9 reasons you should buy an iPhone 8 instead of an iPhone X (AAPL)

iPhone 8 and 8 plus

Apple announced three new iPhones in 2017: the iPhone 8, the iPhone 8 Plus, and the high-end iPhone X.

Those three phones start at $699, $799, and $999, respectively.

The most expensive iPhone model this year, the iPhone X, in many ways represents the future of the iPhone.

That said, there are several reasons it's worth considering an iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus instead of the iPhone X:

DON'T MISS: Forget the iPhone X — the iPhone 7 is an incredible deal right now

1. The iPhone X is more expensive than the iPhone 8.

This might be the most important factor for many people.

The iPhone 8 starts at $700, while the larger iPhone 8 Plus starts at $800.

The iPhone X, on the other hand, starts at $1,000.

It's simple math: You can save at least $200 by going with an iPhone 8, which, keep in mind, is still a brand-new phone from Apple.

2. The iPhone 8 and the 8 Plus are powered by the same brains as the iPhone X.

This is probably the most important reason to consider the iPhone 8 and the 8 Plus over the iPhone X: Functionally, they're all identical.

Each is powered by Apple's new A11 Bionic chip, a neural engine, and the M11 motion coprocessor. The only difference is how the phones use these features: The iPhone X uses the A11 chip and neural engine for its new face-detection system, Face ID, which the iPhone 8 does not have.

And all are also running iOS 11, which means you're getting the same great apps and ecosystem in the iPhone 8 as the iPhone X.

3. Touch ID is faster than Face ID, and superior in some notable ways.

Since the release of iPhone 5S in 2013, Touch ID has changed the way we use our iPhones — unlocking the device, storing passwords, and using our fingerprints to pay for goods via Apple Pay.

Touch ID is a known, proven entity. I've owned an iPhone X for nearly two months, and Face ID works well most of the time — but it is less reliable, and not quite as fast, compared to Touch ID.

For what it's worth, Face ID is very good. Apple says it's less prone than Touch ID to being tricked, and can work in most situations where you think it wouldn't: in the dark, if you add hats or glasses, and if you make actual changes to your face — I recently shaved my whole beard off and Face ID had no problems recognizing me.

Still, Touch ID is comfortable to use, works almost instantaneously, and lets you unlock your phone and pay for things without physically having to look at the phone. Face ID has a ton of potential, but Touch ID is still the gold standard. Also worth noting: The iPhone X can't unlock if it's laying flat on a table; it needs to be able to see your face, otherwise you'll be asked to enter your passcode. In other words, you can't be as slick about unlocking your phone in your pocket, or on a table, with an iPhone X as you can with an iPhone 8.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider