The iPhone 8 looks almost exactly like the iPhone 7. It feels almost exactly like the iPhone 7. And it works and costs almost exactly what the iPhone 7 did. But it’s what you can’t see that really counts.

Following the launch event in the Steve Jobs Theater at Apple’s spaceship-ish new Apple Park campus, I had a few minutes to play around with the new iPhone 8 – the larger Plus version, to be specific. I brought an iPhone 7 along for comparison purposes, and while the Apple folks manning the display station wouldn’t let me take side-by-side photos, it was readily apparent they’re essentially the same.

The iPhone 8 has the same bezels above and below screen, the same home button, and largely the same screens, although the 8 now supports True Tone for adjusting the contrast of the screen dynamically in response to lighting. Was it just me or did the screen look a little too warm? We’ll clearly need to test this feature out a little more. Do us a favour, don't call it an iPhone 7s.

                    

One of the main upgrades for the iPhone 8 is the new A11 Bionic chip inside, which is rumored to have been manufactured using a new 10nm process.
If that doesn't mean much to you, it basically means the chip can run more efficiently, so the battery life can be increased and/or the power improved, allowing you to take advantage of new higher-power apps and extending the life of the battery over previous iterations.
That's not going to make a big difference from last year's phone, simply because we're already seeing iPhones becoming a little more powerful than is needed for most apps, but it'll keep things running smoother for longer.
The addition of wireless charging is one of a few key new “at last!” features Apple has brought to the iPhone 8 that’s useful enough to make anyone consider upgrading. Wireless charging is fabulous when it works. 

                         
 
The iPhone 7 introduced Portrait Mode , and iPhone 8 enhances it with Portrait Lighting, which lets you switch the lighting scheme for a portrait among the various styles professionals might use in their studio. It wasn’t clear how to find Portrait Lighting, so I dug into the Photos app and clicked edit on what looked like a suitable shot. A new wheel pops up at the bottom of the screen that simply and intuitively let me shuttle between the different modes, from Stage Light to Studio Light to Portrait Light.

                       

Apple has gone for a slight boost in the camera again, although it's sticking with its tried-and-tested 12MP sensor in the back.
It's – rather disappointingly – still the single sensor we saw on the iPhone 7 last year. It's not terrible, as that phone was capable of taking some great pictures, but we'd hoped for two sensors this year.
The overall quality of the pictures is still superb though – you're likely to be more than happy with your snaps, and zooming into images shows that things are still clear, bright and crisp.

Of course, the iPhone 8 features Apple’s latest iteration of its mobile operating system, iOS 11. iOS 11 brings with it a number of new features, including the Files app and support for Apple’s ARKit, powering high-end augmented reality experiences on a range of compatible iPhones.

Our Verdict:

The iPhone 8 is a surprising name for this phone, given that Apple hasn't really changed a whole heap – the big changes have been saved for the iPhone X.
There are the expected updates on board, mostly centered around the faster chipset (which Apple claims will lead to extended battery life), but on the whole this phone pales in comparison to its impressive X-badged sibling.
However, it's a lot more accessible cost-wise, so if you're looking for a more affordable iPhone (relatively speaking – it's still a jolly expensive flagship phone like most out there), this is the one to go for.