Price
How much you have to spend on a new smartphone is going to have a big impact here as there’s a £300 difference between the models in terms of the cheapest options. Whether you’ll want to pay extra comes down to the design and hardware on offer which we’re going to explore below. You’ll also have to wait longer for the iPhone X which arrives on 3 November, while the iPhone 8 models are available to buy now. You can get them from Apple or UK mobile networks – check out our guide to the best iPhone 8 deals. See the table below for full iPhone 8 and iPhone X prices.
Screen Size & Resolution
One of the biggest differences between the three new iPhones is the screen size and technology. For the iPhone 8 models, nothing much has changed so you’re picking between 4.7- and 5.5in once again with the same resolutions and IPS LCD panels. They do support True Tone for things like better colours. Your decision to get the iPhone X will rest largely on whether its Super Retina Display appeals or not. It’s 5.8in on the diagonal which is the biggest of any iPhone to date and has a higher resolution of 2436×1125 resulting in a pixel density of 458ppi. This is achieved without the device being bigger than the iPhone 8 Plus. In fact, the bezel-free design means it’s only marginally larger than the iPhone 8. It’s the first iPhone to support HDR and use OLED technology. Although the screen is impressive on the surface, it does come with some downsides. One element is that there’s a notch at the top to house the TrueDepth camera module. It looks fine in portrait orientation and the sections either side neatly house information like the time and battery level. However, is landscape a video or game will wrap around the notch so it’s like a bit of the image is missing rather than shortening the display to provide an unhindered view. The other issue is tackled below in its own section.
Touch ID vs Face ID
The bezel-free design means that Apple has ditched the home button and Touch ID on the iPhone X – rather than moving it to the back or built into the screen as some rumours suggested. The result is that you’ll have to use Face ID. This not only means you’ll have to log in with your face (or go back to the old passcode) and use it to authenticate Apple Pay and other apps that normally use Touch ID, but means navigation changes. With no home button, you’ll have to swipe up from the bottom of the display to get back to the home screen, pausing when exiting an app to access multi-tasking. You’ll also have to swipe from the top to get the Control Center and the side button to summon Siri. All of this could take some getting use to and if it’s too much then the iPhone 8 or 8 Plus is a better option as they stick to the traditional formula.
Cameras
With things like the processor and storage options the same across all three iPhones, its the cameras on offer which could swing your vote. Starting with the iPhone 8 which just has a single 12Mp camera with a f/1.8 aperture and OIS. If you want dual cameras you’ll have to get the iPhone 8 Plus or the iPhone X. Moving up to the iPhone 8 Plus will get you a second 12Mp telephoto camera with an f/2.8 aperture. The iPhone X has the same additional camera but it has a better f/2.4 aperture and OIS. The iPhone X also offers a better front facing camera as although it’s still 7Mp it has Portrait Mode and Portrait Lighting. This should mean better selfies in comparison.
Other differences
A few other things to note include that none of this year’s iPhones have a headphone jack, as expected. They also have a new glass rear cover that means they all support wireless charging and all have an IP67 waterproof rating. The iPhone X is only available in Silver or Space Grey so if you’re heart is set on Gold or Red then it’ll have to be the iPhone 8.
Full Specs Comparison
Read next: Our first impressions of the iPhone X Tech Advisor’s Reviews Editor, Chris has been reviewing all kinds of tech for over 10 years and specialises in audio. He also covers a range of topics including home entertainment, phones, laptops, tablets and more.
