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iPhone 11 Pro vs iPhone 8 Plus – What’s The Difference?

Welcome to the iPhone 11 Pro vs iPhone 8 Plus comparison! Apple has unveiled its newest flagship phones for 2019. This year the flagship will be known as the iPhone 11 Pro. There are two models of the Pro series – the iPhone 11 Pro and the iPhone 11 Pro Max.

The iPhone 11 Pro series is packed with exclusive features, most notably, many insane camera improvements. It’s also got a gorgeous modern design and a massively long battery life.

But Apple is also keeping the older iPhone 8 Plus on sale for another year–and giving the 2017 iPhone a price drop. The iPhone 8 Plus was once Apple’s biggest phablet, but now that’s no longer the case. Apple’s king phablet is now the iPhone 11 Pro Max. However, even the iPhone 11 Pro (regular) has a larger display than the iPhone 8 Plus Max.

So just how does the two-year-old iPhone 8 Plus compare to the new iPhone 11 Pro? Let’s take a closer look at the smaller of the phones below.

iPhone 11 Pro vs iPhone 8 Plus Quick Comparison

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Design

Without a doubt, the biggest difference between the iPhone 11 Pro and the iPhone8 Plus is in its design. Or rather, we should say the most noticeable difference between the iPhone 11 Pro and the iPhone8 Plus is in its design. These two iPhones couldn’t look more different.

That mainly comes down to the fact that the iPhone 11 Pro has an all-screen design while the iPhone 8 Plus still has that massive forehead and chin. The reason for the iPhone 8 Plus’s thick borders are because it relies on Touch ID for biometric authentication while the iPhone 11 Pro relies on the much sleeker, more secure, and easier-to-use Face ID.

The iPhone 11 Pro also features a glass and stainless steel design, while the iPhone 8 Plus features a glass and aluminum design. It’s obvious which looks better.

  • iPhone 8 Plus – The iPhone 8 Plus has a 5.5in display and features Apple’s original biometric authentication system called Touch ID, which uses your fingerprint instead of your face to unlock your phone. Its industrial design features a glass and aluminum body and comes in a wide range of three color options.
  • iPhone 11 Pro – The iPhone 11 Pro comes with a 5.8in OLED display. It features Apple’s biometric authentication system called Face ID. The textured matte glass and stainless steel design make it an absolutely gorgeous phone. And this year their glass back will feature a matte finish.

Winner? iPhone 11 Pro – The iPhone 11 Pro with its matte glass back and steel frame steals the show.

Displays

The iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 8 Plus also have staggering differences in their display technology. Most obvious, of course, is that the iPhone 11 Pro’s display is larger and edge-to-edge. However, the real power of the iPhone 11 Pro display comes from the fact that it’s an OLED panel.

OLED technology allows smartphones to have more vivid colors, whiter whites, and blacker blacks, all while preserving battery life. Give the iPhone 8 Plus only has an LCD display, it’s no wonder when you put the two phones side-to-side the iPhone 11 Pro clearly looks better.

  • iPhone 8 Plus – The iPhone 8 Plus features an LCD display that is 5.5in and has a 1920 x 1080-pixel resolution at 401ppi.
  • iPhone 11 Pro – The iPhone 11 Pro features an edge-to-edge OLED display that is a 5.8-inch edge-to-edge OLED display with a 2436×1125-pixel resolution at 458ppi.

Winner? iPhone 11 Pro – Without a doubt, the iPhone 11 Pro wins the day here thanks to its OLED display.

CPU/Processor

While this feature isn’t as dramatically different between the two phones, it’s still worth talking about their CPUs. Being the older iPhone, it’s understandable the iPhone 8 Plus has the slower processor. It sports the A11 chipset. While that was top-of-the-line back in 2017, it’s not so anymore.

The iPhone 11 Pro features the dramatically faster A13 chipset. How much faster? You can expect a 40% speed boost in most tasks.

  • iPhone 8 Plus –  the iPhone 8 Plus features the two-year-old A11 chipset, which is about 40% slower than the A13.
  • iPhone 11 Pro –  the iPhone 11 Pro features the blazing A13 chipset.

Winner? iPhone 11 Pro – The A13 is 40% faster than the A11.

iPhone 11 Release Date & SpecsPin

Camera

OK, when it comes to cameras, it’s not even a fair fight between the iPhone 11 Pro and the iPhone 8 Plus. Let’s just look at the front camera first. The iPhone 8 Plus has a 7MP selfie camera. Not bad. But when you compare that to the 12MP selfie camera on the iPhone 11 Pro, you can see it’s no contest.

But let’s talk about the real prize: the rear camera system. Yes, the iPhone 8 Plus does have a decent rear camera. It’s a dual-lens 12MP wide and telephoto. Looks good, right? But check out the iPhone 11 Pro, which has a triple-lens 12MP wide, ultra-wide, and telephoto. AND the iPhone 11 Pro also features advanced software capabilities like night mode.

  • iPhone 8 Plus – The iPhone 8 Plus features a 7MP front-facing camera. On the rear camera, you get a dual 12MP wide and telephoto camera.
  • iPhone 11 Pro – The iPhone 11 Pro features a 12MP front-facing camera. But the rear camera is a triple-lens system with a 12MP wide-angle, ultra-wide-angle, and telephoto lens, triple optical image stabilization, optical zoom, and 4K video recording. It too also supports advanced photo features like portrait photography and night mode.

Winner? iPhone 11 Pro – That triple-lens puts the dual-lens to shame.

Storage Options

It should be no surprise the iPhone 11 Pro has the better storage options.

  • iPhone 8 Plus – 64GB or 128GB
  • iPhone 11 Pro – 64GB, 256GB, or 512GB

Battery Life

Both iPhones feature wireless charging–not bad at all. However, when it comes to battery life, the iPhone 11 Pro will get you four hours more on average than the iPhone 8 Plus. How does the iPhone 11 Pro achieve this? Many thanks to energy-saving technology like the OLED display and the A13 chipset.

  • iPhone 8 Plus – The iPhone 8 Plus’s battery will get you about 14 hours of battery life with mixed usage. It also features wireless charging.
  • iPhone 11 Pro – The iPhone 11 Pro’s batteries will get you about 18 hours of battery life with mixed usage. It also features wireless charging.

Winner? iPhone 11 Pro – You get an extra four hours of battery life.

Price

  • iPhone 8 Plus – The 5.5in iPhone 8 Plus costs cost £579 (64GB) and £629 (128GB).
  • iPhone 11 Pro – The 5.8in iPhone 11 Pro costs £1049 (64GB), £1199 (256GB), or £1399 (512GB).

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Verdict?

2019’s iPhones are clearly all about the camera. Give that, it’s the winner here is the iPhone 11 Pro. It features that sweet triple-lens rear camera system with a 12MP wide-angle, ultra-wide-angle, and telephoto lenses, triple optical image stabilization, optical zoom, and 4K video recording. There’s just no way the dual-lens system on the iPhone 8 Plus can compete.

The iPhone 11 Pro also features an OLED display, versus the iPhone 8 Plus’s LCD display. This means your screen is just going to look better on the 11 Pro. The iPhone 11 Pro is also 40% faster than the 8 Plus thanks to its A13 processor. The iPhone 11 Pro wins thanks to it camera, display, and better industrial design.

Another option worth considering, however, is picking up a newer

refurbished iPhone – something like the iPhone X or iPhone XS, which you can get for 40% less than retail via Gazelle, our #1 pick for refurbished iPhones, iPads, MacBooks, and iMacs.

iPhone 11 Pro vs iPhone 8 Plus: Specs

Here are the specs for the iPhone 11 Pro:

  • Display: 5.8-inch OLED Super Retina XDR display with a 2436 x 1125-pixel resolution at 458ppi
  • Dimensions: 144.0mm x 71.4mm x 8.1mm
  • Weight: 188 grams
  • Storage: 64, 256, or 512GB
  • Processors: A13 Bionic chip with third-generation Neural Engine
  • Front camera: 12 MP TrueDepth camera with 4K video recording at up to 60 fps
  • Rear camera: Triple 12MP Ultra Wide, Wide and Telephoto cameras with Night mode; 4K video
  • Battery: Up to 18 hours (video playback)
  • Other: Face ID, NFC, wireless charging, IP68 waterproof (4m)

And here are the specs for the iPhone 8 Plus:

  • Display: 5.5in LCD Retina HD display with a 1920 x 1080-pixel resolution at 401ppi
  • Dimensions: 158.4mm x 78.1mm x 7.5mm
  • Weight: 202 grams
  • Storage: 64 or 128GB
  • Processors: A11 Bionic chip with Neural Engine
  • Front camera: 7MP FaceTime HD camera with 1080p HD video recording at 30 fps
  • Rear camera: Dual 12MP Wide and Telephoto cameras; 4K video
  • Battery: Up to 14 hours (video playback)
  • Other: Touch ID, NFC, wireless charging, IP67 waterproof (1m)
Michael Grothaus

Michael Grothaus is an American author and journalist with a flair for exploring the intersection of technology, creativity, and digital culture. With a background in film, journalism, and creative writing, he brings a unique perspective to the world of mobile technology. His work has been featured in renowned publications like Fast Company, The Guardian, and Engadget. At KnowYourMobile, Michael leverages his extensive knowledge to guide readers through the complexities of mobile devices, helping them make informed choices in the fast-paced tech landscape.

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