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Oh boy, OnePlus 8T vs Samsung Galaxy S20 FE, ain't that a tough one! There's so much 6.5" phone you can get for $749 and $699, respectively, that we'd wager to guess a lot of users will be split which one to get when the OnePlus 8T launches October 23. Here's a quick comparison between the two to help you decide better.
Main OnePlus 8T advantages over Galaxy S20 FE:
Twice the RAM and storage in the US version, for $50 more.
Ultrafast 39 minutes vs 90 minutes charging time for the same 4500mAh battery capacity.
OnePlus 8T vs Samsung Galaxy S20 FE colors and display size
Blue and Silver vs Navy, Red, Lavender, Orange, White, Mint
6.5" 1080p 120Hz OLED displays
Available in just two hues, Lunar Silver and Aquamarine Blue, the OnePlus 8T is no match for the six colors that the Galaxy S20 FE is available in - Cloud Navy, Red, Lavender, Orange, White, or Mint. Still, sometimes less choice is better, and the 8T colors certainly look great.
On paper, the phones have the same 6.5" 1080p 120Hz OLED displays that presuppose very similar sizes and that is indeed the case, these handset are like twins when it comes to size and weight, which is surprising as the OnePlus 8T has the more premium glass build compared to the S20 FE's "glasstic" body. Still, we the rounded 8T corners are a bit better looking.
The OnePlus 8T has a superior display calibrated by Pixelworks
As for the displays quality, we'd give the round to OnePlus, as Pixelworks just sent us the info that they are again behind the excellent DisplayMate scores of the 8T's display. While on paper both 6.5" screens have the same resolution, pixel density and high 120Hz refresh rates, the extra calibration and technology that Pixelworks provide inside the 8T give it a leg up before Samsung's 120Hz efforts.
Here are all the OnePlus 8T display specs that set it apart from the Galaxy S20 FE:
Absolute Color Accuracy – Every OnePlus 8T smartphone is factory calibrated with Pixelworks patented, high-efficiency calibration software and runs Pixelworks color management software on the display processing unit to deliver industry-record color accuracy for all apps, use cases and content spanning the sRGB, DCI-P3 and custom color gamuts.
8K Brightness Control – The OnePlus 8T features a finely tuned, 8192-level (“8K”) luminance control that can dynamically adapt or be adjusted manually by the user in response to changes in ambient light. This enables ultra-smooth display brightness transitions without screen flashing, particularly in low light environments.
DC Dimming 2.0 – Reduces eye strain and visual sensitivities that can occur at low brightness on AMOLED screens. To dim the screen, the Pixelworks solution dynamically adjusts the display’s current to mitigate the screen flickering associated with conventional Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) dimming.
True Flesh Tone – Calibrated flesh tone correction and protection ensures color accuracy across all display modes to convey true-to-life skin tones for all content involving real people, whether in photos, video captured on the phone, streaming movies and TV or short videos.
Tone Adaptive – Pixelworks adaptive display technology in the OnePlus 8T utilizes the phone’s RGB sensor to automatically adapt the color tone of the display to match the color temperature of the ambient light and reduce blue light. This provides superior eye comfort for sustained gaming, movie watching or reading in a wide range of lighting conditions.
OnePlus 8T vs Samsung Galaxy S20 FE specs, battery life and charging speeds
Snapdragon 865, 5G support, 4500mAh batteries
8GB/128 GB and 12GB/256GB vs 6GB/128GB and 8GB/256GB models
65W vs 15W chargers, wired vs wireless charging
Again, looking at the raw specs, the OnePlus 8T beats the Galaxy S20 FE in the all-important memory configuration game, as the $749 US version comes with the whopping 12GB RAM and 256GB storage, against the 6GB/128GB setup of the S20 FE.
What, Samsung uses the fastest 3.1 memory standard? Well, the OnePlus does too, and it offers double the memory and storage of the S20 FE for just fifty bucks more. Another arrow in its quiver against the S20 FE, barring any record benchmarks resultant from the elaborate cooling system inside, is the charging speed. The Galaxy S20 FE strikes back with the ability to charge wirelessly, though, so it's a tossup if you are a fan of charging sans cables.
Just like the Oppo Find X2 Pro in the sprint, the OnePlus 8T now sports two connected battery packs that can be charged at once, achieving the amazing 39 minutes charging time for the 4500mAh battery. For comparison, our Galaxy S20 FE battery charging test returned about more than twice that time for the same capacity. Of course, having a 65W Warp charger in the 8T box, against the 15W brick of the S20 FE certainly helps.
OnePlus 8T vs Samsung Galaxy S20 FE camera
Main camera: 48 MP with small 0.8 micron pixels on OnePlus 8T vs 12MP with large 1.8 micron pixels on the S20 FE
Aperture size: F1.7 on OnePlus 8T vs F1.8 on the S20 FE
Ultra-wide-cameras: 16 MP on OnePlus 8T vs 12 MP on the S20 FE
Selfie cameras: 16MP on the 8T vs 32 MP on S20 FE
Extra cameras: 5MP Macro and monochrome on the 8T, 8MP 3x telephoto on the S20 FE
When it comes to the camera sets, however, where OnePlus is traditionally weaker than Samsung, the S20 FE dominates with an extra 3x telephoto zoom camera that will come in handy quite often.
The OnePlus 8T "quad-camera" is actually just a 48MP main sensor with run-of-the-mill lens aperture, and an ultrawide camera, as the macro and monochrome sensors are just there for count, if our previous 8-series camera tests are any indication. The camera and wireless charging rounds, however, seem to be the only ones that the S20 FE wins, which one would you get?
Photo Quality
While both photos look quite similar in this first set, notice how you can better view the scenery behind the windows on the OnePlus phone compared to the Galaxy. In this case, the OnePlus has the higher dynamic range and the more likable photo.
In this second shot, the OnePlus photo has sharper detail and more saturated color which is more captivating, while the Galaxy captured a slightly brighter photo than ideal, and we'd have to give the OnePlus camera the edge in this scene.
When we don't have bright light or extremely dark conditions both phones do an equally good job with pleasing images that look nearly identical.
Portrait Mode
Both phones support portrait mode, but the OnePlus 8T gives you the option to pick between a 1X and 2X view, for a wider or a more close-up view of your subject, while the Galaxy S20 FE only supports a wide portrait mode, or as Samsung calls it "Live Focus" mode.
In this portrait shot above, the S20 FE did an incredible job: colors look so warm and pleasant, and you have outstanding detail to the image. The OnePlus did a good job as well, but the colors are a bit bleaker and while the image is also very good, the S20 FE did a bit better in this case.
Selfies
Using the front cameras, we noticed a few differences as well. The OnePlus tends to capture brighter photos with a good amount of detail and pleasing colors, while selfies from the Galaxy lack a bit in terms of detail and come out a bit on the darker side.
Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena since 2010, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.
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