Pre-order your Apple iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus now
Will you stake your claim or wait for the iPhone X?
Journalists are torn about whether consumers should get the pricey iPhone 8 or 8 Plus or the pricier, but new and exciting iPhone X. You can now vote with your wallet, as the two new iPhone 8s (but not the iPhone X) have gone on pre-order at Apple's Store, various carriers and retailers like Target and Best Buy in the US. Also on pre-order is the Apple TV 4K and Watch series 3, with all products set to ship on September 22nd. In the UK, pre-orders are also up on Apple's site and with EE and other carriers.
Since money is an object, many of us will be weighing the 4.7-inch, 1,334 x 750 iPhone 8, which runs $699 with 64GB and $849 with 256GB (£699 and £849 in the UK). The 5.5-inch, 1080p iPhone 8 Plus model, meanwhile, is $799 with 64GB and $949 with 256GB (£799 and £949 respectively). The most noteworthy differences: The iPhone 8 lacks the dual-cameras and new Portrait Mode and Lighting features of the iPhone 8 Plus.
Both of those phones sport new all-glass designs should perform like champs with the new A11 Bionic processor and upgraded cameras. (Still too much? Apple has knocked $100 (£100) off both the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, making them as cheap as $549 or £549.)
Take note that both models support wireless and fast charging (30 minutes to a half charge), but for the latter, you'll need to splurge at least another $74 for a charger and USB-C cable. If you've already got a 2016 or later MacBook Pro, you can use its charger, luckily.
The Apple Watch 3 starts at $329 (£329) with a 38mm sport band and no cellular support, and runs $399 or £399 if you opt for the LTE data feature. (If you do, don't forget that US carriers will charge you an extra $10 per month to use the LTE option.) The larger 42mm model runs $359 and $429 with the same options (£359 and £429). Both watches are a lot more, of course, if you go for leather, Edition or Hermes models.
The Apple TV 4K, with support for UltraHD and HDR movies, is $179 with 32GB of built-in storage and $199 with 64GB (£179 and £199). If you're worried about content for when it arrives on September 22nd, don't be, at least in the US: Apple has already started releasing movies with 4K and Dolby Vision HDR.
As mentioned, iPhone X pre-orders won't go live until October 27th, with shipping planned for November 3rd. That model, which features a 5.8-inch 2,436 x 1,125 OLED screen and Face ID instead of Touch ID, costs $999 for the 64GB model and $1,149 with 256GB. If you're planning on getting it, beware that rumors point to a short supply of OLED panels, so you might want to be ready as soon as it goes on pre-order.
Whether you're going with the tried and true, but much faster iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus, or the newfangled iPhone X, with its OLED screen, minimal bezels, weird new cutout and Face ID, let us know in the comments below.
