Real review. Should I change iPhone Plus to iPhone X? Real review Do you like the glass on the back?

To spite all the skeptics and spiteful critics, Samsung has dealt with the unpleasant consequences of the launch Galaxy Note 7 and introduced a new one flagship smartphone Galaxy S8. With the Galaxy S8, the company tried to immediately occupy the niche of frameless phones. The new product has very thin frames around the screen - the entire front side will be occupied by a bright display. However, despite the attractive design of the new South Korean flagship, the iPhone 7 Plus still holds the title of the world's best smartphone. This is the conclusion reached by BGR columnist Zach Eckstein after two weeks Galaxy testing S8+.

The journalist received a test copy a few days before the official start of sales and at this time completely switched to samsung smartphone. The Galaxy S8 really has a very serious advantage over the iPhone 7: the AMOLED screen of the Korean is unrivaled, writes Zach. And if the iPhone 7 Plus boasts extremely accurate color reproduction, then in other respects its screen looks very uncertain compared to the Galaxy S8+. But most importantly, Samsung managed to do the almost impossible: a device with a diagonal of 6.2 inches can be called compact.

“As I already said in the smartphone review, the Galaxy S8 is superior to the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus in terms of hardware design. Much. Curved edges on the front and back coupled with incredibly thin edges create a future-proof design feel. Returning to my iPhone 7 Plus after using Galaxy The S8 can be compared to the return of flat panel TV to tube TV,” writes Epstein.

Samsung Galaxy The S8 is built around one single idea - to create a frameless phone before others. From this point of view, it turned out to be an excellent device with a luxurious screen and excellent appearance. But if we consider the S8 as a competitor to the iPhone, then everything is not so rosy for Samsung.

“The Galaxy S8 truly performs better than any other Android smartphone. A latest version The TouchWiz interface (now called Samsung Experience) is better than ever. However, Nougat is not iOS, and the Galaxy S8 is not an iPhone, says the journalist. – Now that I've been using the Galaxy S8+ for about two weeks, I can say with confidence that the iPhone 7 Plus is still best smartphone on the planet. While the Galaxy S8+ is superior to the iPhone 7 Plus in terms of design and display quality, it's the latter that has all the really significant features and benefits."

Five areas where the iPhone 7 Plus is ahead of the Galaxy S8:

1. operating system. iOS still better than android. Even with the updated Samsung Experience interface, iPhone smartphone a clear advantage. Apple Continuity will easily give Samsung Connect a run for its money.

2. Applications. iOS apps are much better than Android apps. Perhaps developers don't follow Google's guidelines, or the company's development tools lag behind Apple's. But Android software always works differently, while iOS software is always simpler and more reliable, especially when comparing one application available on two platforms.

3. Productivity. Performance is an important indicator and the iPhone 7 Plus is ahead of the Galaxy S8. Stand in real conditions and you will see that Android yet is a far cry from iOS, even when it comes to the flagship Snapdragon 835 processor.

4. Battery life. The iPhone 7 Plus has no equal in terms of battery life. For most users, the Galaxy S8's battery will last all day, but Apple's phablet beats it by a fair margin.

5. Service. No company in the world can compare with Apple in terms of quality of technical service.

Among other things, the Galaxy S8 falls into the same trap as the two previous generations of flagships - its body is entirely glossy, so in real life it instantly loses its original appearance, becoming covered with greasy fingerprints. Another controversial point is the absence of a second system speaker and, as a result, sound reproduction only in mono mode.

An obvious miscalculation is the location of the fingerprint scanner. Of course, you can get used to it, just like you can get used to shoes that are two sizes too small. The iris scanner and facial recognition function are good and useful things, but if we talk about the unlocking speed, the first is much inferior to the fingerprint sensor, and the second does not provide adequate security.

“Many users are tied to Android and the Google ecosystem. For these people, the Galaxy S8 could be a worthy choice. Majority Google services are now available on iOS, but they will never be as deeply integrated on the iPhone as they are on Android smartphones. When it comes to general impression and the feeling of working with the device, there is only one winner. The Samsung Galaxy S8 is truly impressive, but the king has not been overthrown."

Apple presented its long-awaited new smartphones, and they caused mixed emotions. The anniversary flagship iPhone X has undergone a radical redesign and is not a device for everyone. And it’s not even about the high price tag, but about the concept itself. Not everyone will like the frameless design, not everyone will be happy with the abandonment of the Home button, and the lack of a fingerprint scanner (albeit with Face ID instead) may be disappointing.

In general, the iPhone X is a smartphone that quickly divided the audience of Apple technology fans. Already on the day of the presentation, most decided for themselves whether it was worth buying it or not. But the iPhone 8 is the ideological successor to last year’s iPhone 7, and therefore everything is not so simple with it. Let's look at the current prices:

To dispel or reinforce doubts and help you decide whether it’s worth upgrading from iPhone 7 to 8, let’s try to analyze the differences between smartphones and find out the main ones.

Differences between iPhone 7 and 8

As can be seen from the table, the new product does not have very many changes. They relate to design, chipset, communications, camera and battery. To decide whether it’s worth upgrading from iPhone 7 to iPhone 8, you need to analyze whether any of the innovations are important to you, or whether they will not be appreciated by you in practice.

Do you like the glass on the back?

The first innovation that catches your eye is the new back materials. The iPhone is now glass, and you have to decide for yourself whether this is a plus or a minus. Some people like glossy smooth surfaces that shimmer in the sun, while others prefer metal. Glass, although beautiful, is fragile, which is also important to consider. And even though the manufacturer claims that the engineers took care of the strength, glass remains glass, no one has canceled physics.

If I were an Apple fan, I would change the iPhone 7 to 8 as soon as sales start. Subjectively, he has become much more beautiful and respectable in appearance. But is it worth changing the seven just for the glass panel in the eight? Think carefully.

Do you like to play?

The second important innovation is the Apple A11 Bionic chipset. It has 6 cores, which are up to 70% faster than its predecessor, new graphics, and is produced using a thinner 10 nm process technology. This means that the chip has become faster and more economical at the same time. Gamers will clearly appreciate the performance boost.

If mobile games are alien to you - there is no point in buying immediately new iPhone No. Apple always designs hardware for the future, so the iPhone 7 is still very fast. Its speed in the browser and messengers will definitely be enough for at least another couple of years. And if you change iPhone 7 to 8 now, you may simply not notice the increase in performance.

And now about the headsets

The new chipset also has updated communication modules. One of them is a 5th generation Bluetooth transceiver. It should provide communication over a greater distance, as well as increased speeds, compared to the previous version 4.2. For users of wireless headsets, this means that the connection with the headphones should become more reliable, and the amount of interference and stuttering should be reduced to a minimum.

If you don't use wireless headphones, then you won’t notice the Bluetooth update. And if you use it, then the headphones must also match Bluetooth standard last generation. Otherwise, communication will be maintained at the speeds of the slower device. Therefore, if you did not plan to buy new Bluetooth headphones, then the updated communication module in the new iPhone cannot be a serious argument in favor of its purchase.

And a little about cameras

The camera in the iPhone 8 remains physically the same as in its predecessor. This is still the same 12-megapixel 1/3" matrix with relatively high-aperture f/1.8 optics. There are no revolutionary innovations in it, but several evolutionary changes have nevertheless appeared.

Thanks to the increased performance of the chipset, engineers taught iPhone camera 8 shoot 4K video at 60 FPS. This is twice as much as in the iPhone 7. The maximum video recording speed in FullHD has also doubled (to 240 FPS).

The second change concerns the flash. Its design remains the same (4 LEDs with different color temperatures), but the Slow Sync function has been added. Thanks to it, when shooting in the dark, the smartphone first sends a slow pulse for “sighting” in order to correctly set the white balance and light sensitivity, and then shoots with a flash. This mechanism should reduce the amount of glare and light in night shots.

If you like to write Slow-Mo videos or often take photographs at night, you can change the iPhone 7 to 8. But if most of your photos are taken during the day, and you record videos in FullHD 30 or 60 FPS, then you probably won’t notice the difference.

The main changes are in the power system

The most noticeable change in the iPhone 8 compared to its predecessor is the glass design. The most significant innovation from a technical point of view can be considered the Apple A11 chipset. However, for many users, the most useful and practical innovation will be the emergence of new charging technologies.

Firstly, the iPhone 8 received support for fast charging. Apple fans can breathe a sigh of relief: they waited. Opponents of Apple smartphones seem to have lost one of the reasons for gloating: now the iPhone takes no longer to charge than Android handsets. The developers promise to replenish the capacity up to 50% in half an hour.

The second innovation in terms of battery is wireless charging. And not some special one, incompatible with anything (and Apple loves that), but the most common and proven Qi. Of course, it cannot transmit energy over a meter distance, but there are plenty of charging pads on sale. They are sold separately, they are built into IKEA furniture, and electronics giants produce monitors with such emitters in a stand.

Thanks to fast charging, you won’t have to wait for hours for a refill to reach 100%, but will quickly recharge a dead device. Wireless charging allows you to reduce the situation when the battery suddenly runs out to a minimum. After all, by placing a charging pad at your workplace, you can periodically place your smartphone on it, and always leave your home or office with a charged battery.

Conclusion

The analysis showed that the new iPhone 8 has become more beautiful (although this is my subjective opinion, not an axiom), more powerful, and more energy efficient. He learned to work with the latest generation of Bluetooth headsets and began to take better videos and night photos. Now the iPhone charges quickly (if you additionally buy a charger for fast charging), and can also be recharged wirelessly.

If these words already have an attractive effect on you, then it will not be possible to dissuade you from changing your iPhone 7 to an eight (and why?). If you are not very impressed by the list of innovations, then there is no reason to change last year’s Apple smartphone to a new one.

Every fall we hope that Apple will show us something incredible, but in reality we get, plus or minus, the same device, only more expensive. The same thing happened this year. We were shown the iPhone 8, which has two and a half new features. Are they worth it to sell yours or 7 and buy new smartphone? Let's figure it out now.

Prologue

Today we have not a classic one. If you want to know everything about the smartphone, then welcome to a separate article, where I took the new product apart. Now we will compare two generations: iPhone 7 and 8 and answer several burning questions.

Well, and of course, the most important question is: is it worth changing and switching to eight?

What is in the box?

Nothing new at all. There are no surprises inside, and unboxing Apple gadgets has long turned from an exciting event into a routine and complete disappointment.

Dead 1 amp power supply, lightning cable, still poor from all points of view and hearing EarPods, adapter from Lightning to 3.5 mm, stickers and... that's it.

Design

Front distinguish iPhone 8 from iPhone 7 impossible. This applies to black (we meet the old-new “Space Gray”) and other colors.

By the way, now the choice of colors is very limited: there is no pink and red (Product RED), there is only silver and supposedly gold. I would call the last one “unwashed tiles” - that would be more accurate, because there is no smell of gold here.

On the sides, absolutely nothing has changed. Except that the matte black in the seven turned into a matte dark gray.

But the back side is already noticeably different - a glass panel (branded Ion-X glass) was installed here for the sake of wireless charging. We'll talk about it a little later.

In the meantime, let's talk about how to stand out from the background of beggars with sevens. The only option is to carry the iPhone 8 without a case. However, I strongly do not recommend doing this.

Oh yes! The new product is friendly with video content, which is broadcast with expanded dynamic range(HDR and Dolby Vision). For us, residents of the CIS, this makes us neither hot nor cold. Even in the United States, not all channels have launched trial broadcasts in this format.

Comparing the characteristics of iPhone 8 and iPhone 7

If you don’t have money problems, you still shouldn’t buy a new product. Wait for the iPhone X. I'm sure you won't regret it.

Every year, smartphones become more and more expensive. Therefore, not every Apple user can afford to update every year. Let me remind you that this fall Apple released three models of its smartphones: iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X. Considering the fact that what to buy in this year iPhone I don't think X is reasonable. I wrote a separate article about the reasons why it is better to buy an iPhone 8 instead of an iPhone X, although these reasons may seem far-fetched to some. Therefore, in this article I want to talk about whether it is worth changing your iPhone 6s or iPhone 7 to the new iPhone 8. I would like to note that I will not specifically talk about earlier models, since I think that they are definitely worth changing.

Comparison of iPhone 6s, iPhone 7 and iPhone 8. What are the differences.

Let's compare the characteristics of these three smartphones.

Model	iPhone 6s	iPhone 7	iPhone 8
Dimensions	67.1x138.3x7.1 mm	67.1x138.3x7.1 mm	67.3x138.4x7.3 mm
Weight	143 g	138 g	148 g
CPU	A9 1.8 GHz 2 cores 64 bits	A10 2.34 GHz 4 cores 64 bits	A11 Bionic 2.4 GHz 6 cores 64 bits
RAM	2 GB	2 GB	2 GB
Camera	front 5 MP rear 12 MP with f/2.2 aperture		front 7 MP rear 12 MP with f/1.8 aperture
Memory	32 GB or 128 GB	32 or 128 GB	64 GB or 256 GB
Battery	1715 mAh	1960 mAh	1821 mAh
Price	from RUB 35,990	from RUB 43,990	from RUB 56,990

What is the difference between iPhone 8 and iPhone 6s?

There is a 2 year difference between these smartphones and therefore they differ quite seriously. Let's figure out what has changed over these couple of years.

1. Design.

Looking at both smartphones, you may not be able to tell them apart right away. But if you pick up the iPhone 8, you will immediately notice the difference. The fact is that back panel The figure eight is made of glass with an olephobic coating. Due to this, the smartphone fits in the hand much better and does not slip.

2. Home button.

Last year, Apple made the Home button not a physical button, but a touch button. So at first, pressing such a button will be quite unusual for you.

3.Moisture protection.

Perhaps another advantage of the eighth iPhone is its moisture protection according to the IP67 standard. This means you can submerge your smartphone to a depth of one meter for 30 minutes. So now you can take photos underwater. The only drawback is that the water must be fresh.

4. Camera

Perhaps the main advantage of the camera in the new iPhone is the presence of optical stabilization. This will allow you to reduce image blur caused by camera shake. iPhone 8 also has the ability to shoot 4K video at up to 60 FPS and slow-motion video at up to 1080p and 240 FPS.

5. Processor

The A11 Bionic processor installed in the iPhone 8 is much more powerful than the A9 in the iPhone 6s. I really want to add that slow work 6s I'm not complaining, but as they say there is no limit to perfection.

On this moment iPhone 8 is the most powerful smartphone On the market.

6. Screen.

iPhone 8 was the first smartphone to support TrueTone technology. This technology adjusts the white balance on the screen to match the color temperature around the device. Thanks to True Tone display new iPhone constantly display white light at the correct intensity and temperature. This allows the image to always look more natural, helps reduce visual strain and makes reading text more comfortable.

7. No headphone jack.

In 2016, Apple got rid of the headphone jack on its smartphones. This decision In my opinion it is quite controversial. The main motivation for this action was the desire to make the iPhone thinner. But as practice has shown, smartphones have not become thinner because of this. I can't say for sure whether it's good or bad. On the one hand, the use wired headphones It is gradually going out of fashion, but on the other hand, you can’t do without it on long trips if there is no way to charge a Bluetooth headset.

8.Fast and wireless charging function.

Despite the fact that many manufacturers have been using it in their smartphones for a long time wireless charging, Apple only decided to use it this year. With the fast charging feature, you can charge your iPhone 8 up to 50% in 30 minutes. There is really not a big minus. The package with the smartphone is still old Charger, which does not allow the use fast charging. You'll also have to buy a separate wireless charging device.

Is it worth upgrading from iPhone 6s to iPhone 8?

And so let's sum it up. The iPhone 8 has enough new features to replace your already old iPhone 6s. Of course, provided that you have money for a new smartphone, which, although it costs less than a dozen, is also not very cheap.

What is the difference between iPhone 8 and iPhone 7?

Now, if the eight from the six is ​​quite strong, then there are not many differences from the seven. The iPhone 7 has the same Home button, is also waterproof, and also does not have a headphone jack. Although the processor is weaker than in the new smartphone, the difference with the A11 Bionic is not so noticeable.

Perhaps the key iPhone differences 8 from the iPhone 7 I think has an improved camera and possibly wireless charging.

Is it worth upgrading from iPhone 7 to iPhone 8?

If in the case of the iPhone 6s I recommended changing to a new iPhone, then in the case of the seven everything is much more complicated. If you think about it, the iPhone 8 is not much different from its predecessor. Therefore, I personally would not pay that kind of money for wireless charging and a small camera upgrade. But if you have enough money for a new iPhone 8, but you don’t want to buy a ten, then upgrading will not be bad.

How much memory should I buy iPhone 8 with?

One of the disadvantages of the iPhone 8 is that Apple provided only 2 modifications of the smartphone. iPhone 8 can be purchased with 64 GB of internal memory or with 256 GB. On the one hand, you will think that 256 GB is too much for you, but on the other hand, 64 GB may not be enough. Still, 4K videos take up a lot of space. In this regard, a dilemma arises: buy a cheap iPhone with less memory and constantly struggle with the need to upload photos and videos to your computer or to any cloud storage or buy a more expensive model with 256 GB. It’s up to you to decide what is better for you, comfort or price.

What color to buy iPhone 8.

As for color options, the situation here is certainly better than with the memory option, but the choice is also not great. Currently, the iPhone 8 is sold in three color versions: Space Gray, Silver and Gold. After watching all the versions live, I came to the conclusion that the black model in this one looks completely gray and faded. Personally, I really liked the gold model. It is also used in, which you have probably come across on YouTube or TV. Although the silver version of the iPhone also looks quite interesting. But it’s difficult to advise anything here, since everyone’s taste is different. Maybe even someone will appreciate the black version.

Is it worth buying the Plus version?

For 3 years now, Apple has been releasing its models in two versions, regular and, so to speak, in a larger format. The iPhone 8 has a 4.7-inch screen diagonal, while the iPhone 8 Plus has a 5.5-inch screen. In addition, the screen resolution of the Plus version is 1920x1080 versus 1334x750 in the regular one. But the differences don't end there. The iPhone 8 Plus has a so-called portrait shooting mode. in which the background in photographs is blurred. This actually looks amazing.

But let’s return to the question of whether this version of the smartphone is worth buying. Despite all the features of the larger version, this smartphone Not everyone is comfortable holding it in their hands. Still, the 5.5-inch screen makes itself felt. Therefore, if you are interested in this smartphone, first go to any store, hold the smartphone in your hands and check whether it is comfortable for you to use.

But there were more thoughts, so I separated them into a separate article.

Uncut answer: yes, it is necessary.

1. iPhone X can be used with one hand. Plus – no

There is not the slightest reason to miss ergonomics iPhone Plus. I speak as a user of “pluses” with two years of experience.

Remember how you chose between a small iPhone and a large iPhone. What arguments did you say to yourself when you reached for the “plus”? Certainly not “the body is larger.”

The 5.5-inch iPhone gave a really large display, but made it impossible to operate it with one hand. Apple understood this very well, so it added a special one-handed mode and even side keyboards, but it did not solve the essence of the problem. Plus is uncomfortable to hold. And that's it.

My life in Lately The metal case with complex perforations brightened up a bit, making it easier to hold on to when tossing the phone in your hands to gain access to the extreme corners. But is this good?

One minute was enough to decide everything for yourself, and from now on Plus lies in the box. And I control the iPhone with one hand, having already forgotten about the tricks around the ergonomics of the “plus”.

2. iPhone X is Home free. And it turned out good

You and I have grown to love the physical home button, and that's okay—Apple hasn't offered an alternative to this day.

But I remember wonderful moments when the sensor on my Plus simply stopped recognizing fingerprints. On average a couple of times a day. And the dancing with the tambourine began: you wipe the sensor itself, dry your hands, and add the print to the memory. The topic with wet hands was especially infuriating. You can't imagine a more evil enemy for Touch ID.

In winter, blocking using Touch ID did not bring any joy; I simply turned it off completely. Otherwise, you would have to take off your gloves, or use a password entry. On the go, reaching the sensor on the iPhone Plus was a little more difficult, and if it didn't work, you absorbed a double dose of negativity.

Another thing is that the iPhone X was already unlocked when I looked at it. And even though I’m annoyed by the extra swipe from bottom to top to access the desktop, the very fact of manual authorization is very pleasing. One less obstacle. It remains to finalize the gestures and logic of iOS on the “top ten”; that’s a different story.

3. The Wide Display Plus didn't add any real value

Yes, there is a fact: iPhone screen X is smaller in width than Plus. This is visible even in iOS, in browsers and some third party applications working with text: it fits simply less than before.

But not so much that you experience discomfort. Moreover, I noticed long ago: smartphones are created for portrait orientation, and there is a place for landscape only while watching a video.

It's even funny. In iPhone times 5, people were furiously demanding that iOS begin to properly support landscape mode. They even installed tweaks from Cydia for this purpose. Then we received it along with the iPhone 6 Plus, played around with it and... so what?

Mail in landscape mode is disgusting and impossible to use. The iOS desktop in landscape mode periodically freezes, glitches, and does not want to go back. Even the lock screen is a terrible unusable monster until you turn the smartphone properly.

Who reads websites with their iPhone turned like a monitor? No one. This is wrong and unergonomic. Mobile Internet was and remains designed for vertical, and Plus hasn’t changed anything.

Part of the blame lies with Apple, which did not find anything useful to come up with in landscape mode. But she didn't have much choice. Smartphones are simply too small to get the most out of wide displays.

It's cool that the X doesn't have a stupid bug with erroneous fixation of the portrait mode of the desktop - because this mode no longer exists. And screw him. But the screen is large and without frames, making it easier to grasp. That's where the benefit is!

4. iPhone X works almost like a Plus at a smaller size

I'm talking about the battery, if anything. Plus was often purchased because autonomous operation I wasn’t happy with the regular iPhone at all.

I won’t mention the tests again; they made similar conclusions. I'll just give an example from experience. I use my smartphone heavily, regularly. And I always landed Plus in the evening.

Now it's 20:00 on the clock, there's still 30% on the iPhone X. iPhone 7 Plus would show 10-15% maximum by this time. Or turned off.

I used to recharge the “plus” at work so that it wouldn’t cut out in the evening. Moreover, from the very first days after purchase - that is, the option of battery wear is excluded. And I really thought that it should be like this. Now I don't even plug in the charger until I go to bed.

The iPhone X has some kind of magic. Perhaps this is the power saving of the new A11 processor. Maybe it's an OLED display that selectively turns on individual pixels rather than the entire panel.

With absolutely the same mode of use and backup copy, restored from my iPhone 7 Plus, the iPhone X just lasts longer. If you watch a video on it without stopping, then yes, it will discharge an hour earlier.

But it strangely tolerates everyday tasks, from instant messengers to browsing, much better. Thanks to Apple engineers.

5. iPhone X pleases with its OLED display – and you get used to it

After the iPhone X, the Plus screen seems either gray or overexposed. You get used to the true black color and sharp, clear contrast of the OLED display not very quickly, but irrevocably.

Such things are learned by comparison. Until I put it down iPhone side 7 Plus for a week, the difference seemed small. Sometimes I even remembered the LCD screen of the “plus” with nostalgia; you can’t break old habits in a day.

But there is something right, undeniable about the way OLED works. When the black background of the desktop wallpaper merges with the frames, you understand: it should have been this way from the very beginning. Even the “hump,” despite its undeniable presence, disappears from sight more often than it comes into view.

True black transforms contrasting wallpapers and even iOS icons, making them more noticeable. Whatever you say, OLED really makes iOS play with new colors. Dark colors.

It also helps that the matrix in the X is located incredibly close to the glass - this gives the strongest “picture on the surface” effect in the entire history of the iPhone, even with it iPad Pro can't compare.

After a week, I don’t miss the iPhone 7 Plus one bit

Two days ago I sold my “seven” in my hometown and didn’t regret it for a second.

The time of the iPhone Plus in its current version - with frames, Touch ID and a wide body - is irrevocably gone. It seems to me that 2017 will be the last year for Apple smartphones of this format.

The next iPhone Plus will definitely be the iPhone X “Plus” – large and just as frameless. For those who can't come to terms with a smartphone normal size who needs to be compensated for something. There will be demand, because no one has canceled the desire for gigantomania.