OnePlus took the wraps off the OnePlus 11 recently, and from what we know, the phone certainly has what it takes to rattle the flagship segment. It comes with a brilliant 6.7-inch AMOLED display with 2k resolution and 120Hz refresh rate, and one of the most powerful mobile processors around, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Generation 2 chip, with the loads of speed RAM and storage that are a OnePlus flagship hallmark.
Round that off with cameras loaded with Hasselblad expertise, a large 5,000mAh battery with 100W fast charging (and a charger in the box as well) and the still-clean OxygenOS 13 on top of Android 13 with assured software updates, and at its starting price of Rs 56,999, the latest OnePlus flagship seems a very formidable proposition.
But that does not mean it has no competition. Standing between the latest OnePlus flagship and smartphone glory are a number of challengers which match it in more than a few departments.
Here are six smartphones that have it in them to unsettle the latest Never Settler:
(Note: the prices of the devices mentioned were available at the time of writing from online and offline retailers. These might change over time.)
Google Pixel 7: Ok, Google, You Have A Contender
Price: Rs 59,999
The Pixel 7's 6.3-inch full-HD+ display with 90 Hz refresh rate, Tensor G2 chip, and a single 8GB + 128GB storage variant might not seem to match the much more loaded spec sheet of the OnePlus 11, but then the Pixel range was never really just about hardware. The Pixel 7 comes with the cleanest Android experience you can get in its segment with assured and timely Android updates and also has a number of smart features like transcription that many devices lack.
Its compact design is distinct because of the camera bar at the back, and it comes with Gorilla Glass Victus on the front and back, with an IP68 rating. Its 4,355mAh battery is smaller than the 5,000mAh on the OnePlus 11, but the phone has support for wireless charging, which the latest Never Settler lacks.
Of course, as this is a Pixel, you get staggeringly good cameras. The 50-megapixel main sensor and the 12-megapixel ultrawide cameras might not sound that impressive on paper but deliver amazing detail and colour.
All of these, with the legendary Pixel smoothness, make the Pixel 7 a headache for the OnePlus 11.
iQoo 11: Similar Chip, Different Design, Terrific Challenger
Price: Rs 59,999
The OnePlus 11 might have boarded the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 train to India now but the iQoo 11 was the first to have booked its seat on this wagon.
It comes with a very distinct design which can be one of the biggest threats to the OnePlus 11 in comparison, considering how essential it has become for premium smartphones to have a design edge. The BMW colour stripes at the back, the leather texture of the back and that slabby camera unit, give the iQoo 11 a very distinct look.
Other than that, the phone is an exceptional performer, thanks to its processor, stacks of fast RAM and storage on board. The UI of the iQoo 11 may be a little crowded for some as compared to the OnePlus 11 but for those who like their smartphones loaded with features, the iQoo 11 might just do the trick. The phone also comes with faster charging as compared to the OnePlus 11 — while the OnePlus 11 offers 100W fast charging support, the iQoo 11 comes with 120W fast charging on board.
It does miss out in the camera department a bit because of the substantially low megapixel count of the secondary cameras on the rear triple camera unit — 8-megapixel ultra-wide and 13-megapixel tele-portrait cameras but the overall specs put the iQoo 11 in a very good spot against the OnePlus 11, making it one of the biggest headaches for the phone.
Xiaomi 12 Pro: Don't You Forget About Mi
Price: Rs 55,999
When one thinks of Xiaomi phones, high-end premium devices generally do not come to mind. But that does not mean Xiaomi does not have some well-powered, well-specced devices in the premium segment. One such device is the Xiaomi 12 Pro which comes with specs so powerful that it goes right up against OnePlus’ latest flagship offering.
The Xiaomi 12 Pro is a smartphone that is capable of doing it all. The phone comes with a gorgeous 6.73-inch 2K AMOLED display with a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate and a slightly higher 1,500 nits peak brightness as compared to the OnePlus 11 which offers 1,300 nits peak brightness.
Combine that with not stereo but quad speakers with Dolby Atmos support, tuned by Harman Kardon and you have yourself a phone that aces the multimedia and content consumption game. Xiaomi 12 Pro also has an edge over the OnePlus 11 in the camera department where it brings three 50-megapixel sensors that make the rear camera of the phone as opposed to the 50+48+32 combination that the OnePlus 11 comes with.
The same story follows in the front camera department as well where the Xiaomi 12 Pro has a 32-megapixel front-facing sensor while the OnePlus 11 has a 16-megapixel one. That said, there are areas where the OnePlus 11 outshines the Xiaomi 12 Pro. The OnePlus 11 comes with a newer, faster, more powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor as opposed to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 that powers the Xiaomin 12 Pro.
Many might not even feel the difference between the two in day-to-day use but it is a newer, faster variant. The OnePlus 11 also comes with a slightly bigger 5,000 mAh battery as compared to the 4,600 mAh one on the Xiaomi 12 Pro but the 12 Pro has support for faster charging at 120 W while the OnePlus 11 brings 100 W fast charging support.
The Xiaomi 12 Pro also runs on an older version of Android, Android 12 while the OnePlus runs on Android 13 out of the box, but to give the phone credit, it was launched quite some time ago. The fact that it remains a contender even now tells you how good it is.
Motorola Edge 30 Ultra: Hello, Well-Specced Moto
Price: Rs 54,999
The Motorola Edge Ultra is a spec hunter's dream in many ways. It is powered by the still-quite-powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip (the same OnePlus has used in its OnePlus 11R) and comes with a 6.67-inch Full HD+ pOLED display with a staggering 144 Hz refresh rate.
One of the USPs of the phone is its 200-megapixel main camera, but the other snappers on the phone are superb too - the back has a 50-megapixel ultrawide camera and a 12-megapixel telephoto/portrait camera, while selfies are handled by a 60-megapixel sensor! The phone has a 4610 mAh battery with support for 125W Turbo charging and even 50W wireless charging.
Add dust and water resistance to the mix and the clean Android experience that Motorola is known for (although updates are a little spotty), and we can see many feeling tempted to say Hello to this loaded Moto flagship.
Samsung Galaxy S22: The Compact Classic
Price: Rs 57,999
In the world of big and bigger phones, there is still a premium contender which believes that good things come in small packages. This is the Samsung Galaxy S22.
If you are someone who likes the OnePlus 11 for its display quality and good cameras but despises its big form factor and are looking for a comparatively compact yet powerful device then look no further than the Samsung Galaxy S22.
The phone comes with a big enough 6.1-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a 120Hz refresh rate. Samsung is famous for its AMOLED displays and the one on the Galaxy S22 is a brilliant one - it is vibrant, dynamic and produces punchy colours.
This is paired with an excellent triple camera setup which may be megapixel-wise behind the OnePlus 11 at the count of 50+12+10 but performance wise is right up there with the best.
The phone also features support for wireless charging, a feature the OnePlus 11 lacks and it comes with IP68 dust and water resistance which makes the Galaxy S22 more sturdy as compared to the OnePlus 11 which does not have any dust and water resistance.
The phone was launched with Android 12 but thanks to the great software update track record of Samsung, Android 13 is already on the device, and future updates are expected to come soon as well.
iPhone 13: Still An Option… And A Bestselling One At That
Price: Rs 61,900
Another compact smartphone that can potentially be a big headache for the OnePlus 11 is the iPhone 13. This is not a typo and we did not mean to write iPhone 14 even though it is the newer variant of the two.
We are talking about the iPhone 13 which despite being an older iPhone modelled was extremely popular all through last year, and as per some analysts was actually the highest-selling smartphone in India in 2022.
The credit for this can be given to the extremely consistent performance that the phone offers. The display, the processor, the cameras and the software, all come together to offer a well-rounded and smooth smartphone experience.
It has a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display which produces vibrant colours. It comes with two 12-megapixel sensors on the back and one on the front all of which might seem not quite there in terms of numbers but can outperform most Android smartphones when it comes to details, accurate colour reproduction and sheer consistency.
With the iPhone 13, you also get the almost same processor as the iPhone 14 (minus the extra core) but that will not have a severe impact on the performance and the phone is capable of handling casual and power-driven tasks alike. And with software in control of Apple as well, you know you will be getting software updates for at least a few years before the phone becomes obsolete.
The design of the phone might be quite basic for an iPhone but it will not be mistaken for any other smartphone than an iPhone, which is not something you can say for other Android devices.