{"id":44194,"date":"2017-09-23T07:51:32","date_gmt":"2017-09-23T07:51:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/?p=44194"},"modified":"2017-09-23T13:06:04","modified_gmt":"2017-09-23T13:06:04","slug":"apple-iphone-8-plus-early-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/technology\/apple-iphone-8-plus-early-review.html","title":{"rendered":"Apple iPhone 8 Plus Early Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

Apple iPhone 8 Plus Early Review: A Big Leap Forward With A Great Surprise<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

I haven’t had the iPhone 8 Plus for long, so I’m not fully reviewing it yet. I did, however, think it was worth looking at it from the perspective of someone who didn’t attend the Apple launch and this year, for the first time in ages, didn’t watch the live stream. So when I unboxed the 8 Plus, it was my first time seeing the phone.<\/span><\/p>\n

The iPhone 8 Plus loan sample I’m using was sent to me by UK retailer Direct Mobiles so I didn’t get a choice in colour, however, I’m quite pleased to have the Gold device for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it’s enabled me to see how much of the Rose Gold colour there is here and secondly, it’s much nicer to have a bold colour for photos than either Silver or Space Gray. Anyway, the Gold is excellent and Apple’s done a really good job blending the bold colour of the metal with the rear finish.<\/span><\/p>\n

So what’s the surprise?<\/span><\/p>\n

Wireless charging. Honestly. I expected an experience that mirrors the ones I’ve had with Android devices. Competent at best, but often frustration at putting the phone down and it not picking up the charger. A slightly sluggish start to the charge cycle is also common on other phones too. Not with the iPhone 8 though. Using my Samsung wireless charger I was thrilled to discover that the iPhone 8 Plus immediately starts the charging cycle and feels a lot more snappy than other phones.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is, to me, a good example of what Apple does best. It’s not always first with technology and wireless charging is nothing new. But if you want “normal” consumers using a tech like wireless it has to be seamless and easy. I feel like Apple has managed that when others have struggled. I don’t know how it managed it either, but the experience felt better.<\/span><\/p>\n

I do wish Apple had put a wireless charger in the box, but this is just a fantasy – that wouldn’t happen with Apple and probably wouldn’t with any other mobile firm either.<\/span><\/p>\n

How does it feel?<\/span><\/p>\n

I expected the 8 Plus to feel different. The glass back is nice, but it doesn’t make as much of a difference as I would expect. I think the iPhone 8 is a lovely device, but coming as I am from a 7 Plus it doesn’t feel all that different. It is heavier though, and I feel like it’s quite noticeable in the hand.<\/span><\/p>\n

The big question I had going in was “will it be slippery” and I’m pleased to say that it’s actually not. Well, it is but not enough more than the metal on the iPhone 7 to worry me much. Like most phones it accrues fingerprints at an alarming rate but I bought a job lot of microfibre cloths on Amazon to deal with this exact problem.<\/span><\/p>\n

I suppose if I wanted to be super-critical of the iPhone 8 I could say that it doesn’t feel different enough to the iPhone 7. I expected the glass back to have a more distinctive feel, and the truth is that Apple has just done what it does best, which is producing a product that feels like it has always existed.<\/span><\/p>\n

It’s worth it for the screen<\/span><\/p>\n

One of my favourite features is the True Tone display. Since Apple launched the original iPad Pro 9.7 with this tech I’ve loved how it adapts to the ambient light. The idea is that this phone should always have a display that’s sympathetic to your environment.<\/span><\/p>\n

There’s no resolution boost here from last year, so pixel counters will need to wait for the iPhone X to satisfy their need for higher resolutions. But as always, the iPhone’s display is beautifully crisp, with a wide colour gamut to produce accurate colours.<\/span><\/p>\n

But the True Tone means that when you’re inside, under artificial light, the display isn’t pushing a blue tint at you. This feels a lot more natural to use and paired with Apple’s subtle automatic brightness the iPhone 8 is always giving you an image that feels comfortable. It should also help with colour accuracy too, matching the on-screen image to the ambient light you’re watching in.<\/span><\/p>\n

Camera and video gets a massive boost<\/span><\/p>\n

Apple is using HEVC to record 4K at up to 60 frames per second and, amazingly, slow-motion at 240 frames per second in 1080p. I realise for most people the technical achievement of this is somewhat lost, but I promise you these features are pretty staggering in a smartphone.<\/span><\/p>\n

Although the iOS 11 update to how photos are handled also works on older phones, I do feel like it’s a massive improvement overall. Being able to loop Live Photos and generally have more control over filters feels like it’s going to be significant.<\/span><\/p>\n

There have been other upgrades to the camera and processing but I’ve not had enough time to fully test them yet – I will do so for a full review later.<\/span><\/p>\n

Should you upgrade?<\/span><\/p>\n

First thing’s first, if you’re an iPhone 7 Plus owner, I suspect you’re going to want to hold fire on the iPhone 8 Plus. Last years phone is so good I’ve never got bored of it, or felt I needed to upgrade. This might not be what Apple wants to hear, but I suspect the big upgrade for current 7 Plus owners will be the iPhone 9 Plus next year. Or perhaps jumping to the iPhone X.<\/span><\/p>\n

Personally, I think the people who should upgrade to the iPhone 8 Plus are those with any of the smaller iPhones or the 6 or 6S Plus. The dual camera is so good that if you’re not using it, moving on to it will be such a massive leap forward for you that you’ll be blown away.<\/span><\/p>\n

For Android users, it’s almost certainly a good time to switch. My feeling though is that anyone defecting from Android would probably want to go for the iPhone X, with its interesting features.<\/span><\/p>\n

Obviously, people who can’t live without a headphone jack, or cope with an adaptor should avoid too – but the world is changing around you, it’s time to move on too.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you are upgrading, there’s something important to remember<\/span><\/p>\n

David Phelan pointed this out in his recent article, and I was blown away by the simplicity of how it works. If you’re moving from an older Apple phone that can support iOS 11 it’s worth upgrading before you switch to the new phone. The upgrade process for those who do this is so simple it’s amazing.<\/span><\/p>\n

Very early verdict<\/span><\/p>\n

It’s easy for us writers to forget that normal people don’t usually upgrade their phones every year so even if the iPhone 8 was only a small update it would still be a big change for a lot of users. However the iPhone 8 is a surprisingly big update over last year’s iPhone 7. Camera tweaks, new video options including a more efficient video codec and that glorious True Tone display mean that this is actually a pretty big update. It’s certainly more significant than the usual “S” increment on odd years.<\/span><\/p>\n

It will be interesting to see how popular the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus turn out to be against a backdrop of the more expensive, but more desirable iPhone X. I’ll be honest here, if I was buying I’d go for the X. The real truth is that I’ve been considering pre-ordering the X when it’s available.<\/span><\/p>\n

But if you were hesitating over the iPhone 8, don’t. There are some changes here that make the new iPhone a joy. Wireless charging is a really nice touch and the incremental improvements to the camera are always worth having. If you’re coming from an iPhone 6 or 6S and you want this larger device, I heartily recommend it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Source:-\u00a0https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/ianmorris\/2017\/09\/22\/apple-iphone-8-plus-early-review-a-big-leap-forward-with-a-great-surprise\/#124ab9e8124b<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t <\/div><\/div>\n\t\t