When was iPhone 8 released? How long does the battery last? Triple-core graphics chip created by Apple

On September 12 of this year, an important event for all fans of Apple products took place in Cupertino - the company presented its new products to the public. Among them was the Apple iPhone 8, which had been so hotly discussed for many months.

The company's history shows a tendency to release a smartphone every year with updated features and improved design. This year was no exception. This time, the iPhone 7 was not followed by a model with the letter S. The manufacturer decided to step over a generation and immediately release the next device in the lineup.

Skeptics are already hotly discussing that the long-awaited new product is too similar to the flagship of the Jobs concern's eternal competitor Samsung Galaxy s8+. We've looked at the functionality of the new one, now it's worth taking a closer look at the capabilities and characteristics of the iPhone 8.

Particularly attractive to the eyes of Apple technology lovers is the design innovation in the form of the front and back panels of the smartphone made of glass. However, the shape does not differ from the previous model. It remains ergonomic, thanks to which the smartphone is securely held in one hand.

The frame between the two glass panels is made of aluminum. The manufacturer indicates that this particular material is used in the aerospace industry, thanks to which the device is guaranteed to have increased strength.

The line contains a palette of three colors and each shade is equipped with a frame of its own color. It can be silver, gold or a color with the intriguing name “Silver Space”.

The parameters of the new iPhone are as follows:

• size (mm) 138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3;
• weight (g) 148.

The previous model was slightly smaller and weighed 138 grams. But it is impossible to notice this without special measuring instruments.

Do you like the new iPhone 8?

iPhone 8 display

iPhone 8 screen size is 4.7 inches. True Tone and Retina HD technologies were used for it. Compared to the previous generation, the new display has wider color boundaries. This gives the manufacturer the right to call this display model completely new.

Also in this configuration, True Tone technology is used for the first time, which automatically controls white balance and its relationship with external lighting. This innovation allows you to avoid eye fatigue when using your smartphone for a long time. Improved color rendering gave gadget users brighter, three-dimensional photos. Dual-domain pixels make it possible to view pictures and videos on the screen from any viewing angle.

Technical indicators

New parameters have appeared among the technical characteristics of the model. The system is based on the six-core A11 Bionic processor, which is used exclusively on mobile devices of the Apple concern. Two of the six cores are responsible for the performance of the gadget, the remaining four ensure the efficiency of the device. These figures guarantee 25% faster performance than it was on the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. Efficiency shows amazing metamorphoses - its improvement was 75%. This is due to the presence of 4.3 billion transistors in the new processor.

When additional power requirements are high, the second generation performance controller provides the necessary resources. Even in such extreme operating conditions, the new iPhone consumes battery power in economy mode.

Among the innovations, it is also worth noting the video chip, which was developed without the participation of third-party companies. The chip is triple-core and thus optimizes its operation by up to 30% compared to previous models. Due to the smooth operation of the new processor and its special focus on virtual reality, the realism of visual images is significantly increased.

The manufacturer managed to provide the opportunity for gamers to use the iPhone 8 as a gaming console. This is made possible thanks to the A11 Bionic's compatibility with the second generation Metal graphics technology. It was first presented at WWDC 2017.

New iPhone battery

New, more powerful updates to the technical specifications of the iPhone 8 left the battery performance the same. In talk mode, the energy is enough for 14 hours of work, for working on the Internet - 12 hours. You can watch the video for 13 hours, and listen to the music for 40.

The increased thickness of the case did not become a reason to increase the battery capacity. Now it is 1821 mAh, which is slightly less than in the batteries on previous models.

The smaller battery made room for new design parts. The efficient operation of the processor ensured battery life identical to the iPhone 7.

Fast battery charging

The description and characteristics of the iPhone 8 must include battery charging indicators. The new model has a fast charging function. It only takes 30 minutes to charge a completely de-energized battery to 50%. To do this, use a special Apple USB-C adapter with a power of 29, 61 or 87 W.

Such a device should be purchased separately from the smartphone itself, since it is not included in the basic package. The price in specialized stores will vary from 3,500 to 5,800 rubles. Without the use of this new product, the iPhone can only be charged in normal mode.

Wireless charger

Wireless charging of the battery is made possible thanks to the glass body of the smartphone. The battery can be powered from any Qi-standard device. This fact allows you to use not only a special Apple-designed AirPower station, but also any supported docking station.

Protection against the penetration of water and dust occurs according to the IP67 standard. This system was also used in previous models. There it showed itself impeccably, so the manufacturer did not make any changes in this part of the technical features.

iPhone 8 cameras

Apple developers have made a number of changes to the cameras. The 12 MP resolution remains the same. At the same time, the smartphone is equipped with a lens with six lenses (ƒ/2.2) and an image stabilizer. The camera matrix has become noticeably faster. The improvements in the resulting images were largely a consequence of the introduction of the A11 Bionic processor into the design.

Regardless of how many megapixels the camera on the iPhone 8 has, the unique processor technology ensures recognition of people, movements, lighting changes and more. In HDR mode, the camera provides its owner with improved image quality thanks to automatic focus and pixel processing system.

New smartphone memory

For those who follow new products from Apple, the memory of the iPhone 8 is of great importance. Before this, the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus had a record memory for this type of technology. Experts believe that the new smartphone will be characterized by the same indicators: one of the modifications will have 64 GB of internal memory, the second – 265 GB.

Well-known Chinese insider GeekBar shared his assumption that the line will include a modification with 512 GB of memory. The RAM of the new iPhone 8 will be 3 GB.

Smartphone functions and mechanisms

The TapticEngine system for haptic feedback will be optimized. The new smartphone will be endowed with the ability to generate more complex tactile vibrations. This is due to the possible absence of a Home button. The 3D Touch sensor controls the force of pressing the screen and will belong to the second generation.

Among the characteristics of the iPhone 8 that make the smartphone even more autonomous is the AppleNeuralEngine chip. It was developed and implemented into the design to work with artificial intelligence - the Siri voice assistant. It will also monitor voice and face recognition of the phone owner.

The “taptowake” function allows you to double-click on the display to make the phone ready for use. Experts who have been studying the supposed capabilities of the new product for a long time believe that this function will be presented by Apple in some unusual way.

The expected initial price of the new phone will be more than 1 thousand US dollars. Depending on the size of the built-in memory, the price will vary between $100.

The manufacturer has already released a number of accessories. The range includes AirPods, leather and silicone cases in various shades, and BeatsX in-ear headphones.

It will be possible to understand the characteristics of the new product more reliably at the end of October or mid-November, when the smartphone is expected to go on sale. All information presented is so far only a product of a leak. Also, a schematic image of the future flagship has appeared on the global network. Only on April 24, photos of the smartphone layout were posted online. Pre-registration for purchase opens on September 15th. What is known is that mass production has already begun and every buyer is waiting for his own new gadget, which the whole world is already dreaming of.

Over the ten-year history of the iPhone, Apple has accustomed consumers to the fact that after the announcement of a major version of smartphones, a continuation of the “S” line comes out. Therefore, this year many were waiting for the 7S model. But contrary to established tradition, the Cupertino team immediately showed the iPhone 8. What is the new product and has the device deservedly skipped a whole generation?

The new product was shown on September 12 at the Apple presentation at the Steve Jobs Theater. A few days later, pre-order of the device became available, and on September 22, sales began in some “first wave” countries. Russia entered the second echelon and the smartphone appeared on our shelves a week later: September 29.

Technical characteristics of iPhone 8

The characteristics of the iPhone 8 have improved significantly. It received the Apple A11 Bionic processor. In it, 4 cores are energy efficient, and the other 2 are productive. The new controller allows for a smooth transition between the two when needed. It is important that the engineers managed not to reduce autonomy. By the way, the A11 Bionic chip is designed to work with neural networks. This means the device will perform tasks more intelligently in many use cases.

• Display: 4.7-inch IPS with a resolution of 1334x750, PPI - 326
• Processor: Apple A11 Bionic
• Cameras: 12 MP main, f/1.8; 7 MP front
• Permanent memory: 64 or 256 GB
• RAM: 2 GB
• Battery: 1821 mAh
• Interfaces: Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC
• OS: iOS 11
• Weight: 148 g
• Dimensions (WxHxD): 67.3 x 138.4 x 7.3 mm

Appearance

The new product did not receive anything fundamentally new in design. It's still the same look and feel of the iPhone 6 from 2014. The layout of the elements is the same: at the front there is a display, a Home button and sensors, and at the back there is a camera and flash. The large frames on the front have also not gone away; after all, the “eight” is not at all similar to the iPhone X.

For lovers of fashionable framelessness, this will be a huge minus. But in terms of practicality, this solution gives the new product a few points of advantage, since in the event of a fall, the risk of the display collapsing is slightly less. The iPhone 8 did not receive an aluminum case; now only the side frame is made of metal, and there are glass panels on the front and back. At the same time, it was possible to maintain protection from water and dust according to the IP67 standard.

This was probably done for the convenient introduction of wireless charging, which also debuted in the new product. But now the smartphone inevitably needs to be hidden in a case, otherwise expensive repairs cannot be avoided. In addition, Apple claims that the glass on the back panel is very durable (and expensive) and should not break. Practice shows that behind these words there is more deceit than real benefit.

Still, the iPhone 7, made of brushed aluminum 7000 series, calmly withstood even serious falls on an uneven surface. And if you don’t take into account the Jet Black version of the smartphone, scratching the device was not so easy. The glass in the iPhone 8 behaves fundamentally differently and is likely to show a large number of traces of use.

Many may also be upset by the lack of a MiniJack for headphones. The included headset is connected via a lightning connector. There are two ways to get out of the situation: use an adapter or Bluetooth headphones.

Display

The display also remains unchanged for the fourth year: the same 4.7-inch IPS matrix with a resolution of 1334x750. The dot density is 326 PPI. The time-tested screen is still a kind of benchmark in the Apple world. It has excellent viewing angles, natural color reproduction and pleasant contrast. And unlike OLED technology, there is no unpleasant pixel burn-in effect.

But one cannot help but blame Apple for still using a display with such a low resolution. Most competitors have been using Full HD or even QHD matrices for a long time. And these are not just marketing ploys, since the difference between the Retina display in the iPhone 8 and the Full HD matrix in another top-end smartphone is noticeable.

Among the innovations, the TrueTone function is notable. Previously, it was used only in expensive iPad Pro tablets, but now this feature has appeared on the iPhone. The essence of its work is to automatically adjust the white balance depending on the lighting. If we look at typical usage scenarios, TrueTone will make the displays “cooler” in bright daylight and go into warm colors in the room.

This technology should not be confused with another tool - Night Shift. It changes the display temperature based on the time of day rather than the lighting. Although both functions make the screen readability more pleasant and the eyes less tired.

Performance and memory

Another extremely important feature of the iPhone 8 was the abandonment of PowerVR graphics accelerators. The iPhone 8 has a 3-core processor of its own production. The company claims that the new chip is up to 30% faster than its predecessor.

In fact, the smartphone shows approximately the same results as last year's model. All applications and games work flawlessly: there are no stutters or fps drops. In this regard, the smartphone is ahead of many competitors, and the low screen resolution played an important role in this.

In terms of memory, everything is also excellent. There are 2 permanent storage options to choose from: 64 or 256 GB, no microSD slot. The RAM size is 2 GB. The values ​​are quite acceptable and should be enough for most tasks.

Cameras

The main camera remains largely unchanged. There are the same 12 MP cameras with f/1.8 aperture, but a faster matrix and a new filter have been introduced. The gadget works with HDR enabled by default. This was probably done so that the resulting images, even without processing, would look more saturated. This is exactly how the cameras in Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy smartphones work.

Although, unlike its competitors, the gadget from Cupertino produces natural colors and does not bother with over-sharping. During the day, the resulting photos are at an excellent level, at night things are a little worse, but the result is still acceptable. We can confidently note the improvement in the quality of pictures in poor light compared to the iPhone 7. Unfortunately, the new product does not receive support for the “Portrait” mode, which is available in the Plus version.

Among the minor improvements, it is worth noting the improved flash. Now, when shooting in the dark, the diodes adjust the intensity and the background is not darkened, but remains as light as the main subject.

Videography has also received noticeable innovations. iPhone 8 is capable of shooting 4K videos at 24, 30 or 60 fps, and recording at 240 fps has become available in Full HD mode. Stabilization is present, and the device is among the best in video quality.

System

It is also worth considering the operation of the operating system. iOS 11 works well, but there are rare animation jitters or errors with font display. In this regard, the iPhone 8 is not unique; almost all Apple smartphones began to perform worse after updating to version 11 of the system. But new products always receive bug fixes and, probably, the G8 will function more smoothly.

Among the nice things about iOS 11 is the widespread adoption of machine learning. The company talks about the work of neural networks in Siri, the camera and some other elements of the system. Due to the A11 Bionic processor, tailored for such tasks, such functionality will develop more and more over time.

AR

Apple places great emphasis on augmented reality technology. Along with iOS 11, ARKit was introduced, with which developers can create various software in this area. There are already a huge number of games and applications available that use AR. For example, you can now easily measure distance, height, throw a ball into a virtual hoop, or control your army, which will fight right in the room.

The potential of the technology has not yet been revealed, so soon the App Store will be filled with interesting augmented reality content. To prove this conclusion, we note that after the announcement of ARKit, Google began developing its own technology and so far the “good corporation” has not been able to demonstrate interesting results.

Autonomy and battery

iPhone 8 has a 1821 mAh battery. By the standards of devices from the Android world, this is just pennies. But in reality, a smartphone can work all day from morning to evening without any problems. Based on the numbers, the following results are obtained:

• Talk time: 14 hours
• Music listening time: 40 hours
• Surfing the Internet: 12 hours
• Video playback: 13 hours

The measurements were carried out under ideal conditions, so in reality you should expect slightly lower values. In general, the new product works approximately like the iPhone 7.

But the nice thing is that Apple has finally introduced wireless and fast charging into its device. But Cupertino, in their favorite manner, made the functions additional and did not include the required accessories in the delivery package. To use fast charging, you need to buy a MacBook power plug and a Lightning to USB-C cable from the official store. The kit will cost almost 7 thousand rubles.

The same situation applies to wireless technology. Although Apple used the well-known Qi standard, the corresponding docking station must be purchased separately. The average cost of such a device is 2 thousand rubles. In total, to unlock all the functionality of the iPhone 8, you need to spend an additional 9 thousand rubles.

We noted the bad, now about the good. With fast charging, the smartphone can be charged 50% in 30 minutes, and 100% charged in about 75 minutes. Through the Qi standard, everything happens a little slower and as a result, the gadget is fully charged in 3-4 hours. But in this case, it is the elimination of wires that is important, rather than the speed of operation.

iPhone 8 price

In Russia, iPhone 8 is sold at a price of 56,990 rubles for the 64 GB version and 68,990 rubles for the 256 GB model. Prices are high, especially compared to tax-exempt states in the US, where the new product sells for $699 and $849. Therefore, when buying a smartphone abroad, you can save a lot of money.

We will help you make a decision. Below we have answered all your questions regarding the new models.

What are the characteristics ofiPhone8 andiPhone 8 Plus?

You can find a complete list of technical specifications.

WhichSIM-cards can be placed iniPhone8? Does it support twoSIM-cards?

iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus support nano-SIM card. The phones do not support two cards.

Improved whetherAppledisplayRetina HD?

iPhone 8oriPhone X?

The iPhone X is much better than the iPhone 8 in several ways, including its camera performance. Compared to the OLED display of the iPhone X, the iPhone 8 display looks boring. The OLED display is not only larger, but also of better quality. It supports HDR and Dolby Vision. Plus, the iPhone X has Animoji features, and they're both exclusive.

Eat whether oniPhone 8AndiPhone 8 Plus Face ID?

No, they still have the technology.

What colors are available?iPhone8 andiPhone 8 Plus?

Silver, Space Gray and new Gold.

What does certification mean?IP67?

IP67 certification means iPhone X is dustproof and can be submerged underwater for up to 30 minutes at a depth of 1m.

If iPhone 8 stops working due to exposure to water, will the warranty still apply?

Despite IP67 certification, any damage from liquids don't hit under Apple's warranty terms.

Did Apple use Gorilla Glass on the new iPhone 8?

No, but the company claims that the glass the phone is made from is the most durable of any smartphone.

What's the difference betweeniPhone8 andiPhone 8 Plus?

You can find a detailed comparison.

Do models support standard wireless charging?Qi?

Can it be charged with third party Qi chargers?

Yes. You can charge your iPhone X with any Qi wireless charger. Apple has also worked with several manufacturers to create Qi accessories for the iPhone.

Is it still oniPhone8 andiPhone 8 Plus buttonhome?

How many fingerprints can be registered oniPhone 8?

Portrait mode is only available oniPhone 8 Plus?

How does portrait light mode work?

This feature will allow you to add lighting effects to your photos. They can be selected before shooting, as well as applied to finished photographs. These are not just filters, the function analyzes the situation, and the effect will change depending on it.

2x zoom oniPhone 8 PlusCan I always use it?

No. Like the iPhone 7 Plus, the secondary lens can't be used in low light or for macro shots. The distance to the object must be at least 40 cm.

Did Apple return it? 3.5mm headphone jack?

No, and it's time for you to stop hoping for his return.

Are the photos from the main lens of the same quality as those from the secondary lens?

No, the quality will vary due to the difference in aperture and the lack of axis on the additional lens.

Has it improvedApple additional telephoto lens oniPhone 8 Plus?

Apple has used new sensors with better pixel quality, and they will make the quality of your photos better.

Does it supportiPhone8 networksLTE AndVoLTe?

Do they supportiPhone8 andiPhone 8 Plus netReliance Jio in India?

Do the models support fast charging?

How much memory will there be?iPhone8 andiPhone 8 Plus?

Two options are available: 64GB and 256GB.

Is it possible to delete default apps on new iPhones?

Yes, you will be able to delete almost all stock apps on new phones running iOS 11. The company first added this feature on iOS 10 in 2016. But deleting system apps will not free up memory on the device.

What's included with the iPhone 8?

You'll get the phone itself, charger, USB cable, SIM tool, EarPods with Lightning port, and documentation.

WheniPhone8 andiPhone 8 Plus will they go on sale?

They can be ordered from September 15, and purchased in stores from September 22. You can read about the countries where the models are released.

How much areiPhone8 andiPhone 8 Plus?

An iPhone 8 with 64GB of storage costs $699, and with 256GB it costs $849. The iPhone 8 Plus with 64GB of storage costs $799, and with 256GB it costs $949.

Everything in the box is as always

Apple has completely given up on surprises for its fans. There is nothing unusual inside the iPhone box:

• 5 V and 1 A power supply (yes, for fast charging you need to buy a separate charger)
• lightning cable
• adapter from Lightning to 3.5 mm
• wired headphones with Lightning connector

Yes, new iPhones still cannot be connected to new MacBooks. You need to buy a USB adapter<->USB C for 1500 rubles. Well, or just order a similar adapter from Aliexpress for a dollar and a half, which, in fact, is what I did.

Only the appearance of the packaging has changed. Now the box is entirely painted in the color of the iPhone that is hidden inside.

New-old design

Front new iPhone 8 indistinguishable from the seven at all. Completely black glass panel, 2.5D glass, Touch ID (works great) - everything is as always.

Of course, the glass has an oleophobic coating and it is of very high quality. There is also an anti-fingerprint coating on the back, don't worry.

However, the Touch ID sensor does not have any “oleophobia”. If the screen glass is clean, the sensor picks up fingerprints very quickly. But it's not that scary.

The most important! iPhone 8 is less slippery than all its predecessors.

Glass still clings to the palm better than matte, polished metal, and this is a fact. Apple also claims that the glass in the new product has become 50% stronger (apparently relative to its predecessor), therefore, it will become more difficult to break the iPhone. And yet, for some reason, I am sure that it is still not as strong as .

The glass panel on the back is also needed so that the figure eight can be charged via wireless charging. Fortunately, Apple didn’t split hairs and the new product is compatible with the very common Qi standard. I bought an adapter from Belkin, I will try it in action and will definitely post the results.

Another small cosmetic change compared to the previous generation is that the antenna strips have now become shorter and are visible only on the side ends. There are four of them, they look neat, decorous, noble.

If you have any doubts about which iPhone to choose, I suggest looking at the photos below. An ordinary eight and a giant plus against its background.

Those expecting a truly black iPhone will be disappointed.

iPhone 8 is never “black”.

It only looks black at dusk or in a room with very poor lighting. In all other situations it appears dark gray. The back seems to be made of smoothly polished stone.

Now for other colors. Be very careful when choosing a gold color. It’s better to look at the handset in person and turn it in your hands before buying. In not very good lighting, the back does not look white, but with a clear pinkish tint.

There is nothing to say about the silver model - the most boring option.

"TruTon" screen

What would I choose: 120 Hz picture refresh rate or some incomprehensible True Tone? Definitely the first.

The iPad Pro 10.5'', which has a display with a refresh rate of 120 Hz, looks simply amazing. Any animation on it is perceived in a completely new way, and all other screens after it, including the iPhone 8, are perceived very painfully.

And with True Tone, the panel looks just fun. Yes, the temperature of the colors constantly changes depending on the ambient light (the screen mainly shines with a yellow tint). The display either “warms” or “cools” and it’s cool, but there’s no “wow” here. We lived without this feature, we felt good, but with it... well, it was cool. No more.

Below in the photo is the iPhone 8 Plus screen (top or left) and the iPhone 8 display (bottom or right).

Otherwise, these are completely identical screens to the 7th. Same brightness, contrast and resolution.

By the way, despite the evil smiles of Android fans, on which there are smartphones with 4K resolution, the iPhone 8’s dot density is enough. At least for a 4.7-inch diagonal. At the same time, Apple saves a pretty penny by not ordering expensive panels with a higher resolution for its brainchild.

3D Touch, incredibly cool Taptic Engine vibration response, maximum pressure sensitivity - all this is in place. However, if we remove all these goodies, then we have a regular IPS matrix, which is covered with a lilac fog at extreme viewing angles.

iPhone 8 Specifications

The easiest way to compare the technical characteristics of the iPhone 8 with the iPhone 7 is in the table. Green indicates improvements, and red indicates deterioration. Yes, there are such parameters.

	iPhone 7	iPhone 8
Display	IPS, 4.7 inches, 1334 x 750 (326 ppi density), 1400:1 contrast ratio, 625 nits brightness	IPS, 4.7 inches, 1334 x 750 (326 ppi density), 1400:1 contrast ratio, 625 nits brightness, True Tone technology, HDR and Dolby Vision support
CPU	A10 Fusion (2.34 GHz, 4 cores, 16 nm) + M10 motion coprocessor	A11 Bionic (6 cores, 10 nm) + M11 motion coprocessor
Graphic arts	Own graphics accelerator	Own triple-core processor (30% more powerful than its predecessor)
RAM	2 GB
Built-in memory	32, 64 or 128 GB	64 or 256 GB
Main camera	12 MP (f/1.8, 28 mm, 1.22 micron dot size, sapphire coating, optical stabilization, 4-section True Tone flash, 4K 30 FPS recording, Slo-Mo 1080p at 120 FPS)	12 MP (f/1.8, 28 mm, sapphire coating, optical stabilization, 4-section True Tone Slow Sync flash, 4K 60 FPS recording, Slo-Mo 1080p at 240 FPS)
Front-camera	7 MP (f/2.2, HDR, EIS, 1080p recording)
Battery	1960 mAh	1821 mAh ( fast and wireless charging Qi)
Connectors	Lightning
Sensors	Light and proximity sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, Touch ID, digital compass, barometer
Water and dust protection	IP67
Wireless interfaces	Wi-Fi (802.11 ac, Dual Band), Bluetooth 4.2, NFC, GPS, Glonass	Wi-Fi (802.11 ac, Dual Band), Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, GPS, Glonass, Galileo
Connection	LTE-A Cat. 12	LTE-A

Most people will definitely like the fact that the smartphone now sounds a quarter louder. The sound is bassy, ​​clear and pleasant to the ear. You can't dig in here. If anything, the main speaker from below is also helped by the conversational speaker.

The hardware in the new smartphone is so interesting that there is a reason to break this matter into separate items.

A processor that's smarter than you

The new product has a smaller battery, but it lasts the same amount of time. And all thanks to the new A11 Bionic processor, which is made using a 10-nanometer process technology. The previous chipset (A10 Fusion) was created based on the 16 nm process technology.

All this means that 8 works faster and consumes less energy. Plus and minus give the same autonomy, which we will talk about in more detail later.

Graphics performance has increased very noticeably - by 30 percent.

Although, it would seem, much more. And Apple has an answer why it is needed - for augmented reality or AR.

Tim Cook optimistically states that soon we will not be able to imagine our ordinary life without AR. And I completely agree with him. Strange and wretched VR is just a toy, and an expensive one at that. For normal virtual reality you need the most powerful hardware, screens with an extreme pixel density (well over 600 ppi) and more or less compact dimensions of the final device. And no one has yet managed to combine all this in one device. Lost business.

But AR is the future. I pointed my smartphone at the urban landscape and saw everything I needed: where there is food and how far to get to it, what kind of monument is in front of you, what reviews of the museum and what it is actually called. In general, we are waiting for this whole thing to develop into a mass phenomenon.

And A11 Bionic is a chipset in which resources are allocated for machine learning. Separate modules (I believe) are responsible for studying your habits and optimizing the operation of your smartphone for your specific tasks. So, if the processor has figured that, say, checking your mail does not require many resources, it will not redirect powerful cores with increased operating frequencies to it in advance. Here's to saving energy at the same time.

Doesn't he slow down for an hour?

Of course not! The iPhone 8 works very quickly, the animation flies and does not lag a bit.

However, at one point I still managed to catch small, but still brakes. This happened when one time I took the device out of my pocket and unlocked it with a completely normal touch on the Touch ID sensor. The unlocking animation worked with barely noticeable brakes. It was as if I caught the smartphone at the wrong moment, when it was busy processing some processes. An isolated incident, never repeated.

Regarding performance in applications and games, we can say that the iPhone 8 has a long lifespan. For three or four years for sure.

And, by the way, it is the regular eight that can rightfully be called the most powerful smartphone in the world. Below is a rating from Geekbench that confirms this.

We say thanks to the low screen resolution. The processor doesn't need to process extra pixels, which is why the 8 Plus and even the iPhone X are a little behind their younger brother.

RAM test

In the new generation, as before, we have 2 GB of RAM and by the standards of the Android world this is extremely little. But not for the iPhone 8. Here are the results of my test.

I did a dirty test: I used my smartphone as usual, with 26 applications open in the background. I launched Safari and opened my five heavy reviews:

Switching between tabs was painless. Nothing was reloaded, YouTube inserts within texts were launched without problems, and so on.

Then I went out and opened a few more utilities: Photos, Camera, Instagram and Google Maps. I returned to Safari and all open tabs began to reload. In other words…

2 GB of RAM is still not enough even for iOS.

Compared to the standard eight, the Plus version looks like a monster and here's why. The older model has already received 3 GB of RAM and this allows it to easily run 46 applications in the background, as was the case in my case. I opened the same reviews, then launched a dozen other programs, including World of Tanks and the AR utility Night Shift, and only then two of the tabs opened in Safari began to reload. As they say, feel the difference.

Cameras

At the presentation they assured that the new smartphone began to take pictures even better. Well, let's see.

Front-camera

A common problem with many front cameras is exposure errors. The face is visible normally, but the entire background is overexposed. Well, or vice versa.

This problem is also present here, but it is very weakly expressed. The algorithms try their best to correctly determine the desired exposure, and at the same time not make a mistake with the white balance, and not give you a blue face, for example.

In general, HDR on the front camera works great. Yes, the face becomes slightly flat, but the background will not be overexposed.

In general, it seemed to me that the camera had not changed at all. Seven knew how to take great selfies and eight certainly didn’t ruin anything. But it didn’t improve either.

Main camera

iPhone photos are very easy to recognize - they all have some kind of yellowish, sandy tint. The same Samsung Galaxy S8 films as is. Well, maybe it lifts the colors a little, but the photos don’t fade with any extraneous colors.

Fortunately, this problem is less pronounced in the eights than in the previous generation. Desert yellow is present, but not as noticeable.

HDR photos are as good as always. The dynamic range covers most situations, all objects are visible in the frame, without overexposure and other crimes. Let's see what it looks like.

Good job HDR

Once the automation went stupid and painted the sky an acid blue hue. Although there were no signs of trouble.

Separately, a few words about macro. It's fantastic!

Yes, now many smartphones take pictures of flowers so cool that you will shake. However, taking pictures of the iPhone 8 can cause you to fall. And here's the proof (better sit down).

During the day, the iPhone takes exceptionally cool pictures. But even at night the device will not lose face. There are practically no blurry frames, autofocus clings to objects very firmly and quickly. Well, the detailing is, of course, very high.

In general, the good thing about the iPhone camera is that it is maximally adapted for the average person. Everything here is tailored to a “point and shoot” scenario. There is no need to invent anything with white balance, adjust the shutter speed or ISO. For advanced photographers this is not very good, but for most it is a plus. And with the new iPhone everything becomes even easier, because it really takes better pictures.

By the way, this week I will release big comparison between iPhone 8 and iPhone 7. There we will pit two generations against each other and see how much cooler the new product is. Keep your finger on the pulse, or better yet, bookmark the site.

By the way, we collect all the original photographs in one archive.

No second camera. It's a shame?

Compared to the older model (Plus), our hero looks faded because he cannot:

• blur the background or bokeh
• zoom in without loss of quality (“optical” zoom 2x)
• it does not have a “Portrait Lighting” mode (a cool feature, which I’ll tell you more about in iPhone 8 Plus review)

In defense of those who settled on the usual eight, I will say the following. Background blur is a thing that looks very impressive, but those who don’t bother with portrait photography don’t need it.

Optical zoom is a useful thing when you can’t get closer to your subject. There is a possibility? Consider that you saved ten thousand rubles when buying a smartphone.

Portrait lighting is just a software filter and most likely all these effects will appear in third-party photo editors. Not a big loss.

Video recording

There are two innovations here. Let's go in order.

4K and 60 FPS

Yes, the iPhone 8 is the first smartphone that shoots 4K video at 60 frames. The videos look very smooth, all movements look very lively.

In addition, such cool content can be successfully used in video editors. This is a definite plus for beginners and not-so-video bloggers. Like me, for example. Although I still won't start.

Slow-slow Motion

What I love and respect about iPhones is Slo-Mo. No other device on the market can shoot such high-quality slow-motion videos. Manufacturers of Android devices, for inexplicable reasons, forget about this. But not Apple!

The Eight shoots Full HD video at 240 frames per second. Almost as cool as advanced action cameras. Only this is a phone.

And all this against the backdrop of the fact that many, even top manufacturers, have still not switched to Full HD resolution. So they set their rotten HD at 120 FPS. In 2017!

How long does the battery last?

Few! For active users, the smartphone will not survive until the evening. In general, all the same pain that was in the sevens.

One fact really upsets me. The iPhone 8 supports fast charging (finally!!!1), but I have no idea how to experience it for myself.

The kit includes a dead 1 amp power supply, with it the smartphone will charge as always for a long time. To get fast charging, you need an adapter with increased output current, but where can you get one? Chargers from MacBooks are not suitable because they have a USB Type-C plug, not Lightning. What should I do? Where to put the money, Apple?!

In general, the mythical 50 percent charge in 30 minutes remains a statement on the official website. No more.

But the fact that Apple did not release its own wireless charging along with the release of the iPhone 8 is very strange. For a company of this size! Still, wireless charging of the Qi standard is far from top-end space technology. Koreans have been churning out these accessories since 2014.

Yes, at the presentation we were shown AirPower, it will be released no one knows when (in 2018), no one knows how much it will cost, and not everyone needs a platform for charging everything at once. I would like something simpler, about 50 bucks.

That’s why I bought a white Belkin wireless charger (the Apple Store also has a Mophie, but black) and I’ll tell you more about it.

From zero to one hundred percent, the iPhone 8 is charged on such a wireless platform in... 3 hours 30 minutes!

And this despite the fact that the phone has a very weak 1821 mAh battery. Unrealistically long! Hence the simple conclusion - you need to charge your smartphone only at night. Quickly adding interest in the morning while you brush your teeth won't work. This is not Android!

A couple more points. In a moderately thick plastic case, charging is carried out, there are no problems. The smartphone does not heat up, it becomes slightly warm. Do not believe the contrary statements of some experts on the Internet.

What's the result? Take?

If you are an ardent “Apple” person, you have a MacBook, Apple Watch and all that stuff from the proprietary eco-system, then it’s worth buying the iPhone 8. But not now.

In three or four months it will be just right. The market will be saturated, prices for gray tubes will drop to an acceptable level, the first batches will be distributed to service centers with all sorts of children's sores that were not examined during production. Then you can take it. Save some money at the same time. Don't take it on credit!

Still, the iPhone 8 is the top device on the market. It is incredibly fast, has an excellent performance reserve and can finally compete with top Android gadgets (Google Pixel 2) in terms of photo quality.

But when it comes to video recording, the Apple device has no equal. If this is critical, then take the eight. What other conversations could there be?

But if you compare the iPhone 8 with the same 8 Plus or with the tenth version, then an interesting thing comes out. Despite the fact that we will sell it for 56,990 rubles (!!!), it is by no means a flagship. The usual eight seems to be created in order to make it clear to you that you spent a lot of money for an intermediate model. Do you want maximum photo quality? Be kind enough to fork out for Plus. If you want innovation, then you will have to pay two salaries for ten. And Apple doesn’t care about all the ugliness.

The anniversary generation of iPhone was an excellent opportunity for Apple to prepare a special surprise for fans. In the wake of the trend of frameless displays, the public hoped to see a new product with a fundamentally new design. The expectations were met, but the eighth iPhone lost all this. Why did this happen and will the device be relevant this year? Read our iPhone 8 review.

Price and main characteristics

Compared to the iPhone X, the “regular” generation of the flagship doesn’t look that expensive. The price of the younger version of the device at the start of sales in the USA is $699. For a smartphone with 256 GB of internal memory you will have to pay $849. It is expected that in Russian retail the iPhone 8 will initially be sold at a significant premium.

Specifications:

Display: 4.7”, Apple Retina HD 1334 x 750 px (326 ppi);
processor: Apple A11 Bionic + Apple A11 Bionic GPU video accelerator;
RAM: 2 GB;
internal memory: 64/256 GB;
camera: main – 12 MP, front – 7 MP;
communications: 4G LTE, Wi-Fi (802.11 ac), Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, NFC, Galileo, QZSS, Lightning;
battery: 1821 mAh;
dimensions: 138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3 mm;
weight:148 g.

Traditionally, the new generation of flagships managed to break several records among other devices at once. iPhone 8 has the best camera, according to the DxOMark resource, and the most powerful mobile processor in the world (at the moment).

Equipment and appearance

Since the iPhone 7, the smartphone's packaging has remained virtually unchanged, with only a few cosmetic touches added to its packaging. Now the iPhone 8 Space Gray is placed in the same dark box, and the image of the smartphone on the box of the other color versions has received a small highlight, which emphasizes the glass surface of the back cover of the device. Inside there is the iPhone 8 itself, EarPods + minijack adapter, charging unit, Lightning cable, SIM card ejector and documentation.

The omission of the traditional S-generation quite reasonably suggests that the new generation of flagships from Cupertino will receive fundamental changes in design. But in fact, the iPhone 8 was spared drastic changes. Moreover, the smartphone is very similar to its predecessor, with the exception of some details.

This time, the manufacturer abandoned aluminum alloy in the manufacture of the case; it was replaced by glass on the back and front surfaces of the device. Such measures had to be taken because of wireless charging, which works best through glass. The new material is pleasant to the touch, but collects fingerprints relatively quickly. The iPhone 8 is also slightly slipperier than its predecessor.

In addition, the Cupertino team has reduced the color palette; only Space Gray, Silver and Gold color options will be available on store shelves.

If you still have a case from an old iPhone (with a cutout for the apple logo), you can safely throw it away. The signature feature of the new product has now shifted a few millimeters down, which is why the old bumpers only spoil the appearance of the device. Unfortunately, you can hardly do without additional protection here. Apple said that the glass of the new iPhone is one of the most durable in the entire line, but it will still “delight” the owner with an impressive crack after falling on the asphalt.

The gadget is waterproof to the IP67 standard; the new product is not afraid of water procedures for a long time. However, this option has long become standard for all flagships.

Overall, the iPhone 8 is a classic representative of the intermediate generation of flagships that came out at the wrong time. The design of the device has moved forward just a few millimeters on the way to perfection. On the contrary, the use of glass panels was criticized by many people. However, almost all fans agree on one thing - the iPhone 8 was “outdated” immediately after the presentation of the fundamentally new iPhone X.

Screen

The desire to be the first in everything led the flagship developers to the best display in the world among all mobile devices. Don't let the technical specifications scare you - the lack of FullHD and only 4.7 inches diagonally. It uses the latest Apple Retina HD Display, based on an OLED matrix manufactured by Samsung, with indicators meticulously adjusted to the ideal.

The key innovation is the True Tone function, which changes the color temperature of the displayed image according to the ambient light. This option was first introduced in last year's Pro line of iPads. Now it has finally moved to smartphones. Another innovation is support for HDR; iPhone 8 has the ability to play relevant content.

The maximum brightness threshold of the flagship display reaches 663 nits, which is quite enough for excellent screen readability even under bright sunlight. As expected, the Retina Display looks great from any angle. However, the screen still has some shortcomings; they relate more to Apple’s general strategy and positioning. A couple of years ago, such a display would have created a real sensation, but now the wide, awkward frames of the iPhone 8 look simply ridiculous against the background of the frameless Galaxy S8.

Performance

Another big point in the iPhone 8 standings was the latest processor, manufactured using 10nm technology. According to Apple, the A11 Bionic is the most powerful mobile chipset among all existing ones.

Indeed, the loud statements are supported by benchmark results that were leaked even before the presentation itself. The new product has left its main competitor far behind, the Samsung Galaxy S8 is 35% “weaker”.

The processor comes with 2 GB of RAM and a choice of 64/256 GB of storage. Thanks to the perfect optimization of the new iOS 11, there is no need to talk about any lag in the interface. And in games, the iPhone 8 resembles an ultra-expensive PC, since in the AppStore you will not find an application that the device’s chipset cannot handle.

Camera

The DXoMark portal awarded the photo module of the device the title of “the best camera among all mobile devices.” For many years now, Apple's flagships have remained the standard for comparing image quality with competitors. Based on their technical characteristics, the iPhone 8 received the same camera as its predecessor - 12 megapixels, ƒ/1.8 aperture, five-fold zoom and optical stabilization. However, the improvements lie elsewhere.

The new A11 Bionic chipset is equipped with the best image processing algorithms. The smartphone analyzes the situation in the frame (selecting individual objects) and adjusts individual settings according to it. The flash received the Slow Sync function, and autofocus became even faster. The updated photosensor recognizes more details in low light. In general, it is better to be convinced of the high quality of images from your own experience.

Example video:

Innovations also affected video shooting; iPhone 8 can now record video in 4K resolution at 60 frames per second. But the front camera was left the same - the same 7 megapixels with the ability to record FullHD video.

Speaker, sound quality

The multimedia speaker of the gadget sounds at the same level as its predecessor. Except that the iPhone 8 is about 10% louder, however, this is not that important.

The smartphone comes with a proprietary wireless headset, EarPods. The sound is commendable, but some sacrifices must be made to achieve it. Apple still forces its customers to use a bunch of adapters if they suddenly want to use a different headset.

Battery

The actual battery capacity of the new product is 1821 mAh. In battery life tests, the iPhone 8 performed slightly better than the previous generation. In maximum load mode, the gadget discharges in about eight and a half hours.

At the presentation of the flagship, support for wireless charging was also announced. True, there is no original accessory from Apple included, so those who want to use this technology will have to fork out another 6-7 thousand rubles.

Communication and Internet

The iPhone 8 performed well in terms of its main purpose – mobile communications. The interlocutor on the other end of the line can be heard clearly and clearly, there are no problems with receiving cellular signals or LTE. The gadget also supports the full range of the latest wireless communication standards. Among them is an NFC chip, an integral attribute of the Apple Pay payment system.

iPhone 8 video review

Competitors, conclusion

• The most powerful smartphone in the world;
• Excellent Retina display;
• Top camera;
• Excellent optimization;
• Support wireless charging;
• Moisture protection.

• Lack of serious innovations;
• Autonomy;
• Price.

It just so happened that the iPhone 8 was presented exactly 10 minutes before the main hit of the year – Model X. That’s exactly how long Apple’s new flagship was relevant in the eyes of users. Yes, the eighth iPhone can offer the highest level of performance, a stunning screen and a good camera. However, the device did not produce the expected “bomb” effect; traditional queues at the start of sales were replaced by empty Apple stores.

The flagship will be absolutely uninteresting to you if you expected fundamental changes from the guys from Cupertino. However, for conservatives who are not ready to give up TouchID in favor of FaceId, this is quite a good option. However, we see absolutely no reason to switch from seven to eight.