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iPhone XS vs iPhone 8 Plus | What’s The Difference?
Apple is a phablet phone company now. Last September Apple introduced three new iPhones, all with screens 5.8in or larger. The biggest of which, the iPhone XS Max goes to 6.5in. And then there is the new iPhone XS, which has a 5.8in display.
But Apple has kept some of its previous phablets on sale too. Apple’s entry-level phablet is now the iPhone 8 Plus. So just how does this older phablet stack up against Apple’s newest, phablet, the iPhone XS? Let’s take a look.
iPhone XS vs iPhone 8 Plus Quick Comparison
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Design
- iPhone XS – The iPhone XS has a 5.8in display and features Apple’s biometric authentication system called Face ID. It’s steel frame and all-glass back make it an absolutely gorgeous phone.
- iPhone 8 Plus – The iPhone 8 Plus, from a design perspective, looks outdated. It’s got a big forehead and chin and sports the old school Touch ID, biometric fingerprint reader. Though it only came out last September, its design looked dated compared to flagship iPhones and Android devices.
Winner? iPhone XS – It’s a work of art compared to the 8 Plus.
Displays
- iPhone XS – The iPhone XS features a 5.8-inch OLED display with a 2436×1125-pixel resolution at 458ppi. Without a doubt, the iPhone XS’s display wins the day here.
- iPhone 8 Plus –The iPhone 8 Plus features a 5.5in LCD display with bezels that has a 1920×1080 resolution at 401ppi. That’s not as good as the iPhone XS’s display.
Winner? iPhone XS – Its Display Is Bigger And More Beautiful.
CPU/Processor
- iPhone XS – the XS features the A12 Bionic chipset. This A12 is a 7nm chip with 6 cores, which is absolutely INSANE. The CPU is almost twice as fast as the A10.
- iPhone 8 Plus – the iPhone 8 Plus features Apple’s A11 Bionic chipset. The A11 isn’t any slouch, but it pales in comparison when it comes to the A12.
Winner? iPhone XS – It’s 50% More Powerful Than iPhone 7 Plus.
Camera
- iPhone XS – The iPhone XS features a 7MP front-facing camera (as does the iPhone 7). But the killer benefit is in the rear camera. The iPhone XS features a dual-lens 12MP rear camera complete with a wide-angle and telephoto lens and dual optical zoom. It also supports advanced photo features like portrait photography.
- iPhone 8 Plus – The front camera is a 7MP setup, just like the iPhone XS has. It also has the same rear camera as the XS: it features a dual-lens 12MP system with wide-angle and telephoto cameras, optical image stabilisation, 2x optical zoom, and 4K video recording.
Winner? Draw – The camera hardware is the same, but the XS does have a few software-specific camera features the 8 Plus doesn’t.
Storage Options
- iPhone XS – 64GB, 256GB, or 512GB
- iPhone 8 Plus – 64GB & 256GB
Battery Life
- iPhone XS – The iPhone XS’s battery will get you about 12 hours of battery life with mixed usage. It also features wireless charging, which the 7 Plus lacks.
- iPhone 8 Plus – The iPhone 8 Plus uses a slightly smaller battery than the iPhone XS and, thanks to that, it will get you one about hour less of battery life on average than the XS. In this respect, the iPhone XS is definitely superior. But do note that the iPhone 8 Plus also features wireless charging like the XS.
Winner? iPhone XS – It Has Better Battery Life Than iPhone 8 Plus, but just barely.
Price
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Verdict?
Apple introduced the new iPhone XS not too long ago. The phone is Apple’s latest flagship device. And as with all new iPhones, once it comes out, it pushes previous iPhones down the rung. While the iPhone 8 Plus is a great phone for the price, it really can’t compete with the iPhone XS.
The iPhone XS is the pinnacle of Apple’s innovation. It has the best camera, the best performance, and the best operating system. It also features the company’s FACE ID and it looks totally stunning. If you want the best of the best, Apple’s iPhone XS is what you go for.
The iPhone 8 Plus, while good in its hay day, is now pretty old. It’ll still work OK, but if you’re after a cheaper iPhone you are 100% better off going the reconditioned route via Gazelle – you can get iPhone 8 and iPhone X handsets for 40% less than from Apple.
For a full breakdown on how they compare, read on for our full comparison of the iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone XS…
iPhone XS vs iPhone 8 Plus Full Comparison (More Details)
Here are the specs for the iPhone XS:
- Display: 5.8-inch OLED display with a 2436×1125-pixel resolution at 458ppi
- Dimensions: 143.6mm x 70.9mm x 7.7mm
- Weight: 177 grams
- Storage: 64, 256, or 512GB
- Processors: A12 Bionic
- Front camera: 7 MP photos and 1080p HD video
- Rear camera: Dual-lens 12MP wide-angle and telephoto cameras, Dual optical image stabilisation, Optical zoom, 4K video
- Battery: Up to 12.5 hours battery life mixed usage
- Other: Face ID, NFC, Wireless charging, 3D Touch, IP68 waterproof
And here are the specs for the iPhone 8 Plus:
- Display: 5.5in Retina HD display with 1920×1080 resolution at 401ppi, 3D Touch enabled
- Dimensions: 158.4mm x 78.1 mm x 7.5 mm
- Weight: 202 grams
- Storage: 64 or 256GB
- Processors: A11 Bionic
- Front camera: 7 MP photos and 1080p HD video
- Rear camera: 12MP wide-angle and telephoto cameras, Dual optical image stabilisation, Optical zoom, 4K video
- Battery: Up to 12.5 hours battery life mixed usage.
- Other: Touch ID, NFC, Wireless charging, 3D Touch, IP67 waterproof
iPhone XS vs iPhone 8 Plus: Display & Design
The iPhone XS features an edge-to-edge display that is 5.8in and has a 2436×1125-pixel resolution at 458ppi. The iPhone 8 Plus features a 5.5in display with bezels that has a 1920×1080 resolution at 401ppi. Without a doubt, the iPhone XS’s display wins the day here-well, almost.
By many aspects, the XS beats the 8 Plus: it has a larger display with a higher resolution, a higher pixel density, and is edge-to-edge. The other obvious difference is that the iPhone XS lacks a Home button. It jettisons it in favor of a gesture-based Home control. The iPhone 8 Plus still has the Home button we all know and love. This means the iPhone 8 Plus also still has Touch ID. The iPhone XS lacks Touch ID and replaces it with Apple’s new Face ID facial recognition system.
iPhone XS vs iPhone 7 Plus: CPU, Battery, and Storage
The iPhone XS has just a slightly larger battery than the iPhone 8 Plus. Will you see any difference because of it? Not much. Matter of fact, as you can see from the battery life specs below, each device is very similar. Here’s how the battery life compares between the two in Talk Time, Standby Time, Internet Use, Video Playback, and Audio Playback:
- Talk time: iPhone XS – 20 hours. iPhone 8 Plus – 21 hours.
- Internet use: iPhone XS – Up to 12 hours. iPhone 8 Plus – Up to 13 hours.
- Video playback: iPhone XS – Up to 14 hours. iPhone 8 Plus – Up to 14 hours.
- Audio playback: iPhone XS – Up to 60 hours. iPhone 8 Plus – Up to 60 hours.
Both phones also feature wireless charging.
As far as the CPU is concerned, the XS destroys the 8 Plus. It features the A12 Bionic chipset versus the iPhone 8 Plus’ A11 Bionic. The A12 is a 7nm chip with 6 cores. The CPU is almost twice as fast as the A11. You also have more storage options with the XS: 64, 256, or 512GB. That’s versus the iPhone 8 Plus’ 64 or 256GB storage options.
iPhone XS vs iPhone 8 Plus: Camera
When you get to the camera department, the two phones are very similar. On the front camera, both phones feature the same 7MP sensor, but the front camera on the iPhone XS is a TrueDepth system that supports Face ID. It also supports advanced photo features like portrait photography.
They also both feature a dual-lens 12MP rear camera with wide-angle and telephoto cameras, optical image stabilization, 2x optical zoom, and 4K video recording.
iPhone XS vs iPhone 8 Plus: Cost & Verdict
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If you want a newer iPhone model, but still want to pay 40% less, go the refurbished route and check out Gazelle’s latest deals – you can grab an iPhone X for the price of a mid-range Android phone.