Walk into any used tech shop today and you'll see a sea of slate grays and surgical steels. But then, there it is. The gold iPhone 8 Plus. It doesn’t actually look like "gold" in the traditional, 24-karat sense. Honestly, it’s more of a creamy, pearlescent apricot.
Apple called it gold. Users called it "nude" or "pinkish." Some even compared it to high-end vanity sets from the 1950s.
It was a weird time for Apple. They launched this phone right alongside the futuristic iPhone X, which basically made the 8 Plus look like a dinosaur before it even hit the shelves. Yet, here we are in 2026, and people are still hunting for this specific model on the secondary market. Why? Because it was the peak of an era. The last "big" iPhone with a Home button. The first one to get that deep, seven-layer color process under glass.
That "Gold" Finish Isn't What You Think
If you're expecting the yellow-gold of the iPhone 5s or the shimmering "Gold" of the modern Pro models, you've got another thing coming. The gold iPhone 8 Plus is a chameleon.
Under fluorescent office lights, the back looks almost white or beige. Take it out into the sun, and it glows with a soft, coppery warmth. Apple used a specific seven-layer ink process to achieve this. They wanted depth. They wanted it to look like the color was floating a few millimeters below the surface of the glass.
The frame is where the "gold" actually lives. It's made of 7000-series aerospace-grade aluminum, anodized in a shade that sits right between the old Rose Gold and a classic Champagne. It’s a sophisticated look. It doesn't scream for attention like the bright red models, but it definitely feels more "expensive" than the silver or space gray options.
The Glass Back: A Love-Hate Relationship
Before the 8 series, iPhones were mostly aluminum. The move to glass wasn't just for aesthetics; it was a functional necessity for Qi wireless charging.
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Apple claimed it was the "most durable glass ever in a smartphone" at the time. Technically, they worked with Corning to create a custom formulation that had a 50% deeper strengthening layer. But let's be real—glass is glass. If you drop a 202-gram phone onto a marble floor, that beautiful gold finish is going to look like a spiderweb.
Interestingly, the glass back makes the phone feel way less slippery than the matte aluminum of the iPhone 7. It sticks to your palm a bit better. Just don't let sand get under your case. Tiny grains of grit can act like sandpaper, leaves micro-pitting on that "apricot" glass that you just can't buff out.
Why the 5.5-inch Screen Still Wins for Some
We’ve moved on to edge-to-edge OLEDs, but the 5.5-inch Retina HD display on the 8 Plus has a loyal following. It’s a 16:9 aspect ratio.
No notch.
No "dynamic island" cutting into your Netflix shows.
Just a solid, rectangular slab of screen.
It’s a 1080p panel ($1920 \times 1080$) at 401 pixels per inch. While it doesn't have the infinite blacks of an iPhone 15 Pro, the color accuracy is still top-tier. Apple added True Tone to this model, which uses a four-channel ambient light sensor to adjust the white balance. If you’re reading a blog post in a room with warm yellow lamps, the screen shifts to match, making it look more like a physical book. It’s easier on the eyes than you'd expect for "old" tech.
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Performance: The A11 Bionic in 2026
Can you actually use a gold iPhone 8 Plus today?
Kinda. It depends on your patience. The A11 Bionic chip was a beast when it launched in 2017. It was the first time Apple used a neural engine for machine learning tasks. For basic stuff—texting, checking emails, scrolling through Reddit—it’s surprisingly snappy.
But there’s a ceiling.
The 8 Plus maxes out at iOS 16. It didn't get the jump to iOS 17 or 18 due to hardware limitations. This means you’re missing out on the latest security patches and the newest flashy features. Some apps are starting to drop support for iOS 16, so your favorite banking app or game might eventually stop working.
Also, the 3GB of RAM is a bottleneck. If you have twenty tabs open in Safari and try to switch to a camera app, the phone is going to sweat. It'll probably reload the tabs. It’s a classic "grandparent phone" at this point—perfect for someone who just wants a reliable device that feels familiar.
The Camera: Still Better Than Most Budget Phones
The dual-camera setup on the back consists of two 12MP sensors. One is a wide-angle with an $f/1.8$ aperture, and the other is a telephoto lens at $f/2.8$.
It was the first model to really nail Portrait Lighting. You can take a photo and then digitally change the "lighting" to Studio or Stage effects. It looks a bit artificial by today’s standards, but the base photo quality is still solid. In daylight, the colors are natural and the details are crisp.
Just don't try to take photos in a dark bar. The low-light performance is where the age really shows. Compared to a modern iPhone with Night Mode, the 8 Plus is basically blind in the dark.
Real-World Longevity and Maintenance
If you’re rocking a gold iPhone 8 Plus in 2026, you’re almost certainly on your second or third battery. The original 2691 mAh cell was decent, but lithium-ion doesn't last a decade.
The good news? The 8 Plus is relatively easy to service compared to the newer "sandwich" designs.
- Battery Replacements: Most local shops can swap the battery in 30 minutes.
- Screen Repairs: Since it's an LCD, not an OLED, the parts are dirt cheap.
- Home Button: This is the "soft" spot. If that Touch ID sensor breaks, you’re in trouble, as it’s tied to the logic board.
One thing to watch out for is the IP67 rating. When the phone was new, you could dunk it in a meter of water for 30 minutes. Eight years later? The adhesive seals have likely dried out or degraded. Don't take it near a pool.
Is It Worth Buying Now?
You can find a gold iPhone 8 Plus for a fraction of its original $799 price tag. It’s a great "backup" phone or a first device for a kid. It’s built like a tank (minus the glass), supports wireless charging, and has that iconic "clicky" (simulated) home button.
However, if you need 5G speeds, you're out of luck. This is an LTE-only device. In crowded areas, your data might crawl while your friend with an iPhone 14 zooms ahead.
Next Steps for Owners or Buyers:
If you have one, check your battery health in Settings. If it's below 80%, a $50 replacement will make the phone feel twice as fast because the processor won't be "throttled" to save power. If you're buying one, look for the Model A1864 if you're in the US—it has the Qualcomm modem which generally performs better than the Intel version found in the A1897.
Finally, grab a clear case. There is no point in owning that specific "creamy apricot" gold if you're going to hide it behind a thick black plastic shell. Let the 2017 nostalgia shine through.