By akademiotoelektronik, 11/04/2022
Apple iPhone 8 Plus test: our full review - Smartphones - Frandroid
Technical sheet Design Screen Photo Performances Software Autonomy Where to buy it? Alternatives? Conclusion ConclusionCommentsSee the product sheetAvailable at €291
Apple's headliner for the 2017-2018 season is naturally the iPhone X, the most revolutionary tenth anniversary iPhone in years. So revolutionary, with its “borderless” screen, that Apple postponed its launch for the first time. Consequently, the brand has also launched the iPhone 8 and the iPhone 8 Plus, to occupy the ground at the start of the school year, but also and above all to constitute the core range, with prices starting at 809 euros, much more reasonable than the 1149 euros requested for the iPhone X.
We tested the iPhone 8 Plus, a very high-end smartphone sold for 900 to 1100 euros, which we want to compare to both the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 at 1000 euros and the OnePlus 5 at… 500 euros.
Why FrAndroid tested the iPhone?
First, because there is a silent majority among FrAndroid readers who are interested in mobile telephony in the broad sense and who are not averse to iOS. Secondly, even Android fans can be interested in what the competition is doing, because the two universes influence each other. And finally thirdly because FrAndroid is interested in the Android universe, but also more broadly in the universe of technology, for the pleasure of most of our tech-savvy readers.
Technical sheet
| Model | Apple iPhone 8 Plus |
|---|---|
| OS version | iOS11 |
| screen size | 5.5 inch |
| Definition | 1920 x 1080 pixels |
| Pixel density | 401 dpi |
| Technology | LCD |
| SoCs | A11 Bionic |
| Memory (RAM) | 3 GB |
| Internal memory (flash) | 64 GB, 256 GB |
| Camera (back) | Sensor 1: 12 MpxSensor 2: 12 Mpx |
| Camera (front) | 7 MP |
| Video recording | 4K |
| Wireless | Wi-Fi 5 (ac) |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 |
| Bands supported | 2100MHz (B1), 800MHz (B20), 1800MHz (B3), 2600MHz (B7), 700MHz (B28) |
| 5G | Nope |
| NFC | Yes |
| Fingerprint sensor | Yes |
| Ports (inputs/outputs) | Lightning |
| Battery | 2900mAh |
| Dimensions | 78.1 x 158.4 x 7.5mm |
| Weight | 202 grams |
| Colors | Silver, Gold |
| Price | 291 € |
| Product sheet |
Design
What pushes a site like FrAndroid to compare a very high-end smartphone like the iPhone 8 Plus to a flagship killer like the OnePlus 5 is on the one hand that we wonder how much an Android smartphone half as expensive stands the comparison, and on the other hand that the traditional design of the iPhone does not stand the comparison with the avant-garde design of a borderless smartphone like the Galaxy Note 8.
The iPhone 8 Plus is a time machine. Seen from the front, nothing distinguishes it from the iPhone 6 Plus, launched in… 2014. The aesthetic codes have not changed over the last four generations, an eternity on the scale of this market. All that distinguishes one generation from another is the appearance of the Home button (with or without Touch ID), the appearance of the camera (with one or two sensors) and, for this latest generation, glass back.
Even compared to the OnePlus 5, whose design is nevertheless very classic, the iPhone 8 Plus seems outdated. What gives it away are the wide side bezels of its screen. Both smartphones have a 5.5-inch diagonal screen, but the iPhone is much bulkier. And it is heavier by a third! 200 grams versus 150.
Despite everything, Apple has further improved the level of finish, even a little more irreproachable. The brand has managed to remove the tiny gap between the glass slab and the aluminum frame, just wide enough for dust to lodge there, but too thin for a needle to extract it.
Screen
If the borders of the screen are from another time, the screen as such is cutting edge. Granted, it's not yet an OLED display, but it's the quintessence of LCD. Our probe has rarely measured curves as linear as with this Full HD IPS panel (1920 x 1080 pixels).
The contrast ratio is “only” 1400:1 with a brightness of 200 cd/m2, the colors are not at all as flattering as on an OLED screen, but they look natural.
The greatest strength of this screen is also that it adopts True Tone technology, hitherto reserved for certain iPads. The iPhone adapts the color temperature of the screen to some extent to the ambient color temperature. The technology goes completely unnoticed until you turn it off in the settings. The gap between the screen and the real world is then obvious.
And True Tone doesn't just push reds like some night modes do, it maintains excellent balance throughout the brightness range. Measuring color temperature doesn't make much sense in this context, but we measured a color temperature of 7250K with True Tone enabled in an office lit mostly by daylight.
One downside, however: the glass is perhaps the strongest on the market, as Apple claims, but it seems to be at the expense of the anti-reflective treatment. I have rarely adjusted the orientation of a smartphone so much to read under subway lights.
Photo
iPhones are the most used cameras in the world, so Apple was expected at the turn. In the aftermath of its launch, the iPhone 8 Plus briefly held the top spot in the DxOMark rankings. But this is just a coincidence of the calendar since it was quickly joined by the Samsung Galaxy Note 8, released a little earlier. The Google Pixel 2s in turn dislodged them a few days later, despite their single-sensor camera.
Idk how to use clip studio paint or wacom tablets 💀 I'm spoiled by my ipad & procreate.. that being said have a sad… https://t.co/OujV34DE7X
— ∆ ZAI ∆ Mon Jul 19 10:43:32 +0000 2021
So much for an objective ranking based on measurements.
As for a more subjective judgment, it can be confirmed that the iPhone 8 Plus is a significant improvement over its predecessor. The level of detail is still a notch above, the white balance is well controlled, including in mixed situations (mixture of natural and artificial light), and above all the dynamic range has been further improved, even if it is still the first to betray the smartphone when compared to a real camera.
The iPhone 8 Plus is still a bit more worthy than its predecessors of replacing a dedicated camera, at least by day. If we zoom in to 100%, we still have this speckling characteristic of tiny smartphone sensors, but it is irrelevant if the photos are intended to be shared on social networks. There's little more than night that the dedicated cameras really stand out.
Now let's talk about the new portrait mode. Let's cut the suspense short, it deserves its beta status. As a reminder, portrait mode uses the second sensor, the one wearing a 56mm f/2.8 equivalent telephoto lens, to capture the image, and the first f/1.8 wide-angle sensor to measure depth. This depth information makes it possible to simulate a background blur such as one would have obtained with a camera with a large sensor such as an SLR.
In addition to background blur, the iPhone 8 Plus software now calculates facial mapping that "creates photo studio-like lighting effects". You can choose, before or after shooting, to reinforce the contours (increase the contrasts), on a blurred background or on a deep black background, possibly in black and white. But these new modes only work well in ideal situations, in which the original photo often looks more natural and successful.
Portrait mode with "edge lighting", notice how the hair is blurred, but not the background through the right lens of the glasses
In fact, the best contribution of the iPhone 8 in terms of photo is the True Tone flash with four LEDs with slow synchro, which finally makes it possible to succeed in flash photos.
iPhone 8 Plus with slow sync flash
The OnePlus 5 without slow sync and with another automatic white balance choice
And a selfie to conclude!
Performance
Let's move on to the performance of the iPhone 8 Plus, or those of the iPhone 8, with which it shares its Apple A11 Bionic chip and 3 GB of RAM. The new iPhones again enjoy perfect vertical integration, since Apple is developing its own chip – with its own CPU microarchitecture and now its own GPU – perfectly adapted to its iOS operating system.
The iPhone 8 are like every year a step ahead of the competition, with scores of around 50% higher than those obtained with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835, the best SoC to date for Android smartphones.
Let it be said, it is largely oversized to date. We do not suffer more slowdown on a OnePlus 5 or an iPhone 7 than on an iPhone 8. At least for the moment. Compared to Android smartphones, iPhones have excellent longevity, not only because they are entitled to major iOS updates for many years, but also because their chip was so far ahead. This is what makes it possible to keep an iPhone 4 or 5 years old, or to resell it at a lower discount.
| iPhone 8Plus | iPhone 7 | One Plus 5 | Galaxy Note 8 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 4 Single-Core | 4,253 stitches | 3,527 stitches | 1,941 stitches | 1,973 stitches |
| Geekbench 4 Multi-Core | 10,430 points | 6,023 dots | 6,656 points | 6,515 points |
| Geekbench 4 Compute | 15,941 points (Metal) | 12,731 points (Metal) | 7,916 dots (RenderScript) | 9,429 dots (RenderScript) |
| 3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited | 63,933 points | 38,176 dots? | 40,009 dots | 31,959 stitches |
| 3DMark Slingshot Extreme | 2,562 dots | 2,160 dots | 3,066 dots | 2,659 stitches |
| GFXBench Manhattan 1080p | 67fps | 63fps | 60fps | 58fps |
| GFXBench T-Rex 1080p | 150fps | 111fps | 112fps | 105fps |
| AnTuTu | 213,426 dots | 169,589 dots | 179,243 dots | 174,296 dots |
Software
Let's briefly discuss the operating system of the iPhone 8, iOS 11 to date. The author of this test is an eternal undecided who constantly carries an Android smartphone and an iPhone because he appreciates one almost as much as the other. The two OS have their advantages and their disadvantages, therefore their followers and their detractors, according to the criteria of each one.
With iOS we are at the hotel: everything is clean, everything is tidy, but we rely on the internal regulations, while with Android we are at home: we do what we want, but it's sometimes messy.
But this analogy completely ignores a criterion that is close to my heart: that of personal data. I would stick to this point and invite you to read an article by Tristan Nitot, entitled Paying your smartphone with your personal data, which essentially explains that the iPhone costs more because you also pay for the operating system, while that Google offers it to manufacturers in exchange for the personal data of consumers and the targeted advertisements that it will present to them.
For the rest, iOS again enjoys the vertical integration of the Apple environment. This operating system is perfect if you have a Mac or Apple TV and use home apps and services, including Safari or iCloud. iOS has taken a lot of inspiration from Android in recent years, with the notification center or the control center, so that apart from a few annoying restrictions, the two platforms offer essentially the same possibilities.
Note, however, that the level of finish of the first revisions of iOS 11 is unworthy of Apple, and that we are impatiently waiting for the brand to refine this major version.
Autonomy
Our range measurement protocol does not work on iOS, so we cannot provide a comparable score with Android smartphone scores. I can nevertheless confirm that the autonomy of the iPhone 8 Plus is significantly less than that of some Android smartphones of comparable dimensions. With my moderate use (playing music on the subway, instant messaging on the bus, a few calls), my OnePlus 5 lasts two days, but if the iPhone 8 Plus lasts more than a day, it doesn't last two whole days .
Note, however, that the iPhone 8 is finally getting fast charging and wireless charging, failing to abandon Lightning in favor of USB Type-C.
They still come with a 5W charger, how petty it is, but they now support the USB Power Delivery (USB-PD) fast-charging standard. So that with a compatible charger, such as the charger of a MacBook Pro or any other USB-C laptop, and with an optional USB-C to Lightning cable (25 euros just for 1 m), it does not takes only 30 minutes to charge the battery to 50%.
Apple has also adopted the Qi wireless charging standard. With a generic charger at 10 euros, it takes a little over 3 hours to fully charge the battery. The power of wireless charging is still limited, it will be unbridled later by a software update.
Where to buy it?
The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus are already available from operators, but also from major retailers, including the Apple Store of course.
| 64 GB | 256 GB | |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone 8 | 809 € | 979 € |
| iPhone 8Plus | 919 € | 1089 € |
What are the alternatives ?
Several Android alternatives are available to you: Samsung products, including the Galaxy S8, S8 Plus and Note 8.
8 /10Samsung Galaxy S8+
Product sheetSee the test Available at 201 €8 /10Samsung Galaxy S8
Product sheetSee the test Available at 219 €8 /10Samsung Galaxy Note 8
Product sheetSee the test Available at 506 €You also have the LG G6 and very soon the LG V30. For a smaller budget, the OnePlus 5 should satisfy you.
9 /10OnePlus5
Product sheetSee the test8 /10LGG6
Product sheetSee the test Available at 678 €8 /10LGV30
Product sheetSee the test Available at 448 €Finally, you also have references from Sony, such as the latest Xperia XZ1 (if the big borders don't put you off).
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