MacRumors

Apple at its annual September event introduced the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X.

iPhone X is Apple's new flagship smartphone, with a radically redesigned edge-to-edge OLED display and a TrueDepth front camera system with Face ID facial recognition, but it's also considerably more expensive at $999 and up.

iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus are the natural successors to the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. The devices aren't dramatically different, but start at $699 and share many improvements like faster A11 Bionic chips and wireless charging.

If you have an iPhone 7 Plus, or are considering purchasing one, you may be wondering how the year-old smartphone stacks up to the iPhone 8 Plus. For that reason, we've created a list of new and unchanged features and tech specs.

iPhone 8 Plus vs. iPhone 7 Plus: What's the Same?

• Touch ID: Both the iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone 7 Plus have Home buttons with Touch ID fingerprint authentication.
• Front Cameras: The front-facing camera is a 7-megapixel sensor with ƒ/2.2 aperture, Retina Flash, and 1080p HD video recording on both the iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone 7 Plus. Front-facing Portrait Mode and Animoji aren't supported.
• Water Resistance: Both the iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone 7 Plus have IP67-rated splash, water, and dust resistance.

  
  

• Memory: Both models are believed to have 3GB of RAM.
• Battery Life: Both the iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone 7 Plus have the same battery life, according to Apple's testing:

  • Talk: Up to 21 hours
  • Internet: Up to 13 hours
  • Video Playback: Up to 14 hours
  • Audio Playback: Up to 60 hours

• Both models have a Lightning connector but no 3.5mm headphone jack.
• Both models also support LTE Advanced, VoLTE, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, and Wi-Fi calling.

iPhone 8 Plus vs. iPhone 7 Plus: What's Similar?

• Displays: Both the iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone 7 Plus have 5.5-inch LCD displays—called Retina HD Displays—with 1920×1080 resolution. Nearly all other display tech specs are identical, including a 1300:1 contrast ratio, 3D Touch, Wide Color (P3) support, and 625 cd/m2 max brightness.

  The sole difference is the iPhone 8 Plus has a True Tone display, which automatically adapts the color and intensity of the display to match the color temperature of the light in its surrounding environment.

  If you are standing in a dimly lit room with incandescent light bulbs, for example, the display would appear warmer and yellower. If you are standing outside on a cloudy day, meanwhile, the display would appear cooler and bluer.

  
  

• Rear Cameras: Both the iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone 7 Plus have 12-megapixel rear-facing dual cameras consisting of a telephoto lens with ƒ/2.8 aperture and a wide-angle lens with ƒ/1.8 aperture. iPhone 8 Plus has Portrait Lighting beta support, but all other rear camera tech specs are identical on paper.

  However, Apple says the iPhone 8 Plus rear camera has been advanced with a larger, faster sensor, new color filter, and deeper pixels.

• Size and Weight: iPhone 8 Plus is just slightly heavier at 7.13 ounces, compared to 6.63 ounces for the iPhone 7 Plus. iPhone 8 Plus is also marginally thicker—0.2mm—than iPhone 7 Plus, so some very tight cases may not fit.

iPhone 8 Plus vs. iPhone 7 Plus: What's Different?

• Glass-Backed Design: iPhone 8 Plus has an all-new glass-backed design, along with the same color-matching, 7000 Series aluminum edges and glass front as iPhone 7 Plus. Apple says the rear glass is the strongest glass in any smartphone, with a "50 percent deeper strengthening layer."
• Performance: iPhone 8 Plus has Apple's latest A11 Bionic chip. It has two performance cores that are 25 percent faster, and four high-efficiency cores that are 70 percent faster, than the A10 chip in iPhone 7 Plus. The A11 chip also has a neural engine and a more powerful M11 motion coprocessor vs. M10.
• Wireless Charging: iPhone 8 Plus supports wireless charging based on the Qi standard. The device can charge by being placed on an inductive charging pad, such options from accessory makers such as Mophie, Belkin, and Incipio.

  
  

• Fast Charging: iPhone 8 Plus is "fast-charge capable," which means the device can be charged to 50 percent battery life in 30 minutes using Apple's 29W, 61W, or 87W USB-C Power Adapters, sold separately and included with any 12-inch MacBook and 2016 or later MacBook Pro models.
• Fewer Colorways: iPhone 8 Plus comes in glass-backed Silver, Space Gray, and a new shade of Gold, while the iPhone 7 Plus remains available in aluminum-backed Black, Gold, Jet Black, Rose Gold, and Silver.

  

  iPhone 8 Plus on left and iPhone 7 Plus on right
  
  

• Bluetooth: iPhone 8 Plus has Bluetooth 5.0, while iPhone 7 Plus has Bluetooth 4.2.
• iPhone 8 Plus has 4K video recording at up to 60 FPS, while iPhone 7 Plus has 4K video recording at 30 FPS.

Conclusion

The key new features of the iPhone 8 Plus include a new glass-backed design, True Tone display, faster A11 Bionic chip, wireless charging, fast charging, 4K video recording at up to 60 FPS, and Bluetooth 5.0.

All in all, those features make the iPhone 8 Plus a considerable upgrade over the iPhone 7 Plus, which is perhaps why Apple skipped over calling it the iPhone 7s Plus. Alongside the iPhone X, it's an option worth considering.

iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus will be available to pre-order starting Friday, September 15 at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time, with in-store availability in limited quantities starting Friday, September 22, in the first wave of launch countries.

iPhone 8 Plus starts at $799, which is $30 more expensive than the iPhone 7 Plus cost at launch. iPhone 7 Plus is now priced from $669.

Related Forum: iPhone

While the Apple Watch Series 3 officially launches September 22 in the first wave of countries, those interested in Nike+ models will have to wait a bit longer.

In fine print, Apple announced that new Series 3 models of Apple Watch Nike+ will be available in limited quantities starting Thursday, October 5. Apple Watch Nike+ pre-orders still start September 15 like regular Series 3 models.

Apple Watch Nike+ comes with all the features of Apple Watch Series 3, including cellular, which lets you take calls, send messages, and soon stream Apple Music without needing to pair the watch to your iPhone.

Apple Watch Nike+ models have exclusive Nike watch faces designed specifically for Apple Watch, with digital and analog styles. You can launch the Nike+ Run Club app directly from the face by tapping the complication.

With just a tap, you can start an in-ear Audio Guided Run featuring the voice of a Nike+ Run Club coach, world-class athlete, or special guest. Each guided run features coach-curated soundtracks to keep you in the zone.

Apple Watch Nike+ comes in four styles in both 38mm and 42mm sizes, with both cellular and Wi-Fi + GPS only models to choose from:

• Silver Aluminum Case with Pure Platinum/Black Nike Sport Band
  

• Silver Aluminum Case with Bright Crimson/Black Nike Sport Loop
  

• Space Gray Aluminum Case with Anthracite/Black Nike Sport Band
  

• Space Gray Aluminum Case with Black/Pure Platinum Nike Sport Loop

Apple Watch Nike+ models are priced between $329 and $429 in the United States. Additional Nike+ bands are $49 each.

Launch countries include the United States, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guam, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Macau, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 10
Tags: Apple Watch Nike+ Edition, Nike+
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Buy Now)

With the launch of a new Apple Watch comes a few refreshed collections that the device is available in, requiring users to choose from specific case/band combinations to enter the Apple Watch ecosystem. The Apple Watch Series 3 is available in both non-LTE and LTE-capable models, but there is one downside: if you want a Series 3 in Stainless Steel or Ceramic, you have no choice but to buy a cellular-enabled Apple Watch.

Apple's non-LTE Series 3 Apple Watch brings about all of the usual performance improvements over the previous generation, including a faster processor, W2 chip, barometric altimeter, and more. The LTE models include all of this, on top of cellular capabilities that further de-tether your iPhone from your Apple Watch, so you can make calls, send messages, stream Apple Music, and more right on your wrist.

Apple added in non-LTE versions of the Series 3 for those users who don't think they need a cellular Apple Watch, but it's limited collections for these models to just Aluminum cases. All Series 3 collections in Stainless Steel -- of which there are only four non-Hermés models -- come with LTE, as do both White Ceramic and Gray Ceramic collections. There are also eight Hermés collections with Stainless Steel cases, each one backing the new cellular features.

If you want the improved features of a new Apple Watch Series 3 without LTE, you'll have to choose from four Apple Watch Sport models: one Silver Aluminum Case with Fog Sport Band, one Gold Aluminum Case with Pink Sand Sport Band, and two Space Gray Aluminum Cases (one with a Gray Sport Band and one with a Black Sport Band).

There are also two Series 3 Nike+ collections without LTE, both in Aluminum: a Silver Aluminum Case with Pure Platinum/Black Nike Sport Band and a Space Gray Aluminum Case with Anthracite/Black Nike Sport Band.

That makes six total Apple Watch Series 3 collections without LTE among Apple's 31 new collections of the revamped wearable device. Also of note is that in launch countries where Apple isn't yet offering cellular support, buyers will then be left with Aluminum as their only option.

Launch Countries

Non-cellular available: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, the UK, the US and US Virgin Islands.

Cellular available: Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, Puerto Rico, Switzerland, the UK and the US

The first impressions of the Apple Watch Series 3 have been largely positive, particularly thanks to its improved performance, Siri's ability to speak aloud, and new heart rate detection metrics. Some initial hands-on reports have noted uncertainty about LTE, but like most premium features the usefulness of a cellular-capable Apple Watch will vary greatly person-to-person.

For a look at all of the new bands that Apple launched yesterday, check out our blog post right here.

Ahead of the Nintendo Direct coming this afternoon, Nintendo recently updated its Switch Online voice chat iOS app with a few useful tweaks to the way the software handles chatting online with friends. Prior to the update, you had to keep the app open at all times to hear and be heard by your friends while playing games like Splatoon 2.

Now, Nintendo explains in the app's update notes that you can both browse to other iPhone apps and lock the device, and voice chat will continue to function in the background through the Nintendo Switch Online app.

The expanded functionality of voice chat should greatly enhance the usefulness of Nintendo's app and online services, which will turn into a monthly paid subscription sometime in 2018. Pricing and tiers include $3.99/month, $7.99/3 months, and $19.99/year.

The app first launched on July 18, a few days ahead of Splatoon 2's debut, allowing gamers to visit SplatNet 2 on their iOS device to look at previous match statistics, check out current stages in rotation, and invite friends to Private Battles on the Switch console. Nintendo's upcoming 45-minute Direct will begin this afternoon at 3 p.m PT and plans to focus on games coming to Switch and 3DS consoles.

Game developer thatgamecompany appeared on stage at the Apple Event yesterday with a title that will be launching exclusively on the iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV soon, called Sky. The game is described as a "social adventure" where players navigate a world in the clouds alongside their friends, and marks thatgamecompany's first game in five years, since 2012's Journey.

Journey was a game that automatically matched players with random other people online throughout the adventure, but it was impossible to join up with a specific friend. In its press release for the game, along with a new interview with president and creative director Jenova Chen, thatgamecompany explained that many fans wrote them after Journey and asked for "a game where they could play together" with friends and family members.

The idea of a wider audience playing the game on smartphones, not just video game consoles, led the developer to launch Sky mobile first and exclusively on Apple devices. This will make it easier to play the game with others, and thatgamecompany said it is "a game specially created to be played, and shared, among loved ones and family." During the keynote, the company confirmed that up to eight players from anywhere in the world can play together at a time.

We wanted as many people to love games, and so we were encouraged to explore this idea at thatgamecompany. Which brings our games, for the first time, to mobile – a platform that many have access to, the world over.

It’s hard to explain the game, but a good place would be to say that Sky is a game specially created to be played, and shared, among loved ones and family. If you can imagine the delight of visiting a theme park where lasting memories are made, we envision Sky will sometimes feel like that.

In a six-minute interview with Geoff Keighley, thatgamecompany president and creative director Jenova Chen -- who was on stage during Apple's keynote -- said that it's "difficult" to summarize the entire game, but many of its mechanics surround "giving" to and helping out other players. Sky is set in a "whimsical" world above the clouds, where a great civilization once resided but is currently in ruins. Chen mentioned that the idea behind this world and the game as a whole was to build a theme park of sorts, where players can return daily and spend minutes or hours discovering new lands alone or with friends.

He also hinted at frequent updates and changes coming to the world, stating that it is "constantly evolving" and when players return there might be new places and sections of the world that open up that weren't there before. Because of the consistent additions and new discoveries happening in the game, Chen compared Sky to a television series that players can return to and experience new chapters in the story and game environment.

A specific release date and price point for Sky have still not been revealed by thatgamecompany, but Chen mentioned that it should arrive on tvOS and iOS "this winter." The company encourages those interested to stay up-to-date on development through a newsletter sign-up than can be found on the game's webpage.

Apple on Tuesday hosted its first-ever event at Steve Jobs Theater, where it unveiled the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X.

iPhone X is Apple's new flagship smartphone, with a stainless steel frame sandwiched between a nearly edge to edge OLED display on the front and glass on the back. iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus also received a glass-backed design, but otherwise the devices look virtually the same as the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.

iPhone X starts at $999 in the United States, while the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus start at $699 and $799 respectively.

If cost wasn't a factor, the iPhone X is undoubtedly the better smartphone in more ways than one. But the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus are very capable smartphones as well, so when there is at least $200 or $300 in savings to be had, it's worth considering which of the three smartphones best suits your needs. Find out ahead…

➜ Click here to read more...

EE will be the exclusive mobile network in the U.K. to offer a tariff for the new LTE-capable Apple Watch Series 3 when it begins shipping later this month.

Announced at Apple's media event on Tuesday, the latest version of the smartwatch contains an eSIM that can connect to a 4G LTE network so users can make and receive calls on their wrist, while watchOS apps can make use of the mobile data connection while untethered from an iPhone.

According to the BBC's Dave Lee, the EE tariff for the Apple Watch Series 3 will be £5 per month for existing EE iPhone contract holders, with the calling function on the watch using the same number as the owner's phone.

EE customers will be able to sign up for the new tariff when the Series 3 Apple Watch becomes available for pre-order on September 15, costing £399 with cellular connectivity and £329 without. Orders for the new watch are expected to arrive on September 22, which is the official launch date of the device.

Apple only mentioned EE as a U.K. carrier for the Apple Watch Series 3 during its media event yesterday, but it's likely that other U.K. networks will offer their own tariffs as the market for the LTE smartwatch matures.

Update: MacRumors reader Matt Graham contacted O2 support, who confirmed to him that the O2 network will also be supporting 4G LTE on Apple Watch Series 3, although no firm date was given.

Apple has added a new 32GB storage capacity option to the Jet Black iPhone 7 as part of a shake-up to its existing smartphone line-up, putting the glossy finish at the more affordable entry point of $549 for the 4.7-inch version, with a 128GB option now going for $649.

The iPhone 7 Plus is also now available in Jet Black at 32GB and 128GB for $669 and $769, respectively. At the same time, Apple has discontinued the 256GB option for the iPhone 7 in any color across the board.

Apple originally offered the Jet Black iPhone 7 at launch at 128GB and 256GB capacities, starting at $749 and $849 respectively, but didn't offer the cheaper 32GB option that the other colors are available in. That put a $100 premium on the glossy finish, pricing out more budget-conscious smartphone customers, but it looks as if Apple has had a change of mind.

As part of its existing iPhone range shake-up, Apple has also discontinued its its (PRODUCT)RED iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus models. Apple's (PRODUCT)RED iPhone 7 and 7 Plus were first introduced in March of 2017, six months after the debut of the iPhone 7.

(Thanks, Anna!)

Though not mentioned on stage at today's event, both the iPhone X and the iPhone 8 are "fast-charge capable," which means the two devices can be charged to 50 percent battery life in 30 minutes.

Unfortunately, that fast-charging feature is not available using accessories that are sold alongside the two devices. To charge at that level, the iPhone X and the iPhone 8 need to be plugged into Apple's 29W, 61W, or 87W USB-C Power Adapters, which are sold alongside its USB-C MacBook and MacBook Pro models.

The least expensive USB-C Power Adapter is the 29W version for the MacBook, priced at $49. The 61W USB-C Power Adapter for the 13-inch MacBook Pro is $69, and the 87W USB-C Power Adapter for the 15-inch MacBook Pro is $79.

To go along with the USB-C Power Adapter, a USB-C to Lightning Cable is also required. Apple charges $25 for a 1 meter cable and $35 for a 2 meter cable.

That means the cheapest solution for fast charging is going to cost iPhone owners an additional $74.

Both devices also support wireless charging using Qi-compatible wireless charging accessories. Product listings for the Belkin and Mophie wireless charging accessories say that high-speed wireless charging (7.5 watts) will be enabled via an update coming later this year, but it won't match the fast-charging speeds available through the USB-C power adapter.

As for battery life, the iPhone X offers two hours of battery life over the iPhone 7, while the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus continue to offer the same battery life.