: Powered by the A11 Bionic chip , it offered a "Plus-sized" screen experience in a body only slightly larger than the standard iPhone [26].

: Users who preferred the reliability of a physical Home button and wanted the best internal specs without the $1,000 price tag. 3. Critical Buying Factors in 2017

’s design was clearly the blueprint for the next decade, making it a better choice for "future-proofing" a purchase [26, 28]. In summary, 2017 was a year of choice. The

Choosing between these models required balancing three main priorities: : The jump from LCD (on the ) to OLED (on the

) provided deeper blacks and more vibrant colours, but at a higher repair cost [26].

: Both models introduced a new glass-back design to facilitate Qi wireless charging , a first for Apple [28]. Photography : The iPhone 8 Plus

featured dual 12MP cameras with improved "Portrait Lighting" effects, offering professional-style photography for a lower cost than the X [28].

was the clear flagship of 2017, introducing the most significant design shift in the product's history [26]. It was the first to feature a nearly edge-to-edge , effectively removing the iconic Home button in favour of gesture-based navigation [26].