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This is what you’re giving up if you buy an iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus tomorrow

Updated Sep 14th, 2017 9:06PM EDT
iPhone X vs. iPhone 8 Plus vs. iPhone 8
Image: Apple

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In just a few short hours, the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus will be available for preorder in various countries around the world. The iPhone many people want will only arrive on November 3rd, with preorders set for October 27th. Before you decide what 2017 iPhone to buy, you should really know what’s different between the three devices.

All three iPhones have the same main components, which means you’re going to get the same great performance from either model. In what follows we’re only going to talk about the differences between the iPhone X, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus.

Size

The iPhone X is about the same size as the 4.7-inch iPhone 8, but its 5.8-inch screen is bigger than the iPhone 8 Plus’s 5.5-inch display. The iPhone 8 is the lightest of them all, weighing in at 148g. The iPhone 8 Plus is the heaviest at 202g, and the iPhone X’s 174g place it between its siblings.

Display

The iPhone X sports an OLED screen with 2436 x 1125 resolution, which Apple calls Super Retina Display. It’s also an HDR display with 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio.

The iPhone 8 has Retina HD LCD screens — Full HD on iPhone 8 Plus and HD on iPhone 8 — with 1,300:1 and 1,400: 1 contrast ratios.

Camera

Both iPhone X and iPhone 8 Plus feature dual rear cameras, but the iPhone X has a telephoto lens with better aperture — f/2.4 compared to f/2.8 for the Plus model. The iPhone X is also the only one featuring dual optical image stabilization.

Because the iPhone X has a complex frontal camera, it’s also the only phone that delivers Portrait mode selfies, complete with support for Portrait Lighting and Animoji.

Video playback

Of the three new iPhones, only the iPhone X does High Dynamic Range with Dolby Vision playback.

Biometrics

The iPhone X has a Face ID facial recognition system, while the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus come with Touch ID fingerprint sensors.

Battery life

Size differences between the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus favor the bigger model. The iPhone 8 Plus gets 21 hours (talk time), 13 hours (internet use), 14 hours (video playback), and 60 hours ( audio playback). The iPhone 8’s estimates are at 14 hours (talk time), 12 hours (internet use), 13 hours (video playback), and 40 hours (audio playback).

The iPhone X, meanwhile, is almost able to match the iPhone 8 Plus battery performance. You will get one hour less of internet use, and one hour less of video playback, according to Apple’s estimates.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.