The most heated comparison is here, the one people have been talking about for days. You have read reviews, you have seen the specifications. We now compare these two competitors, fighting for the title of the best Budget Flagship. A classic case of Android vs iOS? Or is it more than just that? Here we take a look at our take on the best budget flagship out there right now.
Design and build: Both these phones have premium designs, no doubts about that, with premium glass constructions on both phones. The 8 however is a much bigger and bulkier phone, coming in at 6.55 inches and weighing 180g. The SE, comes in a much palm friendly, small design at 4.7 inches and weighing just 148g. Now depending on your preferences, these could be good or bad things. For a power user, for whom the screen size is important, the 8 offers you that, but for someone who has been hating the trend of big screens everywhere, and would love to go back to something small, the SE is the pick for you. Also, the 8 has a much modern design, with the slim bezels, punch hole camera and the in-display fingerprint scanner. On the other hand, the SE does have an outdated design, with large bezels and the front mounted fingerprint scanner. The SE also officially offers IP-67 water and dust resistance, whereas the 8 does not have an official rating, however the company does claim that they have tested the phone in-house. So not a clear win for either of the companies, as this decision is very subjective.
Display: The 8 comes with a large 6.55 inch super amoled display, with a 90Hz screen refresh rate, which results in an overall smoother performance from the phone. The display is also higher resolution, set at FHD+. It has a punch-hole style camera cut out, which is pushed to the side of the screen, which causes a lot less distraction while consuming content from the screen. The SE however comes with a smaller 4.7 inch Retina IPS LCD Display, with a lower 60Hz screen refresh rate. The smaller screen, along with the large bezels cause a less enjoyable experience while watching movies or videos on the phone. Along with this, the screen also is of lower resolution, set at HD+. The display is a clear win for OnePlus.
OS: Possibly the biggest difference between these two phones, the one which has probably been the hottest topic of debate within the tech community: iOS vs Android. As you know the SE comes with iOS 13, while the 8 comes with Oxygen OS, based on android 10. Both these phones offer pure iOS and android experiences respectively. The question, again is on your preference. Do you prefer the customization, control and features offered by android, or do you prefer the security, convenience, and inter - iOS connectivity offered by iOS? Both these phones have been known to provide timely software upgrades to their respective future versions. The iPhone will surely give a couple more updates than the OnePlus. This decision is probably the most subjective of all, and hence there is no clear winner here.
Performance:Both these smartphones offer their respectively most powerful chipsets. The SE is powered by Apple's A13 bionic chipset whereas the 8 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865. However, the A13 bionic chipset on the SE is much more powerful than the 865 on the 8. This provides a much better experience overall, with better gaming performance, or just general tasks. The SE can cruise through everything with ease. Along with that, Apple's optimization is such that it leads to a smooth, lag free experience. Even though the 865 is really powerful, and will not face any issues when it comes to performance, and it too can run heavy games on high graphic settings with ease. Still, to declare a winner, it would have to be then SE, in terms of performance.
Cameras:The iPhone SE brings the primary camera of the iPhone 11 pro, into the budget category, with this phone. Although it features a single 12Mp camera, but on the software front, Apple has optimized its performance to click some beautiful shots, with superior image processing done by the company. The 8 on the other hand features a 48Mp primary, along with a 16Mp Ultra-wide and a 2Mp macro lens. This phone too clicks some amazing photographs, and the camera is more versatile, with more lenses. Both the phones are capable of shooting 4k video at 60fps. But the video performance of the iPhone is much better than the OnePlus, and the difference is noticeable enough. The 7Mp front camera on the SE is better than the 16Mp front camera on the 8, and it comes with the portrait lighting effects, which make for some stunning images and effects. Overall, the iPhone SE takes the cake when it comes to camera performance.
Battery and Charging: The 8 comes with a 4300 mAh battery, with a 30W charger provided, which is able to charge the phone to 50% in around 22 minutes. The large 4300mAh battery will easily last you well over a day, on moderate usage. Overall you will have nothing to complain on the battery front. On the other hand, the SE comes with a small 1821 mAh battery, with an 18W charger, which is able to charge the phone to 50% in around 30 minutes. Although the battery appears small, the iPhone, with its small screen and brilliant software optimization, does manage to provide sufficient battery life, lasting around a day. The SE also supports wireless charging, so that is one point to note, if you prefer wireless charging. So overall, the battery performance of the 8 is substantially better than the SE, however you should not be facing any major issues with the SE as well. But yes, the OnePlus is the clear winner in this segment.
Price: Both these phones are priced very similarly in India. The 8 starts at Rs 42,000 for the base model, whereas the SE starts at Rs 42,500. However, as you move towards the higher models, ie, the ones with more storage options, you'll see that the iPhone takes a staggering jump, with its topmost model costing Rs58,300. So the price advantage overall goes to OnePlus, but for the base model, they are at par.
The Verdict: This indeed is an intense battle, with both the phones having their merits and drawbacks. Although this verdict is very subjective, and there is not exactly one clear winner, in my opinion, if you were to buy one of these, I would recommend the OnePlus 8.
The performance, and camera capabilities on the iPhone, although are much better, the OnePlus doesn't lag that far behind. However, the design and the display on the OnePlus are far better than the iPhone. Not to mention the better battery life offered by this phone. But if a small design and a One-handed operable smartphone is what you are looking for, then the SE is the best phone for you, at a great price.
But, it is not over yet, if you want all of this, the OnePlus 8 is still overpriced. The OnePlus 7T offers almost the same things as the 8, but at a significantly lower price. Read our detailed analysis of these phones here.
So in conclusion, what i would say is that, both these phones are incredible, you would not be disappointed in either. Frankly, they are more different than they are alike in many ways, and it comes down to personal choice in this decision. If you are inclined towards the 8, stop and think why you preferred this phone more, and what is it that the 7T cannot offer? The 7T in fact makes the most sense. If it is just the premium experience you crave, the SE will surely not disappoint.
Check out our detailed review of the iPhone SE here.
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Leave a comment with your thoughts and opinions.
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The
contents of this post are purely opinions of the writer and are in no
way targeted to undermine or promote any particular company. These are
his thoughts on this topic, and a means to spread information.
images:opensource, link provided on clicking an image.
specifications and product information: here
Design and build: Both these phones have premium designs, no doubts about that, with premium glass constructions on both phones. The 8 however is a much bigger and bulkier phone, coming in at 6.55 inches and weighing 180g. The SE, comes in a much palm friendly, small design at 4.7 inches and weighing just 148g. Now depending on your preferences, these could be good or bad things. For a power user, for whom the screen size is important, the 8 offers you that, but for someone who has been hating the trend of big screens everywhere, and would love to go back to something small, the SE is the pick for you. Also, the 8 has a much modern design, with the slim bezels, punch hole camera and the in-display fingerprint scanner. On the other hand, the SE does have an outdated design, with large bezels and the front mounted fingerprint scanner. The SE also officially offers IP-67 water and dust resistance, whereas the 8 does not have an official rating, however the company does claim that they have tested the phone in-house. So not a clear win for either of the companies, as this decision is very subjective.
Display: The 8 comes with a large 6.55 inch super amoled display, with a 90Hz screen refresh rate, which results in an overall smoother performance from the phone. The display is also higher resolution, set at FHD+. It has a punch-hole style camera cut out, which is pushed to the side of the screen, which causes a lot less distraction while consuming content from the screen. The SE however comes with a smaller 4.7 inch Retina IPS LCD Display, with a lower 60Hz screen refresh rate. The smaller screen, along with the large bezels cause a less enjoyable experience while watching movies or videos on the phone. Along with this, the screen also is of lower resolution, set at HD+. The display is a clear win for OnePlus.
OS: Possibly the biggest difference between these two phones, the one which has probably been the hottest topic of debate within the tech community: iOS vs Android. As you know the SE comes with iOS 13, while the 8 comes with Oxygen OS, based on android 10. Both these phones offer pure iOS and android experiences respectively. The question, again is on your preference. Do you prefer the customization, control and features offered by android, or do you prefer the security, convenience, and inter - iOS connectivity offered by iOS? Both these phones have been known to provide timely software upgrades to their respective future versions. The iPhone will surely give a couple more updates than the OnePlus. This decision is probably the most subjective of all, and hence there is no clear winner here.
Performance:Both these smartphones offer their respectively most powerful chipsets. The SE is powered by Apple's A13 bionic chipset whereas the 8 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865. However, the A13 bionic chipset on the SE is much more powerful than the 865 on the 8. This provides a much better experience overall, with better gaming performance, or just general tasks. The SE can cruise through everything with ease. Along with that, Apple's optimization is such that it leads to a smooth, lag free experience. Even though the 865 is really powerful, and will not face any issues when it comes to performance, and it too can run heavy games on high graphic settings with ease. Still, to declare a winner, it would have to be then SE, in terms of performance.
Cameras:The iPhone SE brings the primary camera of the iPhone 11 pro, into the budget category, with this phone. Although it features a single 12Mp camera, but on the software front, Apple has optimized its performance to click some beautiful shots, with superior image processing done by the company. The 8 on the other hand features a 48Mp primary, along with a 16Mp Ultra-wide and a 2Mp macro lens. This phone too clicks some amazing photographs, and the camera is more versatile, with more lenses. Both the phones are capable of shooting 4k video at 60fps. But the video performance of the iPhone is much better than the OnePlus, and the difference is noticeable enough. The 7Mp front camera on the SE is better than the 16Mp front camera on the 8, and it comes with the portrait lighting effects, which make for some stunning images and effects. Overall, the iPhone SE takes the cake when it comes to camera performance.
Battery and Charging: The 8 comes with a 4300 mAh battery, with a 30W charger provided, which is able to charge the phone to 50% in around 22 minutes. The large 4300mAh battery will easily last you well over a day, on moderate usage. Overall you will have nothing to complain on the battery front. On the other hand, the SE comes with a small 1821 mAh battery, with an 18W charger, which is able to charge the phone to 50% in around 30 minutes. Although the battery appears small, the iPhone, with its small screen and brilliant software optimization, does manage to provide sufficient battery life, lasting around a day. The SE also supports wireless charging, so that is one point to note, if you prefer wireless charging. So overall, the battery performance of the 8 is substantially better than the SE, however you should not be facing any major issues with the SE as well. But yes, the OnePlus is the clear winner in this segment.
Price: Both these phones are priced very similarly in India. The 8 starts at Rs 42,000 for the base model, whereas the SE starts at Rs 42,500. However, as you move towards the higher models, ie, the ones with more storage options, you'll see that the iPhone takes a staggering jump, with its topmost model costing Rs58,300. So the price advantage overall goes to OnePlus, but for the base model, they are at par.
The Verdict: This indeed is an intense battle, with both the phones having their merits and drawbacks. Although this verdict is very subjective, and there is not exactly one clear winner, in my opinion, if you were to buy one of these, I would recommend the OnePlus 8.
The performance, and camera capabilities on the iPhone, although are much better, the OnePlus doesn't lag that far behind. However, the design and the display on the OnePlus are far better than the iPhone. Not to mention the better battery life offered by this phone. But if a small design and a One-handed operable smartphone is what you are looking for, then the SE is the best phone for you, at a great price.
But, it is not over yet, if you want all of this, the OnePlus 8 is still overpriced. The OnePlus 7T offers almost the same things as the 8, but at a significantly lower price. Read our detailed analysis of these phones here.
So in conclusion, what i would say is that, both these phones are incredible, you would not be disappointed in either. Frankly, they are more different than they are alike in many ways, and it comes down to personal choice in this decision. If you are inclined towards the 8, stop and think why you preferred this phone more, and what is it that the 7T cannot offer? The 7T in fact makes the most sense. If it is just the premium experience you crave, the SE will surely not disappoint.
Check out our detailed review of the iPhone SE here.
Share this post with your friends.
Leave a comment with your thoughts and opinions.
Follow The Phone Shrink, to never miss another update, when we post detailed analysis, comparisons, our thoughts and reviews of the latest developments in the smartphone world.
-The Phone Shrink
Thoughts, Opinions, Reviews
images:opensource, link provided on clicking an image.
specifications and product information: here
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