iPhone 8 Plus (2017) A Comprehensive Look Back at Apple's Mid-Cycle Flagship
Released in September 2017, the iPhone 8 Plus marked a pivotal moment in Apple’s smartphone lineup. While the company also unveiled the much-anticipated iPhone X during the same year, the iPhone 8 Plus remained a crucial model for users who still preferred the traditional design of the iPhone. With its blend of familiar aesthetics, cutting-edge technology, and incremental improvements, the iPhone 8 Plus represented a stable choice for those not ready to make the leap to the futuristic, bezel-less iPhone X. Let’s take a closer look at the iPhone 8 Plus, its key features, and how it performed in the context of its time.
Design and Display
The iPhone 8 Plus retained much of the design language introduced with the iPhone 6 in 2014, making it an immediate recognizable device for iPhone users. It featured a 5.5-inch Retina HD display, a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, and a color gamut capable of producing vibrant, true-to-life colors. The display also supported True Tone technology, which automatically adjusted the color balance of the screen based on ambient lighting conditions, offering a more comfortable viewing experience.
A notable change in the iPhone 8 Plus compared to its predecessors was the glass back. This shift from metal to glass was more than just aesthetic—it was a functional change that enabled wireless charging. The glass back was crafted with a durable, scratch-resistant material, while the frame retained its aluminum design. The iPhone 8 Plus was also IP67 water- and dust-resistant, providing some peace of mind against spills or rain.
Despite the updates, the design of the iPhone 8 Plus was not particularly revolutionary. While some users appreciated the familiar feel of the device, others felt it lacked the modern flair that came with the iPhone X’s edge-to-edge OLED display. However, the iPhone 8 Plus continued to appeal to those who valued a larger, more traditional form factor.
Performance and Power
Under the hood, the iPhone 8 Plus was powered by the A11 Bionic chip, which was a major leap in processing power and efficiency compared to previous models. With its six-core design, the A11 Bionic featured two high-performance cores that were up to 25% faster than the A10 chip in the iPhone 7, and four high-efficiency cores that consumed 50% less power. This chip was paired with an improved GPU, which delivered up to 30% better graphics performance.
The combination of the A11 Bionic and Apple's optimization ensured that the iPhone 8 Plus was exceptionally fast for its time. Whether handling complex apps, games, or augmented reality (AR) experiences, the device performed smoothly, offering a level of speed and responsiveness that exceeded the capabilities of many Android competitors. Apple’s iOS 11 operating system, launched alongside the iPhone 8 Plus, was designed to take full advantage of the chip's power, delivering a refined user interface and more intelligent features.
The iPhone 8 Plus was available in two storage configurations: 64GB and 256GB. However, unlike some of its Android counterparts, it lacked the ability to expand storage via a microSD card, a limitation that some users found frustrating.
Camera Capabilities
One of the standout features of the iPhone 8 Plus was its dual-camera system, which was a significant improvement over the previous generationThe telephoto lens enabled optical zoom up to 2x, and the iPhone 8 Plus could also perform digital zoom up to 10x. This setup enabled the device to take sharp, high-quality photos in various lighting conditions, with great detail and vibrant colors.
Additionally, the Portrait Mode, first introduced with the iPhone 7 Plus, was further refined in the iPhone 8 Plus. The camera now supported Portrait Lighting, which offered adjustable lighting effects for more professional-looking portraits. The feature simulated studio-quality lighting, allowing users to fine-tune the shadows, highlights, and other lighting aspects of their photos.
For video recording, the iPhone 8 Plus supported 4K video at up to 60 frames per second (fps) and 1080p HD video at up to 240 fps, making it a powerhouse for videography. The Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) and improved video processing helped create smoother, more stable footage, even in shaky conditions.
Battery Life and Charging
Battery life on the iPhone 8 Plus was generally solid, lasting up to 13 hours of internet use and 21 hours of talk time, thanks to the more efficient A11 Bionic chip. It had a 2,675 mAh battery, which was slightly larger than its predecessor's. The device was also capable of fast charging, allowing for up to 50% charge in just 30 minutes with the appropriate 18W or higher charger (sold separately).
One of the key upgrades to the iPhone 8 Plus was its support for wireless charging using the Qi standard. This feature allowed users to charge their device by placing it on a compatible charging pad, offering greater convenience compared to the traditional Lightning cable.
Software and iOS 11 Features
The iPhone 8 Plus launched with iOS 11, which introduced several new features, including a redesigned Control Center, a new Files app, and enhanced Siri functionality. The update also brought improvements to Apple Pay, Apple Music, and iMessage, along with support for ARKit, which enabled developers to create augmented reality experiences for the iPhone 8 Plus’s powerful A11 Bionic chip.
Moreover, iOS 11 included important security enhancements, such as Face ID support for apps that required biometric authentication (though Face ID was only available on the iPhone X and not the iPhone 8 Plus, which used the Touch ID fingerprint sensor).
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