Other From iPhone 8+ to iPhone 11, 12, 13 or 14?

[John981]

My rule of thumb for users like you is to get the model before the most recent one (i.e. the 13). It usually doesn't make sense for someone who's fine with older technology for longer to buy the latest and greatest with the exception of times in which there have been really big leaps forward. But those haven't occurred in a while.

The 13 brought nice improvements, most notably in the battery life since the 12 series was the first to use 5G. The 14 however only offers minimal upgrades like the emergency calls. If you think they're not worthwhile (or aren't available in your region) then there's no reason to spend the extra on the 14.

 

[ApplesAreSweet&Sour]

As it seems you’re not likely to upgrade for several years after this purchase, I’d definitely go 14.

-One of my biggest annoyances with both low and mid tier iPhones is all the app reloading you get on 3 and 4 GB RAM.
It’s not that they’re unusable by any means.

But I know apps and web will only get more videos and multimedia content.

I also expect future iOSs to be more multitasking focused.

So, it’s not that I decidedly think there’s any need to get the latest iPhone for any other reason.

But I would definitely recommend you get a 13 Pro or 14 mid-tier to get that 6GB RAM.

3-4GB ram is not a good value per dollar in a $500+ device of any kind imho.

 

[Helmsley]

Keep the 8 Plus if you're happy with it.

 

[Scarrus]

If tou don’t REALLY NEED a new phone I’d wait at least for the next iPhone. Might bring a redesign and the “simple” iPhone 15 model might be all you need and probably a great phone too.

As for discounts, there will always be discounts. I’d just wait another year.

 

[JoeDezibel]

If you like to use the camera I would go with the 12. I had all iPhone Pro models since the 12 and the camera improvement from 12 to 13 to 14 is not that big.

 

[Mark Stone]

Well it’s already looking like it would most likely be the 13 or 14.

I used my 8 Plus for four years, and loved it. Strong, dependable, and a real looker - but I upgraded to the 13 last March (2022) and am very well pleased. So, from personal experience, I would suggest the 13, which I believe will give us 5 or 6 years of good use. BTW I also purchased the iPad Air 5 and along with the iPhone 13 I am in Apple heaven. Both devices are monsters.

 

[OneBar]

Went from Black Friday Sale 8+ to BFS 11 Pro Max. Great jump but I wouldn't buy any 11 at this point. And honestly I'd be going with Pro devices if my plan was (and it is) to keep the phone for several years between upgrades. I've seen several mentions of 11s not liking iOS16 but my 11PM is on 16.2 with no issues. I'd save up this year, wait til the 15 drops, and get a 14 Pro or Pro Max when their price drops.

 

[Isamilis]

As it seems you’re not likely to upgrade for several years after this purchase, I’d definitely go 14.

-One of my biggest annoyances with both low and mid tier iPhones is all the app reloading you get on 3 and 4 GB RAM.
It’s not that they’re unusable by any means.

But I know apps and web will only get more videos and multimedia content.

I also expect future iOSs to be more multitasking focused.

So, it’s not that I decidedly think there’s any need to get the latest iPhone for any other reason.

But I would definitely recommend you get a 13 Pro or 14 mid-tier to get that 6GB RAM.

3-4GB ram is not a good value per dollar in a $500+ device of any kind imho.

Agreed on bigger RAM in iPhone 14 for longevity. I might consider cheaper iPhone 14 after iPhone 15 release.

 

[ChoiMinji]

How can it be “bulky” when the iPhone 12, 13, and 14 are smaller in every dimension? And lighter too.

Maybe because the 11 is smaller…

 

[dukebound85]

Sure, get a 13 or 14 model if you’re itching for something different, but whatever you do, don’t get rid of the 8. You may regret it

why? I certainly don't

 

[Warped9]

I've messaged my phone supplier (the Mobolity Shop in Brockville, Ontario) who checked my account and what deals are available.

Apparenty I can keep the same cost as my current plan, but the new plan would give me more data--always good. Given the deals available the iPhone 14 looks to be a better value for what I can get (hardware wise) than the 13. As such the 14 is an appealing choice.

The deal available for the 14+ isn't quite as good, but it isn't horrible either, so the question is whether I want to pay more for the bigger screen and bigger battery.

Hmm...

 

[KOTN91]

As other people have said, 13 is the minimum and you definitely shouldn’t consider the 11 or 12. However by the time you’ve decided on a 13, you might as well get a 14 for literally a few quid more

 

[ggibson913]

Normally I would say get the latest but if you have zero issues with your 8 Plus, then you may want to consider hanging onto it until September. The new iPhones are rumored to make the transition to USB C next go around.

 

[CarleighGriffith]

Looks like I'm the only person here who still uses iPhone 7, lol. Actually, it’s my favorite model. I have iPhone 13, 7, and 7 Plus, and my girlfriend has iPhone 14Pro. I still like my 7th model the most. Btw, guys, do any of you have the first iPhone? A few days ago, I found an article on https://zumroad.com/tech about how the first iPhone was released, and it reminded me of how I purchased it. I wonder how much it would have cost if I hadn’t opened it then. Anyway, I’ve never felt the same since I opened the first iPhone.

 

[Warped9]

This afternoon I went to see the 14 and 14 Plus in person. She didn’t have a 14 Plus on hand to show me, but she did have a 13 Pro Max as well as a 14.

The 14 is marginally smaller than my 8+ but with a bigger screen. I liked it. The 13 Pro Max and the 14 Plus are supposedly the same size and thus very similar in size to my 8+ but the 13 PM is noticeably heavier than my 8+ which I did not like. The 14 Plus is supposed to be lighter than the 13 PM, but it left me wondering even though the 14 Plus is only 1 gram heavier than my 8+.

One thing I did not like about the new phones is that you have to use Face ID or passcode to open the phone without a Touch ID option. No, I don’t like that, but I’m stuck with it.

Although my 8+ is older I like the screen ratio a bit better than the 14, but it’s not a deal breaker.

After seeing it I’m finding myself leaning toward the 14.

 

[Scarrus]

I have the 14 Plus and I love it. It’s a great phone, although on the bigger side, but it does give you a lot of screen real estate and I do find myself grabing my laptop less often especially when it comes to things like browsing the web, shopping online, anwsering emails and such. In fact I’m writing this post on it right now.

On the other hand the 13 mini also gives you an amazing amount of screen space, especially for such a small phone.

 

[Tripps9000]

This afternoon I went to see the 14 and 14 Plus in person. She didn’t have a 14 Plus on hand to show me, but she did have a 13 Pro Max as well as a 14.

The 14 is marginally smaller than my 8+ but with a bigger screen. I liked it. The 13 Pro Max and the 14 Plus are supposedly the same size and thus very similar in size to my 8+ but the 13 PM is noticeably heavier than my 8+ which I did not like. The 14 Plus is supposed to be lighter than the 13 PM, but it left me wondering even though the 14 Plus is only 1 gram heavier than my 8+.

One thing I did not like about the new phones is that you have to use Face ID or passcode to open the phone without a Touch ID option. No, I don’t like that, but I’m stuck with it.

Although my 8+ is older I like the screen ratio a bit better than the 14, but it’s not a deal breaker.

After seeing it I’m finding myself leaning toward the 14.

I have the iPhone 14 myself I looked at both 14 pros and the regular 14s and decided the base 14 was right for me I don’t really care it has a chip that is a year old 😂

 

[Warped9]

 

[ian87w]

This afternoon I went to see the 14 and 14 Plus in person. She didn’t have a 14 Plus on hand to show me, but she did have a 13 Pro Max as well as a 14.

The 14 is marginally smaller than my 8+ but with a bigger screen. I liked it. The 13 Pro Max and the 14 Plus are supposedly the same size and thus very similar in size to my 8+ but the 13 PM is noticeably heavier than my 8+ which I did not like. The 14 Plus is supposed to be lighter than the 13 PM, but it left me wondering even though the 14 Plus is only 1 gram heavier than my 8+.

One thing I did not like about the new phones is that you have to use Face ID or passcode to open the phone without a Touch ID option. No, I don’t like that, but I’m stuck with it.

Although my 8+ is older I like the screen ratio a bit better than the 14, but it’s not a deal breaker.

After seeing it I’m finding myself leaning toward the 14.

The regular 14 is still a huge upgrade from the 8. The camera alone will surely impress you thanks to smartHDR and night mode. The OLED screen will give more brilliant colors than the LCD on the 8.

 

[Tsepz]

I have the 7+, and I'm also thinking of upgrading. Let me share my thoughts:

Here are the phones I would consider:
- iPhone 14 Pro/Pro Max: Apple's best iPhone today. Cons: price and availability.
- iPhone 13: Probably best in terms of price and newness. It's cheaper than the iPhone 14 while sporting essentially the "same" chip. Cons: it only has 4GB of RAM, so longevity might be an issue years from now. Also, it doesn't have telephoto lens, although you'll get an ultra wide lens.
- iPhone 13 Pro/Pro Max: If you have the budget, this is a great buy. It has 6GB of RAM, telephoto lens, and pro motion display. Basically all the user facing premium features of an iPhone except the dynamic island. Cons: it's already discontinued, so you might have to hunt around.

Honorable mentiones:
- iPhone 14/14 Plus: if you look at youtubers and tech forums, nobody is supposed to like this phone. However, it is actually still a decent buy. It has 6GB of RAM so longevity is better than the 13. The 14 Plus also will give you excellent battery life. Cons: no premium features like telephoto lens/pro motion display, and for the price, the 13 Pro/Pro Max is a more premium phone for the money.
- iPhone 11 Pro/Pro Max: Best phone on the classic rounded design. Weight is still reasonable. Excellent battery life, and performance is still great. Cons: 4G only, and probably harder to find as it's quite old.

Phones I would avoid:
- iPhone 11 regular: At this point, if you like the design, better wait for the upcoming SE 4.
- iPhone 12 lineup: smaller batteries than the 11 series lineup, 1st gen inefficient 5G modem resulting in poor battery life. Add on 64GB base storage, you will have to spend more money to get reasonable storage (128GB of more), and by then, might as well get the iPhone 13.

This is a brilliant summation!
If I was Tim Cook I would put you as head of product!

 

[Warped9]

My 8+ has been, is, a good phone for the past four plus years. I have never had any issues with it and I’ve never dropped it. Initially I had an Otterbox case on it, but I found that too bulky so I went with an Apple silicone case. Much slimmer feeling although the silicone materiel felt weird at first, but I soon got used to it. One benefit of the silicone case was it made it easy to grip the phone—never feels like it will slide out of your hands.

My battery capacity is currently at 85%. And how much longer will it accept new OS upgrades? I just upgraded it to iOS16 and it will most likely accept 17 next year—which means it has at least two years of up-to-date service life left in it. But will it later accept iOS18? And by then the battery capacity will certainly be less than what it is now.

And, admittedly, there is a small degree of liking the idea of having something new.


After weighing everything I’m inclined to go for the iPhone 14. It’s a solid upgrade in all respects over my 8+ (except not having Touch ID) including having a bigger screen yet within a slightly smaller, and lighter, chassis. I can also get a better deal on a 14 than on the 14 Plus. The 14 Plus is tempting given it is nearly the same in size, dimensions and weight to my 8+ yet with a much larger screen.

A good alternative to the 14 is the 13 Pro which is identical in size, but weighs more, and actually seems to have a superior camera to the 14. But the camera is not a major consideration for me and the 14’s is still a good one.

 

[Spotlighter9]

14. It’s a solid upgrade in all respects over my 8+ (except not having Touch ID) including having a bigger screen yet within a slightly smaller, and lighter, chassis.

As already mentioned earlier in this thread...the 14 is NOT a bigger screen...it is a TALLER screen than the 8+. The 8+ display is indeed WIDER than the 14's display. If you like viewing at 16:9 aspect ratio in a large screen size then the iPhone 14 will disappoint over the 8+. Go for the 14 plus.

 

[Warped9]

Strictly speaking the 14's screen is indeed larger than the 8 Plus' in terms of area although it's only 3-5 percent more of usable space, and that includes subtracting the notch and the area on both sides of it.



So my assessment of having a larger display within a smaller chassis is valid. It simply means I won't notice any significant difference over what I have now in terms of screen size. Even so the 14 has 460 ppi vs. the 8's 401 so I should notice a difference there.

 

[cuzo]

As it seems you’re not likely to upgrade for several years after this purchase, I’d definitely go 14.

-One of my biggest annoyances with both low and mid tier iPhones is all the app reloading you get on 3 and 4 GB RAM.
It’s not that they’re unusable by any means.

But I know apps and web will only get more videos and multimedia content.

I also expect future iOSs to be more multitasking focused.

So, it’s not that I decidedly think there’s any need to get the latest iPhone for any other reason.

But I would definitely recommend you get a 13 Pro or 14 mid-tier to get that 6GB RAM.

3-4GB ram is not a good value per dollar in a $500+ device of any kind imho.

You know honestly I think this whole memory thing is tricky I had a 11 pro max and yes it needed to reload every darn application once I switched back to it but I got a android which I'm waiting to dump and I have 8 gigs and it does the same exact thing.

I'm guessing or have a strong hunch most of us put too much emphasis on ram and instead it's how the apps are coded will depend on how often it needs to be refreshed.

Also I was considering the 11 with no 5G but don't want to end up having issues with my carrier due to no 5G.

Will wait for a 14 plus

 

[cuzo]

Strictly speaking the 14's screen is indeed larger than the 8 Plus' in terms of area although it's only 3-5 percent more of usable space, and that includes subtracting the notch and the area on both sides of it.



So my assessment of having a larger display within a smaller chassis is valid. It simply means I won't notice any significant difference over what I have now in terms of screen size. Even so the 14 has 460 ppi vs. the 8's 401 so I should notice a difference there.

Maybe I'll throw in a hunch that the reason my typing was so awesome of the old 8plus was the space for my thumbs to hold while laying my fingers perfectly on the keyboard.

Maybe I'm overthinking it but even on the 11 pro max my typing kinda wasn't as good.