iPhone 8 vs iPhone 6S vs iPhone - Worth the Upgrade?
The new iPhone 8 has just come out, and many iPhone 6 and iPhone 6S users are itching for an upgrade. Is the new iPhone 8 worth it? Or should you stick with your iPhone 6 or 6S?
The Apple iPhone 8 features a new glass back with a slim, solid aluminum binding that melts into the edges of the device. The antennas that were clearly visible on the iPhone 7 and iPhone 6 and 6S are now placed far more subtly on the aluminum edges. Additionally, the iPhone 8, unlike the 6 and 6S, is IP67 certified, which allows the device to be submerged in up to 1 meter deep water for up to 30 minutes. Another added feature is the new glass back, which makes the new iPhone compatible with Qi wireless charging devices.
The Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s both have an all aluminum build that looks very similar to the 8. Both of these phones are actually thinner than the 8, with each successive generation of the iPhone getting a couple fractions of a millimeter thicker. While you may think the increase in thickness is due to an increase in battery size, surprisingly enough, the iPhone 6 has a 1810mAh battery, the 6S has a 1715mAh battery, and the 8 has an 1821mAh battery. And if you’re just curious, the iPhone 7 has a 1960mAh battery. Ultimately, a phone's battery performance is largely dependent on the hardware that powers the actual iPhone.
As you can expect, performance on the iPhone 8 far exceeds that of the iPhone 6 and 6S. However, if you’re content with the current response times and snappiness of your iPhone, like many of friends and family are, I would say not to get too overzealous over the iPhone 8’s performance alone, but rather to look at it holistically.
One area we see significant upgrades in is the camera quality. The iPhone 8 has a 12 megapixel shooter that is faster, far more accurate in its colors, and is an overall improvement over the already solid cameras in the iPhone 6 and 6S. My only gripe with the camera is that it is a physical bump on the back, which leaves it exposed to minor scratches and dings. For this reason, you’ll probably want to a pick up a case if you decide on the iPhone 8.
One disappointment for me was that the iPhone 8’s display did not see any upgrades. It is literally the same exact retina display found in the iPhone 6 from three years back. One new feature they is called true tone. It uses the ambient light sensor to detect the current lighting conditions, and then it adjusts the display’s colors to its current environment. I’ve actually found this works pretty well, but it’s far from the kind of upgrade many were expecting.
When comparing the screen quality, I was surprised when I though the iPhone 6S' display looked better than the iPhone 8, but it’s likely that the truetone feature was throwing off the iPhone 8’s display. If you wish to see the comparison for yourself, go ahead and watch the video from above.
If you have an iPhone 6 or 6S and you’re still happy with your current phone’s performance, I would recommend either waiting another year. Don’t get me wrong, the iPhone 8 is a solid phone with an improved camera and glass back, but I think the iPhone X’s new design and host of upgrades leaves the iPhone 8’s build and spec sheet looking outdated and old. Anyway, let me know what you all think of the new iPhone and whether you’re planning to upgrade or not down in the comment section below.