I’m contemplating upgrading from iPhone 5S to to iPhone 8 (stop giggling) and have read a lot of complaints about the battery life. Is this a problem that can be solved with a new battery or is it a built-in iphone 8 problem?
Any input appreciated.
The iPhone 8 was released in September 2017. Apple will put a new battery in an iPhone 8 for $115. No battery is going to perform well forever, and everyone’s usage is different. I would google battery-saving settings.
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kerr is correct. My daughter had an iPhone 8 & she never had any battery problems.
My 8 Plus was replaced twice and the battery once. These had a screen defect which would stop touch working (which I had), then later on something else happened (can’t quite remember) but they nicely pointed at the semi recent repair and covered it under warranty because I had paid for the screen the first time… then the battery, then after I gave it to a family member it died again. Probably the worst phone I’ve had.
Honestly, I’d probably aim for a XR or better which also means you at least get iOS 17 and would be current for the next 12 months at least.
I’ve been really happy with my XR. Bought it 2nd hand. My daughter, who I mentioned above, had no end of trouble with her 7!
I’m guessing OP wants Touch ID.
The father-in-law visited over the weekend and was saying he’s waiting for the 15 Pro Max to come into stock as he’s ready for an upgrade. Still rocking an iPhone 7, although he did say it’s getting a little slow and the battery sucks (again).
The iPhone SE tends to go through phases where it’s a good buy and is the same chip as the current models (although I don’t expect that in the 4th gen since the Pro models tend to be a step ahead) and is a great option at a lower cost (it’s what my mother bought).
The SE (2nd Gen) was released along side the iPhone 11/Pro with the same A13 SOC.
The SE (3rd Gen) was released along side the iPhone 13/Pro with the same A15 SOC.
At $719 for a 64GB model (or $799 for 128GB), the iPhone SE (3rd Gen) is the cheapest model you can still buy new from Apple directly and is effectively an iPhone 13 with Touch ID and should see updates for a while to come.
Sticking with my earlier recommendation for an XR or newer, the iPhone SE (2nd Gen) fits that bill and is available as a refurb through Coles for $289.
Otherwise, if you want FaceID, they have a refurb iPhone XS for $439 but for that price you might as well get the refurb iPhone 11 for $459 or even a refurb iPhone 12 64GB model for $499. From there it’s a slippery slope as you move up in cost with higher capacities and models going up from there and quickly getting over the cost of a new iPhone SE (3rd Gen) for some iPhone 12 configurations.
Bonus points for anything you can pick up cheaper elsewhere.
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Thank you very much Richard, Kerr and The Hawk. Very useful information.
I should probably have said why I was interested in the iPhone 8. It’s only because of the small amount of space it takes up as it can probably fit in a pocket.
My partner recently bought a used iPhone XS Max it’s currently running 17.1.1. It’s enormous, but I’m impressed with the quality of the photos compared to my li’l 5s.
I only want it to make and receive calls, take photos and occasionally look something up or for maps when I’m out. I do everything else on the laptop. It appears I’m doomed to have to get something requiring a shopping cart to lug it around so I’ll carefully consider all the good information provided and upgrade beyond the iphone 8.
I don’t need face ID or touch recognition. I’m happy to unlock with a pin number.
Once again, thank you very much for the detailed responses.
The iPhone 13 Mini is slightly smaller than the iPhone 8 - I love mine and you get all that extra screen room 
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Thank you very much, Oldmacs. I did get the Xs Max as it was available right when I needed it as the 5s was becoming unreliable.