Mar 6

OnePlus 8 vs OnePlus 7T: Is OnePlus 8 Worth Rs. 7,000 More Than OnePlus 7T?

The OnePlus 7T offers most of OnePlus 8’s features at a much lower price.

OnePlus 8 vs OnePlus 7T: Is OnePlus 8 Worth Rs. 7,000 More Than OnePlus 7T?

OnePlus 8 price in India starts at Rs. 41,999; OnePlus 7T price in India starts at Rs. 34,999

OnePlus 8 price in India starts at Rs. 41,999
OnePlus 7T price in India starts at Rs. 34,999
OnePlus 7T has a few features that OnePlus 8 doesn’t

The OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro are officially out and we even have the Indian pricing, which is a lot better than what they cost in other markets. Many of you have been telling us that you’re very happy with the pricing and feature set for both these phones, and I couldn’t agree more. The OnePlus 8 is probably going to be the more popular one, as it starts at Rs. 41,999 for the 6GB model. But is it the best choice, considering the 8GB variant of the 7T is available at just Rs. 34,999? It’s an even bigger price difference if you were to compare the 8GB model of the OnePlus 8, which costs Rs. 44,999.

This begs the question — Is the OnePlus 8 a big enough upgrade over the OnePlus 7T to justify a big jump in price? And, if you recently bought the 7T, does it make sense to upgrade?

Now before we go ahead, I just want to make it very clear that we haven’t reviewed the OnePlus 8 yet, so this is just a preliminary comparison based on the specifications and features alone. I also want to hear what you think about rising prices of OnePlus devices and which smartphone you’d pick between the OnePlus 7T and the OnePlus 8. Let us know with a comment.

First, let’s talk about some of the things that the OnePlus 8 does better than the 7T and this broadly falls into three main areas — the processor, the design and the battery capacity.

Snapdragon 865 on OnePlus 8

Like most Android flagships in 2020, the OnePlus 8 ships with the Snapdragon 865 SoC, which is faster than last years 855+ chip, more power efficient and supports 5G. These are all nice things to have for sure but I don’t think it’s going to make a huge impact in your daily life. The increased power will let you get higher benchmark scores than those on your friends’ smartphones, but even the most demanding apps and games ran just fine even on the 855+, so I don’t think you’ll notice much, if any, difference in the way apps and games run. Having 5G is nice to brag about but it’s actual launch in India is currently unknown and is not likely to arrive in the near future.

OnePlus 8 Design

The design of the OnePlus 8 definitely seems nicer, especially from the front as the hole-punch display looks premium and the bezels around the screen seem narrower too. From the back, it’s not all that ground-breaking as it looks exactly like the OnePlus 7 Pro, but it is different from the circular camera module of the 7T.

Going by the dimensions on paper, the width of the OnePlus 8 is lesser and it’s 10g lighter than the 7T, so it should be more comfortable to hold. It’s also a hair slimmer but not by much. However, I’m really excited to see the new colours, my favourite so far is definitely the Interstellar Glow.

OnePlus 8 Battery

The third big change is the battery. It’s now 4,300mAh, compared to 3,800mAh on the 7T. The fact that the capacity has increased and the weight has decreased is a job well done by OnePlus.

We’re sure there would be other minor improvements here and there but other than these main ones, the rest of the features are very similar or the same even as the 7T.

Should you pay more for OnePlus 8?

The OnePlus 8 doesn’t support wireless charging, nor does it have an official IP rating for dust and water resistance — just like the 7T.

Both phones have the same size and resolution AMOLED displays, with in-display fingerprint sensors, 90Hz refresh rate and HDR10+ support.

Both use LPDDR4X RAM, UFS 3.0 type storage and also support the same Warp Charge 30T fast charging tech. You even get stereo speakers on both, with support for Dolby Atmos.

The camera systems haven’t changed much either. The OnePlus 8 and the 7T use the same Sony IMX586 image sensor for the main rear camera, and a Sony IMX471 sensor for the selfie camera. In fact, the 7T has a more rounded camera setup, packing in a telephoto camera and a wide-angle lens with autofocus for super macro shot. The OnPlus 8 on the other hand uses a dedicated 2-megapixel macro camera, which we’re not too happy about, in place of the telephoto camera.

Video capabilities seem identical on both phones too, with rear cameras topping out at 4K 60fps, while the selfie camera is still restricted to 1080p.

It’s human nature to want the latest and greatest of anything, especially when it comes to gadgets. In this case, yes, the OnePlus 8 has some notable improvements over the 7T on paper, but are they worth the premium you’ll be paying? I’m not entirely convinced about that.

Had OnePlus kept the wireless charging and waterproofing for the OnePlus 8, it would have made a stronger case for itself, but as it stands, I still think the 7T would offer much better value for money without having to sacrifice a whole lot.

Of course, we will be re-visiting this argument once we’ve reviewed the OnePlus 8 but till then, let us know what you think. Would you be willing to spend over 40,000 rupees for it, or settle for the 7T at a much lower price?

Will OnePlus 8 series be able to take on iPhone SE (2020), Samsung Galaxy S20 in India? We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.

iPhone 11 vs iPhone SE (2020) vs iPhone XR: Which Is the Best ‘Affordable’ iPhone in India?

For someone who’s been using the iPhone 7 since 2016, which of these is the best?

iPhone SE (2020) price in India starts at Rs. 42,500

iPhone SE (2020) has excellent hardware but its design is old
iPhone XR offers excellent value for money
iPhone 11 has lots of great features, but it’s a bit too expensive

My primary smartphone is this iPhone 7, which I bought in November 2016. I’ve been using it for almost four years now, and I am planning to upgrade to a new iPhone this year.

Back in 2016, my approach was simple — just buy the latest and greatest iPhone and use it for three years before upgrading. I can’t do that this time because there’s no way I can afford an iPhone 11 Pro or an iPhone 11 Pro Max. That leaves me with three choices right now — iPhone SE (2020), iPhone XR, and iPhone 11.

The SE (2020) has impressive hardware at a great price, the XR offers amazing battery life, while the iPhone 11 appears to offer the best of both worlds but at a higher price. I’m sure I’m not the only one wondering which of these three smartphones to pick. In this article, let’s go through the pros and cons of each of these devices to figure out which one is the best for you, and which one I should buy.

First let’s talk about the iPhone SE (2020) since it’s the newest of the three smartphones, and the phone that I’ve been waiting for since the first leaks surfaced.

The three things I like the most about the iPhone SE (2020) are the processor, the price, and the weight.

The A13 Bionic is an incredibly powerful chip, and it’s a good deal if you’re getting that at Rs. 42,500 onwards. This iPhone SE reminds me of last year’s iPad mini, which had launched with a really powerful processor at around Rs. 35,000.

Some of you have been complaining that the iPhone SE (2020) is too expensive in India when compared with its US price. While that’s fair, I think the SE’s price in India is great when you look at the competition. Apple’s most powerful chip paired with years of software updates make this a great deal. To be fair, the SE’s price could drop in a few months and it might offer even better value with a sub-Rs. 40,000 price point.

Finally, at 148 grams, the iPhone SE (2020) is the lightest of the three smartphones we’re talking about today. It’s only 10 grams heavier than my iPhone 7 so the transition should be seamless. But is that really a good thing?

That’s actually my biggest concern about buying an iPhone SE. It looks just like my iPhone 7, and if I’m going to spend over Rs. 40,000 on a phone, I’d rather do it on a device that looks modern and stylish. I use my phones for very long, so in a couple of years, I don’t want to feel like I’ve been using the same device for six years. I’d also like to use an iPhone that lasts longer than my 7, and based on information on Apple’s website, the SE’s battery life is similar to what we’ll get on the iPhone 7 and 8. Add to that the 4.7-inch screen, which is tiny by today’s standards and isn’t big enough for an immersive experience while watching movies or playing games.

Even though there’s a lot to like about the iPhone SE, I can’t live with those three cons. That’s why let’s look at my second choice — the iPhone XR. There are three things going for the XR — modern design, battery life, and price. I don’t need to elaborate too much about the design. It has a big screen with a notch, and I like this a lot because I don’t have to scroll as much while reading and I’ll finally be able to enjoy watching movies on a phone. The battery lasts a lot longer than most other iPhones, so that’s a major plus. Finally the XR has often been available under Rs. 50,000 for the 128GB variant that I’m eyeing, which is great too. If you’re planning to buy an iPhone soon, the SE and XR are in the same price bracket and that makes the difference in design and battery life very important factors.

Having said that, the XR has a slightly older chip — the A12 Bionic — and even though I don’t expect any performance issues anytime in the near future, I worry about potential slowdowns after two or three major OS updates. That’s where our third and the strongest contender walks in.

Meet the iPhone 11. This is the ideal iPhone for me right now because it has the latest hardware, its camera supports modern features such as Apple’s excellent night mode and audio zoom, and its battery lasts even longer than the iPhone XR. You also get extras such as Dolby Atmos support and an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance. The former is missing on the SE and XR, and those devices have an IP67 rating.

However, there’s just one problem here and you know it as well as I do. The 128GB variant of the iPhone 11 costs more than Rs. 70,000 and even with a crazy Diwali discount, it’s probably not going to be anywhere near the price of the iPhone XR or SE.

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Now’s the time to decide which one of these three I’d pick. If I had to upgrade the moment smartphone deliveries resume, I’d go for the iPhone XR. It hits the sweet spot between features and price, which makes it perfect for me. Having said that, I’m going to wait till the next wave of iPhones is launched, and hunt for https://jiji.ng/ some deals on the iPhone 11. Unfortunately for the iPhone SE (2020), I just don’t want another phone that looks like my iPhone 7, so I’m going to pass.

Is iPhone SE the ultimate ‘affordable’ iPhone for India? We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.