iPhone 8 Plus :: Design

by Volker Weber

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You may have seen a lot of hands-on videos about the new iPhone 8 and some of them have stated that the new devices were only marked with an Apple logo and the iPhone mark on the back. No, FCC markings for instance. If you were looking forward to a clean iPhone back, the European model might leave you disappointed. It adds the CE mark and the don't dispose mark. Rules are rules. To soften the blow, Apple also put two lines of text on.

Most people will never know since almost all iPhones live in a case. Mine do since I drop things all the times. iPhones don't respond well to that. The iPhone 8 now has a glass back like the iPhone 4 did, which is still my favorite design. Apple says the glass is really tough, but you cannot make surface scratch resistant and impact resistant at the same time. If you are like me, I'd recommend a case. Apple has made their new cases a wee bit larger to accommodate both the iPhone 7 and 8. The old cases fit, but they are very tight.

If you are like Ute who never ever drops anything and is extra careful with things, you will probably enjoy the gold version of the new iPhones. The back isn't white but cream, which goes very well with the gold frame. It's not a style I prefer but it is indeed really really nice. I am not particularly fond of the Apple space greay color palette. It's not even a single color. Last year we discussed black and jet black. I had a black iPhone 7 Plus and that turned out to be much more slippery than the jet black one. You can try this with any aluminium back iPhone. They are less slippery if you hold them with the screen in your hand instead of the back.

And that's the less reported good news about the iPhone 8. The glass back makes you less likely to drop the phone.

Comments

I have never owned an iPhone, so this might sound like a silly question: Can the iPhone be easily pulled in and out of the Apple leather case or would the case quickly wear out and become soon unusable if you do this regularly every day? The reason why I am asking is that I love to hold my phone in my hand without a case (both nicer and lighter) when I work at my desk or sit on my sofa but put it into a case for protection when I go outside.

Jochen Kattoll, 2017-09-28

I don't agree that iphones don't get on well with being dropped. I have an iPhone 6s, the following has taken place with it.
* It flew out the side window of my jeep and across two lanes of highway, it has a small scratch on a corner, you really have to look for it.
* I dropped it in a lake and grabbed it within a few seconds, it still works great, no ill side effects.
* I have dropped it on my hangar concrete flaw numerous times, no cracks or scratches.
* I have dropped it on my my kitchen tiled floor, no bad results.
* I've probably dropped it 15-20 times in total and you'd be hard pressed to tell.

I have never had it in a case, it's insured so if something bad did happen to it, it gets replaced. So personal experience has been very much the opposite of what you'd probably expect.

Carl Tyler, 2017-09-28

I broke only one. It depends on how it hits the ground. On a corner, so that the glass hits the floor first, is always a hit. Or face down on a rough and hard surface. You can’t really plan for it.

I dropped the 8 Plus within 24 hours in a bad way. It was in a case.

Volker Weber, 2017-09-28

Removing the case is too much work and not easy enough.

Volker Weber, 2017-09-28

Thank you, Volker. Any alternative solutions you can think of?

Jochen Kattoll, 2017-09-28

Carl,

You’re holding it wrong.


;)

Mariano Kamp, 2017-09-28

Jochen, I like the Spigen liquid air cases, regardless of phone. Under 10€, can easily be taken on and off. I am having the exactly same Usecase as you, using my S8+ without a case usually bit putting one on for hard use - like outside and taking pictures of the kids.

BTW, I am using the 3mk high grip film ("Folie") for the back and sides. 3mk ARC 3D. Giving the device a lot more grip and making it less likely to drop. Plus a little scratch protection.

Hubert Stettner, 2017-09-28

Putting a 1000 Eur phone into a 10 Eur case. Nah.

Volker Weber, 2017-09-28

'Too cheap' is not enough of a criteria to dismiss it, IMO. The cases are a good brand and sold for a sensible ('angemessen') price (not dirt cheap) and are doing what they should. Plus easy putting in and taking out for non permanent use. Nothing wrong with that.

But I am sure you can find some overpriced case of the same quality...

Hubert Stettner, 2017-09-28

A 1149 Euro phone, Volker :)

Thank you, Hubert, I will have a look at these. I don't care how much they cost (obviously the less the better to avoid any misunderstanding), quality and looks are more important.

Jochen Kattoll, 2017-09-29

Jochen, take my advice. Don't buy cheap. If the phone goes in and out of the case easily it's a bad case.

The first third party cases on the market are always terrible since they are being molded from specs instead of real phones. They have to have higher tolerances and softer materials.

I prefer the Apple silicone cases over the more expensive leather cases since they provide a better grip, are thinner and will not get dirty. They will however suffer from taking out the phone all of the time. You will have to decide if you want a case, and then you will keep it on.

There are some really good (and expensive) carbon fibre cases. But they cannot be there early since they have to fit exactly.

Volker Weber, 2017-09-29

Thank you, Volker. I certainly won't buy cheap for the sake of it. I look at it rather the other way around: Even a 50 Euro case looks cheap or rather awkward on a new phone in my eyes.

Good news is: You cannot buy cheap in Iceland, and first and foremost we need to get the X here. Apple might not ship more than 20 units to this little island in the middle of nowhere, not knowing that the locals always buy the newest and latest no matter what, so I might never get one ... :)

As you know I come from BlackBerry and always liked the full body leather sleeves with the red signature ribbon which can be removed again and again without harm and which also automatically switches the phone off once in the holster. Might not find that for an iPhone.

Jochen Kattoll, 2017-09-29

If someone still reads this: Saw that there are some really nice leather sleeves available also for iPhones for example from Sena and Dockem (I have never seen them in the wild, so they might be uncool but I don't mind). Although they don't seem to switch off the phone automatically they protect the phone well for those who want to use their device naked. Will look out for one once the X is out. Good news for Volker: They are not cheap :)

Jochen Kattoll, 2017-10-03

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