The Fairest iPhone of Them All
Some thoughts on the iPhone 8 ahead of the iPhone X
Last year, I bought an iPhone 7 on launch day because I couldn’t get the phone I really wanted: the “Jet Black” iPhone 7 Plus. I was simply too slow on the pre-order trigger. So while I waited, I used the smaller device for a couple weeks. This year, I have a much better excuse for getting the iPhone 8.
I’ve again been living with the smaller version of Apple’s updated line for the past few weeks because the phone I really want, the iPhone X, won’t be available until November. And even then, by all accounts, it will be in very, very short supply. Even if I’ve drastically improved my trigger speed from last year, I may be “stuck” with the 8 until the holidays. Or, god forbid, 2018.
But is it actually being “stuck” or is the iPhone 8 a good device? Well of course it is. It’s an iPhone, after all. And it’s just like last year’s model, but a little better in a handful of ways. So, no, you shouldn’t feel too badly for me. Or anyone who gets the iPhone 8 (or, presumably, the iPhone 8 Plus, which I have not bought and/or tried and don’t plan to — see, I’m not totally insane).
Having said that, this iPhone 8 feels like the smallest “step up” I can recall in the iPhone line. Obviously, some years bring “ticks” and some years are “tocks” — that is, “mere” speed and more subtle enhancements to the iPhone line versus bigger, more obvious overhauls — and the iPhones 8 are very clearly ticks to the iPhone X’s tock.
The distinction is even more pronounced this year since Apple did something they haven’t done in the past: a tick and a tock in the same year! I’m sure Apple would prefer I categorize it as two “tocks” in the same year, but again, having used the iPhone 8 for a few weeks now, it’s firmly in the “tick” camp.
And there’s nothing wrong with that! But Apple did seem to go out of its way to tell us how these iPhone 8 models weren’t just “little brothers” to the X because they actually have many of the same internals — the A11 “Bionic” chip, “True Tone” displays, etc. The biggest differences between the two lines are outward-facing (the design of the X, the OLED screen, and FaceID). All good stuff. But in actually using the iPhone 8, it’s honestly hard to notice a big difference from the iPhones 7. This isn’t just because they largely look the same — more on this in a bit — but they also seem to roughly run the same. That is, they don’t feel noticeably faster than last year’s models.
Sometimes this happens in the iPhone line — often in the “tock” years when changes are less about speed. It can also take a while for apps to be optimized for the new capabilities of the new devices. But we’re a few weeks in now and I’m just not really feeling it. And just to make sure, I’m still switching back-and-forth to my iPhone 7 Plus here and there. And, to be honest, in certain situations, the iPhone 8 actually feels like it carries a bit more lag.¹ Undoubtedly, this is a direct result of the smaller iteration having less RAM than the larger variety (including last year’s Plus).² So maybe that’s an unfair comparison, but I don’t believe it is. This is a brand new device! It’s weird: sometimes the iPhone 8 feels and acts slower than the iPhone 7 Plus…
Having said something harsh, now I’ll say something nice. The iPhone 8 may be the most beautiful iPhone ever. I opted for the white/silver variety (since it’s most different from the black model I normally carry around). And I’m glad I did. Whereas with previous models, I didn’t love the look of the silver aluminum back of the white versions, the iPhones 8 feature a stunning pure white glass back. I actually think they look better than the black versions of the phone this year. (Gold just isn’t my thing.)
As a result of the glass back, they also feel a bit better to hold than last year’s aluminum models (though more similar to the Jet Black varieties last year). And this glass back offers one other big advantage: wireless charging.
I wasn’t sure how big of a deal this would be — especially since it’s not actually power-over-the-air charging, but rather, lay-your-device-on-a-power-mat charging. But it’s actually pretty nice. I bought one of the Mophie power pads, and it works well. Yes, devices charge more slowly this way, but it’s a great bedside charger for overnight where speed isn’t the priority.
And one final, but noticeable difference is that all the regulatory mumbo jumbo has been removed from the backs of the iPhones this year. So the only actual marking on the back of the device is simply the word “iPhone”. This is nice. Coupled with the white glass back, the iPhone 8 looks elegant. Yes, camera bump and all.
Anyway, those are really the only things I have to say about the iPhone 8. It’s a nice update, but very much a “tick”. It’s probably the best-looking iPhone ever (and that may include the iPhone X when it comes out thanks to the unfortunate notch — we’ll see). But in some cases, notably if you’re coming from an iPhone 7 Plus (which, admittedly, is probably a weird move), it may actually be a tick backwards in terms of lag.³
If you’re not interested in the X — if, for example, you fear it may have some of the kinks that first iterations of Apple products often have before they’re ironed out — the iPhone 8 is a pretty nice step up from the iPhone 7, but definitely not vital. Ditto, I’m sure, for the step from the iPhone 7 Plus to iPhone 8 Plus. Stepping up from the 6S models is another story, I’m sure. More a “tock”-like feeling. Me? I’ll continue waiting for the X…
¹ Certainly, apps feel like they have to refresh more often…
³ Obviously the battery life isn’t a fair comparison versus the much larger Plus models, so I won’t even go there. But again, I was surprised by the lag issue.
