iPhone 8 or 7: Which one to buy in 2022

Who says old school isn’t cool? If you’re looking to buy an iPhone 7 or iPhone 8, chances are, you like to keep things classic—nothing wrong with that at all, especially because it means you’ll be saving a whole lot of money, which never goes out of style.

By purchasing a refurbished iPhone 7 or 8 that’s a few years old instead of the latest uber-expensive iPhone, you’re doing yourself a big favor, especially since both phones still have plenty of those awesome Apple features you’ve come to enjoy.

Which one should you go with? Ultimately, that’s up to you, but we’ll make your decision a whole lot easier by laying out everything on the table.

With similar dimensions and identical 4.7-inch widescreen LCD displays, the iPhone 8 and iPhone 7 don’t appear all that different at first. But there’s always more to an iPhone that meets the eye, and with the iPhone 8 vs iPhone 7, the biggest difference lies in the processor.

The iPhone 8 runs on the newer A11 Bionic chip with a neural engine, while the iPhone 7 runs on the older A10 Fusion chip.

What does this mean? Since the iPhone 8 is one year newer with a newer chip, you can expect it to support software updates for an additional year. Although both the iPhone 7 and 8 are still able to run the newest iOS version (currently iOS 15 at the time of writing), the iPhone 7 is less likely to be able to handle iOS updates down the road.

The new A11 Bionic chip in the iPhone 8 also means you’ll get better image processing than with the iPhone 7, even though the two phones have the same camera sensor. This means more detail in shadows and a slightly sharper image quality. The differences may be negligible to the naked eye, but when you hold up an iPhone 7 to an iPhone SE (2020), which has the same sensor, you’ll see a huge difference in image quality.

Click on the following link to read more about the iPhone 8 vs iPhone SE (2020) on our comparison app! And don't forget to scroll below the specs to read our editor's notes :)

Let’s talk cameras. Both the iPhone 8 and 7 have a FaceTime HD front-facing camera and a single 12 MP wide rear camera that features True Tone flash, but the iPhone 8 True Tone has Slow Sync, which means you can use the flash at slower shutter speeds.

The iPhone 8 also has Auto HDR in both front and rear cameras, which makes for sharper photos, while the iPhone 7 has standard HDR. They’re small disparities, but sometimes the small things make all the difference.

Want an iPhone on a budget with a seriously impressive camera system? Then look no further than the iPhone 11 Pro!

iPhone 8 vs iPhone 11 Pro
iPhone 7 vs iPhone 11 Pro

Another difference between the iPhone 8 vs iPhone 7 is that the iPhone 8 comes equipped with wireless charging, while the iPhone 7 does not.

That’s a plus, but it also means that the iPhone 8 features a glass back to accommodate the wireless charging, meaning it’s more fragile than the iPhone 7, which features a metal back panel.

The iPhone 7 and 8 should have enough juice to get you through the day in terms of battery life, but if you're a more active user and spend most of the day away from your charger, you may want to consider an iPhone XR or iPhone 11.

iPhone 8 vs iPhone 11
iPhone 8 vs iPhone XR

Another thing to consider is storage. While the iPhone 7 is available in 32 GB and 128 GB options, the iPhone 8 is available in 64 GB and 128 GB.

This option is a nice middle ground between the 32 and 128 GB, which is a pretty big jump. For this reason, the iPhone 8 may appeal more to some.

However, if it’s 128 GB or bust, either iPhone 7 or 8 will suit your needs.

You’re already cool; you don’t need the latest and greatest of iPhone specs or to burn a hole in your budget to buy the trendiest iPhone out there. You just want something reliable and efficient, and either the iPhone 7 or iPhone 8 will do the trick—they’re both great budget iPhones and they’ve got pretty similar features. But with the iPhone 8, you can expect longer iOS update support, which means you’ll get more life out of your phone for the long haul. Now that’s pretty cool.

👉 Want to take a closer look at the specs? Check out the iPhone 7 vs iPhone 8 specs on our smartphone comparison tool.