The iPhone X won't go on pre-order until late October, while the iPhone 8 is available now.
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've decided to upgrade or buy your first iPhone, which model should you buy? We discuss below.
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 later this October?
You can get an iPhone 8 sooner
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.
You can get an iPhone 8 more cheaply
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…
PSA: The new iPhone costs $999.
— Lo (@laurenelizlane) September 13, 2017
The entire Cracker Barrel menu costs $887.71
...make smart choices.
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.
You don't want Face ID
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.
You want reachability mode
The iPhone X is only slightly bigger than the iPhone 8, but its screen fills the whole device; as such, we've heard from a number of people that they're concerned about using their iPhone one-handed, or losing out on iOS's Reachability feature (which requires the Home button to function). We always recommend holding both devices in hand before you make your decision, but if you're concerned, you can always pick up an iPhone 8 upgrade this year, and wait to see how the iPhone X handles one-handed use from smaller hands. You can also check out our comparison chart:
You need a great camera, but don't need the fanciest model
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.
You want wireless charging or ARKit without the wait
Both the iPhones 8 and iPhone X support wireless charging and faster ARKit processing, but the 8 and 8 Plus will ship first. If you don't want to wait for the X, you'll want to pick up one of the 8-series models.
You can get it in gold
The iPhone X is only coming in silver or gray 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, with 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.
Why you should wait for 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.
Even with the notch, the iPhone X Super Retina display is, well… super
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.
The TrueDepth front-facing camera will change how you use front-facing photography
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 is pretty cool, too
Face ID may feel a little too far out even for Apple's iPhone of the future, but its supposed 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.)
There are several smart touches built into Face ID, as well: 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.
Who needs a Home button?
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.
The iPhone X has better low-light options for portrait photos
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.
Steel is nicer than aluminum
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.
Your thoughts?
Let us know below.
Reader comments
iPhone 8 vs iPhone X: Which should you buy?
Leaning towards the 8. I really like that new gold color. But I'm going to wait for both phones to come out, see the reviews on both, and head to a store and go hands on with them. My iPhone 6 still chugs along just fine, I'm okay with waiting a few months (or possibly even longer if I decide on the X) to upgrade.
I have a 6s, and I'm going to get the X mostly for the waterproofing.
Every article I read about the iPhone X mentions how OLED has its issues, but Apple has worked them out, but not a single one has described what these issues are. Think maybe it's because, as usual, Apple's full of sh*t about its innovation here? Regardless of which OS you prefer, it's undeniable that Samsung has been making beautiful OLED screens for its Galaxy S series for at least 3 years.
Specifically, OLED has issues when it comes to its yield rate (AKA how well manufacturers can produce at Apple's scale), how it shows color. Samsung's displays are beautiful, but their color temperature often varies too much for good color correction work, especially with blues. It's not a huge deal for the average consumer, but if you're doing photography or previs, you don't want that messed with.
Really really tempted by the OLED screen and steel/glass aesthetic. But it's just so costly - AUD$1,829! I hoped this year would be the time to upgrade from my aging 32GB iPhone 5 but at that price, I might have to wait and see whether next year's mainstream model gets a good dose of this year's X features.
Also, I understand that Apple needs to use numbers for its phone models, to distinguish the prior years models that they keep in the line-up at lower price points. Not that it changes my buying decision, but I really thought they'd go with "iPhone Pro" for the name. What do they do in a few year's time - iPhone 9SS for the mainstream model? Or go all the way to 11? And does the iPhone X become the iPhone XS?!? The mind boggles...
Rumor has it all 2018 iPhones will have an OLED screen, so it may be worth the wait.
Can Rene give honest criticism to the iPhone x or does he love it regardless? Just curious.
Probably! But you realize this article wasn't written by Rene, right? ;)
Hi iMore! I'm a big fan of Rene Ritchie, Leo and Mac Break Weekly on TWIT.tv! My iPhones need to live in a case because I'm a one handed power user that lives on a bicycle and I can't resist taking pictures at a moments notice. I'm torn between an iPhone 8, Iphone 8 Plus and iPhone X once in a case beacuse of being able to reach edge to edge like pulling up the camera app without logging in (Maybe squeezing the Off and Volume buttons and telling Seri to "Take Picture" might work on the "X") as I'm racing down Mt Rainier at 40 mph on a 17 lb road bike wearing spandix?? My 5s is in an OtterBox and it's really difficult to reach the edge of the screen to swipe. My 6 Plus is in an Apple lether case with a Zagg "Glass" sheild and although I have big hands I still have to balance the 6 Plus on my finger tips to swipe one Thumbed. And, my "Glass" shield has save my phone from multiple drops. After years of no broken phones, my Wife put her 6s in my shirt pockt for safe keeping and it dropped out when I bent over to tie my shoes and cracked the screen. Now I know I would really need to concider the best case for the "X". Rene, when you explore the iPhone X would you please let us know what cases will work best with the the edge jestures using your right thumb? Thanks John Calkins
8plus for the bigger screen.
Just ordered a Gold iPhone 8. Had to let go of my iPhone 7 Plus as it was just too big and camera features really didn't justify having it. As for the X, like others here, sadly the Notch was a deal breaker for me. It is a serious design flaw which I hope they can rectify for next year. Every thing else looks great and price isn't a factor for me, but that Notch has to go!!!
is there a reason the iphone 7 plus does not get the portrait selfie? i believe is the same camera. not sure why the iphone 8 not getting any cheaper since apple using the same hardware for years. iphone 8 one more thing 720P really? apple we are in 2017 right now. for me iphone 8 is a real iphone 6sss and thats all it is.
iphone X looks pretty cool and the price is OK. paid last year for my iphone 7 plus 128GB the same money. so what the big deal? i will be fine with 64GB but the problem will be to get one.
Got up early this morning and will be receiving the 8 Plus next Friday. To me, the wait for the X is going to be too long. And it is a totally new phone with who knows what problems could be lurking, i.e.. antenna gate and the bending issues that took place a few phones back.
Hm. Can't reply to individual posts. I'd rather not have the Notch. Or Ears. But I think I'll get used to it. When viewing video my thumb will probably cover the Notch. I hope it doesn't interfere with other data in portrait position.
Apple will probably remove it in Xs or whatever, because I'm getting the X. First world, bleeding edge problem. I'll take one for the team.
I ordered an 8 but have been leaning towards canceling and waiting for the X. This article confirmed my decision. Thank you soooooo much for that, Serenity.
Unlike the 8, I doubt the X will be available to order online and pickup at the store. So I'll probably have a very long wait.
I am torn. I have my 7+ rocking out perfectly these days and I have absolutely no reason for upgrading and something about the 10 bothers me. It is almost like it is an Android and not an iphone and the Face ID scares me. I need my home button and touch ID..
It looks a lot like the LG V30.
I ended up getting that sexy iPhone 7 Plus in Jet Black. The Space Grey for the 8 and the X just do not look silky enough compared to the Jet Black. The 7 to the 8 just doesn't seem like enough. I shoot more with my Mirrorless m4/3 camera now so the camera tech in a smart phone isn't that important since I know I can get decent enough with any phone. So that leaves a faster CPU and Qi charging. Gave away all my Qi charging when I went from my Lumia 920 to a 6s + so that doesn't bother me right now, and that faster CPU won't matter in the real world since I'll still have all the same apps, and everything after the A9 just is pretty my just an overhead that is there for those who needs it imo. The 7 being reduce just seemed to fit better, you get all the important consumer aspects of the 8 for a little bit cheaper, and you can still get that 128GB if you don't want to end up spending more for the 256GB. And Jet Black is readily available now, and it's gorgeous compared to the 8 and the X; though that gold in the 8 is pretty sleek too, but I think the Jet Black just goes with everything else.
Based on the article's photograph. Are they really incorporating the notch into the video image instead of showing the full image? If so, unfortunate.
You can view it either way (normal 16:9 or slightly zoomed in to incorporate notch)
I cant believe anyone has not mentioned that the iPhone X's slide up from the bottom gesture is going to add complications for anyone with a more protective case, ie any otterbox. Already on my iphone 7 with an otterbox commuter case, if an app has a swipe from left or right side of the screen gesture (like going back a page with chrome), with the bump on the edge of the case it can be difficult to get the gesture to work the fist time.
Either the Case manufacturers are going to have to make their cases less protective so consumers can reach the bottom edge of the screen. Or apple is going to have to make the bottom gesture area large enough that we can reach it, which in turn might cause unintentional home swipes when you just want to scroll down a web page.
Wish they just use a virtual button like the Samsungs. Need to see some reviews but if I order a Note 8 before the 24th I can get some free goodies. Really disappointed in Apple. I know Steve Jobs would of sent them back in the design department.
For me it's likely to be the 8. The camera tricks in the X seem gimmicky, but will likely improve. I've had my share of OLED screens over the years and still prefer LCD as it always feels more realistic and less "cartoony" to me. And while I think Face ID is cool, I can't imagine that being my only non-passcode option. Touch ID is too convenient (for apps as well). The X looks like a cool piece of technology, but a step backwards in pragmatism.
I find it really interesting how different people react to things. The notch doesn't bother me at all; I thought it seemed clever so that some of the indicators can be up out of the way. Same with camera bumps (or whatever they call it.) I never really noticed or cared that the camera sticks out a bit, but some people get almost violent because the camera isn't flush. Go figure. :-)
iPhone X for me it is all about the camera and screen. Don't mind the notch just something everyone will get use to right away. Plus it gets some info out of the way. Just don't go zoomed in on movies. Also like the bigger screen in a smaller form factor. The plus is not bad but something just a bit smaller is nice.
good luck getting one
The Notch must go!
If I get a new iPhone this year at all, it will be an 8 or 8+. The reason, in two words: "stupid notch". A few more words: "iPhone X design fail". Steve Jobs must be spinning in his grave, and for good reason. This crap would never have left the building if he were still alive.
Is it strange that I like the notch. I think it makes it look distinct from other bezel-less/light phones. I like the notch on the Essential phone as well.
The notch on the essential phone is more subtle...its a lot less jarring to look at.
I am ordering 2 iPhone x 256gb and 2 watch 3 LTEs. Going this morning to get the watches ordered, and same thing with the phone. On pre order day, I will be getting two of those.