iPhone 8 Plus

The iPhone 8's super-sized companion piece - the iPhone 8 Plus - is available for pre-order now after being unveiled at Apple's annual keynote event.

Here's everything you need to know about the new model ahead of its September 22 UK launch.

Appearance & design

The buzzword at this year's iPhone launch was durability, with the latest Plus model - along with its streamlined cousin and the celebratory iPhone X - set to come fitted with a glass back.

Apart from giving it a slick look, this purportedly helps to reinforce the device's exterior against wear and tear damage.

This will, presumably, also see that the model is thinner than ever before - meaning, for the second year running, users will be left without a headphone jack (and therefore hugely reliant on pricey, easy-to-lose wireless earphones).

In better news, the colour range boasts three different finishes beside the standard white and black, those being: gold, silver, and "grey" (which in practice probably isn't a great deal different to silver).

Specs

The iPhone 8 Plus processor is said by tech experts to be about 20% or 25% faster than that of the iPhone 7, the benefits of which are likely to be felt during general app use as well as connection speed.

This is also the first in Apple's range to have the company's own purpose-designed graphics, which will purportedly be 30% faster than previous iPhones.

In one of the big advancements since last year, Bluetooth has been enhanced, and will now facilitate a speedier connection as well as a much longer range (although exactly how much this will be improved, in practice, is still something of an unknown).

Features

The big news, for anyone who watched their Galaxy-using friends with envy over recent years, is that Apple has finally woken up to the benefits of wireless battery charging.

Many feared this feature - long-awaited as it is - might end up being used as a cash-grab for the brand, but early signs suggest the opposite.

You'll be able to charge up at participating restaurants and cafes (in other words, you won't constantly be pulled back into the Apple store while you're on the go), and it's also set to support third party charging pads - so you also won't have to worry about getting the official merchandise shipped in.

In terms of the camera, Apple have promised the best video-recording function on any smartphone to date. To this end, they've improved image stabilisation and introduced augmented reality features to help you navigate in an unfamiliar city.

Verdict

The corresponding launch of the iPhone X could see the 8 Plus get lost in the shuffle, but this is a viable option for anyone who can't live without the extra screen space and storage room.

New features like wireless charging and an improved camera - couple with the bumper-size of the Plus model - make it potentially more than just a smartphone (in fact, it's practically a half-decent, mini tablet), and for that reason it's well worth a second glance.