With the surprise reveal of both the iPhone 8 and the iPhone X, many people are curious on how these new “revolutionary” designs and upgrades actually affect the phone. There are many reasons as to why consumers should steer away from the iPhone 8 and stick to an iPhone 7, or wait for an iPhone X if you are willing to take on the hefty price tag of $999. Although the iPhone 8 comes with a full-glass design and a better processing chip, many people are still concerned on quite a few flaws that have been made a possibility with this new piece of technology. Is the iPhone 8 really what Apple makes it to be, or is it just another expensive flop?

The first concern is the new design, a.k.a the glass layer that covers the outside of the phone’s back. With the newly widespread of the idea of wireless charging, Apple has decided to put their efforts into implementing this into the back of the new phone. While the glass finish supports this, there is much concern from people like me that the finish is extremely fragile, and could easily crack or shatter. The idea of a shattered back comes from the iPhone 4, which was the original iPhone to first have a glass finish. The iPhone 4 is also widely known for being victim of cracking, breaking, shattering, and more. Also, the glass material on the back attracts fingerprints very easily, which can look pretty ugly after a good bit of use. Although some users say that the phone is much easier to have a good grip on because of the glass finish, they also agree that it is more likely to slip off of other surfaces (such as a couch) which could end catastrophically. While this is not an issue for me, mainly because I will have a case on the phone 100% of the time, this still can be an issue for people who prefer to not wear cases, or are discouraged to wear cases because of the glass finish, making the iPhone 8 overall less trustworthy.

A second issue that arises with the new iPhone is the little changes that were actually made from last year’s phone. After taking a good look at all both the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 8, it makes you think - why didn’t they just release it as an iPhone 7S? On the exterior, there is little difference. The changes that were made do not feel like they were worth the $150 raised price tag from last year’s 7. There may be differences when it comes to software (especially with the new iOS 11 update) but these changes are minimal, and other products have already utilized these features. These features include wireless charging, a method of charging the phone faster with USB-C cables, and a somewhat longer battery life. The competition has been ahead of Apple in this field for at least a year. With the large similarities to the iPhone 7 and the unnecessary and limiting additions to the iPhone 8, the new phone still manages to top the price of the iPhone 7 by about $150, making you wonder whether it is really worth it or not.

Speaking of price tag, the third reason to keep away from the iPhone 7 is the hefty price. With the lack of new features, Apple has decided to bump up the price tag of the iPhone by about $150, from $550 to $700. I question why the price has changed so much, especially for a device that, on the exterior, does not look much different and, in the interior, does not show a $150 improvement of software. The iPhone 7 starts at $550 and keeps the proper functionality of an iPhone without all the unnecessary and “expensive” features. Along with the base price tag, for any wireless charging, you must purchase a separate wireless charging pad. Thats right - Apple doesn’t let you use the “core” addition to the new generation unless you pay extra. But this is not the only feature like this. The new “fast-charging” feature lets you charge your phone faster using a USB-C cable. While it seems like a good idea, you actually need to pay $25-75 extra, for a USB-C cable from Apple, and a USB-C to Lightning converter - also from Apple. Want to use all of Apple’s new features to the fullest? Be prepared to spend over $100 extra.

In conclusion, Apple’s new iPhone 8 is ultimately not worth the upgrade. The design is most likely to fail on you with its attraction to fingerprints and fragileness. The small changes that were actually made will prompt you to wonder whether there really is anything new, and whether it is worth the upgrade; if the product is actually good, there should be no second thoughts on whether it's really worth it. The massive price increase makes you wonder what the new features are actually worth.  If you want to make use of your money, instead of buying the iPhone 8, keep your good ol’ iPhone 7 or wait until the iPhone X is released if you really want something “new.”