With iPhone X pre-orders set to begin on October 27th a lot of consumers are wondering if Apple’s newest device is the one they should pick up or if there are better options on the market. For those who aren’t sold on the iPhone X, the iPhone 8 is a natural choice as another potential option when shopping for a new smartphone. Of course, the question that immediately comes up is whether the iPhone 8 can compete with the iPhone X. That’s like comparing a reliable Toyota Corolla with a beautiful new Porsche, right? Not so fast. The iPhone 8 may not have some of the bells and whistles that you can find packed into the iPhone X but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be on your radar when shopping for a smartphone this fall. Let’s take a look at the two devices and see if we can help answer the question: iPhone X or iPhone 8?
iPhone X or iPhone 8 – Look At That Display!
This is where you are going to see the biggest different when comparing the iPhone X and iPhone 8. The iPhone X has a 5.8-inch 2436 x 1125 display while the iPhone 8 is a little smaller at 4.7-inches with a resolution of 1334 x 750 pixels. Clearly you get some more real estate and a higher resolution if you choose the iPhone X. That may or may not be a big selling point for you. If your smartphone is mostly for sending emails and browsing social media then the display will have less of an impact on you versus someone who uses their smartphone for watching videos and enjoying plenty of media.
The other big difference between the two displays is the type of display used in each device. The iPhone 8 uses an LCD display while the iPhone X is the first iPhone to use an OLED display. What’s the difference? Well, we could probably write an entire article about the differences between OLED displays and LCD displays. OLED displays tend to have much better contrast. Black is actually black on an OLED display because the individual pixels do not light up when displaying an area of the screen that is supposed to be black. A lot of people think OLED displays have better color reproduction compared to LCD displays. This is somewhat also dependent on software and calibration so it’s hard to say one is better than the other. In other words… The OLED display is better but some people may not notice the difference or care about the difference.
iPhone X or iPhone 8 – How About Design?
You don’t have to be a tech geek to notice that the iPhone 8 and iPhone X utilize two very different designs. The iPhone 8 is the traditional iPhone design that we have come to know and love over the years. On the other side of things is the iPhone X – a completely new design from Apple. The iPhone X follows the bezel-less design trend that has really taken hold in the smartphone industry over the last year. Samsung did it, LG did, Google did it, and Apple is going with the bezel-less design as well. In terms of size, the two devices are pretty close with the iPhone X measuring in just a little larger than the iPhone 8. This is where the bezel-less design really shines, in my opinion. You get a lot more screen real estate to use and enjoy without having to haul around a much larger device.
iPhone X or iPhone 8 – Taking Photos
There isn’t much debate in the camera category. Obviously, both cameras will take great photos. However, if you want to take the best photos then you’re going to want to get the iPhone X over the iPhone 8. The iPhone X has a dual sensor camera which makes it great for the augmented reality applications we saw in the iPhone X launch event. Also, with two sensors, the iPhone X camera can take in more light which makes it much better in low-light situations when compared with single sensor cameras like the iPhone 8.
iPhone X or iPhone 8 – What About The Extras?
Internally, the iPhone X and iPhone 8 are surprisingly similar. Both devices have the new A11 Bionic chipset which is arguably the best mobile chip on the market. With that said, there are a lot of small differences between the two devices. You may have noticed that the iPhone X no longer has a home button. This means that users will make use of gestures to navigate through their iPhone X. The iPhone 8, on the other hand, retains the trusty home button that we all know how to use. With the loss of the home button, the iPhone X also loses TouchID. If you really need a fingerprint sensor then the iPhone X may disappoint you in that department. With that said, the iPhone X makes up for the loss of TouchID with the addition of FaceID. You likely saw this features shown during the launch event. It uses an infrared sensor to scan the user’s face and unlock their device as well as perform a variety of other tasks. The iPhone 8 does not have the revolutionary FaceID. It would be nice if the iPhone X had both FaceID and TouchID but I guess you can only have so much in a single device.
Both devices feature wireless charging which is new to the Apple lineup this year. Best of all, Apple used the Qi wireless charging standard which means any compatible wireless charging pad should work with the new iPhone X and iPhone 8. Of course, Apple will also be selling their own wireless charging pad if you want to pay a little more for an Apple branded device.
iPhone X or iPhone 8 – What’s The Verdict?
It’s pretty clear that the iPhone X is the winner in almost every department but, to be fair to the iPhone 8, the gap isn’t as big as some might think. The price will be the ultimate decider for many people. At $999, the iPhone X is $300 more than the iPhone 8 which comes in at $699 to start. $300 is a good chunk of change. Of course, the iPhone X packs in a better display, an all-new design, FaceID, dual sensor camera, and some other small changes. Everyone looks at money differently so $300 to one person may be nothing while $300 to another person is a lot of money. If money was not a consideration then there’s no question: you buy the iPhone X. The biggest issue with getting the iPhone X, other than price, is going to be availability. Many analysts are expecting the device to sell out incredibly fast and units will be hard to find in-store until the new year. If you want a new device now and you want to save some money; the iPhone 8 is a great device that you can pick up for a cool $699. If you want the latest and greatest new thing; well… I hope you’re reading this while standing in line outside of an Apple Store.
What do you think? iPhone X or iPhone 8? Is the higher price worth it this fall?
