iPhone 8 v iPhone 8 Plus

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Posh

8 posts

Wannabe Geek

#228957 31-Jan-2018 17:29

Hello! New kid on the geek block here!

I've had a search, and I can't really find the answer to my question, or rather, I'm reading some conflicting advice, so I would appreciate it if I could get some more advice

I'm in the market for a new iPhone, I currently have an iPhone 6 - just the standard size, which is 64GB.

I've heard it is not worth getting the X and quite frankly, the price is not something I want to spend on a phone.

Due to the sheer number of photos (since Feb 2015, I have taken 10000 photos), I would rather go for the 256GB iPhone 8.

My dilemma is now iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus. Again, I am reluctant to spend the extra dollars for the Plus, even the amount I am looking at spending for the 256GB is making me cringe (*all* that money for a *phone*!! ).

Is the Plus really worth the extra money? Is the large size a hindrance or a benefit? Will the iPhone 8 just be fine? Help me Obi Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope...

Thanks!!

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#1949532 31-Jan-2018 17:42

The X is great, best phone I've owned. If it's out of your budget that's one thing, but it's a fine device otherwise.

The plus is a personal preference device. If you want a larger screen and dual camera, get a plus. If you want a device that's more the size you've had in the past, don't get a plus. Your decision will be best made by going to a store and trying both sizes of iPhone 8.

Loismustdye

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#1949562 31-Jan-2018 18:35

I went from a 6 to a 7 plus.

Love the screen, cameras and features, great sized screen for web browsing compared to the smaller 6.

What I don’t love is the physical size of the phone, can be too big for some shorts pockets as it pops out when sitting down, noticeably bulkier when in a pants or shirt pocket, and is also quite a bit heavier when covered with a case as well.
I’m also having to be more careful with it as I’ve noticed it’s easier to drop when handling, or hopping out of the car etc, I’ve already had the screen replaced by Apple due to my carelessness.

Despite these not so good features I still prefer it to the smaller 6, and don’t regret upgrading to the larger phone, however, if I was to upgrade Now i would shell out the extra for the X, just for the easier
Just my 2” cents

Dial111

978 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1949588 31-Jan-2018 19:16

Why not cloud storage like Google Photos which is free, that takes care of the storage dilemma.

IMO the X is a bezeless iPhone 8+, not really worth the extra coin over the plus. If it were me I'd weigh up what I really wanted out of the phone.

A 7/7+ would do everything you wanted and a 8/8+ will do it just a bit more polished, the X... well it's overpriced

PhantomNVD

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#1949655 31-Jan-2018 20:00

I switched from a 6 to a 7+ and have absolutely loved the larger screen estate, AND the longer battery life! ;)

Ideally you’d get the X cos it’s a slimmed down Plus model phone (so get the screen and battery increase without much over size/weight increase) but, like you, I can’t justify the money it cost on just a phone *sigh*

IMHO Get the plus (7+ or 8+) and the memory size can be alleviated by a very small monthly cost in an increased iCloud storage space?

Posh

8 posts

Wannabe Geek

#1949664 31-Jan-2018 20:22

Dial111: Why not cloud storage like Google Photos which is free, that takes care of the storage dilemma.

I like the larger storage mostly out of convenience, otherwise, I would have to more or less manually move the photos to cloud storage? To be honest, I've never used cloud storage, so not sure how it would work.

Also, music and apps? In the past, I have had to delete apps because of storage issues, but maybe that would be redundant if I moved my photos to cloud? I really don't know much about this.

gehenna

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#1949666 31-Jan-2018 20:33

^Yeah I find that having photos local to the device is quite handy, as even with iCloud photo storage and iOS photo optimisation, it's still a little frustrating having to wait for a full resolution photo to download when you want to open it and do something with it quickly. Similar with Google Photos in my experience. That's just me personally though, I like to have stuff quickly accessible but also have it synchronised to the cloud.

There's more to the X than an 8 without a bezel. I've owned the 6+, 7+, and my wife has the 8. The gesture control/Face ID stuff on X is very responsive. Form factor is super nice ergonomically. I get it's not for everyone, and I get the cost argument. The only reason I could justify buying it is that I've had work supplied phones for the last 10 years and I had just had work buy me a 7+ before these came out. So I figured it was time to treat myself and I think one outlay in a decade is good going :) Other's mileage may vary.

Re the music side - I have no music on my device, I just use Apple Music and Spotify and stream it all. That works well, given it's not the same as the photo use-case. Also have no local video or podcasts, I just stream those. Storage is largely taken up by apps, photos, and other things I want to view in a hurry but are hefty to sync: e.g. books/comics

alasta

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#1949698 31-Jan-2018 21:01

As others have alluded to, I would recommend that you go to Apple's web site and spend some time looking at the information about iCloud Photo library and Apple Music as it may help with your storage limitations.

As for your main question I have an 8+ and find that it provides a much better user experience than the smaller devices. I would suggest that you take a look at the dimensions on Apple's web site then find an object around your house that is similar in size and weight and see how well it fits your pockets - I have never had a problem with this personally.

Do you own an iPad, or will the iPhone be your only mobile device?

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#1949710 31-Jan-2018 21:08

if you have a big pocket, plus.

if you don't have a big pocket, no plus.

yes plus is better.

scuwp

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#1949721 31-Jan-2018 21:18

I have an 8, wifey has the 8+.

I have to say the only real difference is the camera. If you like taking photos then the dual lens on the + is better. The portrait mode on the 8+ is incredible.

Lazy is such an ugly word, I prefer to call it selective participation

Dial111

978 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1949726 31-Jan-2018 21:27

Google photos work by uploading a copy of all your pictures and video files the minute you hit wifi, no management needed. You can still hold those files locally and if storage is getting limited you can purge all locally stored files with 1 click of a button and free up a whole lot more space with the peace of mind everything is backed up to your cloud account. Even after purging, everything is still viewable in the Google photos app. It's a no brainer.

As for music, take your pick out of the many offerings. Spotify, Apple Music, Google Play Music etc all able to stream and download (not sure about Play Music on iOS)

If your wanting to do it the old fashioned way via laptop and iTunes and have a massive library then unfortunately your only option is to cough up for more storage which puts the X into the stupid money category.

Streaming + Cloud is the way to go IMO

Posh

8 posts

Wannabe Geek

#1949763 31-Jan-2018 22:52

alasta:

As others have alluded to, I would recommend that you go to Apple's web site and spend some time looking at the information about iCloud Photo library and Apple Music as it may help with your storage limitations.

As for your main question I have an 8+ and find that it provides a much better user experience than the smaller devices. I would suggest that you take a look at the dimensions on Apple's web site then find an object around your house that is similar in size and weight and see how well it fits your pockets - I have never had a problem with this personally.

Do you own an iPad, or will the iPhone be your only mobile device?

I do have an iPad, but I find that the kids appropriate it more often than not, so I tend to Instagram/Facebook from my iPhone as I know the kids don't touch it, so it remains "private".

Good point about seeing how the size fits pockets. Thanks.

Posh

8 posts

Wannabe Geek

#1949765 31-Jan-2018 22:54

scuwp:

I have an 8, wifey has the 8+.

I have to say the only real difference is the camera. If you like taking photos then the dual lens on the + is better. The portrait mode on the 8+ is incredible.

I'm starting to get very tempted by the 8+ and finding ways to justify it to myself!

Posh

8 posts

Wannabe Geek

#1949766 31-Jan-2018 22:56

Dial111: Google photos work by uploading a copy of all your pictures and video files the minute you hit wifi, no management needed. You can still hold those files locally and if storage is getting limited you can purge all locally stored files with 1 click of a button and free up a whole lot more space with the peace of mind everything is backed up to your cloud account. Even after purging, everything is still viewable in the Google photos app. It's a no brainer.

As for music, take your pick out of the many offerings. Spotify, Apple Music, Google Play Music etc all able to stream and download (not sure about Play Music on iOS)

If your wanting to do it the old fashioned way via laptop and iTunes and have a massive library then unfortunately your only option is to cough up for more storage which puts the X into the stupid money category.

Streaming + Cloud is the way to go IMO

Thanks - have just downloaded Google Photos to my phone - I really had no idea how it worked. Will give it a go.

mattwnz

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#1949778 31-Jan-2018 23:53

It is interesting that the X is getting a lot of bashing, and how it is a failure, as apple hasn't sold anywhere near the number it expected to. It is also apparently going to be cancelled this year. But it is still a great phone IMO, and they needed to release it otherwise they would risk becoming another blackberry with being left behind. But not having touch ID and no headphone jack puts a lot of people off. It seems a lot of people are buying the 6s instead, as it is still very fast and has a headphone jack. IMO the 8 is a lot of money considering it is a 4 year old bulky design with forehead and chin, and looks dated compared to other phones in that price bracket.

Item

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#1949815 1-Feb-2018 08:09

I went - gingerly - from an iPhone 6 to a 6s Plus...and have never looked back!

Got my 8 Plus a few months back and find that the "normal" size iPhones are just tiny for me now. I love the bigger screen, better camera and better battery life.

Yes, it is quite heavy and bulky once you get a case on, but I don't think I would go back to a smaller screen now.

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