If you’re looking for a smartphone with flagship power but without a flagship price, then you’d traditionally look for a OnePlus phone. But times have changed, andthe biggest boys on the blockwant a slice of that pie.Apple’s iPhone XRandSamsung’s Galaxy S10eoffer the same power as their flagship brethren, but at a lower price. With the recent release of the stunningOnePlus 7 Pro, this quandary is even harder to answer than ever before. Which of the three is best for you? We found out.
Warp Charge 30
QuickCharge 2.0
Qi wireless charging
Fast charge capable (Additional charger needed)
Performance, battery life, and charging
It’s hard to judge performance on a phone with a flagship processor these days because they’re all extremely fast. The OnePlus 7 Pro and Galaxy S10e both pack the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, while the iPhone XR comes with Apple’s A12 Bionic processor. The OnePlus phone wins out in pure benchmark results, but in real-life performance each phone is smooth and will have no problem running the latest 3D games.
So what of charging? Again, you’ll find fast charging on all three. The OnePlus 7 Pro’s charging is the fastest, charging from 15 percent to 53 percent in 20 minutes. The S10e’s charging is hampered by aging tech, and while the iPhone has fast charging, you’ll need to buy an extra charger to use it —which is a bit rubbish. However, those results are balanced by the Qi wireless charging on the iPhone and the Samsung phone. What about battery life then? The OnePlus 7 Pro and S10e get a single day of use on a full charge, while the iPhone XR excels with a strong day-and-a-half battery life, despite having the physically smallest capacity.
It’s hard to judge, but the iPhone’s smooth performance and strong battery life just squeeze it for us.
Winner: iPhone XR
Design and durability
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but it’s clear to most that the OnePlus 7 Pro is absolutely stunning. It’s almost completely bezel-less, sidestepping the iPhone’s notch and the S10e’s hole-punch. But the other two phones aren’t ugly, and we have a soft spot for the iPhone’s strong colors and minimalist design. The S10e is probably the weakest of the three in looks, but it’s still not an ugly duckling by any means.
Glass builds on all three mean durability has its limits — soa caseis advised regardless — but you’ll find water-resistance on each. The S10e wins out with a strong IP68-rating, while the iPhone’s IP67-rating is also good enough to guard against accidental dips. The OnePlus phone does have water-resistance, but it’s notIP-rated, which means we’re less inclined to trust it.
It’s another hard one to judge, but we really want to reward the OnePlus 7 Pro’s beautiful design. However, the lack of an IP-rating means the iPhone secures a tie.
Winner: Tie — iPhone XR and OnePlus 7 Pro
You’ll find a 6.1-inch Liquid Retina display on the iPhone XR. That’s Apple-talk for “LCD”, by the way, which immediately puts it at a disadvantage against the two AMOLED displays. Still, it’s a great display, and shows strong colors and deep blacks. But the real competition is between the AMOLED displays. Samsung’s screen tech is absolutely among the best, and it shows. The S10e uses Samsung’s new Dynamic AMOLED technology in its 5.8-inch display and it’s beautiful. It’s so good it earnedDisplayMate’s highest A+ rating.
But, so did theOnePlus 7 Pro’s screen. The massive 6.67-inch display shows vivid colors and inky blacks, just like the S10e, but it also comes with a higher resolution and a super-smooth 90Hz refresh rate. OnePlus has this.
Winner: OnePlus 7 Pro
There’s a radically different setup on each of these phones. The OnePlus 7 Pro goes ham on lenses, with a 48-megapixel main lens, a 16-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens, and an 8-megapixel telephoto lens with a 3x optical zoom. It’s strong and versatile, but it’s inconsistent in low light and in portrait mode, and the software needs improving.
The S10e forgoes a triple-lens camera for a tried-and-tested double-lens setup. There’s a 12-megapixel main lens withvariable apertureteamed with a 16-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens. Like the OnePlus, the S10e comes out with a very versatile set of strengths, but unfortunately seems to also suffer in low lighting.
The iPhone only has a single 12-megapixel lens, but it’s imbued with Apple’s usual magic. While it’s not up to the level of the single lens on thePixel 3, the XR produces excellent imagery — and clinchingly, it does well in low light environments, and creates extremely good portrait mode shots. It’s the winner here.
Software and updates
You’ll findAndroid 9.0 Pieon the OnePlus and Samsung phones, but with custom manufacturer skins on both. The iPhone, unsurprisingly, comes with Apple’s owniOS 12. Discussions ofiOS vs. Androidcan be complex, but it usually comes down to whichever you have the most experience with. The software on all of these phones is smooth and user-friendly.
But there’s a big difference in update speed. Samsung is easily theslowest to push updates out, and while the S10e is sure to getAndroid Qand Android R, you’re likely to be waiting upwards of six months after launch to get them. The OnePlus 7 Pro will get the same updates, but is likely to get them much faster. However, it won’t be getting them on the same day they’re released, which can absolutely be said for the iPhone XR.Based on Apple’s previous performance, the iPhone is also likely to be supported for longer.
Special features
There’s no shortage of special features here. The S10e comes with AR Emojis, facial unlocking, Bixby (and the Google Assistant), desktop Dex mode, Wireless PowerShare, andWi-Fi 6. The iPhone XR packs similar features, with Memojis and Face ID definitely beating Samsung’s versions, an excellent gesture navigation system, and all the iOS regulars you’d expect. Samsung does have more though, which brings it back up level.
The OnePlus’s special features are mostly hardware-based, and includethe pop-up mechanical selfie camera, the in-display fingerprint scanner, and the 90Hz refresh rate. There are some software additions, but though we likeZen Mode, we can’t see it being as useful as the features on the iPhone and the S10e — so the round is split between those two.
Winner: Tie — Samsung Galaxy S10e and iPhone XR
Price and availability
TheOnePlus 7 Pro is availablenow, and starts from $669. TheSamsung Galaxy S10e is currently availablefrom a range of carriers and suppliers, with prices starting from $750. TheiPhone XR is also availablepretty much everywhere, and also starts from $750.
Overall winner: iPhone XR
It was a tough fight, but we’re confident that theiPhone XRhas been shown to be the strongest of these three. It has not been an easy road — both theGalaxy S10eand theOnePlus 7 Proare excellent phones with a lot to recommend them, and if you’re in love with the OnePlus 7 Pro’s incredible design or you just can’t get enough of Samsung’s phones, we don’t blame you for choosing one of them. But if it’s an even playing ground, we recommend you buy the iPhone XR. It’s the stronger overall phone.
