Apple iPhone 8 Plus review

If you’re looking for a stunning new design from the 8 Plus, you’ll be disappointed. Reviewers point out it looks almost exactly the same as its predecessor.

With that said, Apple added slight changes such as a durable glass rear. Though Apple touts it as the “most durable glass ever on an iPhone” experts still recommend a case.

But adding glass also added extra weight. The 8 Plus weighs around 202g without a case. For many, this was almost too heavy for comfortable use. Add in its width of 3.07 inches and it’s no wonder experts consider it bulky and unwieldy to use one-handed.

The 5.5 inch IPS display offers the same full HD experience as the iPhone 7 Plus. While not an improvement over previous models on paper, critics are quick to point out the display is crisp. They also noted excellent detail, good contrast and excellent natural color balance.

The one addition to the screen is True Tone technology, which adjusts the color temperature based on ambient light conditions. It’s a very subtle change. But when compared to a 7 Plus, reviewers found the display on the 8 Plus looked more natural.

The iPhone 8 Plus is no slouch in the performance department. It sports the same six-core A11 Bionic processor as the iPhone X.

When pitted against high-end Snapdragon chips, experts found it very comparable. In real life testing, they were blown away by its speed. They noticed no lag or delay—even when pushing the processor to the limit by multi-tasking, playing graphics intensive games or using an augmented reality app.

Battery life didn’t blow critics away, but they could get around a full day out of a single charge—even with intensive use. The 8 Plus also offers quick charging and wireless charging so you can top your phone off quickly if needed.

Cameras are one of the biggest draws for iPhones. The 8 Plus is no exception. The rear camera is a dual 12-megapixel lens setup. One has optical image stabilization and an f/1.8 lens while the other is an f/2.8 telephoto lens. Apple has also increased the size of the imaging sensor and added a new image signal processor.

All of this together means the 8 Plus should take amazing pictures. When reviewers tested it, this held true. The camera focused quickly on subjects. Reviewers also praised the camera for its detailed pictures with vibrant colors and great dynamic range regardless of lighting conditions.

The main update to the camera, however, is Portrait Mode and Portrait Lighting. Both use depth information and facial mapping to provide a creamy bokeh background and illuminate faces in difficult lighting situations.

While a decent phone, reviewers have a hard time recommending the iPhone 8 Plus. The Guardian states, “If you’re an iPhone-only buyer... don’t buy the iPhone 8 Plus at the very least until you’ve seen what the iPhone X is capable of…” Trusted Reviews adds, “I really like the iPhone 8 Plus, but I have a feeling I’m going to like the iPhone X more.”