iPhone 8 Plus FAQ: Everything You Need to Know

This is the first time that Apple has released 3 flagship iPhones in one year. There is the iPhone 8, the iPhone 8 Plus, and the iPhone X. Since this the first time that 3 new flagship iPhones are being launched, the buyers are a little confused. People are asking all sorts of questions about these new iPhones as they prepare to open their wallets to purchase their brand new iPhones. While which one should you choose is a bigger question, and will depend on many factors, like your older phone, your budget, and your requirement among other things, you should at least know everything about the device you are about to buy. This is an attempt to answer all those questions which might be floating around in your head. In this article, we are going to focus specifically on iPhone 8 Plus. We scoured the internet to find the most frequently asked questions and prepared the iPhone 8 Plus FAQ, which will help you learn everything about your device.

iPhone 8 Plus FAQ

Since there are a lot of questions that we are going to cover in this article, we have divided the article into various sub-headings to categorize the questions. If you have a specific question in mind, you can directly go to that sub-heading to find the answer to your question. Although, I would recommend that you read the entire article, as it will increase your knowledge about the device that you are buying.

• iPhone 8 Plus FAQ: General

How much the iPhone 8 Plus is going to cost?

If you are not a member of Apple’s upgrade program and want to buy an unlocked version, the new iPhone 8 Plus is going to cost your $799 for its base variant which has a 64GB of internal storage. If you want to upgrade the storage to 256 GB, you will have to pay a hefty price of $949. The members of the upgrade program can get this phone for $39.50/month. Of course, these are the US pricing models, if you happen to live in another country, your pricing will vary.

Has it become costlier?

Yes, the iPhone 8 Plus which is launching at $799 for the base model is costlier than the last year’s iPhone 7 Plus which launched at $749. That’s a $50 markup in the price of the new iPhone. However, it should also be mentioned that the last year’s base model had 32 GB of storage, while this year it has been increased to 64 GB.

What are the storage options I can choose?

This year Apple is only giving users two storage options to choose from. There’s the base model which comes with 64 GB of storage while a $150 upgrade will get you an iPhone with 256GB of storage. There’s no 32 or 128 GB option this year.

When can I get it?

If you are living in the United States, iPhone 8 Plus has started shipping from 22nd September. This means that at the time of publishing this article, you can easily go and purchase your iPhone, and it will ship immediately. The timeline is the same for most of the major markets around the world with some exceptions. For example, in India, the pre-order starts on 22nd September with shipping on 29th September.

Can I buy the carrier unlocked version?

Yes, you can absolutely buy carrier unlocked version of the iPhone 8 Plus.

• iPhone 8 Plus FAQ: Design and build

Does the new iPhone 8 Plus has bezel-less display?

No, the iPhone 8 Plus sports bezels just like its predecessor iPhone 7 Plus. If you want the bezel-less iPhone, you will have to go for iPhone X.

Does it have a glass back?

Yes, Apple has switched to a glass back design with the new iPhone 8 Plus. Both the front display and the back panel are made of glass which is flanked by a metal frame.

Is the metal frame made from steel?

No, the iPhone 8 Plus’s metal frame is still made from the aerospace-grade 7000-series of aluminium. The iPhone X sports the metal frame which is made of stainless steel.

What colours I get to choose from?

This year iPhone 8 Plus is launching in 3 colours which are Space Grey, Silver, and Blush Gold. The Space Gray looks more like the last year’s Jet Black. There’s is no Rose Gold option this year though.

Is my iPhone water-proof?

Technically, your iPhone is not water-proof. The iPhone 8 Plus, just like its predecessor iPhone 7 Plus is water resistant. It is rated IP67, which means it can withstand about 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes. So, you don’t have to worry if you accidentally dropped in your toilet or swimming pool.

Has my iPhone become heavier?

Yes, your new iPhone 8 Plus has become slightly heavier than its predecessor iPhone 7 Plus. While the iPhone 7 Plus weighed 188 grams (6.63 oz), the iPhone 8 Plus now weighs 202 grams (7.13 oz).

Is my iPhone thicker?

Yes, the iPhone 8 plus is also slightly thicker at 7.5 mm (0.3 inches) from the older iPhone 7 Plus which was 7.3mm (0.29 inches) thick.

• iPhone 8 Plus FAQ: Hardware

What are the Tech Specs of iPhone 8 Plus?

What’s new in the A11 Bionic chip?

The iPhone 8 Plus is powered by Apple’s new A11 Bionic chip which is even faster than the A10 Fusion chip used in the new iPad Pro launched just a few months ago. With the A11 bionic chip, Apple has shifted to a 6 core design instead of 4 (which was the case with A10 and A10 Fusion) The new chip has 6 cores; 4 efficiency cores (25% faster than the A10 fusion) and two performance cores (70% faster than A10 Fusion). Preliminary benchmarks are showing that the A11 Bionic chip is rivaling the performance of Intel chips present in the 13-inch MacBook Pros. That is some crazy performance packed inside a handheld device.

Has the headphone jack returned?

Sadly, there’s still no headphone jack on iPhone 8 Plus.

What about the new speakers?

Apple introduced the new stereo-speakers with the iPhone 7 Plus. The same stereo-speakers are present on the iPhone 8 Plus too, however, the speakers themselves have been improved upon. Apple is claiming about 25% improvement in loudness, and I can definitely attest to that. The speakers sound better than those present on the older iPhones.

Does it still have the Touch ID?

Yes, iPhone 8 Plus still has the Touch ID baked inside the home button.

Does it have the new Face ID?

No, the Face ID is an exclusive iPhone X feature.

• iPhone 8 Plus FAQ: Cameras

Are the new cameras any better?

Every year Apple improves the cameras present on its iPhone, and this year is no exception. The new cameras have improved a lot. In fact, at the time of writing this article, DxOMark has just released their review of the cameras on the iPhone 8 Plus and given it a score of 94, which is the highest on any smartphone. In comparison, last year Google’s Pixel which tied with HTC U11 for the first place had scored 90 on DxOMark.

Does they really shoot 4K?

Yes, the new iPhone 8 Plus shoots 4K, that too at 60 FPS. Considering the fact that eveb many high priced studio cameras are not able to achieve that feat, it’s a huge win for the new iPhones. Preliminary camera tests have shown that the 4K video is smooth and the device doesn’t even get hot while shooting in 4K which is normally the case with other devices.

What are the enhancements in portrait mode?

Portrait mode or the bokeh effect was launched with the iPhone 7 Plus which used its dual-lens setup to produce a cool background fade effect. iPhone 8 Plus cameras enhance on these features by including various lighting effects to the portrait mode like studio lighting, contour lighting, and mono lighting among others.

Does the portrait mode also works in front facing camera?

No, this feature is exclusive to iPhone X.

Has the slow-motion video capture improved?

Yes, now you can capture slow-motion videos at 240 FPS in 1080p or Full HD.

Does it have OIS on the telephoto lens?

No, it still does not have OIS on the telephoto lens.

Does it have flash for the front camera?

No, it doesn’t have a hardware selfie flash in the front camera. However, it does support the software flash feature which Apple calls the retina flash.

• iPhone 8 Plus FAQ: Wired and Wireless Charging

Does it support wireless charging?

Yes, the glass back on the iPhone 8 Plus allowed Apple to integrate the wireless charging.

Which wireless charging standard is supported?

Thankfully Apple is not using any propriety wireless charging standard, instead, it is using the Qi wireless charging standard which is the most popular and the most used wireless charging standard in the world.

Does it support the PMA wireless charging standard?

No, unlike Samsung flagship devices which support both Qi and PMA wireless charging standard, iPhone 8 Plus along with iPhone 8 and X only supports the Qi standard.

Is the wireless charging feature faster or slower than the wired charging?

Since wireless charging is an inductive form of charging, it will always be slower than the wired charging.

What do I need to use wireless charging?

You will need a wireless charging pad which supports the Qi standard to be able to charge your iPhone 8 Plus wirelessly. Apple has partnered with Mophie and Belkin and selling its wireless charging pads on its website. However, any wireless charging pad which supports Qi standard will work.

Does it support fast wired charging?

Yes, the new iPhones support fast wired charging.

Will the included adapter work for fast charging?

Sadly no, as the included adapter only outputs 5 watts, hence, it will not support fast charging. To enjoy fast charging you will have to but a 29 Watt adapter (which is the same which comes with the new MacBooks) and a USB-C to lighting cable. Both of them together will cost you around $80. If you own a new MacBook, you will only need to buy the cable.

How fast will my iPhone charge with the fast charging?

With fast wired charging, you can get up to 50% charge in just 30 minutes.

• iPhone 8 Plus FAQ: Display

Does it have the OLED Panel?

No, the OLED panel is exclusive to iPhone X. The iPhone 8 Plus still rocks the IPS panel.

What is the new “True Tone” display technology?

Apple launched its new True-Tone display technology with the iPad Pro. Basically it uses built-in sensors on your iPhone to determine your ambient lighting condition, and then calibrate the colour temperature of your display to give you a better viewing experience in all kinds of environments.

Does it also support “Pro Motion”?

No, the Pro-Motion technology is exclusive to iPad Pro.

• iPhone 8 Plus FAQ: Battery

What’s the battery capacity?

The iPhone 8 Plus has a Li-ion battery with a capacity of 2675 mAh.

How long the battery will last when compared to my iPhone 7 Plus?

Although the battery is a little smaller than the iPhone 7 Plus, the new A11 Bionic chip’s power efficiency ensures that your battery life won’t take a hit. You should expect a similar battery life as your iPhone 7 Plus.

• iPhone 8 Plus FAQ: Software

Which iOS version will the iPhone 8 Plus ship with?

The iPhone 8 Plus will ship with Apple’s latest iOS 11.

What is this Augmented reality thing I am hearing about?

The new A11 bionic chip when combined the with Apple’s own ARkit platform and the new cameras, give the new iPhones enough power to run Augmented Reality apps. Augmented reality is basically a technology which uses your iPhone’s cameras to place virtual objects in the real environment. For example, you can place a virtual table in your dining room to see if it looks good or not. Think of it as Pokemon Go, but 100 times better.

Will I need to buy extra hardware to make AR work?

No, you don’t need any extra hardware as the new iPhones are already equipped with hardware which is capable of running AR.

Will my iPhone 8 Plus have the new dock?

No, the new dock is a feature which is exclusive to iPads.

Can I turn off the WiFi and Bluetooth from the Control Center?

Although the new Control Center might give you an illusion of disabling the WiFi and Bluetooth, in reality the controls only work to disconnect your phone from the network. If you want to turn on/off the WiFi or Bluetooth, you will have to do that from the settings menu.

Does it have a File Manager?

Yes, since the iPhone 8 Plus is running on iOS 11, it does come with a built-in File Manager. However, you still don’t get access to your device storage. You can only access the cloud storages like the iCloud, DropBox etc.

What about that Drag and Drop feature?

The Drag and Drop feature will work perfectly on your new iPhones. However, due to the screen size limitations, you cannot enjoy the benefits of this feature as much as you can on an iPad.

• iPhone 8 Plus FAQ: Connectivity

Will the iPhone 8 Plus support LTE-A carrier aggregation in the U.S.?

Yes, the iPhone 8 Plus supports the LTE-A carrier aggregation in the U.S. So, if your carrier also supports it, you can enjoy the benefits like faster mobile data on your new iPhone.

Does it support dual-SIM?

No, all the new iPhones only support a single nano-SIM card.

Does it have Bluetooth 5.0?

Yes, all the new iPhones including the 8 Plus has Bluetooth 5.0.

Does it support USB-OTG?

Yes, the iPhone 8 Plus supports USB-OTG. However, for obvious reasons, you will need a flash-drive which has both the USB and the lightning port.

Is there a microSD card slot?

No, just like all the other iPhones that have ever been released, the iPhone 8 Plus doesn’t have a microSD slot.

Does it have a lightning or a USB-C connector?

Although Apple has pushed USB-C in its MacBooks, the new iPhones including the 8 Plus still has a lightning connector.

Will the iPhone X be Compatible With Reliance Jio VoLTE in India?

Yes, the iPhone 8 Plus is fully compatible with Reliance Jio VoLTE in India. In fact, Reliance Jio has launched specific benefit plans for the iPhone 8 Plus customers in India.

SEE ALSO: 18 Best iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus Accessories You Can Buy

Your iPhone 8 Plus Questions Answered

I have tried to cover all the frequently asked questions about the new iPhone 8 Plus in the article. Hopefully, now you know more about your device than you did before reading this article. If you still have some questions which have remained unanswered, drop them down in the comments section below. I will try to answer as many of them as I possibly can. If a question is repeatedly asked enough times, I will also update the article by including that question. Also, if you like this article, please let us know and we will do more of the same articles in the future.