With Apple’s 2017 tech update in the bag, we’ve had our first glimpse of its next smart phone to hit the market, so here’s a quick comparison of the iPhone 8 Vs the iPhone 7 to help you decide on whether or not you should make the leap. You can check out our post on what’s good about the iPhone X for a little more on the difference between it and the iPhone 8, and with the price tags pretty high for all of the phones it makes sense to get a good understanding of the difference between each of the devices.
Screen comparison
There is very little in it between the iPhone 8 and the iPhone 7 in terms of the display screen. Both feature 4.7 inch retina HD widescreen LCD multitouch display and 1334×750-pixel resolution. That makes it pretty much a draw between the two devices, so there’s not really a significant step forward in terms of the screen unless you’re excited by talk of “True Tone display”.
Result – Draw
Camera comparison
In terms of the base units, the iPhone 8 Plus is the clear winner when it comes to the camera comparison, but the standard 8 is again very similar to the 7. They all feature a 12 megapixel rear camera wth f/1 .8 aperture, but the iPhone 8 Plus also boasts telephoto and widescreen wide-angle lenses with f/1.8 for the wide-angle and f/2.8 for the optical zoom, which should work well for low lighting. It also comes with optical image stabilisation and 10x digital zoom Vs. the 5x digital zoom on the iPhone 7 and 8 standard.
However, the iPhone 7 Plus comes with all of that as well, so again it’s far from a huge leap forward into the future.
Result – Draw
CPU power comparison
On the face of things, there isn’t much difference between the 8’s A11 Bionic chip set and the 7s A10 Fusion, with both boasting 64-bit architecture, but its four efficiency cores are up to 70% faster. It’s 2 performance cores are up to 25% faster too, so you can expect quicker processing from the CPU. You probably won’t notice too much of a difference, unless you’re heavily into mobile gaming, but it’s always nice to get a little nudge in performance under the hood.
Result – iPhone 8 wins
Battery life comparison
The bad news for anyone looking to upgrade is that the battery life is no different between the two devices. While the iPhone X is going to have a couple of extra hours on the 7, The eight remains on par with up to 14 hours of talk time, up to 12 hours of internet use, up to 13 hours of video playback or up to 40 hours of audio playback.
Result – draw
Charging comparison
The introduction of wireless charging through Qi chargers or Apple’s new AirPower mats for the iPhone 8, 8 Plus and the iPhone X is a solid step forward.
Result – iPhone 8 wins
Protection comparison
We’re talking environmental protection here and both smart phones feature water and dust resistance.
Result – draw
Price comparison
The iPhone 8 will set you back £699 or £33.56 per month on a 24 month contract, while the 8 Plus costs £799 or £38.35 per month with a 24 month contract. This compares to £549 or £26.36 per month with a 24 month contract for the iPhone 7 and £669 or £32.11 per month for the 7 Plus. Obviously, it’s going to be cheaper to go for the 7 or the 7 Plus.
Winner – iPhone 7
iPhone 8 Vs iPhone 7 overall verdict
It’s a much closer call than we’d expected, but the iPhone 8 takes it thanks to its wireless charging and improved CPU power. The other main differentiator is price, so if you’re looking to save a little and don’t mind plugging in to charge then the iPhone 7 Plus is a very good option and the standard 7 isn’t too far behind. The 7 Plus has a number of extra features over and above the 8, including the optical zoom and portrait mode, so depending on your criteria it could be an easy winner.
