It has been a busy year for OnePlus. The brand has been on a smartphone launching spree, unveiling a new smartphone almost every month this year. This month is no different. We are barely a few days into August and OnePlus has dropped a new phone into the market. This time it is a T-variant of its flagship series (last month it was a T-variant of the Nord series). The T-series has a special place in the OnePlus smartphone portfolio. It brings amped-up specs and improved performance to the usual plain numbered (Pro-less) OnePlus flagships. After recently launching the T-variant of the mid-segment Nord 2, OnePlus has now introduced the T-variant of its flagship segment with the launch of the OnePlus 10T.
Thanks to the ‘T’ in its tail, the OnePlus 10T brings some noteworthy specs. The phone is powered by one of the most powerful smartphone processors in the business, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset. This is paired with up to 16GB LPDDR5 RAM (rarely seen in mainstream phones) and up to 256GB UFS 3.1 storage.
The super fast charging that is a OnePlus staple feature is here as well. The OnePlus 10T supports 150W SuperVOOC Endurance Edition charging which can charge its 4,800mAh battery from zero to 100 percent in about 19 minutes, as per company claims. The phone also comes with a tall 6.7-inch full-HD+ Fluid AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate, and a triple camera setup led by a 50-megapixel main Sony IMX776 sensor with optical images stabilisation (OIS) and backed by an 8-megapixel ultrawide and a (nominal, we suspect) 2-megapixel macro camera. The phone also features a sleek glass front and back design, with Gorilla Glass at the front and back. All of which OnePlus has priced at a starting price of Rs. 49,999 for 8GB+128GB, going up to Rs 55,999 for the 16GB+256GB variant.
All of which might make the OnePlus 10T a very good option but that is not to say that it does not face some stiff competition from a number of smartphones. So, if you are considering buying a phone under Rs 50,000 and want options beyond the latest Never Settler, here are some phones that can give the OnePlus 10T a run for its money:
iQoo 9T: OnePlus 10T’s spec match
Price: Rs 49,999
One of the biggest roadblocks in the way of the OnePlus 10T’s success has to be the iQoo 9T. Launched just a day before the OnePlus 10T, the iQoo 9T features the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset which is present on the OnePlus 10T paired with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage (there is an 8GB+128GB variant as well).
While the OnePlus 10T has a 16GB RAM variant the iQoo 9T has a few spec-ups as well. Just like the OnePlus 10T, the iQoo 9T also features a triple camera setup but with a better megapixel count and a more functional sensor up its sleeve. The phone features a 50-megapixel main sensor, a 12-megapixel telephoto sensor with 2x optical zoom, and a 13-megapixel ultrawide sensor. It has a similar-sized 6.78-inch full-HD+ AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate and the same 16-megapixel count on the front-facing camera.
It also comes with a design that would turn heads more often than the OnePlus 10T and is a step ahead in terms of strong build quality as it comes with IP67 dust- and water-resistance rating. It also packs in a 4,700mAh with very fast 120W charging. You get Android 12 out-of-the-box which is layered with FuntouchOS. The FuntouchOS is loaded with features and functionality and comes with some third-party apps pre-installed, making it very different from the OxygenOS on the OnePlus 10T which is quite minimal in nature. Some Android purists might not like it, but we think it makes the iQoo 9T a great option for those who like to experience rich interfaces and more features right out of the box.
Considering the price, the specs and the features that the iQoo 9T comes with, it is pretty clear that it is perhaps the biggest challenger the OnePlus 10T faces right now.
OnePlus 10R Endurance Edition: Battle of the T and R variants
Price: Rs 43,999
It may sound almost cannibalistic (or should that be "phone-ablistic"?) but some of the biggest competition that the OnePlus 10T faces are from its own siblings. One of these is the OnePlus 10R Endurance Edition, launched a few months ago.
It may not feature a Qualcomm processor (a minus for some) but still comes with a very powerful MediaTek chip. The phone features the MediaTek Dimensity 8100 Max chipset which is powerful enough to handle all your power-hungry tasks with ease. This is backed by 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage, both of which are more than sufficient for a smooth sailing smartphone experience.
It also has a 6.7-inch sized full-HD+ Fluid AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and features a similar camera setup — 50+8+2 and a 16-megapixel sensor at the front. There is a slightly smaller 4,500mAH battery but the OnePlu 10R Endurance Edition comes with support for 150W SuperVOOC fast charging, which is on par with the OnePlus 10T.
It also features a very distinct, eye-catching design thanks to the dual-textured detail on the back and its flat and straight sides, which stands out more than the plain back design of the OneOPlus 10T. And because it comes from OnePlus, you get the same clean, clutter-free OxygenOS with Android 12.
All of this at a lower price of Rs 43,999, making the OnePlus 10R the phone the OnePlus 10T should be looking out for over its shoulder.
Google Pixel 6a: The Pixel factor
Price: Rs 43,999
After a two-year gap, Google has also dipped its toes in the Indian smartphone world with the Pixel 6a. And right from the get-go, the recently launched phone has become a point of grave concern for the competition, including the OnePlus 10T.
Even though it has an “a” by its side, which usually indicates that it's not as powerful as the flagship Pixels, this one is different. It actually comes with Google's own Tensor processor which is a processor which is right up there with some of the high-end chipsets like the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 and the MediaTek Dimensity 8100 and is also in the high-end Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro.
At a starting price of Rs. 43,999, the Pixel 6a becomes the most affordable yet powerful Pixel that Google has offered in India for a while. In best Pixel tradition, the phone also brings some really good cameras — a dual camera setup with a 12.2-megapixel main sensor and another 12-megapixel ultra-wide lens.
That might not seem too impressive by the mighty megapixel and camera counts of these days, but the Pixel 6a is a star in the camera department and delivers an abundance of detail and amazon colours, with a lot of computational photography magic thrown in for good measure.
Another thing that works in its favour is that it's a stock Android device from Google itself. It doesn't get better than this for all those who love a clean, clutter-free OS. You are also assured of getting updates before anyone else. To top this, the Pixel 6a also has a very compact and distinct design, with its cameras on a bar on its back having the ability to turn heads.
Yes, it has a smaller display with only 60Hz refresh rate, a smaller and slower charging battery and there is no charger in the box, but its processor, software and cameras along with the 'Pixel factor' make the Pixel 6a a pain in the neck for any phone priced close to it.
Motorola Edge 30 Pro: Beating OnePlus at its own spec-price game
Price: Rs 42,999
If packing in high-end specs paired with competitive prices is the name of the game (which OnePlus is a pro at), then Motorola beats it at its own game with its Edge 30 Pro.
At Rs 42,999, the smartphone is perhaps the most affordable device featuring the top-end Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor. Its other specs are very impressive too.
The Motorola Edge 30 Pro features a 6.7-inch OLED display with a whopping 144Hz refresh rate. The phone has a triple camera setup on the back which is loaded with heavy numbers — a 50-megapixel main sensor, another 50-megapixel ultrawide sensor and a more modest 2-megapixel macro sensor. A mighty 60-megapixel sensor sits at the front, one of the biggest in megapixel terms for selfie cameras.
It features a 4,800mAh battery and although it might not have as crazy fast charging as the OnePlus 10T, it brings a respectable enough 68W fast charging and 15W wireless charging and 5W reverse wireless charging (something the OnePlus 10T lacks) to the table.
The phone also runs on stock Android 12 which will make clean Android lovers rejoice, although Motorola’s track record of updating the software on its devices has not been the greatest. It even has an eye-catching design and comes with IP52 dust and water resistance.
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE: So Solidly Samsung
Price: Rs 49,999
Many might be surprised to see the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE on the list. The phone is certainly no spec monster, but then Samsung is the tech veteran that one simply cannot ignore because not only does the brand have an amazing track record, but also is in a zone of its own when it comes to certain features and functions.
One of the biggest USPs any Samsung device has is its AMOLED display. No matter what segment, Samsung is likely to outclass most other displays in the price range. The Galaxy S21 FE is no different. While it has a marginally smaller, 6.4-inch full-HD+ AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, in best Samsung tradition, it is vivid, and produces rich colours and deep contrasts.
There is a triple camera setup on the back featuring two 12-megapixel sensors (main + ultra-wide) and an 8-megapixel telephoto. These numbers might not sound as impressive as some of the other phones in the segment but the Galaxy S21 FE delivers excellent photography with consistently good results.
The design of the phone is another factor that separates it from the rest. The pastel shade and the contoured camera unit on the back give the phone a very unique look. Yes, the phone comes with a plastic back but it in no way feels cheap.
The Galaxy S21 FE runs on Samsung’s own Exynos 2100 chipset which may be a frowning factor for some but the phone can handle all your everyday and not-so-everyday tasks without too much effort, and can even do heavy-duty gaming.
It comes with Android 12 out of the box with OneUI on top which is far from the minimalistic nature of OnePlus’ OxygenOS but has its own charm and brings tons of functionality to the table. Samsung also has a very good software update history (better than even Google's, on paper), which means you are likely to get updates for a while.
OnePlus 9RT: T vs (R)T
Price: Rs 46,999 (12GB+256GB)
We had mentioned in the beginning that some of the most stiff competition that the OnePlus 10T faces come from its own siblings. We have already discussed the 10R, and there is another phone from the same parent that could eat away the OnePlus 10T’s market share — the OnePlus 9RT.
The nomenclature might suggest it is an inferior OnePlus phone and while some specs might seem a little dated, the OnePlus 9RT is still one of the most powerful phones that OnePlus has to offer.
Yes, it runs on an older Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor, which might not be as powerful as the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip on the 10T, but can handle all your routine and power-hungry tasks effortlessly.
It has an ever so slightly smaller 6.62-inch full-HD+ AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a 4,500mAh battery, and although it does not have 150W SuperVOOC charge support but has its 67W charger will get its battery from zero to 100 percent in under half an hour! It has slightly better camera numbers on the back with a 50-megapixel main sensor, a 16-megapixel ultrawide sensor and a 2-megapixel macro sensor. And it runs on Android 12 with OxygenOS, in best OnePlus tradition.
But what helps it make this list is the fact that it comes with an alert slider at a starting price of Rs.46,999. This means you get that classic OnePlus Pro feels without even getting in the Pro price zone.