iPhone 8 vs iPhone X -  one glance of the specs side-by-side, and it isn’t obvious who the winner should be. If you compare the iPhone 8 vs iPhone X on the specs sheet above, you may think that they’re very similar phones. And in terms of performance, they are virtually identical since they both contain the same A11 Bionic chip (although the iPhone X has an additional 1 GB of RAM, don’t expect this to have a huge effect on speed). But where things start getting different is the experience of actually using the phones. Read below for a full breakdown on how they differentiate on all fronts. 

iPhone 8 vs iPhone X: Slim design vs skinny design

 We wouldn’t define the iPhone X as a bulky-looking phone when observing it alone, but when you compare it against the iPhone 8, then you might think twice. The thickness of the iPhone 8 is in fact 1mm less, and the width 1mm less too. Height-wise, it is considerably shorter by 12mm, and weighs 15g less too. May not sound like a huge difference, but when holding both phones in both hands, you will feel a noticeable difference between the two iPhones. Although the iPhone 8 is smaller across all measurements, you’ll soon understand this works against it’s favour with the display in which we’ll come onto next.     

iPhone 8 vs iPhone X: X-tra screen size

A nice contrast you get with the iPhone X is the super retina OLED display in comparison to the LCD display on the iPhone 8. Also, the size of the screen on the iPhone X is almost 1-inch bigger, and with a higher resolution of 1080 x 2160. The edge-to-edge display on the iPhone X really adds to the above features giving you an enriched viewing experience when watching videos or using different apps. The iPhone 8 on the other hand is slightly hampered by the fingerprint authentication design which forces the screen to be slightly smaller as a result. Despite the screen size on the iPhone 8, both phones offer Apple’s True Tone technology which helps colour to balance against ambient lighting for greater accuracy, and supports HDR content which is appearing on popular streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon. 

iPhone 8 vs iPhone X: Similar internals so similar performance! 
Both iPhones use the A11 bionic chipset, have the same maximum storage of 256GB, but the only difference is the RAM capacity where the iPhone X outshines the iPhone 8 with 2GB more. The user experience is very similar, thanks to the same A11 chipset found in both iPhones. In terms of speedy processing times, you won’t find any glaring differences here.

iPhone 8 vs iPhone X: Better battery life on paper but in reality…

If you look at the spec sheet comparison of the iPhone 8 vs iPhone X, you’ll notice that the battery inside the iPhone X has a much higher capacity (2716mAh vs 1821mAh). You’d expect the iPhone X to get more battery life, but since it contains a much larger display, it also eats through that battery a lot faster. Not only is the display of the iPhone X bigger, it also uses OLED screen technology, which gives you more vibrant colours with more depth and contrast, but also adds to the battery consumption. In a continuous video playback battery life test between the iPhone 8 vs iPhone X, we found that the iPhone 8 can survive about 13 hours before dying, while the iPhone X only about 11 hours. But keep in mind, it’s that OLED screen in the iPhone X that’s the real battery life thief in these kinds of tests, so if you were to compare the standby battery consumption of both of these phones, you’d probably find the iPhone X slightly one-upping the iPhone 8. But let’s not get too nitty-gritty here: both of these phones should easily be able to last you a full day of typical use.

iPhone 8 vs iPhone X: Fancy cameras on the iPhone X

Both iPhones have strengths and weaknesses in different areas to each other. For example, the front-facing camera on the iPhone X is inferior to the iPhone 8 (5 MP vs 7 MP), but the main rear camera is far superior instead (16 MP vs 12 MP). You’ll be getting better low-light performance on the iPhone X, and also a portrait mode, which is missing on the iPhone 8. This will enable you to blur the backgrounds behind the subjects in portraits, thanks to the multi-lens capability in the iPhone X, whereas iPhone 8 is only a single lens. However, the iPhone 8 outshines with optical stabilisation and slow-motion video which are non-existent in the iPhone X surprisingly.  

iPhone 8 vs iPhone X: Special features - Face ID vs Touch ID for authentication

Yet another difference of the iPhone 8 vs X is how these phones verify your identity when unlocking them. Whereas the iPhone 8 comes with the tried-and-true fingerprint scanner that’s found in the home button, the iPhone X was the first iPhone to come with face unlock technology. Which one is better? We’re not really going to make a call on this: it really is a matter of preference, and both unlock methods come with their own strengths and weaknesses. Of course some people rather not have any unlock security on their phones and choose to deactivate these features, but we would suggest using whichever unlock technology your phone comes equipped with. As a result of the different authentication methods on both phones, those that go with the iPhone X will have to become familiar with using different gestures for going back to the home screen, closing applications, or multitasking.

It is also worth noting that the iPhone X features a 3.5mm jack socket where the option is not given for the iPhone 8. However, the iPhone 8 has stereo speakers and an extra microphone which the iPhone X lacks.

iPhone 8 vs iPhone X: The final call

We’re not going to say which phone is the winner of our iPhone 8 vs iPhone X comparison because we feel that both of these devices have different strengths and weaknesses that each person will perceive differently, and choosing one over the other is a matter of preference and budget. Although a refurbished iPhone 8 can be found for much less than a refurbished iPhone X, it doesn’t mean that it’s the poorer choice.   

For those choosing an iPhone 8, you can expect a high performing iPhone that is still supported with the latest iOS from Apple (until 2023), small and lightweight design, superior selfie/front-facing camera, and additional video recording capabilities.

For anyone deciding on an iPhone X, you can expect a rich viewing experience with the edge-to-edge OLED screen, facial recognition authentication, and impressive camera shots. 

Both phones will perform to the same level as each other, so it really is a matter of preference with certain features.