Samsung launched the Galaxy S10e with an eye on the iPhone XR, which costs at least Rs 15,000 more than the former. Having said that, we’ve been intrigued by how Samsung, with a single variant of 6GB + 128GB storage in India has managed to keep it below Rs 60,000.
Which is why, our comparison stakes have gone a bit more ambitious and while many of you might say it is outrageous, we’re pitting it against the OnePlus 6T, even though both these phones carry a price difference of more than Rs 15,000.
We’re terming this as an affordable flagship comparison between these two Android devices and here’s everything there is to know about them.
Design & Display
Samsung has kept the design language of Galaxy S10e similar to that of the regular S10. Having said that, with a 5.8-inch screen, it is relatively smaller, but compact in nature when in use. The S10e screams premium with its glass design back body and stainless steel finish around the phone.
The display of the S10e is smaller and even flatter than its elder siblings this year, and that’s probably some of the cost-cutting efforts taken.
With the Galaxy S10e, the fingerprint reader is placed on the power button, while 6T is the first OnePlus phone to get in-display fingerprint reader.
The OnePlus 6T comes with a glass-back design, which has a glossy texture and even for a 6-inch device, it is easier to use with one hand. The first upgrade you’ll notice with the 6T is its screen size. It has been bumped up from 6.2-inch to 6.4-inch with an AMOLED screen, which also gets Corning Glass 6 protection.
OnePlus is the latest to go for the so-called water drop notch. It surely isn’t as ugly as the Google Pixel 3 XL and as wide as the OnePlus 6, and we kind of like how a smaller notch offers more screen real estate.
Compared to the OnePlus 6T, the bezels on Galaxy S10e are a little thicker, but it’s not really a deal breaker.
In terms of quality, Samsung has packed its AMOLED screen with 1080 pixels resolution which offers over 430 ppi on the device. OnePlus 6T comes with an AMOLED display as well, but Samsung has the upper hand because of its higher pixel density.
Hardware and Software
Like the Galaxy S10, the e variant also packs the octa-core Exynos 9820 processor in India, paired with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage, which is further expandable. These specs are flagship quality, also powering the Galaxy S10 Plus in 2019, so understandably, performance is expected to match the high-end devices.
You also get Wi-Fi 6 support, wireless charging, and you can even wireless charge other devices with the phone. It is IP68 certified and retains the headphone jack, thankfully.
Coming to the OnePlus 6T, it is running on the octa-core Snapdragon 845 processor, that has also powered the Google Pixel 3 series and most flagship phones in 2018. You get the phone in 6 and 8GB RAM options, but the base variant packs the former.
OnePlus decided to junk the 64GB variant, making the 128GB option as its base model resulting in a Rs 3,000 price hike.
OnePlus 6T comes loaded with a 3,700mAh battery, and for the small screen variant S10e, Samsung has boldly decided that a 3,100mAh unit will be sufficient for a user’s need.
In terms of software, Samsung’s S10 series is finally running on Android 9.0 Pie version, which is layered underneath the One UI from the company. We’ll reserve our verdict on the efficiency of this version. Talking about the 6T, it is also running on Android 9.0, but with its custom Oxygen OS which has received good responses from reviewers as well as consumers.
Cameras
This is where Samsung has given the S10e another round of cost cutting. You only get a dual-camera setup, 12 and 16-megapixel with f/1.5 and f/2.2 apertures respectively.
The cameras on the OnePlus 6T have been left untouched from the OnePlus 6, with 20- and 16-megapixel sensors at the back with f/1.7 aperture on offer.
It would be hard to talk about the quality of images that the S10e is able to capture, but going by Samsung’s track record, it wouldn’t be surprising to see it succeed yet again.
The OnePlus 6T does fair well in most conditions, but with higher aperture than the S10e means, the low-light photography might turn out better from Samsung’s latest phone.
Value for Money?
As we said earlier, most people might say comparing the OnePlus 6T with Samsung Galaxy S10e makes no sense.
But looking at how OnePlus has regularly hiked the prices of its phones, it’s likely that the OnePlus 7 could easily rival the S10e. Going with the tag of the affordable flagship, the Samsung S10e does fit in quite nicely into the sub Rs 60,000 bracket. Can it hold its own against a power-packed device like the OnePlus 6T?
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