dust-resistant glass on both the front and the back, with a surgical-grade stainless steel band around the edges.

What colors will it come in?

iPhone X will come in Space Gray and Pearl Silver.

How much will the iPhone X cost?

The iPhone X starts at $999 for 64GB of storage. The 256GB model will run you $1,149.

When can I get my hands on it?

The iPhone X will go up for pre-order on October 27, and launch on November 3.

Will the iPhone X come with iOS 11?

Indeed it will, and thanks to the brand new design, the iPhone X will have some exclusive features within iOS 11 not found in other devices. These features include Animojis, 12 animated emojis that you can send in iMessage that mirror your expression by analyzing over 50 different muscle movements. Apple has also built in new ARKit features that take advantage of the iPhone X's face detection features.

• iOS 11 preview

What's new with the iPhone X's display?

The iPhone X marks the first time that Apple has included a non-LCD screen on an iPhone, with the iPhone X utilizing OLED display technology for its new Super Retina display. This gives the screen darker blacks, better colors, and even battery life savings. The Super Retina display also supports High Dynamic Range video.

The other element that the iPhone X brings to the table is a new resolution, 1125x2436. This is the first change in resolution that the iPhone lineup has seen since the 2014 introduction of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

Is there a dark mode?

When you put the display to sleep, yes - it's very dark. Otherwise, not. Not this time around.

Did they really get rid of the Home button?

They sure did. Now to get to the Home screen, you'll swipe up from the bottom of the phone.

Does that mean Touch ID is gone?

Touch ID is indeed nowhere to be found on the iPhone X. However, Apple hasn't abandoned biometrics. In fact, they've come up with something that they think is even better than Touch ID: Face ID.

What is Face ID?

Face ID is Apple's new biometric unlocking mechanism that it's introducing with the iPhone X. Using the front-facing cameras, an infrared camera, flood illuminator, and a dot projector, the iPhone scans your face with techniques like depth mapping in order to tell if it's really you.

Apple touts the security of Face ID, saying the chances of someone being able to open your iPhone X with their face are 1 in 1,000,000 (versus 1 in 50,000 for Touch ID). Furthermore, the system can't be tricked by photographs or even perfectly-sculpted masks. Face ID also works with Apple Pay and third-party apps, just like Touch ID does.

What should I know about the A11 Bionic processor?

Like its predecessor, the A10, the A11 Bionic system-on-a-chip utilizes a combination of high-energy an high-efficiency cores to balance power consumption with performance. The high-energy cores are active when you're doing things like playing games and are up to 25% faster than the A10 Fusion cores, while the high-efficiency cores manage tasks like light web browsing and reading email and are 75% faster than previous cores. The A11 Bionic is capable of up to 600 billion operations per second.

What's new with the camera?

Just like the iPhone 8 Plus and the iPhone 7 Plus before that, the iPhone X sports two cameras on its back: one with a wide-angle lens with a ƒ/1.8 aperture, and the other with a telephoto lens with a ƒ/2.4 aperture. Both cameras are 12MP and support wide color gamut shooting, and the iPhone X now features dual optical image stabilization. This means extremely improved image capture in low light.

Turning our attention to the front of the device, the iPhone X sports two image sensors there as well. Having two cameras on the front aids in the iPhone X's new facial recognition unlock feature, Face ID. The new cameras on the front also allow for Portrait Mode selfies, as well as use of new Portrait Lightning affects that change the lighting on your face in real time.

What about wireless charging?

Just like the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, the iPhone X supports Qi wireless charging. Apple will also be producing a wireless charging mat that can charge your iPhone X, Apple Watch, and AirPods with wirless charging case all at the same time. Apple calls the charging method used by the mat AirPower.

Will I need a new case for my iPhone X?

Yes. The iPhone X isn't going to fit in a case for any existing iPhone, but Apple and some third-party manufacturers have got you covered.

Want to know more about the iPhone X?

Tell us in the comments what else you want to know about the iPhone X, and head over to the iMore Forums to tell everyone what you think about Apple's latest iPhones.

Update September, 2017: Corrected the pricing for the 256GB model.

Last year we were treated to the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, so this year brings us the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus — along with the iPhone X.

Whether you're looking at new software updates, camera features, or design changes, here's absolutely everything you need to know about the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus.

What's the difference between the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus?

Besides their size, not much! Think of them as being in the same wheelhouse, like the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus: the biggest differences between them are camera-related.

The iPhone 8 Plus has two new lenses with a 1.8 and 2.8 aperture. Sharper details and more lighting options for portrait mode for iPhone 8 Plus and something new called Portrait Lighting are brand new features. Portrait Lighting will adjust lighting in real time to get better light for your photos. You can even swipe to pick different lighting effects while composing the picture!

Specs

• Glass in both front and back
• Aluminum band that matches the finish
• Available in silver, space gray, and new gold finishes
• Made from aerospace-grade aluminum
• 7-layer color process glass
• 50% deeper strengthening layer (glass is more durable than any other smartphone out there)
• HD screen with True Tone that automatically adjusts white balance to match the light around you

• 4.7-inch 5.5 Retina HDR display with True Tone tech and dual-domain pixels for better viewing in any environment and at any angle
• Two performance cores that are 25% faster than the A10 Fusion
• Four high-efficiency cores that are 70% faster than the A10 Fusion
• Apple designed GPU that's 30% faster than the A10 Fusion
• Faster image processor
• Improved pixel processor
• New stereo speakers that are 25% louder than iPhone 7 and boast deeper bass
• iOS 11

• 12MP camera
• Deeper pixels
• Now color filter
• Optical Image stabilization for greatly improved low light capture
• 83% more light
• Better color saturation
• Wider and more dynamic range of color
• Lower noise in your photos and videos
• Improved portrait mode for sharper foregrounds and more naturally blurred backgrounds
• Newly-added Portrait Lighting effects
• Optical zoom
• Digital zoom (10x for photos, 6x for videos)

• Video encoder with faster frame range
• Better image and motion analysis
• 1080p 240FPS support, which is double frame rate of previous devices

• Each phone is custom-calibrated
• Immersive graphics up for 60FPS
• Real-time lighting estimation on the ISP
• A11 bionic chip for powering AR

• New glass back works well with wireless charging!
• Uses Qi wireless standard
• Mophie and Belkin already announced to have wireless chargers for iPhone 8

When will it be available?

Preorder Sept 15. Available Sept. 22 with an iOS upgrade coming on September 19th.

How much will it cost?

• 64GB
• 256GB
• $699

• 64GB
• 256GB
• $799

What colors will it come in?

Silver, space gray, and a new sharp gold finish!

Will the iPhone 8 & iPhone 8 Plus come with iOS 11?

Yes! They both will.

Will I need to buy new cases?

Nope! Sizes stay the same as the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus!

What do you think?

Are you someone who's going to stick with their iPhone 7 for a while longer, upgrade to the iPhone 8, or just skip the middle step and go straight to the iPhone X?

Let us know why the iPhone 8 & iPhone 8 Plus seem appealing to you, or why you're going to have to pass on them!