Although Apple has arguably saved its best new ideas for the upcoming iPhone X, we reckon you should probably save a bit of cash and grab the iPhone 8 Plus right now instead.
Apple’s huge iPhone launch in September revealed not two new smartphones as usual, but three. We had the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, which were straightforward upgrades over last year’s iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, as well as a special tenth anniversary edition model: the iPhone X.
Of course, the X was the Apple phone that fans had been getting well and truly excited about. This is the device which offers a true evolution, in terms of design as well as features. Not only has the display expanded to fill the front of the handset, so there’s no wasted space, but the special edition model also boasts true HDR support for stunning visuals. You‘ll also enjoy further camera improvements and the new FaceID security system if you stump up for the iPhone X.
Despite these improvements however, you certainly shouldn’t discount the iPhone 8 Plus. Sure, the Plus finds itself lurking in the shadows of its more premium sibling, yet there are quite a few reasons to choose it over the X. Eight that we can think of, in fact.
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Reason one: The Plus is more affordable
Okay, so the iPhone 8 Plus won’t ever be described as ‘affordable’, starting at a eye-watering £800 here in the UK. And if you want to upgrade to the 256GB model, that’ll be £950, thank you very much. Hope you weren’t planning on eating food for the next few months.
All the same, even the most expensive variant of the 8 Plus costs less than the base iPhone X – which will drain a grand from your savings. Ouch. That makes the special edition iPhone one of the most expensive mobiles of all time, if you don’t count stupid tie-ins with the likes of Porsche and other such nonsense.
All of a sudden, the 8 Plus seems to be rather ‘affordable’.
Reason two: Same ultra-fast performance
The majority of the specs are actually identical between the iPhone 8 Plus and the X. For instance, you get the exact same power-packed A11 Bionic chipset no matter your choice. That means the Plus will be just as solid as the special edition model when it comes to performance.
Reason three: No TouchID support
The iPhone X’s miniature bezels means a ruthless culling of the TouchID sensor, a long-standing feature of Apple’s mobile devices. While we’re sure that FaceID will be a decent replacement on the new handset, we won’t be entirely convinced until we’ve thoroughly tested the new tech. If it’s anything like face recognition software on rival handsets, it’ll probably struggle under certain circumstances – such as when you’re walking and trying to unlock your device.
Reason four: That screen notch
One of the more ‘controversial’ aspects of the iPhone X is that screen notch at the top of the display, which eats into the usable screen space.
Not only does this look quite weird but it also intrudes into your photos and other bits, which is less than ideal. You’ll also find that the likes of webpages are pushed towards the centre of the display, complete with thick white borders that show all of that wasted space in its full glory.
Reason five: Animojis
Just look at this hot mess. Frankly, this kind of nonsense should be strongly discouraged, before we all devolve into gibbering overgrown kids. Hence, it’s one more reason to buy the 8 Plus over the X.
Reason six: Battery life
Head over to Apple’s own iPhone comparison table and you’ll notice that the iPhone 8 Plus performs better than its more expensive brethren in the company’s battery tests. No doubt a result of the smaller screen, which saps less charge.
Okay, so it’s not exactly a massive difference, but to be honest we’re starting to struggle to come up with eight different reasons to buy the 8 Plus instead. So nergghhh.
Reason seven: Impatient types can bag the 8 Plus right now
If you can’t hang on another month for some hot iPhone action, the good news is that the 8 Plus is available to buy right now. And since many people seem to be hanging on for the iPhone X, you shouldn’t have any trouble finding a unit from most retailers and providers here in the UK.
Reason eight: Supply issues
Lots of troublesome rumours have been circling online about the iPhone X facing serious supply issues. Word is that the components responsible for the FaceID facial recognition – and that bloody Animoji nonsense – might be in short supply. Hence, anyone waiting for the special edition model might have to hang on even longer.
Interested in buying the iPhone 8 Plus? O2 is offering it and its smaller sibling, the iPhone 8, right now on contract in the UK. Find out more about O2’s iPhone 8 plans here and iPhone 8 Plus plans here.
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