Initial thoughts on Apple’s new iPhone 8 Plus.
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I’ve just taken delivery of a brand new, straight-out-of-the-factory» iPhone 8 Plus. Here are my initial impressions
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It feels just like the iPhone 6 Plus
Spookily so. Apart from the finish, and the wear and tear that my daily driver has experienced over the past three years, it feels the same.
The updated Touch ID sensor which doesn’t have physical travel felt weird the first few times I used it, not the old Touch ID sensor feels weird.
Go figure.
Setup is a breeze
Apple has made setting up the new iPhone as easy as possible. Hold your old iPhone next to it and it detects it, transfers over the initial setting such as Wi-Fi passwords, and you’re into the setup process and downloading from the iCloud backup in minutes.
So much packaging
At least it’s mostly cardboard, and there’s no plastic holder for the EarPods, so it’s easy to recycle the trash back into Mother Earth Gaia I guess.
Except for the Apple stickers … I like those.
It’s fast
It’s super-snappy compared to the iPhone 6 Plus. I didn’t expect to see or feel any real difference, but it’s a night-vs-day difference.
The True Tone display initially feels weird
Initially I was wondering why the display had an odd pinkish hue to it compared to my old handset, but I realised that this was the True Tone in action. It’s certainly easier on the eye, but compared to the old screen it initially feels odd.
The back seems to scratch easy
Within minutes of getting the handset out of the box I noticed it had picked up a couple of scratches on the back. Considering I’ve been handling it on a clean workbench on a cutting mat, this is a little odd. Especially when you consider that it’s about 10 minutes out of the box.
I’m not bothered by such things myself, but you might be.
For now I’ve put it into a case. I’ll test the robustness of the backing glass at a later date.
Yes, iPhone 7 cases fit the new iPhones
I’m using an OtterBox Achiever series case, and it fits perfectly.
Yes, wireless charging works through a case
It works, but I’m not sure how fast it charges, I’ll test that out another time.
I’m not sure fast charging works with third-party accessories
I’ve tried fast charging using third-party chargers and cables, and right now I can’t confirm that it’s working. My advice is to hold off on buying anything right now, unless you’re going for genuine Apple accessories.
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