iPhone 8/Plus You'll have to pry my 8 Plus from my cold dead hands

[cornerexit]

Can add I work at a tech/data firm and in an IT-focused group. No one cares about the new iPhones. One guy got the X because he needed a new phone. Another guy got a red 8 because he needed a phone. The developer we work with uses a 6S caseless. I recently complimented him on the headphone jack.

Most people don’t care.

They don’t. I’m in IT/Telco, and know folks who know everything there is to know about the OSI model, work on it daily, and couldn’t give a damn about all this stuff. Most are concerned with price however. Everyone I have talked to has balked about the pricing. They are either purchasing new batteries at Apple for their current device, or buying new protection for it in the form of a case, holster, screen protector or some combination of these. Their existing device value going way up in their opinion as they do not want to drop a grand + for the new widget. I have been doing this for many years and have worked for numerous carriers, both wireline and wireless, and the people who work on boxes all day tend to be much less concerned with the latest phones. They usually buy new devices when there is an attractive offer from their carrier. What I see now is a switch from upgrading every other year to riding that device out, until it no longer works. The non IT folks in my building, I have paid attention lately, and not hard to observe as so many are addicted to their phone, and I see 90% Touch ID phones. Easy to spot on elevators.

I like tech, if it’s a substantial move forward. I am excited about a new IPP that does 4K, allowing me to push 4K content from my IPP to a 4K ATV. I’d love to have that going if MotoGP switches to 4K as I watch my sport by firing it up on the IPP and sending it to the ATV. These phones, meh, I’d love a XS sized XR or even better a 5” - 5.25” version. I like my 7, the size, and weight, but just want an edge to edge version of it and FID as I use gloves a whole lot. Gym, yard work, dog work, winter, shooting, and motorcycle riding would be much easier with FID . My employer’s apps, that I’m required to put on my phone, require an elaborate alphanumeric string for an unlock password which I hate typing in so I’m stuck with the easier route of thumbprint or FID and FID is now preferable but I do not like the current OLED’s from Apple nor the pricing. I’d be staying up late tonight to order a 5” Xr if it were available.

 

[The.Glorious.Son]

Right. Good comments. Maybe I just feel like Apple is trying to ram the X/Xs category down everyone’s throats. This is an interim stage toward that goal. And not everyone likes it, including me. I don’t want the 6/7/8 category to disappear.

That’s the hardest part, right? We like what we like and then when it’s taken away we are left to adapt, accept, or change and sometimes we don’t prefer to do any of those. Look at the poor folks who love the SE. There seem to be quite a few who are left very disappointed without a 4” option.

Part of me wants to suggest that you hold onto that 8 Plus as long as you can. The other part of me wants to suggest that you try to get used to the new design since I’m rather confident the design of the pre-X is done. Only you know which route is the right one for you. I wish you the very best with the decision you make.

 

[Fthree]

I do have to say after having the max for a couple weeks the facial rec is wayyy better than it was on my X. Anyone else experiencing this?

 

[Falhófnir]

That’s the hardest part, right? We like what we like and then when it’s taken away we are left to adapt, accept, or change and sometimes we don’t prefer to do any of those. Look at the poor folks who love the SE. There seem to be quite a few who are left very disappointed without a 4” option.

Part of me wants to suggest that you hold onto that 8 Plus as long as you can. The other part of me wants to suggest that you try to get used to the new design since I’m rather confident the design of the pre-X is done. Only you know which route is the right one for you. I wish you the very best with the decision you make.

Once the XR is launched I might get one as a secondary phone to have a play with the new style, how I get on with not using Face or Touch ID etc. It's cheap enough I'm not really bothered if I don't like it and end up giving it away to someone who wants it as a hand me down. If I like it then I will be more confident putting down the big money for a future XSM successor...

 

[akuma13]

I do have to say after having the max for a couple weeks the facial rec is wayyy better than it was on my X. Anyone else experiencing this?

If this is the consensus this is GREAT news! The main thing i loathed about the X (other than the weight).

 

[DJ_Smith]

Max the best iPhone i personally owned. 8 Plus not even close.

 

[44267547]

I do have to say after having the max for a couple weeks the facial rec is wayyy better than it was on my X. Anyone else experiencing this?

Indeed. And its quicker in unlocking. iOS 12 has made some nice improvements.

 

[akash.nu]

If this is the consensus this is GREAT news! The main thing i loathed about the X (other than the weight).

Indeed. And its quicker in unlocking. iOS 12 has made some nice improvements.

That neural Engine really works well. The failure rate for me has gone down drastically over the weeks.

 

[MacCheeseLai]

My 8 plus refused to connect to my watch, my XMax had no problem and it was a minor miracle seeing as the watch is a first gen sport. I sold the 8+ and got my mom the 4th gen watch for Christmas with some of the $.

 

[Steve121178]

My proposition is this. The iPhone 8 Plus is the best phone ever made.

It looks hideous and very dated compared to the modern X/Xs. The iPhone 8 when released a year ago was already a 3 year old design.

 

[NorthSeaBeach]

I passed on the X and went 8+.

My wife went X. The 8+ is a bad@$$ phone. It’s twice as accurate as the FID on my wife’s X. I work in IT, have owned almost every iPhone made and actually tested devices for a living.

The X is nice but in use it isn’t better than my 8+. Now the XS.. I’ve seen battery tests showing it outlast the 8 +. I’m likely going XS as I want a smaller phone but the 8+ is still one of the best phones Apple has ever made.

Can you post a link to those battery tests? One of the main reasons that’s keeping me from getting a regular Xs is batterylife.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

It looks hideous and very dated compared to the modern X/Xs. The iPhone 8 when released a year ago was already a 3 year old design.

Looks hideous? Really? I appreciate it’s an older design but I do resent the fickle attitude of many on here.

 

[OllyW]

My 8 plus refused to connect to my watch, my XMax had no problem and it was a minor miracle seeing as the watch is a first gen sport. I sold the 8+ and got my mom the 4th gen watch for Christmas with some of the $.

I've never had a problem connecting my 8+ to my 1st gen Apple Watch.

 

[Steve121178]

Looks hideous? Really? I appreciate it’s an older design but I do resent the fickle attitude of many on here.

The huge top & bottom bezels looked bad when the design was originally launched as the 6 Plus, it's just got more dated with age. If people like it, then that's ok. But compared to the modern Xs, it really does look severely dated & almost old fashioned.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

The huge top & bottom bezels looked bad when the design was originally launched as the 6 Plus, it's just got more dated with age. If people like it, then that's ok. But compared to the modern Xs, it really does look severely dated & almost old fashioned.

Depends who is judging I suppose.

 

[oldmacs]

The huge top & bottom bezels looked bad when the design was originally launched as the 6 Plus, it's just got more dated with age. If people like it, then that's ok. But compared to the modern Xs, it really does look severely dated & almost old fashioned.

Up to individual opinions I guess. I think the Xs design looks silly with the notch, as does the rest of the smartphone market who follow Apple's every move. Just my opinion though. The 8+ still looks fine to me.

 

[Leo90]

I am also a big fan of my 8 Plus! I am really happy I got this one last year as I really don’t dig the notch design. I will keep my 8 Plus until it can no longer be updated, then I will surrender to the notch.

 

[NorthSeaBeach]

It looks hideous and very dated compared to the modern X/Xs. The iPhone 8 when released a year ago was already a 3 year old design.

It’s a classic design. Vintage Apple. I can understand some people feel an urge for something new, but classic never goes out of style. The X style, though very nice, looks pretty generic. Besides that they’re all just phones.

 

[Ralfi]

This is like one of those car threads where someone emphasises their Mitsubishi Magna is the best car ever made.

 

[janeauburn]

Best phone ever made? One contender has to be the old Motorola Razr. Nice and small. Blackberry Curve was even better--texting with a great keyboard plus nice and tiny.

All the Apple phones--yuck. Essentially yuck. They remind me of Microsoft Word: Examples of how the best products don't always win.

 

[Gudi]

You'll have to pry my 8 Plus from my cold dead hands

You would need to kill me to put a Plus phone in my cold dead hands.

 

[77sunsetstrip]

Right. Good comments. Maybe I just feel like Apple is trying to ram the X/Xs category down everyone’s throats. This is an interim stage toward that goal. And not everyone likes it, including me. I don’t want the 6/7/8 category to disappear.

I see where Apple is going with the Xr. This year 326pi. Next year 401ppi. I can see Tim Cook now, on stage in September 2019, touting the “incredible” 401 ppi “liquid LCD” screen on the Xr2. The audience gasps. Applause. “And for the same price as the 2018 model.” More applause. Cheering by the herd. Stock breaks 400.

 

[jimmy_uk]

I see where Apple is going with the Xr. This year 326pi. Next year 401ppi. I can see Tim Cook now, on stage in September 2019, touting the “incredible” 401 ppi “liquid LCD” screen on the Xr2. The audience gasps. Applause. “And for the same price as the 2018 model.” More applause. Cheering by the herd. Stock breaks 400.

100%

 

[BenTrovato]

I see where Apple is going with the Xr. This year 326pi. Next year 401ppi. I can see Tim Cook now, on stage in September 2019, touting the “incredible” 401 ppi “liquid LCD” screen on the Xr2. The audience gasps. Applause. “And for the same price as the 2018 model.” More applause. Cheering by the herd. Stock breaks 400.

Great time to be an Apple investor

 

[rainafterthesun]

My proposition is this. The iPhone 8 Plus is the best phone ever made.

No stupid ugly notch.

16:9 aspect ratio, like all TV shows, all movies, and everything on YouTube.

Big screen. (Not as tall as X/Xs/Xs Max, but when you continuously scroll, you look at the top of the screen, not the bottom. Extra screen length is useless in vertical mode.)

LCD with no PWM. (Meaning no eye strain for those of us sensitive folks who use the phone in the dark for long periods and need to dim the screen below 50% to perhaps 10%.)

LCD on iPhone 8 Plus is as good as OLED. (Well that's my opinion. I put them side-by-side and I can't tell the difference. And if there is a difference, it's so slight that it makes no material difference.)

401 ppi. Perfect. (326 ppi on the XR is fuzzy and acceptable. "Liquid LCD" is a con by Apple. Put an iPhone 7 Plus next to an iPhone 7 and you'll see the difference. I'm not going back to iPhone 4 resolution.)

Great battery life. (Apparently in theory the XR will be better, but that may be because of the lousy screen.)

Home button. (Okay, not that important.)

Touch ID. (Works every time, in any light, no matter what my facial condition or angle is, such as bleary-eyed and sideways on a pillow in the morning. And Touch ID is super fast. Doesn't work when finger is wet, but that's no big deal for 99% of people 99% of the time.)

No intervening screen to swipe away after using Touch ID.

3D Touch. (Not on the XR. C'mon Apple, it's really useful for quick shortcuts into apps.)

Two cameras for 2X optical zoom. (Not on the XR.)

Battery percentage on the main screen. (Yes!)

Fast processor. (I compared the iPhone 8 Plus with the XS Max. Speed is the same except for a split second or a full second here or there, but nothing significant.)

No connectivity issues. (None, nada, zero, zilch.)

Price is not insane.

And finally bezels. (Yes bezels. Get the white version and you can see your phone on a dark background. I got the black bezels. Big mistake. I keep leaving my phone in the car because I can't see it, even with a white case.)

So I'm sticking with the best phone ever made. I love my iPhone 8 Plus.

When people with phones that has thick bezels throw shade at the new phone bc of the notch, it’s because they haven’t tried the phone with the notch yet.

I had the 7plus and upgraded to the x because iPhone upgrade program so why not—but I didn’t like the idea of the notch either.

I don’t even notice it now when I’m usin my xs+.

And yes Phil, darn u u right. When I see people with their iPhones and I notice the notch I think, oh cool, they have the x or xs. I see the people without and I know right away it’s a 6/7/8. It’s nice being able to differentiate in a subtle way.