diff -u b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Field/FieldItemList.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Field/FieldItemList.php
--- b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Field/FieldItemList.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Field/FieldItemList.php
@@ -374,7 +374,7 @@
   /**
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
-  public function equals(FieldItemListInterface $list_to_compare, $strict = FALSE) {
+  public function equals(FieldItemListInterface $list_to_compare) {
     $columns = $this->getFieldDefinition()->getFieldStorageDefinition()->getColumns();
     $count1 = count($this);
     $count2 = count($list_to_compare);
@@ -402,12 +402,7 @@
     array_walk($value1, $callback);
     array_walk($value2, $callback);
 
-    if ($strict) {
-      return $value1 === $value2;
-    }
-    else {
-      return $value1 == $value2;
-    }
+    return $value1 == $value2;
   }
 
 }
reverted:
--- b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Field/FieldItemListInterface.php
+++ a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Field/FieldItemListInterface.php
@@ -266,12 +266,9 @@
    * @param \Drupal\Core\Field\FieldItemListInterface $list_to_compare
    *   The field item list to compare to.
    *
-   * @param bool $strict
-   *   TRUE means that the values will be compared strictly.
-   *
    * @return bool
    *   TRUE if the field item lists are equal, FALSE if not.
    */
+  public function equals(FieldItemListInterface $list_to_compare);
-  public function equals(FieldItemListInterface $list_to_compare, $strict = FALSE);
 
 }