The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus hit shelves on September 22. The refreshed models carry most features that were present in their predecessors. However, there are many important upgrades that the new phones carry. Apple listed all these improvements in a video, which they uploaded to their official YouTube channel.

Glass back and wireless charging

The 46-second long video reveals the specific features that the latest devices bring to the table. The first feature that Apple points out is the new glass back panel of the handsets. This is an important feature because the glass back offers a new look design- wise and also adds the ability for wireless charging.

The new Apple devices are the first from the company that support wireless charging. Any Qi-based charging pad will be compatible with the feature. Apple will also start selling its very own AirPower charging mat soon.

Portrait Lighting mode

The video then mentions the Portrait Lighting mode that has been introduced into the camera app on the two iPhones. However, it is important to note that this feature is currently in beta testing, so the functionality may not be as stable as users would expect. The Portrait Lighting mode allows the latest Apple smartphone users to remove the background elements of a picture clicked in the Portrait mode. This also modifies the lighting of the picture while it is being captured on the handset, rather than using filters to change it later.

A11 Bionic chipset

The refreshed models replace the older A10 Fusion chipset with the latest A11 Bionic SoC. The latter is said to be 70 percent more powerful than the .A10 Fusion chipset. The A11 Bionic has six-cores, four of which are efficiency cores, while the remaining two are performance-based cores.

Water resistance

Apple reveals that the new handsets are water resistant.

However, it must be noted that Apple does not cover water damage in their warranties. It would be best if users keep the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus away from water.

Retina HD display and AR technology

The video also showcases the new Retina HD technology in the display of the handsets. Even though the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus do not come with the OLED screen unlike the iPhone X, the LCD display has nonetheless been improved. The very last feature that Apple talks about is the new augmented reality technology. With iOS 11 rolling out with ARKit, users of the refreshed models will be able to do a lot more with AR.