The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus are similar to the previous iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, but the iPhone X changes things up in terms of design and features. Here are the differences and similarities between the three iPhones, all released late last year.

Check out where the iPhone X appears in our guide to the best smartphones


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Apple iPhone 8 vs iPhone 8 Plus vs iPhone X: Design

  • All IP67 waterproof
  • iPhone 8 smallest, iPhone 8 Plus largest
  • iPhone X most exciting design

The Apple iPhone 8 and 8 Plus both feature an aluminium frame with a glass rear and they are both available in Silver, Space Grey and Gold colour options.

The iPhone 8 is the smaller and lighter of the two, measuring 138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3mm and weighing 148g, while the iPhone 8 Plus is bigger and heavier measuring 158.4 x 78.1 x 7.5mm and weighing 202g.

The iPhone X meanwhile has a glass rear too but it has a surgical-grade steel frame and it is only available in two colours, comprising Silver and Space Grey. In terms of size and weight, the iPhone X sits in between the iPhone 8 and the iPhone 8 Plus at 143.6 x 70.9 x 7.7mm with a weight of 174g.

All three devices have a Lightning port at the bottom flanked by speakers either side, a power button on the right edge, volume buttons on the left edge and none of them have a 3.5mm headphone jack. The iPhone 8 has a single camera lens, while the iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X both opt for dual-rear camera systems though the 8 Plus has a horizontal array while the X has a vertical array.

Both the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus look similar to the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus in terms of design with a TouchID fingerprint sensor sitting below the display and the same size bezels at the top and bottom. The iPhone X on the other hand, has an all-screen front with no TouchID and just a small tab at the top the display housing the front-facing camera and various sensors.

Apple iPhone 8 vs iPhone 8 Plus vs iPhone X: Display

  • iPhone 8 has smallest, softest display
  • iPhone X has largest, sharpest display
  • iPhone 8 and 8 Plus have LCD, iPhone X has OLED

The Apple iPhone 8 has a 4.7-inch LED-backlit Retina HD display with a 1334 x 750 pixel resolution that results in a pixel density of 326ppi.

The iPhone 8 Plus ups the display size and resolution slightly to a 5.5-inch display with a 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution for a pixel density of 401ppi. This too is an LED-backlit Retina HD display.

The iPhone X has the largest display of the three new iPhones with a 5.8-inch edge-to-edge OLED Super Retina screen that has a 2436 x 1125 pixel resolution for a pixel density of 458ppi, making it the sharpest and crispest display.

All three models offer Apple's True Tone technology, which adapts the screen brightness to its environment, along with 3D Touch, which is Apple's version of a pressure sensitive screen, offering different features and functions based on the force with which you press. 

All three iPhones also offer a wide colour display and 625 cd/m2 max brightness but the iPhone X also offers HDR and Dolby Vision compatibility, something neither the iPhone 8 or 8 Plus provide.

Apple iPhone 8 vs iPhone 8 Plus vs iPhone X: Camera

  • Dual cameras on iPhone 8 Plus and X
  • Facial recognition on iPhone X
  • All have 4K video recording up to 60fps

The Apple iPhone 8 has a single 12-megapixel rear camera, offering an aperture of f/1.8, optical image stabilisation and digital zoom up to 5x.

The iPhone 8 Plus has a dual-rear camera, in a horizontal format as we mentioned previously, consisting of two 12-megapixel sensors. There is a wide-angle sensor with an f/1.8 aperture on board, as well as a telephoto sensor with an f/2.8 aperture and optical image stabilisation is present again, along with optical zoom and digital zoom up to 10x.

The iPhone X also has a dual-rear camera but in a vertical format. It too has two 12-megapixel sensors though, with one wide-angle at f/1.8 and one telephoto at f/2.4. It offers dual optical image stabilisation, raising the bar slightly from the iPhone 8 Plus, but it again has optical zoom and digital zoom up to 10x.

All three of the new iPhones have a Quad-LED True Tone flash with slow sync but only the iPhone X and the iPhone 8 Plus offer Portrait mode and a new feature called Portrait Lighting in beta.

There is a 7-megapixel FaceTime HD camera on the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus with an f/2.2 aperture and a Retina Flash, while the iPhone X has a 7-megapixel TrueDepth camera with the same aperture but it offers facial recognition, Portrait mode and animated emojis called Animojis from the front too.

Up to 4K video recording is offered on all the new iPhone models from the rear camera, up to 60fps, as well as slo-mo video recording up to 240fps. The front cameras are all capable of up to 1080p video recording.

Apple iPhone 8 vs iPhone 8 Plus vs iPhone X: Hardware and specs

  • All run on A11 Bionic chip
  • 64GB and 256GB storage options
  • All have wireless charging capabilities

The three new iPhone models all come with a new processor called the A11 Bionic chip which features a Neural engine and an embedded M11 motion coprocessor. RAM capacities are not disclosed but it is thought the iPhone 8 has 2GB while the iPhone 8 Plus and X have 3GB.

Storage options on the iPhone 8, 8 Plus and X are 64GB or 256GB, neither of which have microSD support for storage expansion.

All three models offer wireless charging capability with Qi chargers and all three also offer fast charging, but the iPhone 8 Plus and X have the largest capacity at 21 hours talk time, while the iPhone 8 offers 14 hours.

Both the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus have TouchID for secure authentication, requiring your fingerprint for unlocking the device and paying using Apple Pay. The iPhone X ditches TouchID for FaceID however, requiring your face to unlock your device and authenticate Apple Pay payments.

Apple iPhone 8 vs iPhone 8 Plus vs iPhone X: Software

  • iOS 11 
  • Extra features on the iPhone X

The Apple iPhone 8, 8 Plus and X all run on iOS 11, meaning they will all offer an almost identical user experience.

There will be a couple of extra features on the iPhone X, including FaceID functionality, Animojis and various other additions such as the Portrait Mode on the front camera, but aside from that, the software should be almost identical. 

Apple iPhone 8 vs iPhone 8 Plus vs iPhone X: Conclusion

 

It doesn't take a genius to figure out the iPhone X is iPhone with all the latest and greatest tech from Apple, but that's not to say it is the right model for you.

The X has the most exciting design, the sharpest display, the most advanced camera and it is the most feature rich with technologies such as Face ID and HDR both on board, but it is also the most expensive.

The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus don't add much compared to the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, but they do come with wireless charging, a new casing and almost the same hardware as the iPhone X, while also being the cheaper iPhone alternatives.