iPhone 8 and Watch S2 here. After a second year of "meh" phones, I've decided my best value is jumping from an S2 42mm alum GPS to an S5 44mm alum GPS+LTE. The list is extensive:
- I have a vestibular (balance) disorder and the fall detection could save my life if I fall down the stairs or something similar while alone.
- Updated Bluetooth 5.0 will only improve my ability to keep the phone out of hand.
- Improved display will hopefully cure some of my annoyances when driving at night.
- Drastically improved processing will likely remove the lag I experience from intensively using my S2 with added apps.
- Relocated microphone will hopefully improve calls.
- A miscellany of small things that are "good to haves". I also expect the Watch app store to draw in more watch apps.
I bought another Caseology case and film-based screen protectors. They worked extremely well on my S2.
Compared to the phones... yeah, the 11 is faster than my 8... but no Touch ID, I would avoid all but the smallest size model and lose all the fancy lens and photo capabilities. It just wasn't there for me yet. I hear that Touch ID through screen is coming in the next year or two. I'll wait for that model and see if we get something that impresses me. Until then, my 8 is doing just fine, fits in my pocket, plays the silly games I want it to, has the biometric security I prefer, etc.
EDIT: For those first timers... my current S2 is used for....
- iMessage and calls when away from phone
- Controlling my DENON home theater receiver (and thus whole house audio zones) via AirPlay
- Business Skype messages when away from PC
- Timers, alarms, quick-glance weather.
- Locating my misplaced iPhone.
- Calendar events and scheduling alerts (more professional than pulling out the phone in a meeting)
- Remote control of my vehicle, including remote start.
(and surely more things I'm not thinking of)