In less than two months, Apple is likely to hold a big new iPhone launch, where it will roll out its latest and greatest smartphones. So, just the other day, I bought an iPhone 8 Plus.
Hang on — I can explain.
A few weeks ago, my trusty iPhone 7 that I've had since September 2016 started acting up. With no working microphone, a busted headphone jack and an expired warranty, my options were to get a new phone now, or spend the next month and a half without listening to podcasts or talking to my loved ones over the phone until the new iPhones launch in September. Naturally, I chose the former.
Sure, I could have spent a few hundred bucks on a replacement iPhone 7 to tide me over until the new models arrived, but if I'm going to drop money on a phone, I'm going to make it count. The iPhone X's funky design isn't for me, but I like being in the iOS ecosystem enough to not switch to Android. So the choice to upgrade to an iPhone 8 Plus was an obvious one.
As someone who's been clinging to Apple's smaller phones, I've long been tempted by the extra perks of the Plus. Upgrading to a regular iPhone 8 would have felt like more of the same, and I decided that I'm finally ready to enjoy better dual-lens cameras and a bigger 5.5-inch display.
I'm still (literally) wrapping my hands around its gargantuan size, but having a larger, more readable screen and being able to take awesome portrait photos of my dog have already made the switch worth it. And with a faster processor, wireless charging and a bigger True Tone display, the 8 Plus feels like a significant tech upgrade to my tiny iPhone 7, even if it's just a year newer.
But won't I miss out on all the changes Apple has planned for this year's round of iPhone updates? After combing through the latest rumors about the 2018 iPhones, I'm even more confident about my iPhone 8 Plus purchase. All of this year's iPhones are expected to adopt the iPhone X "notch" design, which I'm not a fan of. And aside from bigger screens and some new color options, it doesn't seem like this year's phones will make the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus seem antiquated.
Of course, if you're not sorely in need of an upgrade like I was and can wait until September, you should at least see what the new iPhones have to offer, especially since Apple is likely to drop the price on whatever older models it keeps in its phone lineup.
MORE: iPhone 8 and 8 Plus Review
But the iPhone 8 Plus gives me everything I could possibly want in a new phone, and I'm pretty confident it'll still hold up as one of Apple's best handsets when the new generation rolls around. I've never been so happy to be behind the curve.
Credit: Tom's Guide
