These days, if you’re in the market for a new smartphone, there are so many options it can make your head spin. Two of the newest phones released — the OnePlus 8 and the iPhone 11 Pro — have captured the spotlight with their innovative designs and advanced specifications. Neither is what you’d call a budget phone, but there’s still somehow a $300 price difference between them.
We take a look at their specs and other attributes and compare how each device performs across some major smartphone functionality categories — design, display, performance, camera, software, and price — to help you decide which is the best phone for you.
Specs
OnePlus 8 | iPhone 11 Pro | |
Size | 160.2 x 72.9 x 8 mm (6.31 x 2.87 x 0.31 inches) | 144 × 71.4 × 8.1mm (5.67 × 2.81 × 0.32 inches) |
Weight | 180 grams (6.35 ounces) | 188 grams (6.63 ounces) |
Screen size | 6.55-inch AMOLED (90 Hz) | 5.8-inch Super Retina XDR OLED (60 Hz) |
Screen resolution | 2,400 x 1,080 pixels (402 pixels-per-inch) | 2,436 × 1,125 pixels (458 pixels-per-inch) |
Operating system | Android 10 (under OxygenOS) | iOS 13 |
Storage | 128, 256GB | 64, 256, 512GB |
MicroSD card slot | No | No |
Tap-to-pay services | Google Pay | Apple Pay |
Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 | Apple A13 Bionic |
RAM | 8GB, 12GB | 4GB |
Camera | 48-megapixel wide-angle, 12MP ultra-wide, 2MP macro lens rear, 16MP front | 12-megapixel, 12MP telephoto, and 12MP ultrawide, 12MP front |
Video | Up to 4K at 60 fps, 1080 at 340 fps | 4K at 60 fps, 1080p at 240 fps |
Bluetooth version | 5.1 | 5.0 |
Ports | USB-C | Lightning |
Fingerprint sensor | Yes (under-display) | No, Face ID instead |
Water resistance | IP67 | IP68 |
Battery | 4,000mAh
Fast charging (30W) |
3,046mAh
Fast charging (18W) Qi wireless charging |
App marketplace | Google Play Store | Apple App Store |
Network support | Verizon, T-Mobile | AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon |
Colors | Onyx Black, Glacial Green, Interstellar Glow, Polar Silver | Midnight Green, Space Gray, Silver, Gold |
Prices | $700 | $999 |
Buy from | OnePlus | Apple |
Review score | 4 out of 5 stars | 4.5 out of 5 stars |
Design, display, and durability
Like many flagship handsets, the OnePlus 8 features a glass body around a metal frame, with curved front and back edges. It comes in Onyx Black, Glacial Green, or Interstellar Glow. While slim and lightweight, the OnePlus 8 has a much larger footprint than the
While the
Winner:
Performance, battery life, and charging
The OnePlus 8 battery has a 4,300mAh capacity and features the Warp Charge 30W rapid charge system. The
Despite the lower spec, in practice, we found that the
As far as performance is concerned, while we had no specific complaints about the OnePlus 8, Apple’s claim that the A13 Bionic chip has up to 20% faster CPU and GPU performance was borne out by our testing, making the
Winner:
Camera
It’s been said, only half-seriously, that mobile phones are actually cameras that let you make calls, send texts, and play games. The OnePlus 8 has a triple-lens camera with a 48-megapixel f/1.75 main sensor, a 16-megapixel f/2.2 ultra-wide lens, and a 2-megapixel f/2.4 macro lens, plus a 16-megapixel selfie camera around the front. That’s pretty impressive, and overall the images from the OnePlus 8 are more than respectable. Yet, despite it producing overall decent pictures, the OnePlus 8’s camera has no knockout features to distinguish it from other mobile cameras. Sadly, the 16-megapixel selfie camera is not as good as the competition, the macro camera lacks color and definition, night mode doesn’t quite cut it in the dark, and it lacks an optical zoom.
From the perspective of the
Winner:
Software and updates
Comparing Android with iOS is not a fair fight: There are partisans on both sides and the judgment is both visceral and emotional. In short, there are iOS people and there are Android people and there’s a huge percentage who will not cross the line regardless of specific features offered in one or the other. OnePlus’ elegant OxygenOS skin for Android, with its neat slide-in screen powered by the Google Assistant, is a charming manufacturer skin. But it’s up against the
Regarding updates, there’s no competition. Android manufacturers have their own oblique timetable for updating to the latest Android OS version while Apple consistently releases free updates to all at specified dates so everyone can, if they choose, work from the same screen. Apple’s iOS updates also reliably span multiple generations of its handsets, thus future-proofing older phones — another point in its favor.
Winner:
Special features
Apple typically does not add many special features to its series lineups — for Apple, the product lineup has all the special features built in. But it’s not farfetched to classify the iPhone’s Deep Fusion as a special feature that adds enormous value to the camera and the phone itself.
The OnePlus 8 adds 5G to the mix ahead of Apple, and though it’s useful only in specific geographical areas, at least it’s an option that future-proofs the handset somewhat. The OnePlus 8 also features a screen refresh rate of 90Hz, as opposed to the 60Hz on the Apple phone. Beyond that, as our review states, there are no killer features for this Android phone, but let’s give credit where it’s due.
Winner: OnePlus 8
Price and availability
The
Overall winner: iPhone 11 Pro
In the immortal words of our Digital Trends’ reviewer: “The iPhone 11 Pro is the best phone money can buy.” That means it’s better than any other Apple iPhone and better than any Android competitor — even the supremely well-qualified likes of the OnePlus 8. OnePlus has traditionally prided itself on offering high-end features at reasonable prices, and its inclusion of
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