The iPhone X is the most exciting new smartphone release from Apple in years. It’s a hot item this holiday season and for good reason. However, it’s not perfect. I’m going to choose the opposite position of Forbes contributor Anthony Karcz and suggest that the iPhone 8 Plus may actually be the better choice over the iPhone X.
The iPhone X is impressive, but the iPhone 8 Plus may make a better gift.
Image copyright AppleHere’s why...
OLED Display
One of the key features of the iPhone X is its eye-popping OLED display. Yes it offers incredible contrast, with deep blacks and the highest resolution of any iPhone display. It’s also billed as having the largest display of any iPhone.
But...
The resolution difference isn’t that significant. The iPhone 8 Plus Retina display has nearly 2.1 million pixels and a pixel density of 401 ppi. The iPhone X display has a bit over 2.7 million pixels and a pixel density of 458 ppi. Yes, the iPhone X has a slight advantage when it comes to crisp text, but it’s hardly a landslide, and few people would complain about the 401 ppi on the iPhone 8 Plus.
That 5.8-inch display that’s billed as the largest on an iPhone? There’s actually a bit of marketing speak at work there. The iPhone X uses a narrower aspect ratio than the iPhone 8 Plus. This means letterbox pillars when watching 16:9 HD movies (or going full screen and living with the notch cut into the display by the TrueDepth camera). But the narrow aspect ratio means the 5.8-inch iPhone X display (which is measured diagonally) actually has a smaller area than the 5.5-inch iPhone 8 Plus.
Including the notch, the iPhone X offers 12.97 square inches of display. Take the notch out and that becomes 12.49 square inches. Some will argue it's actually a bit smaller than those numbers because of the display's rounded corners. The iPhone 8 Plus display is 13.04 square inches. Again, not a big difference, but take that iPhone X “biggest display” claim with a grain of salt.
Finally, the iPhone X display uses an OLED panel, while the iPhone 8 Plus display is LED. Apple has pretty much perfected the LCD display and the one in the iPhone 8 Plus is as good as it gets. LED is tried and true technology and that display will last.
OLED on the other hand is known to develop issues with time. Apple even quietly snuck out a support document when it launched the iPhone X, pre-emptively declaring that image persistence and screen burn-in is “expected behavior” for the iPhone X OLED display.
In other words, that iPhone X display looks fantastic now, but there’s no guarantee it will look as good a year from now. And if an iPhone X OLED display suffers screen burn-in, it’s doubtful Apple will treat that as a defect.
No Home Button
Face ID is a cool idea, but by eliminating the Home button on the iPhone X, Apple wreaked havoc with tried and true iOS navigation methods, introducing new gestures users need to learn. It’s nothing that can’t be picked up with a little practice, but the Home button is part of muscle memory for many long time iPhone users.
The iPhone 8 Plus may be boring in comparison, but it also requires no learning curve to use.
Repair Cost
The 2017 generation of iPhones set new records for repair costs. The glass-backed iPhone 8 Plus will cost $399 for out of warranty repair if you drop it and shatter the glass back and screen. However, the iPhone X is generally considered to the most breakable iPhone ever, reportedly shattering when dropped from just three feet in testing. And out of warranty repairs will set you back a whopping $549.
Even if you’re feeling generous and buy AppleCare to go with that gift, you’ll have to shell out $199 for the coverage for an iPhone X.
The iPhone 8 Plus is tried and true tech, with a big display that's powered by Apple's newest CPU.
Image copyright AppleIn short, the iPhone 8 Plus may suffer from a familiar design, but it’s still a solid performer. It has the same A11 Bionic CPU as the iPhone X, the same water resistance rating and the same wireless charging capability. While its dual-lens camera lacks the optical image stabilization in the telephoto mode, the iPhone 8 Plus still offers a very good camera.
If the person you’re shopping for has their heart set on the absolute latest and greatest from Apple, or they would make use of the better camera (or they can’t live without Animoji), then the iPhone X is the best choice. But for many people, the iPhone 8 Plus would actually make a better choice. And, without being crass, it would save you $200 over the iPhone X. Oh, and the iPhone 8 Plus also comes in gold --the iPhone X does not.
For some people, that alone is a reason to skip the iPhone X (no judging)...
