Josh McConnell

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iPhone 8 and 8 Plus review: Wireless charging, better camera set stage for iPhone X

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Well, okay, so maybe it's.

Releasing on Sept. 22, the iPhone 8 (starting at $929) and the iPhone 8 Plus (starting at $1,059) could be the first of a staged release by Apple that can end using a shiny new flagship phone at the outset of November. While the new iPhone 8 models share an identical design as past iPhones, some of the incremental improvements are setting the stage for the 10th anniversary iPhone X.

I've been with all the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus as my daily day-to-day devices for a week now. Though they may not be as compelling associated with an upgrade for users of recently's iPhone 7 models, individuals who have been using one of the iPhone 6 group of phones or older will want to take note if they need a whole new device without paying the steeper iPhone X price.

Design, wireless charging and specs

The first thing you notice (and feel) in regards to the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus will be the new glass back design for your devices — available in space gray, gold and silver colours. Apple claims it it's the most durable glass ever” in a smartphone having a 50 % deeper strengthening layer, reinforced using a steel substructure and aerospace-grade” 700 series aluminum band.

While I didn't carry out a drop test to determine how much pressure the brand new iPhone could take, one's body does feel sturdy and premium in the hands. The glass back is surprisingly not too slippery (though it does like fingerprints), but a good compromise for the end result from the design change: wireless charging.

After treatment of headphone jack recently to encourage wireless audio, Apple is now wanting to move people away from charging power having a cable, too. The company has adopted the Qi open universal wireless standard, which already has accessories in the wild and incorporated into places for example cars, airports, cafes, hotels plus more.

Apple's Phil Schiller speaks about the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus' new wireless charging capabilities. David Paul Morris/Bloomberg

Wireless charging is, without a doubt, one of the most interesting new feature inside the iPhone this generation. Simply tossing the product on a power mat or possibly a designated circle included in furniture at various retail establishments can be quite appealing for the convenience alone. I've been testing wireless charging with a Belkin power mat and delay pills work well, nevertheless it does have a tendency to charge more slowly than a USB cable and it can be tougher to utilize the device as well since it needs to be lying on the base (at least using a cable you can move it around while plugged in).

The other significant change is the processor, as Apple's proprietary chip improve the power and functionality again in 2010. Called the A11 Bionic, the processor will be the same one we will see within the iPhone X on Nov. 3.

The A11 Bionic is supposed to be as much as 70 percent faster efficiency cores, as much as 25 percent faster performance cores and up to 30 per cent faster GPU. Fancy numbers aside, Apple has experimented with refine the chip to intelligently manage itself by directing tasks between power and efficiency cores according to what is being done. More frequent tasks which might be less demanding for the hardware, like texting or web browsing, use less energy while such things as gaming or video editing can have thrown more power at them about the fly.

The A11 Bionic's GPU also uses Apple's graphics software called Metal 2, which lets developers make good quality console-like 3D games and stronger augmented reality experiences.

Camera, augmented reality and portraits

Speaking of augmented reality, the upgraded 12-megapixel camera inside the new iPhone 8 and 8 Plus is considered to be calibrated with new sensors — including gyroscope and accelerometer — for further accurate AR.

I surely could test out early builds of various augmented reality apps as well as the capabilities do feel improved over previous iPhone models a minimum of. IKEA's AR app i want to place furniture around my home to find out how it fit while being viewed from all of angles, for instance. Games like The Machines created for an impressive AR knowledge about tactical gameplay, including maneuvering throughout the battlefield and having the audio grow louder because you move closer to the action. Other apps like Sky Guide and Insight Heart allow me to use augmented reality for educational purposes.

An iPhone 8 runs an augmented reality app. AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez

Augmented reality aside, the updated camera inside the iPhone 8 does feel like an improvement in the iPhone 7 a year ago. The sensor is larger and faster which has a new colour filter which make the colours stronger. Better optical image stabilization means less motion blur and noise in low-light photos and videos, that is certainly true nonetheless it still doesn't completely take away the problem. That said, in an ideal lighting situation, the shutter time is a bit more instant for better quick action shots or videos.

Phil Schiller explains the modern portrait lighting mode in the iPhone 8 Plus AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez

Also, the A11 Bionic processor allows for an image signal processor to detect elements inside a scene or location — like motion, people or lighting — to try to optimize photos could the capture button is tapped. Again, the improvement is certainly noticeable but won't be as prominent to the people already while using iPhone 7's camera. Better samples of perks through the processor will be the wider colour capture, quicker autofocus and much better HDR photos — all improvements which are harder to deny.

Apple even offers a new custom video encoder that means faster frame rates and better compression, meaning they take up less space. Combine better compression with the iPhone 8's boost in storage (now 64GB and 256GB) and you have an affordable chunk of physical space now for video and photos, aside from when considering iCloud.

The iPhone 8 Plus receives additional perks as opposed to iPhone 8 due to its dual camera setup. Now portrait mode images look better because with the improved wide-angle camera, but additionally there is a portrait lighting” feature in beta that allows you to adjust how a photo looks in real time and when you take it. Using the newest processor, the program has facial landmarking and depth maps so it is possible to create shadows or highlights, adjust the lighting and put a black background around your face for any stage effect.

Though the portrait lighting is still in beta and is like it can use some refining for accuracy — as did the main portrait mode a year ago — it still is impressive and fun, particularly for anyone living the Instagram lifestyle.

Display, speakers and more

The 4.7-inch (iPhone 8) and 5.5-inch (iPhone 8 Plus) displays now have True Tone support, as first seen in the iPad Pro. Using sensors to measure ambient light, the white balance of the screen adjusts to take a look more natural and lower eye strain. This was obviously a welcomed feature to the iPad Pro and noticeable for the iPhone while you wander in and out of assorted environments.

iPhone 8 and 8 Plus have wide colour gamut and improved colour accuracy, that helps when watching high definition and professionally shot content. The screen's improvements are handy when taking photos and videos with the phone's improved camera, as the colours seem to be more accurate whenever you move this content to other devices now.

The new iPhone 8 Plus is displayed inside the showroom after the modern product announcement at the Steve Jobs Theater on the brand new Apple campus on Tuesday, Sept. 12 AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez

The phone's stereo speakers happen to be tweaked to be 25 percent louder at the same time, Apple says. I had no scientific means of measuring that, however the audio does manage to max out higher than in previous generations and I already enjoyed the iPhone 7's stereo speakers.

Combine these new hardware features with Apple's new operating-system iOS 11 — that literally brings things like a better Siri, improved AirPlay as well as a redesigned Control Center — as well as the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus do feel as if they run more smoothly.

The bottomline

It's not that the modern features aren't noticeable, because they are. Testing Apple's claims of improvements inside iPhone 8 and 8 Plus appear to check out and all sorts of are welcomed, nonetheless they still feel incremental when compared to a year ago's iPhone 7 models.

While the value-added on an upgrade from this past year may be lower, individuals who have been sitting on an iPhone 6 or 6s device (or earlier) will notice a significant difference and benefit.

The new iPhone 8, iPhone X (centre) and iPhone 8 Plus Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

That is, needless to say, if they don't want to wait a little longer for that flagship iPhone X in regards out in November. Though many of the internal hardware may be the same, it can have extra features and a whole new design which could more warrant an upgrade for some.

Then there may be the other end with the spectrum. Someone who is sitting on an old iPhone 5-series or iPhone 6 and might not want the latest will now have cheaper used or refurbished options in the iPhone 6s or iPhone 7 models. This should be a great season for iPhone upgrading.

All said, the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus are easily the best phones you can get from Apple at the moment if you are looking with an upgrade. Just bear in mind, however, that it is already scheduled to be replaced because latest and greatest come Nov. 3 using the iPhone X.

The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus release on Sept. 22.

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