Hands-On With Apple's New iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Hands-On With Apple's New iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus

It's officially iPhone launch day, and MacRumors videographer Matt stopped by the Palo Alto Apple Store this morning to pick up some new products to test out. After running into Apple CEO Tim Cook and COO Jeff Williams, who were also hanging around the store, Matt walked away with a Space Gray iPhone 8 and a Gold iPhone 8 Plus.

Matt went hands-on with both products to give MacRumors readers still on the fence about purchasing a chance to see them up close.


Apple's Gold iPhone 8 and 8 Plus are using a new shade of the color that's almost a meld of last year's Gold and Rose Gold shades. It's a rosier color with more red in it than past iPhone models, and it looks great paired with the glass body. The Space Gray is a darker shade that's almost similar to the Matte Black of the iPhone 7, and it too looks great with that shiny glass finish.

Because of the glass body, the iPhone 8 and the iPhone 8 Plus are heavier than past iPhones, but at the same time, easier to hold, both due to small thickness increases and the grip of the glass itself.

With the new speaker enhancements, the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus are loud, and the True Tone display looks different, but it's not a major change over previous-generation devices.

Apple's iPhone 8 and 8 Plus are available for purchase starting today online and in Apple retail stores around the world. The iPhone 8 starts at $699, while the iPhone 8 Plus starts at $799.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iphone duo screen crack in store

Crackgate? iPhone Duo Owners Report Screens Breaking Along the Hinge

Friday October 23, 2026 11:05 am PDT by
Some iPhone Duos are already experiencing hinge issues that cause display cracks, based on photos shared on Reddit and the MacRumors forums. Almost all of the display faults are right along the hinge, and most result in a line of bright pixels across one side of the screen. An iPhone Duo owner in Australia said his device cracked after being opened fewer than 20 times, and there was no...
Apple Music iPod Page Not Found

Apple Music Has a Hidden iPod You Can Play With

Friday October 23, 2026 7:11 am PDT by
Apple Music has a 404 page easter egg on the web: a functional iPod that appears when you load a page that does not exist, such as music.apple.com/macrumors. "Page Not Found," says Apple. "Give this a spin instead." Apple is clever with this. If you navigate to music.apple.com/ipod instead, the page says "Looking for something?" instead of "Page Not Found." The easter egg is only...
Apple Creator Studio iWork suite

Apple Pulls Keynote, Pages and Numbers From App Store [Update: Back]

Thursday October 22, 2026 11:01 am PDT by
Apple has temporarily removed Keynote, Pages, and Numbers from the App Store, just after releasing an update that added iPhone Duo support and a new Intelligent Assistant. It is not clear if the apps were removed intentionally, or if it is a bug. Apple has not said when the apps will be reinstated, but if it was in error, they should return soon. Update: The Mac versions are back without...

Top Rated Comments

119 months ago
I received my 8 plus this morning, and have been enjoying my new toy all day. To each their own!
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
119 months ago
Goddamn the X is going to be impossible to find.

No one I know preordered the 8.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dampfnudel Avatar
119 months ago
And for the rest of us, X marks the spot.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
a0me Avatar
119 months ago
I recently watched the conference thinking can they possibly be rehashing the IPhone 6 again and possibly getting excited about this old naff design at all? I was just waiting for the IPhone X.

The 8 is a total waste of space and shouldn’t even exist.
Except that iPhone 8:
+ is $300 cheaper (with the exact same internals as the more expensive model)
+ has Touch ID
+ can be used one-handed
+ doesn't have a big notch cut out of top of apps, videos and photos
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
119 months ago
I'm very similar to you. I've currently have no phone and I'm waiting for the x, if it's sold out I'll buy an eight plus until the x becomes available.
I was on the iPhone 6 for three years until about a month ago. It was sluggish and I couldn’t hear people when talking on the phone. I intended to get the 8 plus for quite a while. Last month, I killed my phone a little too early when my water bottle leaked on it. I’ve been using my 4s in the meantime. This made getting the new phone today, all the more sweeter.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Ds6778 Avatar
119 months ago
Love my 8 Plus. Really looking forward to 11.1 though.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Latest Stories
Apple Stores Reportedly Rolling Out New Anti-Theft System for iPhones
Apple Stores Reportedly Rolling Out New Anti-Theft System for iPhones
4 hours ago
AirTag 2 Drops to New Low Price of $23 on Amazon
AirTag 2 Drops to New Low Price of $23 on Amazon
4 hours ago
New iMac and 14-Inch MacBook Pro With M6 Chip Expected This Week
New iMac and 14-Inch MacBook Pro With M6 Chip Expected This Week
4 hours ago
Apple Reportedly Announcing New MacBook Pro With OLED Touchscreen on Wednesday
Apple Reportedly Announcing New MacBook Pro With OLED Touchscreen on Wednesday
4 hours ago
Apple Wants to Fix Safari's Cramped Layout on iPhone Duo
Apple Wants to Fix Safari's Cramped Layout on iPhone Duo
14 hours ago
Instagram Launches Apple TV App With Reels and More
Instagram Launches Apple TV App With Reels and More
14 hours ago
Apple's 'Servant' Copyright Lawsuit Win Upheld on Appeal
Apple's 'Servant' Copyright Lawsuit Win Upheld on Appeal
15 hours ago
'Arguably Better Than Face ID': the iPhone Duo Touch ID Tip to Try
'Arguably Better Than Face ID': the iPhone Duo Touch ID Tip to Try
19 hours ago
Verizon Apologizes for iPhone Duo Pre-Order Delays, Giving Customers $100 Gift Card
Verizon Apologizes for iPhone Duo Pre-Order Delays, Giving Customers $100 Gift Card
1 day ago
Skip the Touch ID Scan: Unlock iPhone Duo With Apple Watch
Skip the Touch ID Scan: Unlock iPhone Duo With Apple Watch
1 day ago
iPhone Duo Fails JerryRigEverything's Dusty Durability Test
iPhone Duo Fails JerryRigEverything's Dusty Durability Test
1 day ago
Make iPhone Duo Volume Buttons Follow Screen Rotation
Make iPhone Duo Volume Buttons Follow Screen Rotation
1 day ago
iPhone Duo Teardowns Reveal Two Batteries and More
iPhone Duo Teardowns Reveal Two Batteries and More
1 day ago
M5 MacBook Air Returns to Prime Day Low With $200 Amazon Discount
M5 MacBook Air Returns to Prime Day Low With $200 Amazon Discount
1 day ago
Top Stories: Apple 'Pro and Tell' Debut, iPhone Duo Launch, and More
Top Stories: Apple 'Pro and Tell' Debut, iPhone Duo Launch, and More
1 day ago
Apple Store Pickup System for iPhone Duo Just Went Live Again in U.S. and Canada
Apple Store Pickup System for iPhone Duo Just Went Live Again in U.S. and Canada
1 day ago
Apple Closes French Stores Ahead of Further Protests
Apple Closes French Stores Ahead of Further Protests
2 days ago
Apple Pushes Back on DOJ Request for More Evidence
Apple Pushes Back on DOJ Request for More Evidence
2 days ago
The iPhone Duo Can Be a Tiny Mac, a Toaster, and a Nintendo DS
The iPhone Duo Can Be a Tiny Mac, a Toaster, and a Nintendo DS
2 days ago
Using an Apple Pencil With the iPhone Duo: What to Know
Using an Apple Pencil With the iPhone Duo: What to Know
2 days ago
Apple Store Pickup for iPhone Duo Starting to Resume But Very Limited
Apple Store Pickup for iPhone Duo Starting to Resume But Very Limited
2 days ago
iPhone Duo Jailbroken on Launch Day
iPhone Duo Jailbroken on Launch Day
2 days ago
Apple Seeds Updated watchOS 27.2 Release Candidate
Apple Seeds Updated watchOS 27.2 Release Candidate
2 days ago
Apple Store in UK Reopens With New Design on iPhone Duo Launch Day
Apple Store in UK Reopens With New Design on iPhone Duo Launch Day
2 days ago
Crackgate? iPhone Duo Owners Report Screens Breaking Along the Hinge
Crackgate? iPhone Duo Owners Report Screens Breaking Along the Hinge
2 days ago
iPhone Duo Brings Back Long Lines at Apple Stores
iPhone Duo Brings Back Long Lines at Apple Stores
2 days ago
The MacRumors Show: iPhone Duo Arrives, Touchscreen MacBooks Next
The MacRumors Show: iPhone Duo Arrives, Touchscreen MacBooks Next
2 days ago
Apple Released iOS 27.1 for iPhone Duo Only
Apple Released iOS 27.1 for iPhone Duo Only
2 days ago
iPhone Duo: Open Two Apps Side by Side and Lock Them As an App Pair
iPhone Duo: Open Two Apps Side by Side and Lock Them As an App Pair
2 days ago
iPhone Duo Launches With Carrier and Accessory Discounts Available
iPhone Duo Launches With Carrier and Accessory Discounts Available
2 days ago