Apple iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus now official

Less than a day ago, Apple introduced the new iPhone flagships. Just as expected, they are going to retail as the Apple iPhone 8 and the Apple iPhone 8 Plus. Although the new design is apparently similar to that of the previous generation, the new iPhone flagships feature a brand new processor and noticeable improvements all across the board.

Both iPhone 8 flagships feature a new IP67-rated build which combines an aluminum frame and what Apple describes as "the most durable glass ever in a smartphone," as well as the new A11 Bionic processor that features six cores (two performance cores that are 25 percent faster as those of the A10 Fusion chip and four efficiency cores that are 70 percent faster than their predecessors). The new processor also comes with a three-core graphics accelerator that was designed by Apple and is 30 percent more powerful than the previous generation.

The Apple iPhone 8 has a 4.7-inch Retina HD display with a typical contrast ratio of 1,400:1 and 1,334 x 750 pixels resolution. This compact flagship features a single camera setup on the back that uses a 12 MP camera and has a generous f/1.8 aperture. It weighs about 5.22 ounces and measures 5.45 x 2.65 x 0.29 inches.

The 5.5-inch iPhone 8 Plus has a full HD display with a 1,300:1 typical contrast ratio and features two 12 MP cameras on the back. This dual setup comes with optical zoom and advanced Portrait mode with Portrait Lighting, a feature that delivers a depth-of-field effect in five lighting styles. The iPhone 8 Plus is quite heavy and its bezels do not make it that pocketable, either: it weighs 7.13 ounces and measures 6.24 x 3.07 x 0.3 inches.

The list of specs and features shared by the two flagships is quite long, including the following highlights: 3D Touch and fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating for the display; optical image stabilization, Panorama mode up to 63 MP, exposure control, 4K video recording at 60 fps and AR capabilities for the main camera; a 7 MP FaceTime HD selfie shooter; support for multiple lossless audio formats and user-configurable maximum volume limit; wireless charging with fast-charge support. All the basics for an Apple flagship such as Touch ID and Apple Pay support, 4G LTE, WiFi, GPS, are obviously present as well.

Both models come with 64 GB or 256 GB internal storage and feature three color options: gold, silver, and space gray. The operating system on board is the new iOS 11, and the retail package includes the handset, EarPods with Lightning connector, a Lightning to 3.5 mm audio jack adapter and a Lightning to USB cable, as well as one USB power adapter.

According to Apple, the iPhone 8 and the iPhone 8 Plus provide roughly the same battery life as their predecessors (up to 14 hours talk time and 40 hours audio playback for the 4.7-inch model and 21 hours talk time and 60 hours audio playback for the iPhone 8 Plus). However, both can be charged up to 50 percent in just 30 minutes thanks to the fast-charging capabilities we mentioned earlier.

Pre-orders start on September 15, and both the iPhone 8 and its larger sibling are expected to hit the US and a few other markets such as the UK, France, Germany, Hong Kong, and New Zealand on September 22. One week later, the new flagships will reach more areas, including Greece, Hungary, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Poland. The prices start at US$699 for the 64 GB iPhone 8 and US$799 for the iPhone 8 Plus with the same amount of internal storage.

Those who want to move to a bezel-less handset without dropping Apple can choose the new iPhone X, but in that case they would have to wait until November, when this handset is scheduled to hit the market.