The 10th anniversary iPhone X hogged all the limelight at Apple’s special event on September 12. Apple also unveiled the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus at the event, which are upgraded versions of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. For some reason, the Cupertino company decided to skip the ‘S’ moniker and call the new device iPhone 8. Here’s the Apple iPhone 8 vs iPhone 7 comparison to show you how the two differ, and whether the iPhone 8 is worth upgrading.
Apple iPhone 8 vs iPhone 7: Design and display
At first glance, the iPhone 8 and iPhone 7 look almost identical. They both have the same 4.7-inch Retina HD LCD screen. Both of them offer the same 1334 x 750 resolution with a 326ppi pixel density. Both the devices support 3D Touch, and both of them have plenty of bezels on top, bottom, and sides. The iPhone 8 retains its predecessor’s physical home button and Touch ID fingerprint sensor.
Now let’s talk about what’s new in the iPhone 8. It gets an iPad Pro-like True Tone display that optimizes the color balance and brightness based on the surrounding environment to offer you the best possible viewing experience. The iPhone 8 also has a glass back panel, unlike the iPhone 7’s 7000-series aluminum back. Even though Apple claims it has used the “most durable glass ever on a smartphone,” at the end of the day it’s glass. It’s more fragile than metal.
Just like iPhone 7, the new iPhone 8 comes with IP67-rating for water-resistance. It also lacks the 3.5mm audio jack.
Apple iPhone 8 vs iPhone 7: RAM and processing power
Powered by the A10 Fusion chip and 2GB RAM, the 4.7-inch iPhone 7 was one of the fastest smartphones released last year. It still is an incredibly powerful phone, capable of running any app in the App Store without lagging. Apple did not reveal how much RAM the iPhone 8 packs, but we know that it’s powered by the latest and greatest A11 Bionic chipset.
The hexa-core A11 Bionic is the fastest processor ever from Apple. It’s build using 10nm manufacturing process. The A11 CPU consists of two performance cores and four high-efficiency cores. The high-efficiency cores are 70% faster, and the performance cores are 25% faster than the previous generation. The iPhone 8 uses the first ever Apple-designed GPU.
Of course, the iPhone 8 is going to be faster than the iPhone 7. But it makes little difference in real-life usage if your iPhone 7 runs smoothly without lagging.
Apple iPhone 8 vs iPhone 7: Camera
The iPhone 7 has one of the best smartphone cameras. It offers 12-megapixel main snapper with an f/1.8 aperture and optical image stabilization. The iPhone 8 has the same 12MP shooter on the back with OIS and an f/1.8 aperture. However, Apple has made a few small changes such as better pixel processing, and faster autofocus. Both devices have a 7-megapixel front camera with an f/2.2 aperture and Retina Flash.
The difference between the iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 cameras isn’t huge enough to prompt an upgrade.
Apple iPhone 8 vs iPhone 7: Battery life
The biggest drawback of iPhones has always been the battery life. Apple says on its website that the iPhone 8 battery “lasts about the same as iPhone 7.” There is little difference between the two. They both offer up to 14 hours of talk time, up to 12 hours of Internet use, up to 13 hours of video playback, and up to 40 hours of music playback.
The only difference is that, thanks to its glass back, the iPhone 8 support wireless charging and fast charging. You can charge the iPhone 8 using Qi charging pads. Apple claims the fast charging technology gives you up to 50% charge in just 30 minutes. The Cupertino company will also launch its own charging mats called AirPower that will be capable of charging your iPhone 8 (or 8 Plus or iPhone X), Apple Watch, and AirPods simultaneously.
Apple iPhone 8 vs iPhone 7: New features
Yeah, the iPhone 8 is going to get some cool new features. But don’t forget that most of them will be part of the iOS 11 software update, which the iPhone 7 users will get on September 19th. The iOS 11 brings peer-to-peer payments via Apple Pay, a new Notification Center, Control Center, an improved Maps app, Do Not Disturb While Driving, animated GIFs, and more. The iPhone 7 users will get all these features with the software update.
Apple iPhone 8 vs iPhone 7: Price
The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus have a starting price of $699 and $799. The iPhone 8 comes in 64GB and 256GB storage options, while the iPhone 7 is available in 32GB and 128GB variants. After announcing the new iPhones, Apple slashed the starting price of iPhone 7 to $549 and that of the iPhone 7 Plus to $669.
Conclusion
The iPhone 8 isn’t a major upgrade over the iPhone 7. If you own an iPhone 7, there is almost no reason to spend nearly $700 on the iPhone 8. The slightly improved camera, faster speed, and wireless charging aren’t worth $700. The iPhone 8 is a worthy upgrade if you are still using the iPhone SE, iPhone 6 or 6S. If you are an iPhone 7 owner and want to upgrade this year, wait for the 10th-anniversary iPhone X. That device will cost you $1,000, though.
