iPhone 8 the Jan Brady of siblings
THE iPhone 8 is the Jan Brady of iPhones – smart, capable, accomplished but not quite as popular or attention-grabbing as her older sibling.
In a different year, this smartphone would have inspired round-the-block queues, mass envy and transparent cases so everyone knew you were carrying “the new iPhone”.
But this year, thanks to older sibling Marcia ‘iPhone X’ Brady, there’s a good chance it will be overlooked by ambitious, cashed-up Apple upgraders.
The iPhone 8 is a mere 10g heavier than the iPhone 7, and 0.2mm thicker.
What sets the iPhone 8 apart, however, is its finely constructed glass back.
Apple says this pane is the most durable ever used in a smartphone – an exclusive creation with a steel substructure developed by Corning.
The most significant changes in Apple’s new smartphones focus on photography and, as before, the biggest iPhone gets the biggest technology boost.
It is the model with dual 12megapixel cameras out back, and while it used these for Portrait Mode last time, it now adds Portrait Lighting.
This beta feature uses the phone’s image signal processor to identify and alter parts of an image to mimic lighting used by professional photographers.
You can capture portraits in settings such as Studio, Contour and Stage Light, and they deliver obvious enhancements and could be mistaken for the output of a dedicated camera.
You can also change the lighting style after you capture an image – handy if you make the wrong choice or later decide your friend’s face needs contours. Other camera upgrades are shared by both iPhone 8 models.
Optical image stabilisation is a welcome addition in the iPhone 8’s main camera and in the wide-angle camera on the iPhone 8 Plus.
It reduces motion blur you can get when holding a phone out a car window or while riding a bike, and in our tests made a noticeable difference to photo and video clarity.
The main cameras on both phones also feature larger sensors, more subtle Quad LED flashes and, in our tests, were more able to detect people, objects and lighting.
These phones got the white balance right much more often than its year-old predecessor.
Video also gets an upgrade in these phones, as users can record up to 240 frames per second in slow-motion for almost bizarre effects, and purists can capture 4K video at 24 frames per second – the same rate as film.
Apple doesn’t match the Samsung Galaxy Note 8’s addition of optical image stabilisation for both cameras, however, and nor can users change background blur after taking a photo as they can on that phone.
Apple’s iPhone 8 and 8 Plus are likeable phones and a step up on the models they replace.
There are also solid reasons to buy them. If you’re a fan of Apple and fingerprint scanners, this is your best option now.
If you own an iPhone 6S or earlier model, the speed of the iPhone 8’s new A11 Bionic chip is bound to impress you, as will its wireless charging and water resistance.
From $1079, find more details at apple.com/au.