You can spend that money elsewhere

Quick disclaimer: I have been an Apple user for roughly over a decade (since the first Intel MacBooks to be specific). While I have been a fan of the Cupertino company for their well-designed devices and seamless software, their pricing sometimes is quite too steep, especially if you consider the competition offering better features at a lower price.

I personally chose to get a Retina MacBook Pro over the Touch Bar MacBook Pro early this year because I could not justify the pricing of the latter, and the fact that it practically ditched all ports for USB-C connections—a major turn off for creative professionals like me. The same goes for the iPhone: I went for the iPhone SE because of its size, and that it essentially has the same internals as the iPhone 6s but at a cheaper price.

With the iPhone 8 launching on September 12, I am quite impressed at how Apple chose to do a radical redesign of the decade old iPhone line. However, with a price range from $999 (for the 64GB model) to $1199 (for the 512GB model), it is really a pain in the wallet; even my inner Apple fanboy can’t justify spending exorbitant amounts of money on the iPhone 8. So for this commentary, let me enumerate where you can spend that ~Php60K instead:

A MacBook Air (Php 64k)

The iPhone 8 may be a productivity workhorse, but let’s be honest: Nothing beats doing most of our work in laptops. That being said, the price of an iPhone 8 can get you a MacBook Air with decent specs to boot. It may be a dated, as it does not have a Retina display like its more expensive siblings, but it is still the notebook of choice for most professionals who prefer using a Mac over windows.

Two(!) 32GB iPhone 6s (Php 32k each)

If you are not like me who prefers small phones, you can get yourself two iPhone 6s with a 32GB storage capacity. Yes, for the price of one iPhone 8, you can get two good performing phones: One as your primary phone, the other as a secondary phone (or for your special someone perhaps). The iPhone 6s may be a 2015 model, but it still has decent internals, and will be receiving iOS 11 soon. Also, you get a headphone jack AND home button with the 6s.

An iMac (Php 65k)

Sure, the iPhone 8 has a bezel-less display, but working on that small screen can be cumbersome, especially if your work focuses on multimedia, graphic design, or audio/video production. For such needs, spend that iPhone 8 money instead on an iMac that offers a bigger screen estate (at 21.5 inches), larger storage capacity (the entry level is equipped with a 1TB HDD), and better processing power (I really, really doubt if the iPhone 8’s A11 processor can match a 7th-gen Intel i5 processor).

A nice 4K Ultra HD Smart TV from Sony (Php 54.5K for the 55-inch model)

Your living room (or bed room if you got a spacious one at that) deserves an upgrade, so why not get this 4K Bravia Smart TV from Sony instead of spending on an insanely expensive phone? Aside from delivering your favorite NetFlix shows in glorious 4K resolution, this baby is Android powered: it can double as your computer of sorts as you can install Android apps on it, from your favorite social media apps to games. Pretty cool, eh?

A well-equipped DSLR from Canon (Php 62.1K with 18-135mm kit lens)

The iPhone 8 may boast of cutting edge camera tech like what the iPhone 7 Plus introduced with its dual camera system, but based on my personal experience as a photographer over a decade, smartphones are still far from matching DSLRs in terms of image quality. A bigger sensor in a smartphone is still no match for a DSLR’s APS-C (or Full Frame) sensor. With that in mind, that iPhone 8 money can get you Canon’s EOS 77D with a versatile 18-135mm Nano USM lens. It may be bulky (as most of my colleagues have switched to mirrorless cameras), but DSLRs over better focusing and more creative freedom.

Do you have any other gadgets in mind that one can buy for the price of an iPhone 8? Comment down below!