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iPhone 7+ Vs. 8+ two days later...

joshwithachance said:
Apps in the background are being killed and have to be reloaded a lot more often than they did with iOS 10.
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hmmm... i noticed that in a game or two.
but OTOH i cancelled all background refresh.
but i had them also off with 10 ;)
 
jyyz said:
Thought I would weigh in on this as well. I moved from a 7+ to an 8+. In my case, I had a 128gb, and was out of space. I was leaning to the X, but certain things turned me off (lower than the + battery life, notch, narrower than X, also the whole X just seems rushed, unfinished. I had a 1st gen iPad, and 1st gen AppleWatch. For this amount of money, I want something fully thought out that I can keep for longer than a year should I choose to.)

I don’t see a huge difference between the 8+ and the 7+. It’s a little better here and there. I went from a 6S+ to a 7+, and that felt a bigger upgrade to me than this. That said I very much like the 8+. The glass back looks great, wireless charging is useful. The screen seems to display things better. I have a picture of my dog on the lock screen. I’ve used the same picture for years. On the 8+ I see details in the pic that were not displayed in previous phones. The camera delivers small but noticeably better pictures. Speakers are a few notches louder and better. I like the look of the 8+. For some it’s an old design, to me it’s a sharp looking, refined, fully realized phone. Not a super exciting upgrade, but happy with the 8+. Had I not needed more storage, (and had I not recently dropped and scratched up my 7+,) I could have kept the 7+ for another year. That said I’m glad I “had” to get the 8+.
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I feel the same way. I upgraded from a 7+ to an 8+. Overall, I think it's a decent upgrade and a good option for those who want to give the X a chance to get past its teething pains, while still getting internal improvements in a proven package. Since I'm on the upgrade program, I went ahead with the 8+. If I owned the 7+ outright, I probably would have kept it for another year. I like the X, but want to give it a year in the wild before pulling the trigger.

Great recap by the OP!
 
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Technarchy said:
Short and sweet, here's my impressions of my 2016 Jet Black iPhone 7+ versus my two day 2017 iPhone 8+.

Display:
iPhone 8+ has a touch better clarity. Contrast is better, and Black levels look more true and deeper. Saturation levels are basically the same with maybe a hint more pop on the 8+, but nothing major. True Tone is OFF, because I prefer cooler displays and True Tone leans warmer to my eyes with more of a "paper white" than "cool ice white." YMMV.

Camera:
iPhone 8+ captures more detail, has better saturation, produces less "sallow" skin tones. Front facing also has slightly better saturation. 4K 60fps looks great on my 4K TV (MacBook Pro to TV) and 1080p 240fps is quite dramatic. More deep diving on cameras later. It will take more time to really get technical, but it is better than the 7+ which I thought had a blah camera.

Speakers:
Phone 8+ blows the 7+ away. It's louder, clearer, has better sense of separation. "Hey Siri" is more reliable as well. It actually works from across the room on the first try more often.

Size and Weight:
7+ cases fit the 8+. The 8+ slightly heavier due to the glass back. Nothing you'll notice in practical use.

Bluetooth:
My Beats Powerbeats 3 held a connection better on the iPhone 8+ while in the gym. Usually walks to the water fountain with the 7+ on the bench either results in the Beats disconnecting or turning off for a couple of seconds. Music played without interruption with the 8+

Speed and Responsiveness:
iOS 11 runs about the same on both, with maybe a hint more responsiveness for the 8+. It's so minor that it should NOT factor into your upgrade decision in my opinion. The camera does launch more reliably with the 8+. The 7+ has hesitated on occasion. Nothing major that should cause you to lose the shot though.

Looks and Feel:
Subjective and personal opinion, but the iPhone 8+ feels and looks more like the first real successor to the iPhone 4. The way the glass meets the metal frame, the clean back panel, the subdued antennas lines, the symmetry and design...it all just comes across more like something Steve Jobs would be proud to hold up and call gorgeous.

Bonus:
Yes, wireless charging on the 8+ is awesome. I've used it more than wired so far. Though, it's slower than wired, so don't plan on topping off for 5 minutes and getting anything worthwhile. It's for sleeping and tasks like music while doing other stuff.

Prognosis:
The iPhone 8+ will be staying, and the 7+ is going back to AT&T. 8+ is a worthwhile upgrade for what I do. Again, YMMV.

Final Thoughts:
If you do opt for the 7+ DO NOT BUY JET BLACK. My 7+ has lived in a case from day one and the finish still looks like it was dogs chew toy. Jet Black has zero abrasion resistance, and will get marred by a cotton ball. Avoid like the plague. I have never had a phone look so bad before. Again, it was in the case the whole time! I will never buy a "Special edition" color again.
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I thought the screen was exactly the same besides true tone.
 
Can't speak about the 7 to the 8... but 48 hours later I'll say the 6s Plus to 8 Plus upgrade was totally worth it... starting with the battery life... screen appearance... and sound.

Camera is pretty good too. :)
 
Thought I'd add to this thread since I am in the same boat. I had the matte black 7+ (mostly in a case) and now I have the white 8+, which I use "naked" ...

First, I decided to upgrade because I wanted a glass phone, since I knew it would be grippier than the other one. I also liked the fact I was getting the latest chipset, camera sensor and true tone. Wireless charing sounds great for my desk, and I think it would provide a little extra convenience.

This is a beautiful phone. It's basically the white iPhone 4S but bigger, sleeker and with a better build quality. It feels heftier to hold because of the glass, but the weight doesn't bother me compared to the 7+ that had a case on it. The simplicity of the design on the back looks great, and I love how the back curves into the glass. The front glass is a little odd in that it bumps out* slightly, ruining the feel across the device. The buttons feel better built into the sides, but that could be a placebo thing.

The phone is highly responsive and animations are significantly faster -- the Apple GPU really shines here. The phone unlock feels snappier, and multi-tasking is way improved.

The camera is as nice as before IMO, but the video is definitely the best part -- having 4K video on a phone is insane, and the quality of the shots are fantastic.

Overall, I'm happy with the upgrade, and the monthly bump seems worth it. I can't see myself enjoying the X without trying it, which means I wouldn't get a new phone until Feb/March. Because of that, I like the satisfaction of having basically the latest from Cupertino without worrying about trying to get the new phone.
 
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Coming from a 7+, I noticed the display improvement. Idk if it is the true tone or minor refinements but it’s much sharper at varying angles. Side by side with an S8 oled, it’s still a beautiful display.
 
noobinator said:
I disagree with the Jet Black 7 Plus. This was my favorite phone color/finish of all time. I took good care of it and it only had a few minor scuffs after 6 months of use or so.
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same here! my jetblack iPhone 7 is my favorite (finish/look/grip) iPhone all time ( I had all iPhones since the 3GS)
 
I have no doubts that 8>7 but the 7+ is still a beast in its own right and more than future proofed with the still underutilized A10 fusion chip and 3GB RAM...

I’m so sick of this design though, the 8 is still an iteration of the 6 no matter how you slice it. I got my P-RED 7+ about 8 months ago so I still have plenty of time to let the X work out the teething issues before I upgrade ;)
 
cababah said:
I have no doubts that 8>7 but the 7+ is still a beast in its own right and more than future proofed with the still underutilized A10 fusion chip and 3GB RAM...

I’m so sick of this design though, the 8 is still an iteration of the 6 no matter how you slice it. I got my P-RED 7+ about 8 months ago so I still have plenty of time to let the X work out the teething issues before I upgrade ;)
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Think of it like Porsche. A Porsche from 1995 still looks like the one from 2017. Iconic designs.
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kawa636r said:
i made the same upgrade and i’m maintaining the 8+ cause the battery, it is incredible, very long lasting!
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Impressive considering the 8 + has a smaller battery.
 
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Zaft said:
Think of it like Porsche. A Porsche from 1995 still looks like the one from 2017. Iconic designs.
[doublepost=1506361580][/doublepost]
Impressive considering the 8 + has a smaller battery.
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That’s actually why I was never into porsche...they all look the same to me and to be honest, just bore me visually. And yes, I have driven one (2016 911 GT3) :)
 
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I used my iPhone 8+ all day yesterday at Red Rocks, without plugging it in for nearly 18 hours, with around 9 hours of usage, and the battery was down to 25%. Color me impressed!
 
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i don’t mean to sound weird, but i have a JB 7+, i’ve had it for close to a year now, and it has very minimal scratches on the back, i don’t use a case. the very little scratches that are on the back are from taking it out of pants/shorts pockets-/sliding it back in a pocket

the front has a couple very small scratches and the only time i dropped it was when i picked it up one morning & the charging cable got caught on a table, and the phone fell on its side on glass; that’s the only place where silver shows (its not very big/pretty small bump)

i never wipe the back off on anything, like clothing or sheets, or a towel. i always set it on something semi soft, not a hard surface. you could say i pretty much baby it - but i’m on the IUP, and i don’t want to take any chances :) i take care of each iPhone i buy; accidents happen sometimes, but i didn’t want to put a case on this one, hah

i still really like the feel of it. i might miss it a little - heh
o-:
 
I have to disagree on the weight. The 8+ is noticeable heavier. Heaviest phone I've ever held. Not a deal breaker though.
 
dn1978 said:
What about battery life?
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Just a quick update on battery life. After a couple of days of normal use, it's basically the same as my 7+. No real difference to cite.

Another update for True Tone. After a couple of days it's pretty interesting. Watching the screen take on the tone and hue best suited for ambient light is trippy. Because I have only ever used True Tone on iPads indoors under the same type of light, the feature didn't stand out. Living with it out and about, I'm starting to see the appeal. It works very well.

True Tone will remain enabled. It does enhance the experience of the device in a subtle way.
 
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Technarchy said:
Just a quick update on battery life. After a couple of days of normal use, it's basically the same as my 7+. No real difference to cite.

Another update for True Tone. After a couple of days it's pretty interesting. Watching the screen take on the tone and hue best suited for ambient light is trippy. Because I have only ever used True Tone on iPads indoors under the same type of light, the feature didn't stand out. Living with it out and about, I'm starting to see the appeal. It works very well.

True Tone will remain enabled. It does enhance the experience of the device in a subtle way.
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This is the general theme of the 8/Plus about everything.
 
joshwithachance said:
Apps in the background are being killed and have to be reloaded a lot more often than they did with iOS 10.
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Some of it is due to the apps not being optimized for iOS 11 too. These developers have had plenty of time to get their apps together but they don't.
I currently have a 7+ and have been thinking of getting a 8+ rather than the X. Thanks for the review
 
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