iPhone 8 Scattered Notes
But I chose the iPhone 8. Space grey, 64 GB. Why? The answer is simple: I just like it better. And eight days after my purchase, I can already tell you I love it and I don’t regret choosing it at all.
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Going from an iPhone 5 to an iPhone 8 isn’t so much about mere speed (though that doesn’t hurt, believe me), but smoothness. It’s not the benchmarks per se what astounds me about this new iPhone, but the effortlessness everywhere. Everything feels fluid – I was about to say liquid but I didn’t want to sound like Steve Jobs when he started overusing the term magical. Another element that contributes to this feeling of fluidity is the display itself. It must have a different oleophobic coating because I distinctly feel less friction when moving my fingertips over it.
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I said this exchange was a bit unexpected because I simply took for granted that they would be more interested in the shinier, newest iPhone models. I’ll admit, part of me was glad that these three regular users were giving some love to the iPhone 8, which has become a bit of a ‘Cinderella iPhone’ in the tech sphere.
The iPhone 8 is still a great phone, but it is more slippery and less comfortable to hold without case than the iPhone XS or XR or, of course, the SE.
Update (2018-11-27): John Gruber:
But consumers aren’t objective and often aren’t particularly well-informed. What people don’t seem to be considering is that maybe the iPhone XR is less in demand not because it offers too little compared to the XS, but rather too much. iPhone X-class phones offer a new and different fundamental experience: no home button, new gestures that replace home button actions, Face ID in place of Touch ID, and more.
There are many people out there who do not like change, period. Last year, you could walk into a store and choose between two new iPhones: the new-and-different iPhone X and the new-and-familiar iPhone 8/8 Plus. This year, if you want a brand-new iPhone model, there is no “familiar” choice. The XS, XS Max, and XR all offer the same new-and-different experience.
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Went into a store to check out the XS and XR, and what surprised me about the XR is how slippery the sides are. Much more so than the XS. Why make such a nice looking phone if you have to slap an ugly case on it to hold it?
Also: too big.
@Nigel I found a wide variation in how slippery the phones in the store were. Some XRs were really bad, but others were better than the XSs. I’m not sure there’s actually a difference other than when the display model was last wiped down.
Switched from a 128 GB iPhone 6 to a 256 GB XS. Boy it’s soooo much better! I can’t put into words how smooth the whole experience has become.
@Michael that's good to know, thanks for the note. I remember hearing about the iPhone 6 being especially slippery, and folks commenting that subsequent generations of that design were slightly grippier. I thought this was a regression, glad to hear it's not.
We got an Xs for my wife. She loves it, can not put it down. But then no internet on certain places, where her iPhone 6S had no issues. Quick check on our providers website confirms my fear. The provider gives recommendations for phones to be used in rural areas (we live in Sydney) and none of the new iPhones are recommended. iPhone 8 is the last one which got the "Blue tick" recommendation. Now she has an awesome phone, but has to get used to the connectivity issues.
iPhones (the blue tick is under the 4GX logo): https://www.telstra.com.au/mobile-phones/mobiles-on-a-plan#!/filter/brand/Apple/os//features//plan/s/sort/featured
Testing methodology: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOsAj7chImc
I have a 6s plus, my previous phone was a 5. I have enjoyed the greater screen space, especially for watching video. I like the 5 design way better though. I didn't even own a case for my 5, it was easy to hold and light enough that the few times I did drop it it survived. the 6s plus is like a super thin bar of soap. I have to use a case on it because I do not believe it is possible to hold in everyday use, which makes it even bigger. The extra size also means extra weight. A few months back I sent my phone back for battery replacement and used the 5 while it was gone and loved it. I'm not excited that the new phones also have glass backs. I don't really want more glass I'm worried about breaking.