Honestly, walking around with an iPhone 8 Plus in 2026 feels a bit like driving a vintage Mustang. It’s got that classic "click" on the Home button, the chunky forehead and chin bezels, and a weight that actually feels like you're holding something substantial. People usually ask me why I'm still looking up specs for iphone 8 plus when the iPhone 17 is basically a piece of glass from the future.
The truth? This thing was over-engineered in the best way possible.
If you're digging into the nitty-gritty of what makes this phone tick, you’re likely trying to see if it can still handle modern life. Maybe you found one in a drawer, or you’re looking for a tank-like first phone for a kid. Whatever the reason, the raw data on this device tells a story of a transition era where Apple perfected the "old" design before moving to the notch.
The Raw Hardware: Under the Hood of a Legend
Let’s talk about the brain. The specs for iphone 8 plus center around the A11 Bionic chip. At the time of its release, this thing was a monster. It was the first time Apple introduced a "Neural Engine." It has a hexa-core setup—two performance cores (Monsoon) and four efficiency cores (Mistral).
While it’s not going to win any races against an A19 chip today, it’s surprisingly snappy for basic tasks.
You’ve got 3GB of LPDDR4X RAM here. That’s 1GB more than the standard iPhone 8, which is why the Plus model doesn't feel like it's gasping for air as much when you have more than three apps open. Storage-wise, you’re looking at the standard 64GB, 128GB, or the beefy 256GB NVMe options.
The physical footprint is actually quite large. It measures 158.4 x 78.1 x 7.5 mm. It weighs 202 grams. That’s nearly half a pound. You feel it in your pocket. The build is a glass sandwich—Corning-made glass on the front and back with a 7000-series aluminum frame. It was the first "Plus" to bring back the glass back for one specific reason: Qi wireless charging.
Display and Visuals
The screen is a 5.5-inch Retina HD display. No, it isn't OLED. It’s an IPS LCD with a 1920-by-1080-pixel resolution.
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That gives you 401 pixels per inch (ppi). In plain English? It’s sharp. Very sharp. Because it’s a 16:9 aspect ratio, you get a "true" widescreen experience without a notch cutting into your YouTube videos.
Apple also included True Tone, which uses a four-channel ambient light sensor to adjust the white balance of the display to match the light around you. It makes reading much easier on the eyes. The 1300:1 contrast ratio is decent, and the 625 nits of max brightness usually gets the job done unless you're standing in the middle of a desert at noon.
That Dual Camera System (Before it was Cool)
One of the biggest reasons people still check the specs for iphone 8 plus is the camera. This was the era where "Portrait Mode" was the big new thing.
The back features a dual 12MP setup.
- The Wide lens: ƒ/1.8 aperture with Optical Image Stabilization (OIS).
- The Telephoto lens: ƒ/2.8 aperture.
This combination allows for 2x optical zoom and up to 10x digital zoom. It also introduced Portrait Lighting, which was technically in beta when it launched. It uses the depth map from the two lenses to simulate studio lighting.
Video is where it still surprises people. You can shoot 4K at 60 fps. In 2026, that’s still the standard for high-quality social media content. If you want that buttery slow motion, it does 1080p at 240 fps. The front-facing "FaceTime HD" camera is 7MP with an ƒ/2.2 aperture. It’s fine for a quick selfie, but it won't be winning any photography awards these days.
Battery Life and The "Real World" Specs
Apple rated the battery at 2691 mAh. Now, numbers don't always tell the whole story. Back in the day, Apple claimed it would last "about the same as iPhone 7 Plus."
You get:
- Up to 21 hours of talk time.
- 13 hours of internet use.
- 14 hours of wireless video playback.
It supports fast charging, which can get you to 50% in about 30 minutes, but you need an 18W adapter (or higher) and a USB-C to Lightning cable to do it. The standard "sugar cube" charger that came in the box is painfully slow by modern standards.
Connectivity is purely 4G LTE. There is no 5G here. It supports Wi-Fi 802.11ac with MIMO and Bluetooth 5.0. It also has NFC with reader mode, which means Apple Pay still works perfectly.
What about durability?
The iPhone 8 Plus is rated IP67. That means it can survive being submerged in 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes.
Don't go swimming with it intentionally—especially if the seals have aged over the last few years—but a splash or a drop in the sink shouldn't kill it. The Home button isn't actually a physical button; it’s a solid-state part that uses the Taptic Engine to simulate a click. This makes it less likely to break than the old mechanical buttons on the iPhone 6.
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Actionable Insights for Users
If you are currently looking at the specs for iphone 8 plus because you're considering using one, keep these points in mind:
- Check the Battery Health: If the maximum capacity is under 80%, the A11 Bionic chip will likely throttle performance to prevent unexpected shutdowns. A battery replacement is a cheap way to make the phone feel "new."
- iOS Support: As of late 2025/early 2026, the iPhone 8 Plus has officially stopped receiving the latest major iOS versions (it capped at iOS 16). It still gets security updates, but you won't see the newest UI features.
- App Compatibility: Most apps still work fine on iOS 16, but developers will eventually start raising the minimum requirements. Expect another year or two of solid app support.
- Storage Management: If you have the 64GB model, avoid shooting too much 4K at 60fps. Those files are massive and will eat your remaining space in minutes.
The iPhone 8 Plus represents the end of an era. It’s the final evolution of the design that started with the iPhone 6, and while it lacks the flashy "All-Screen" look of modern phones, its reliability and tactile Home button still make it a viable tool for those who value function over fashion.
If you're buying one today, look for the 256GB model and prioritize a unit with a replaced battery. It's a workhorse that still has plenty of life left for the basics.