The dust is beginning to settle on the iPhone 8 Plus, after Apple revealed is new device range in California. And keen Apple fans are now seeking out all of the latest information regarding this phablet. While the iPhone X undoubtedly garnered the majority of attention, the iPhone 8 Plus is also an extremely decent smartphone.
Colors
Specs for the iPhone 8 Plus are well established, but what may have escaped the attention of consumers is the colors that the phablet is available in. Buyers can choose between silver, space gray and gold coloring when selecting an iPhone 8 Plus unit, with the rumored red version not coming to fruition.
Deals
With the specs of the iPhone 8 Plus having being well-documented, it is interesting to look at the deals available for this critical smartphone product. And several of the major carriers have already announced information about the new Apple releases.
T-Mobile
T-Mobile has declined to offer a direct discount at the time of writing. But the major carrier will provide a credit of up to $300 for iPhone buyers who trade in any iPhone as recent as the iPhone 6 in good condition. The $300 credit will be distributed via 24 monthly instalments.
AT&T
AT&T has yet to announce any specific discount or trade in offers for the iPhone 8 Plus. But the carrier has indicated its willingness to provide a 32GB iPad to those who purchased an iPhone on its ‘Next’ upgrade plan. Consumers wishing to benefit from this offer must also sign up to a two-year service contract on both eligible devices.
Verizon
Verizon has very much followed the example of T-Mobile, offering consumers $300 in credit to anyone trading in a recent iPhone model for the new iPhone 8 Plus. This offer applies to both new and existing customers, but is dependent on signing up for Verizon’s unlimited plan.
Sprint
Sprint has actually yet to release its offers for the iPhone 8 Plus, indicating that it will announce its deals imminently. But the company has been bullish about its plans for the new smartphone range. CEO Marcelo Claure stated on Twitter that “@sprint will have best #iPhone offer – GUARANTEED.”
Early impressions
Those who have gone hands-on with the iPhone 8 Plus reflect that this is an excellent smartphone, with a clearly inferior screen to the iPhone X. It does seem that the OLED version of the Apple handset will be the standout in 2017. It’ll be interesting to see if Apple switches to OLED for all models next year.
This is, of course, offset by the significantly lower price of the iPhone 8 Plus. And then the general reception for the phablet has been excellent, even if the LCD panel is beginning to look a little dated. The Portrait lighting mode has been particularly praised, and it is clear that this smartphone will probably attract a more than decent tranche of users once it becomes available.
Apple is finally unveiling its next raft of smartphones later today, and among these will be the iPhone 8 Plus. This next generation phablet will carry on a series that has been successful for Apple since it was introduced in 2014 with the iPhone 6 Plus. So what can we expect from this major technology release? Here ValueWalk examine all of the latest information on this handset.
Major leak
Firstly, a major leak has given us an excellent impression of the specifications and design of the iPhone 8 Plus. Indeed, just days ago the very existence of this phablet was yet to be confirmed, with Apple instead expected to brand its OLED smartphone as the iPhone 8, and the two upgraded models probably to be named iPhone 7S devices.
However, this impression turned out to be incorrect, owing to the branding of the OLED smartphone as the iPhone X. The iPhone 8 Plus will then be an upgraded version of last year’s iPhone 7, rather than a revolutionary rebooting of the iPhone concept.
Design
This means that the iPhone 8 Plus specs will obviously reflect this reality, and this begins with the very design of the device. Apple is expected to retain a physical appearance for the iPhone 8 Plus that is very much akin to the existing iPhone 7 generation. This means that the phablet will differ from its iPhone X cousin, which will provide a wraparound display, and is said to be slightly smaller in dimensions than the iPhone 8 Plus.
Display
Nonetheless, the display included in the iPhone 8 Plus should be pretty decent, although it will be interesting to see whether Apple upgrades the resolution. The consensus of opinion is that the iPhone 8 display will probably deliver full HD resolution, as was the case last year, which would distinguish the device from the quad HD iPhone X.
iPhone 8 Plus Features
Some of the more advanced and new features to be included in the iPhone X will not necessarily migrate to the iPhone 8 Plus. Obviously, the wraparound display will be conspicuous by its absence, while the smartphone will probably retain the Home button that has been a feature of Apple smartphones over the years. This would call into question whether the Face ID system will be included in the iPhone 8 Plus as well.
However, we should see wireless charging introduced to the entire iPhone range, and the bigger iPhone will definitely benefit from this much welcome technology.
Camera
In the last generation of the Apple flagship, the iPhone 7 Plus delivered outstanding camera functionality, and was seen as the premium device in the range for this reason. Thus, we will definitely see the iPhone 8 Plus retain the dual-camera that was so popular last year. However, there may not be quite the same focus on photographic improvement with the iPhone 8 Plus, with Apple having apparently concentrated on this aspect of the iPhone X. Other iPhone 8 Plus specs may come to the fore in this generation, rather than its photographic capabilities.
Memory
Based on recent leaks, this is one of the iPhone 8 Plus specs that will not alter in the forthcoming generation. The OLED iPhone X is expected to be revealed with 3GB of RAM memory, so this means that this figure will certainly be retained for the iPhone 8 Plus, as was the case last year with the iPhone 7 Plus.
Storage
However, Apple will deliver more storage in the iPhone 8 generation than in the previous device range, as this aspect of smartphones becomes increasingly squeezed. Reports indicate that the iPhone 8 Plus will benefit from 512GB of storage, all of this being native. There is no evidence, though, that Apple will reconsider its decision regarding micro SD, and this flexible card technology will continue to be excluded from the iPhone range.
Battery
We can reasonably expect a larger battery to appear in the iPhone 8 Plus, as Apple attempts to respond to criticism of the lifecycle of its devices. With the battery in the last generation iPhone 7 Plus having been 2,900 mAh, this means that it is likely that the cell in the bigger iPhone will exceed 3,000 mAh. Coupled with power-saving functionality built into iOS 11, and with potential wireless charging technology also included, this will mean that the iPhone 8 Plus is considerably more convenient to use.
Headphone jack
There is no evidence that Apple intends to reinstate the headphone jack in the iPhone 8 generation. Thus, the iPhone 8 Plus probably won’t feature a 3.5mm port, instead relying on wireless capabilities for music playback. This probably won’t find favor with all Apple fans, but it does seem to be a general direction of the industry, with Google apparently intending to eliminate the headphones jack for the forthcoming Pixel 2.
Price of iPhone 8 Plus
The iPhone 8 Plus price will obviously be a critical aspect of the success of this smartphone, and the device will be to some extent an affordable variant, certainly in comparison to the iPhone X. Media reports have suggested that the iPhone X will retail at around $1,000, so it stands to reason that the price of the iPhone 8 Plus will need to be significantly less than this.
An oft-quoted figure in the media has been $849, which could be the starting point for the entry-level version of the iPhone 8 Plus.
Release date
The overwhelming consensus of opinion is that the iPhone 8 Plus release date will be before the iPhone X. Apple will favor a staggered approach according to media reports, with the iPhone X appearing in October, and the upgraded versions of the smartphone being released before the end of September. Nonetheless, we should expect the iPhone 8 Plus release date to be towards the end of the month, with September 26 having been named by some sources.
