Apple’s newest iPhone, the iPhone 8 Plus, comes with some pretty cool features that justify an upgrade from other iPhone models. Here are three features that make the iPhone 8 Plus worth it, especially if you’re moving from an older model such as the iPhone 6 or iPhone 7.
Screen Quality
The screen on the iPhone 8 Plus is a major improvement over last year’s 7 and 7 plus models. This is thanks to the stunning OLED display that brings colors to life in rich, true-to-life hues. Text, images, and videos pop with detail that really make this phone a worthwhile upgrade. And if you’re looking for even more detail in your images? The iPhone 8 has an improved camera that delivers richer colors and lower light noise so you can get sharper selfies and better shots at night. In our tests, we found the photos from the new dual cameras to be sharp and detailed.
Portrait mode worked very well too, giving photos depth by highlighting key details of a subject against a blurred background.
The size of the 8 Plus also makes it perfect for watching movies or TV shows without having to hold it up close to your face like with other smartphones. However, despite its large size it doesn’t feel bulky in your hand or pocket which I thought was impressive considering how much space it takes up there!
Portrait Mode
The addition of Portrait Mode really takes this camera to a whole new level, and the results are absolutely stunning. The feature basically forces the iPhone 8 Plus to use an artistically blurred background while keeping your subject in sharp focus. You can still take portraits in the normal sense, but portrait mode makes it possible to show two vastly different perspectives with just one picture.
Shooting video is also fun with Portrait Mode because there’s more potential for creative storytelling opportunities like creating a dramatic close-up of someone walking down a hallway that looks like it’s inside a snow globe. And don’t worry about switching back and forth between shooting modes—Portrait Mode can be turned on and off by swiping up from the bottom of the screen. What I love most about portrait mode is how easy it is to change things up.
Rather than get bored or settle for what I have, I’m constantly thinking outside the box when trying to decide how best to shoot my photos or videos. If you’re worried about not getting great shots as often as you would have with a DSLR, don’t fret! You can always turn on Portrait Mode even if you don’t have great lighting or perfect framing because all of those variables are taken care of behind the scenes so all you need to do is snap your photo or start recording!
Telephoto Lens
Apple has boasted that the new iPhone camera system can now produce telephoto images as sharp as those from professional cameras. The telephoto lens sits on the back of the phone, behind two other lenses. There’s also a new Portrait Mode, which uses software to mimic the shallow depth-of-field that you’d get when shooting with a SLR and narrow aperture setting.
More than just smoothing out features for blurring the background or changing their color, it blurs parts of your image selectively. It doesn’t just blur out one thing at a time like many other smartphones’ artificial bokeh modes; it produces shapes to make portrait subjects look 3D while ensuring they’re crisp and in focus.
Low Light Shot Test
The one situation where the iPhone X outperforms the iPhone 8 Plus is in low light. With that said, without the OIS (optical image stabilization) in this low light shot, it is a little hard to tell what’s going on. The only difference between these two photos are brightness and clarity, so to answer our original question of ‘is it worth upgrading for just a slight camera upgrade,’ I would say no. These photos were taken using both front and back cameras with no editing or filters used.
On my left side you can see a ton of extra noise or grain, which I’m assuming was from all the lighting fixtures around me – however, that’s not always going to be your situation. There will be plenty of times when you’re in a dark environment where this photo will actually come out better than if we had done the same test with an iPhone X. In other words, if someone offers to take your picture at night and tells you they have an iPhone 8 Plus, don’t freak out; chances are they’re doing just fine!
Slo-Mo Video Test
The Iphone 8 Plus is a beautiful phone that performs very well. One of the first things I noticed about this phone was how fast it is. Of course, any new phone will seem faster than one you’ve had for a year, but the difference between these two phones feels substantial. This is likely due to the extra RAM and memory on the Iphone 8 Plus, which allows for snappier response times when opening apps or scrolling through websites.
Something else that’s worth mentioning about the Iphone 8 Plus are its camera specs. The device has dual 12MP cameras with optical image stabilization. These cameras perform better in low light situations than the previous iPhone 7 model, which makes it a good choice if you like taking photos at night.
The Iphone 8 Plus is also water resistant – another advantage over some other models in the market (the Samsung Galaxy S8). The device has an IP67 rating meaning that it can withstand immersion in up to 1 meter of water for 30 minutes without sustaining damage (check with your carrier before immersing).
Facetime HD Camera
The front-facing camera, which I use mainly for facetime chats and capturing goofy moments, was incredible. The clear, rich and vibrant resolution on my mom’s face was what really blew me away when I tested the phone out. I had the perfect lighting, too! But the back camera is where the real action is at. This rear lens has an ƒ/1.8 aperture that lets in 60% more light than any other smartphone cameras on the market right now.
With this option you can capture images with a true-to-life color palette that looks amazing even in low light conditions. Portrait mode also works well with this camera – it manages to do a great job of blurring the background without overdoing it so you can still make out your subject. Live Photos are new, as well.
They’re not just regular photos anymore – they have sound and movement built into them thanks to a nifty feature called motion detection. When you turn Live Photos on, your iPhone will automatically save both a still photo and video whenever the shutter button is pressed.
Live Photos is really easy to set up because it’s turned off by default (you’ll need to go into settings), but once you get it going it’ll be fun to see all the tiny details in your pictures that usually get overlooked like leaves rustling or people smiling as they walk past while they’re talking to someone else nearby. On top of all these features there are tons of extra tricks hidden throughout iOS 11 such as editing tools and filters when shooting video or photos.
Battery Life Test
After many months of anticipation, Apple finally released their newest phone, the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus. This is their latest in a long line of stellar phones that have had significant positive impacts on the mobile industry and culture. The 8 comes with several improvements to previous models, which make it a worthwhile purchase for most people.
What do I like about the new phone? It has an IP67 rating, making it water-resistant up to 2 meters for 30 minutes, which is great if you happen to be caught in the rain or drop your phone in water from time to time. It also comes with wireless charging capabilities, so that you never have to fumble around looking for your cables again; and it’s faster than previous models due to its 256 GB memory and 4GB RAM.
The Final Verdict
The IPhone 8 Plus is more of an incremental update to the IPhone line than a radical departure. Still, there are a few new features that make it worthy of consideration, particularly if you’re coming from an older model.
The camera is fantastic and easily its standout feature, and the larger screen sizes and AR features may be worth the price tag. It isn’t going to revolutionize the market like previous versions have, but it is still a worthwhile device. If you’ve been looking for a good upgrade, or want to move up from your smaller screened iPhone 7 Plus or SE, then this is probably the phone for you.