Gone are the days when the choice was “Do I buy an iPhone, or one from some other company?” Now there are additional choices to be made. Should I get the latest generation, or an older one? Bigger screen or smaller? What style and color? New or used? Refurbished? Locked or unlocked? Which carrier? Which package with which carrier? Touch ID? Facial recognition?
Now it’s not a matter of the phone determining what it is you get; you can decide what it is you want, and choose the phone that best matches your needs. Let’s take a look at a few of them.
iPhone X
It is a pretty cool feeling to be holding the latest and greatest. It doesn’t last long these days, as technology is moving pretty fast, but if riding the front of that wave is important to you, then the X is the one.
It’s not just hype, either. The X has the latest features, like facial recognition, the 5.8-inch edge-to-edge screen, a sharp, vibrant display, and a high capacity and speed. The camera offers improved portrait lighting features (as does the 8), but is otherwise the same as the cameras on the other models.
There are some other interesting features, like its ability to sense how hard the user is touching the screen (useful when creating art, Live Photos, and no-doubt with many apps to come).
As will each of the 8 models featured here, charging is fast, convenient and cable-free, and all new models support Near Field Communication (NFC) for the Apple Pay mobile payment platform.
iPhone 8 Plus
The 8 Plus is very similar to the X, but lacks the facial recognition feature, has a slightly larger screen, and is less expensive by about $200 when compared with the 64G X model.
iPhone 8
Again, the 8 is very similar to the 8 Plus, but the 8 has a 4.7-inch screen. If you prefer a smaller phone to a larger one, and don’t mind the smaller display, then what some see as a con can actually be a pro (by way of comparison, the SE has a 4-inch display, and the 7 and 6S series have options for different sizes). Perhaps the biggest difference here is price, with the iPhone 8 coming in considerably cheaper when compared to their 8 Plus or X counterparts.
Summary
It may once have been a simple thing to buy an iPhone. Fewer choices meant less research needed to find the best fit. Now, with the broadening of the models on offer, the process can seem daunting. Don’t let it be. Instead, take it one step at a time, and come armed with some self-knowledge – what is important to you, and which phones offer it? Once you have that answer, you can move on to choosing the individual phone that is right for you. Once you know what you want, begin to look at carriers, packages, and your specific needs. Our comparisons are here to help you each step of the way.