OnePlus 7T vs. iPhone SE (2020): which one should you buy?

OnePlus dominates the value segment, and while the manufacturer produces new phones every six months, its devices continue to perform well after several years. For example, the OnePlus 7T is still one of the fastest phones on the market today, and the fact that you can now buy it for $ 499 makes it a decent value. But with the iPhone SE (2020) launching at just $ 399 and offering cool features like wireless charging, there are more than enough options if you’re looking for a mid-range phone this year.

The OnePlus 7T is a stellar phone, and the iPhone SE (2020) is not far behind

Source: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central

OnePlus has been steadily plugging into the value segment for the past five years, offering sleeker phones with more powerful chipsets and exciting new features with each generation. The highlight on OnePlus 7T is a 90Hz AMOLED panel that makes everyday interactions much smoother. When viewed alongside a normal 60Hz screen, a 90Hz panel feels incredibly responsive. Six months later, the OnePlus 7T feels as fluid as the first day.

The OnePlus 7T has a large screen with a 90Hz refresh rate and the internal parts hold up well in 2020.

The 6.55-inch FHD + display is one of the best you’ll find in this category, and when you consider the slim bezels and the fact that stereo sound is offered, the OnePlus 7T is a fantastic choice for multimedia gaming and consumption. The internal hardware is just as robust, with a Snapdragon 855+ chipset joined by 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, Wi-Fi ac, AptX HD audio codec, and a 3,800mAh battery with 30W wired charging.

You also get a reliably functioning on-screen fingerprint sensor, Android 10 ready-to-go, and a clean user interface on OxygenOS. That’s not too shabby for a phone that now costs $ 499, but there’s a new competitor in town if you’re looking for value in 2020: the iPhone SE.

The iPhone SE retains the same design as the iPhone 8, but there are considerable hardware upgrades under the hood. The phone is powered by the A13 Bionic chipset, the same chipset used in the iPhone 11 series. It is the world’s fastest mobile chipset at the moment, beating Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865 and last year’s 855+ with considerable ease. The fact that you can now get it on a $ 400 phone is truly mind boggling.

The iPhone SE’s design is design, but it has the world’s fastest mobile chipset and wireless charging.

The phone also wins in other areas. It gets wireless charging and IP67 dust and water resistance, two features that are generally limited to flagship phones that cost more than $ 1,000. Wireless charging is a big problem in particular because you just can’t find many Android phones under $ 600 that offer the feature. OnePlus introduced 30W wireless charging this year, but it is limited to the $ 899 OnePlus 8 Pro.

You get 64GB of storage on the base variant of the iPhone SE, with the 128GB model selling for $ 450. Because the phone uses a design from four years ago, you get massive bezels around the screen, a button for Physical start, a Touch ID button for biometric authentication instead of the new Face ID and a 720p panel. That said, aside from the bezels, the rest of the issues don’t really matter over the phone. Just because you get a 4.7-inch screen means a 720p resolution isn’t that bad, and a physical home button actually ends up being a useful addition.

Source: iMore

You get a single 12MP camera on the iPhone SE, with OnePlus 7T offering three cameras on the back: a 48MP main lens linked by a 12MP 2x zoom module and a 16MP wide-angle lens. You miss out on the versatility of the wide-angle and zoom lenses, but the main camera on the iPhone SE takes photos that are as good as the 48MP module on the 7T.

The iPhone SE also has an 18W wired charge, with a 5W charger included in the box. Sure, the OnePlus 7T wins in this area with its 30W wired charging, and you also get 128GB of storage as standard – but the chipset ends up being a great differentiator for the iPhone SE. The fact that it’s one of the few compact phones with high-end hardware makes it an attractive choice in 2020.

When it comes to extended software updates, no Android phone can come close to the iPhone SE 2020.

There is another standout feature on the iPhone SE. Because you are using the latest A13 chipset, you are eligible to receive software updates for several years. IPhones generally receive iOS updates for four to five years, and that will also be the case on the iPhone SE. The first-generation iPhone SE received four updates to the iOS version, so the iPhone SE (2020) will most likely do the same. That’s a big problem because most Android phones won’t get more than two platform updates (if that’s the case).

When you consider the hardware on offer and the fact that it has guaranteed updates for much longer than most Android phones, the iPhone SE ends up being one of the best options you can find at $ 400.

Category	OnePlus 7T	iPhone SE (2020)
Operating system	Android 10 OxygenOS 10	iOS 13
Monitor	6.55-inch 90Hz AMOLED fluid 2400×1080 (20: 9) HDR10 + Gorilla Glass 6	4.7-inch Retina IPS LCD 1334 x 750 (16: 9) True tone
Chipset	Snapdragon 855+ 1 x 2.96GHz Kryo 485 3 x 2.42GHz Kryo 485 4 x 1.80GHz Kryo 485 Adreno 640 7nm	Apple A13 Bionic 2 x 2.66GHz Lightning 4 x 1.73GHz Thunder 4 core GPU 7nm
RAM	8GB LPDDR4X	3GB LPDDR4X
Storage	128GB / 256GB UFS 3.0	64GB / 128GB / 256GB
MicroSD slot	No	No
Rear camera 1	48MP, f / 1.6 OIS, EIS 4K at 60 fps	12MP, f / 1.8 OIS, EIS 4K at 60 fps
Rear camera 2	12MP, f / 2.2 OIS, 2x zoom	No
Rear camera 3	16MP, f / 2.2 Wide angle lens 117 degree field of view	No
Frontal camera	16MP, f / 2.0 Sony IMX471	16MP, f / 2.2
Connectivity	Wi-Fi ac 2×2 MIMO, Bluetooth 5.0 AptX HD, NFC, A-GPS	Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0 NFC, A-GPS
Audio	USB-C Stereo speakers	USB-C Stereo speakers
Drums	3800mAh Not removable	1821mAh Not removable
Load	USB-C 3.1 30W	Flash of lightning 18W Wireless charging
Waterproof	No	IP67
Security	On-screen fingerprint (optical)	Front fingerprint sensor
Dimensions	160.9 x 74.4 x 8.1mm 190g	138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3mm 148g
Colors	Ice blue, icy silver	Black, White, (PRODUCT) RED

It all depends on the ecosystem.

Source: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central

The OnePlus 7T comes with a gorgeous 90Hz AMOLED panel and high-end hardware, it’s a pleasure to use the software, and you get decent battery life. The iPhone SE may not look modern with its 16: 9 panel and massive bezels, but it makes up for it with Bionic and A13 wireless charging.

There’s not a bad choice here: it all comes down to whether you’re willing to switch from Android.

With just $ 100 between the two phones, it all comes down to the software ecosystem. The OnePlus 7T will receive platform updates for Android 12 security updates until the end of 2022, and in this regard, it performs better than most Android devices in the mid-range category. But the iPhone SE (2020) will receive four or more platform updates, and it has a clear advantage in this area.

If you’ve already invested heavily in the Android ecosystem and want a reliable phone that easily lasts two years or more, then the OnePlus 7T is a fantastic choice in 2020. But the iPhone SE (2020) has additional features that last a long way, it costs less and you will get more software updates. If you’re willing to make the change, the iPhone SE is hands down the best value you’ll find this year.