JOIN USOnePlus 7T Pro M E vs iPhone 11: Which phone suits you?
Last week OnePlus held a limited 70-minute sale for the special McLaren Edition (M E) of its flagship 7T Pro. Priced at Rs 58,999, the device is set to come to stores on the 5th of November, 2019.
Interestingly, Apple's 2019-series budget mobile, the iPhone 11, is priced very similarly and offers comparable performance. So which one should you buy? We compare the two devices and highlight key features to help you choose the phone that suits you best.
Design and build quality
The OnePlus 7T Pro McLaren edition is designed to pay homage to the titular Formula 1 team and does it stunningly well. The front and back of the phone is covered in a 3D Corning Gorilla Glass unibody with curved edges, with the back glass having a frosted matte finish and a carbon fiber design, and a seamless, notch-less display with extremely narrow bezels occupies the entire front of the phone. Notifications trigger the iconic McLaren papaya orange-colored 'horizon light' glow effect along the edge of the screen. On the rear is a triple vertical camera array with a wood grain finish housing the unit, stereo speakers are placed on the top and bottom (no headphone jack here), and at the base of the phone is the USB-C port for charging and data transfer. The display can also be customized with exclusive McLaren wallpapers that add a touch of flair to the device.
On the other hand, the iPhone 11 retains the exact design language of the predecessor iPhone XR in terms of front-panel, with a large, prominent notch, thicker bezels, a lightning port instead of USB-C, and on the back, it has a solidly constructed aluminium and glass sandwiched shell available in 6 color options. The rear camera is placed in a large square module that may not appeal to everyone. Yet, as the phone is smaller in terms of the overall footprint compared to the OnePlus, it is better suited for smaller hands and one-handed usage. It is also more durable than the 7T Pro, with a certified IP68 water resistance rating where the OnePlus has none.
Display, software, and security
There isn't any competition as to which of these two devices have the best display. Sure, the iPhone 11's 6.1 inch 720p LCD panel is considered to be one of the best LCD phone screens on the market right now.
But, the OnePlus' gorgeous 6.67-inch QuadHD super AMOLED edge-to-edge curved display provides an unparalleled content viewing experience, with true blacks and vivid, bright colors.
Add to that a screen refresh rate of 90 hertz, and even basic scrolling and navigation are ultra-smooth and fluid. The iPhone 11 is not necessarily far less fluid though, with a touch response of 120 hertz and a well-optimized iOS 13 making the user interface enjoyable.
The iOS 13 also supports a comprehensive dark mode, HDR and Apple's True Tone technology, optimizing screen brightness and saturation levels based on the ambient lighting in the phone's surrounding environment.
On the other hand, Android 10, layered with OnePlus' OxygenOS 10.0, provides a much better dark mode due to the AMOLED screen, a reading mode that drops saturation levels, scrolling screenshot captures, and the rest of the optimizations that come with Google's latest update.
Although OnePlus is known for timely Android OS updates, Apple supports it's devices with on-time updates for longer, potentially increasing the lifespan of the iPhone 11. When it comes to biometric authentication, the 7T Pro has a snappy optical fingerprint sensor embedded in its display, but the iPhones' third-generation Face ID technology with its the host of sensors is near-instantaneous and by far the most secure authentication on any mobile device.
Performance, battery life, and charging
The OnePlus 7T Pro McLaren Edition is powered by the most powerful processor you can get on any current Android device- the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+. That, 12GB of RAM and 256GB of internal UFS 3.0 storage makes the phone a beast of a performer, capable of smoothly running any app you throw at it. That said, the devil lies in the details, and in benchmark scores like GeekBench and AnTuTu, Apple's A13 Bionic chip (that runs the iPhone 11) has significantly higher scores. Even with a mere 4GB of RAM, the iPhone 11 is capable of outstripping the 7T Pro in highly demanding tasks. How does this translate to the real world? Well, for the most part, you honestly wouldn't notice the difference, but Apple claims that the chip reigns supreme in Augmented Reality capabilities if that's important to you.
Both chips, though power-efficient, are powerful enough to cause significant battery drain. The 7T Pro's 4,085 mAh battery, however, pushes through for a day of regular use on a single charge, and even supports Warp Charge 30T that OnePlus says will juice up your phone to 68% in a blisteringly fast 30 minutes.
In contrast, the iPhone 11 only has a 3,046 mAh battery with support for up to 18W fast charging, with the adapter for that sold separately. Yet, since the phone comes with a 720p LCD display instead of a higher resolution and higher refresh rate, a single charge can easily get you through a day on this device too. The iPhone 11 also supports wireless charging, which no OnePlus phone has had support for as of now.
Camera
The OnePlus 7T Pro Mclaren Edition has a triple camera setup on the rear of the device, with a 48MP primary camera (with optical and electronic stabilization) and an F1.6 aperture; an 8MP secondary telephoto lens with an F2.4 aperture offering 3x optical zoom; and a 16MP ultra wide-angle sensor with an F2.2 aperture and a 117 degree field of view; with additional support for a macro mode. It's capable of taking some great shots with crisp details, impressive dynamic range and vibrant colors that pop. The primary sensor can also shoot 4K video, while the secondary is limited to 1080p at 30 frames per second. The 16MP pop-up front camera is more than enough for high-quality video calls and selfies. 'Nightscape', OnePlus' night mode, delivers pretty good results with less noise.
The iPhone 11's camera, however, delivers exceptional performance. iPhone's are known for their class-leading camera optimization second only to Google's Pixel lineup, and the iPhone 11 is no different. With just two rear cameras consisting of a primary 12MP sensor and a 12MP ultrawide sensor, the iPhone takes pictures with incredible clarity, accurate color reproduction, and excellent dynamic range. The front-facing 12MP camera provides quality on parallel with the 7T Pro's selfie camera.
All three cameras on the device are capable of being recorded at 4K 60 frame per second and 1080p slow-motion videos at 240fps, with extremely high stabilization and focus tracking. The night shots are among the best you can get on a smartphone, by using Deep Fusion technology to improve details in the images taken.
Read more | Apple iPhone 11 review
It only has 2x optical zoom, however, as opposed to the 3x optical zoom in the 7T Pro, and lacks the 7T Pro's macro feature. While the OnePlus 7T Pro offers a wide variety of photo modes, spanning from ultrawide to macro, the iPhone 11 offers brilliant performance within a limited range.
Verdict:
Both the devices are worth their price. It all boils down to personal preference.
It also offers brilliant design, superior display, powerful processor, and a very good camera, all at for the Rs 58,999. If you want, you can get the nonspecial edition version of the phone offered with the exact same specifications up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.0 storage, at Rs 53,999.
The iPhone 11, on the other hand, offers Apple's top-of-the-line build quality, processor, camera, and biometric authentication, along with the benefits of iOS and the Apple ecosystem if that's what you prefer. The base model of the phone with 64GB of internal memory retails at Rs 64,900, with the limited time HDFC bank debit and credit card offer bringing it down to Rs 58,900.
If you are planning to buy any of the two aforementioned phones, do share your thoughts in the comments section.
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