Apple iPhone 8 Series: Is it worth the purchase in 2021?

With over 86 million sales worldwide, the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus can be considered one of Apple’s most successful devices. It has been a solid smartphone still used by many individuals since its release 4 years ago.
This guide and review will look at the features that contributed to the iPhone 8 series’ fame in the market. We will also review how it matches up to newer smartphones to see if it is worth purchasing in 2021.

The Design

In terms of design, the iPhone 8 did not stray far from the iPhone 7 series. They had the same rounded edges and shape, cable port, speaker placement, and buttons. If you were to get Space grey and black variants of both models then place them side-to-side, it would be difficult to tell the difference from each other. However, at a closer look, a user will notice that the newer iPhone 8 series has a glass for its back panel compared to the aluminium of the iPhone 7 series.

Specifications

Hardware is one of the most important selling points of the iPhone 8 series. The iPhone 8 variant has 4.7 inches with a 750 by 1334 pixels display, while the iPhone 8 Plus has 1080 by 1920 pixels. The series runs at a more upgrade A11 Bionic chip with 2 GB of Ram for the iPhone 8 and 3 GB for the iPhone 8 Plus. Furthermore, both versions can be bought in 64, 128, or 256 GB storage. Compared to the 7 series, only the chip was changed as well as the minimum storage available.

Camera

The device has a 12 Megapixel back camera, and this can be considered as part of the lower end of the spectrum compared to modern smartphones. The sensors did not change that much from their predecessor, and it will be fairly hard to see differences when pictures taken from both series are placed side by side. Check out iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 – Camera Comparison.

Features

• TrueTone technology. The iPhone 8 series combines Retina technology with TrueTone that matches the colours on the screen with the lighting present in the environment that the phone is in. This means a better viewing experience compared to older models.
• Headphone Jack Removed. The iPhone 8 series is the second line to adapt to the no-headphone jack design of Apple. This means that you need to make use of the lightning port and cable to connect your wired headset.
  IP67 Water Resistance. The smartphone is built to withstand water incidents. It is also resistant to scratches and dust accumulation.
• Augmented Reality. The device is AR-enabled, meaning that it can process augmented environments for play and work. It is also the first Apple device that fully supported Animojis.
• Advanced Chip. The A11 Bionic Chip, even if it is an older processor, is still more than capable of handling the workloads of most modern social media and gaming apps that are used in today’s world.

Operating System

The supported operating system is a make-or-break factor of any older generation of iPhone. Apple company updates this every year, so it is always better to get a device that has more support in the future for a more optimized user experience. Luckily, the iPhone 8 series at its release came with iOS 11.0, and the current version of iOS 14.5.1 is still supported by the device.
Do take note that the hardware support of Apple usually runs from 5 to 6 years. This means that the last compatible OS that the iPhone 8 series might have will be the 2022 or 2023 version.

Price

At its release, the iPhone 8 series was marked at around $700 for its starting price. Luckily, this cost has now dwindled thanks to the availability of newer models. You can get an iPhone 8 at around $190 to $450 and an iPhone 8 Plus at $250 to $550 depending on the storage capacity in the year 2021. Take note that this might even drop further once the iPhone 13 version hits the store.

Conclusion

If you are searching for a device that is priced lower than the latest iPhone available in the market but will still be supported for the next 2 to 3 years, then the iPhone 8 series is the best one for you. Take note that if you can not afford the 8 series, you can always downgrade to the iPhone 7 line since it has the same features and specs with only the processor and glass panel that are different. Also if you’d like to check out the complete comparison between iPhone 8 Plus and 7 Plus then click here to read more.
Overall, the iPhone 8 series is still a good line in 2021 especially for those that are looking for a budget-friendly and a bit advanced iOS device.