iPhone X has become a top seller, judging by long queues at stores and quickly sold out lots. The jubilee iPhone was also highly praised by critics, and there weren't the same serious complaints about the Google Pixel 2 XL.
We recently looked at the advantages of iPhone X over iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus. At the end of the article, we concluded: if you are ready to spend $ 799 for iPhone 8 Plus, then it is better to wait and buy already iPhone X for 999.
Is iPhone X better than iPhone 8 Plus in every way? Unfortunately not.
We still recommend buying X over 8 Plus, but it would be unfair not to consider the advantages of iPhone 8 Plus over iPhone X.
1.More displayed content on display
There is a misconception that a 5.8 “display iPhone X should fit more content than a 5.5” display iPhone 8 Plus. This is not true. Let's remember 2012, when Apple released iPhone 5. Then the company first increased the size of the display to 4 inches (it used to be 3.5 inches). The display width remains the same, only the height has been increased. This made it easier for developers to customize their applications for a tall display, leaving them to be used with one hand.
A couple of years later, Apple expanded the width of their phones as well with the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus. The 'Plus' models iPhone 6s, iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 have retained the same shape this year. Essentially, iPhone X did with the design of iPhone 8 what iPhone 5 did with iPhone 4s. That is, iPhone X is the same width as iPhone 8, but taller. But this time, the Home button disappeared and a bezel-less design appeared, and the display size increased from 4.7 to 5.8 inches. Thus, iPhone X is the same as iPhone 8, but its display is larger than iPhone 8 Plus.
The horizontal resolution of iPhone X is the same as iPhone 8 – 375 pixels. For comparison, the iPhone 8 Plus has 414 pixels. This means that app developers have more room to add more elements or place them further apart. In addition, there is an empty space on the keyboard iPhone X for easier use. Due to the smaller width iPhone X displays less content in a horizontal position.
Conclusion: despite its 5.8-inch display, which is larger than the display iPhone 8 Plus, the second contains more content than the first.
2. Battery is used up more slowly
The iPhone X has a 2.716mAh battery, which is slightly larger than the 2.691mAh battery of the iPhone 8 Plus, and both models run on an A11 processor. But there are several factors that cause the iPhone 8 Plus battery to consume more slowly than the iPhone X battery. The first is the iPhone X higher resolution HDR display and with support for Dolby Vision. Usually OLED – panels are more economical, but not when displayed in white. In fact, displaying white on OLED – the display consumes more power than on LCD – display. Both the system itself and most applications have a white background, and this negatively affects the battery. Using dark mode on iPhone X can significantly reduce battery drain on iPhone X.
The second reason is Face ID technology, which uses a set of sensors, including an infrared camera, streaming porthole, and spotlight. Activating these sensors dozens or even hundreds of times a day consumes more power than the Touch ID fingerprint sensor on the iPhone 8 Plus. And the final reason is the telephoto lens with OIS and the front TrueDepth camera. They also consume a lot of energy iPhone X.
According to tests, iPhone 8 Plus can run 3 hours longer than iPhone X when browsing the web and playing videos. The website Apple also says that iPhone 8 Plus will run an hour longer under these conditions. Interestingly, the small iPhone 8 lasted 1.5 hours longer than iPhone X when browsing the web, but when playing video iPhone X, on the contrary, overtook iPhone 8 for 1.5 hours.
It can be concluded that in everyday use iPhone X should last longer than iPhone 8, but not iPhone 8 Plus.
3. Repair is cheaper
Numerous drop tests have shown that iPhone X is a fragile phone and its glass body is quite easy to break. If this misfortune happens to you, then be prepared to pay more for repairs than if you had iPhone 8 Plus.
For example, if you break the back cover iPhone X, you will have to pay $ 549 to replace it. The same procedure for iPhone 8 Plus will cost $ 399. If you break the screen iPhone X, you will have to pay $ 279, and for iPhone 8 Plus – $ 169.
In countries where Apple Care + operates, it costs $ 29 or $ 99 (depending on damage) to fix all models and $ 199 to fix iPhone X. iPhone 8 Plus – 149 total.
In general, iPhone 8 Plus will be cheaper to fix than iPhone X.
4. Face ID vs Touch ID
Face ID is easier to use because you don't even have to put your finger on the scanner to unlock your phone. While technology seems more convenient, it is not always the case. For example, if the phone is on the table, iPhone 8 Plus can be quickly unlocked by placing your finger on it. iPhone X will have to be picked up and raised or bent over it so that Face ID can scan your face.
5. No notch
Notch iPhone X is the cause of much controversy. Some people don't like the way she looks. In addition to the appearance, the notch has other disadvantages. For example, some icons are not displayed in the small status bar, such as battery percentage. In order to view it, you will need to open the Control Center. Also, it is not shown in any way when the 'do not disturb' mode is enabled, etc.
In addition, the content of the sites has to be compressed so that nothing is hidden by the notch.
iPhone X renders webpages with literal white bars on the sides pic.twitter.com/ztcWetrLPo
– Thomas “Kick Nazis out, @jack” Fuchs (@thomasfuchs) September 13, 2017
Bonus – Split Screen
iPhone 8 Plus has a 'split screen' mode where you can view Mail, Messages, etc. For example, in Mail, instead of going back to the list each time to open a new message, you can open it on the left side of the screen. You can also use gestures in the Mail app to mark messages as read, delete them, or pin them to the top of the list. Thus, it is much more convenient to use Mail, Messages, etc.