Samsung Galaxy S20 FE vs. OnePlus 8T: Which budget flagship will win?

Samsung Galaxy S20 Iron vs. OnePlus 8T: Which budget flagship will win?

(Image credit: Samsung and Pricebaba)

Flagship phones might be getting more expensive, simply some companies are making a concerted endeavour to release high-finish devices at relatively more than affordable prices. Samsung and OnePlus are among those leading the charge, as the recently-unveiled Galaxy S20 Iron (that stands for Fan Edition) and upcoming OnePlus 8T look to offer top-tier specs and compelling feature sets for effectually the $700 marker.

While Samsung has completely revealed the Galaxy S20 Atomic number 26 ahead of its Oct. 2 send date, the OnePlus 8T won't officially launch until October. xiv. Of course, that hasn't stopped leakers from sharing a wealth of rumored (and in some cases, confirmed) specs surrounding the highly-anticipated device.

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Our Samsung Galaxy S20 FE vs. OnePlus 8T face-off will tell you exactly what buyers can expect to get from each reasonably-priced, before longhoped-for-released Android flagship.

Galaxy S20 Atomic number 26 vs OnePlus 8T: Toll and release date

The Milky way S20 Iron costs $699 and is bachelor to preorder at present; you tin can detect it in stores Oct. 2, either unlocked or through most carriers. The phone comes in a single configuration with 128GB of storage and 6GB of RAM, though owners can aggrandize that storage capacity past up to 1TB with a microSD card. The S20 FE also comes in six colors, from orangish to lavander to navy, which is likely more shades than the OnePlus 8T volition be sold in.

OnePlus hasn't revealed the cost of its upcoming device, though we wait it to toll either $699, like the OnePlus eight before it, or perhaps as much as $749, given that OnePlus typically tacks on a slight premium for its "T" versions of phones. OnePlus doesn't allow for expandable storage in its devices, and so we assume a higher-capacity, 256GB variant will exist offered in improver to a base of operations model, perhaps for an extra $100 as was the example with the OnePlus 8. We'll know more when the OnePlus 8T is revealed at OnePlus' October. xiv launch upshot.

Galaxy S20 Atomic number 26 vs OnePlus 8T: Specs

	Samsung Milky way S20 Atomic number 26	OnePlus 8T (rumored)
Price	$699	$699-$749
Display	6.5-inch OLED (2400x1800; 120Hz)	6.55-inch OLED (2400x1800; 120Hz)
Processor	Snapdragon 865	Snapdragon 865 or 865 Plus
RAM	6GB	8GB, 12GB
Storage	128GB	128GB, 256GB
Rear cameras	12MP main (ƒ/i.8), 12MP ultrawide (ƒ/2.ii), 8MP telephoto with 3x zoom (ƒ/2.4)	48MP wide, 16MP ultrawide, 5MP macro, 2MP depth
Front photographic camera	32MP	32MP
Battery	iv,500 mAh	iv,500 mAh
Size	6.29 x 2.93 10 0.33 inches	TBA
Weight	six.7 ounces	TBA

Galaxy S20 Iron vs OnePlus 8T: Pattern and display

OnePlus 8T render (Prototype credit: Pricebaba/Steve Hemmerstoffer)

From a size and display standpoint, the Galaxy S20 Iron and OnePlus 8T appear to be quite similar. Both accept full-HD OLED screens measuring about 6.five inches from corner to corner — a particular OnePlus has already confirmed about its phone.

To exist more precise, the OnePlus 8T's console will measure 6.55 inches, unchanged from the OnePlus viii. There will also be a slight curve to the left and right sides of the display drinking glass that you won't find on the flatter Galaxy S20 Fe.

We also know that both the Galaxy S20 FE and OnePlus 8T have 120Hz refresh rates, for smoother animations that will be particularly evident when scrolling or playing games.

While OnePlus hasn't shared official images of the OnePlus 8T quite yet, leaked renders from Steve Hemmerstoffer (@OnLeaks) and Indian tech retailer Pricebaba illustrate a device that looks quite similar to the Galaxy S20 Atomic number 26 across the forepart and back. One slight divergence is the location of the phones' corresponding pigsty-punch front-facing cameras — the Milky way stashes its selfie shooter in the top center, while the OnePlus 8T has information technology lodged in the height-left corner.

Turning to the rear, it seems the OnePlus 8T will echo the Milky way S20 FE's vertical rectangular camera module, though OnePlus' device may feature an extra lens compared to Samsung's (more on that later).

One disquisitional design departure, even so, concerns the materials employed. While we expect the OnePlus 8T to apply a glass back, like the OnePlus 8 before it, the Galaxy S20 Iron employs reinforced polycarbonate for the dorsum encircled by a metal frame. Having extensively used the plastic-clad Galaxy Note twenty, I can say that I personally don't expect this to be a huge loss on Samsung'due south newest device.

The Galaxy S20 Atomic number 26, similar Samsung'southward pricier Galaxy flagships, happens to be rated IP68 water resistant. History tells us we shouldn't expect to see a similar designation on the OnePlus 8T, as OnePlus claims it tests all its products for h2o resistance, but doesn't usually cite an official IP rating, supposedly as a way of keeping costs down for its phone. The OnePlus 8T also will not support wireless charging, while the Galaxy S20 FE tin can both charge itself and other Qi-compatible devices wirelessly.

Galaxy S20 FE vs OnePlus 8T: Cameras

Whether you opt for the Galaxy S20 FE or OnePlus 8T, you'll become a multi-lens rear camera. However, the type of the optics themselves differ.

The Milky way S20 Atomic number 26 goes with the tried-and-true approach of incorporating a primary 12MP broad-angle lens, a 12MP ultrawide lens and an 8MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom.

Conversely, the OnePlus 8T is rumored to keep along the path the OnePlus viii started, according to specs shared by Pricebaba. That means we could see a 48MP main lens and 16MP ultrawide once once again, alongside new 5MP macro and 2MP depth sensors. A 32MP camera is expected to handle selfie duties up forepart, which happens to exist exactly the same resolution of the Galaxy S20 FE's selfie cam.

At the outset, having i telephoto lens with a true optical zoom reward seems more useful than a pair of macro- and portrait-focused cameras that you'll probably use less often. Nevertheless, we'll reserve final judgment until we've gotten our hands on both phones.

While Samsung'due south photographic camera software has seen marked improvement over the concluding year or and so, OnePlus however has some work to do, as evidenced by the cool, washed out photos we captured using the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro when those devices launched in the spring. It's not something that tin can be solved with more megapixels or optics alone — computational photography has just equally much to do with it, and ultimately nosotros'll have to look and come across if OnePlus has establish a way to extract ameliorate looking images from the OnePlus 8T'southward wealth of sensors.

Galaxy S20 FE vs OnePlus 8T: Performance

Here'south another area where the Galaxy S20 Fe and OnePlus 8T wait to friction match each other. Both of these phones are certain to feature acme-line processors in the form of Qualcomm's Snapdragon 865 CPU.

What's unclear is whether OnePlus will get a step further with the 8T, and incorporate the slightly-newer, slightly-overclocked Snapdragon 865 Plus. This is the chipset found inside Samsung's more recent premium handsets, like the Galaxy Note xx, though it's absent-minded in the cheaper Galaxy S20 Atomic number 26.

The gulf in ability between the standard 865 and 865 Plus isn't massive, though OnePlus has made a habit of living on the bleeding edge of hardware with its production releases. Thus, it wouldn't be surprising to see the 865 Plus make its way into the OnePlus 8T.

To become an idea of how the two processors compare in terms of raw functioning, the 865-toting Milky way S20 notched 3,147 points in the multi-core portion of the system-broad Geekbench 5 test, while the more than contempo 865 Plus-equipped Galaxy Note 20 Ultra hit three,294 points. A divergence of 150 points in a test like Geekbench 5 typically doesn't interpret to a noticeable discrepancy in day-to-day operation. In other words, whichever 865 silicon OnePlus selects, we're not also concerned.

In terms of RAM, the Galaxy S20 FE features just 6GB, which is admittedly on the low end for modernistic Android flagships. The OnePlus viii came with 8GB standard, which was increased to 12GB in the pricier variant that also offered 256GB of storage. We wait the OnePlus 8T to at least keep the 8GB RAM tendency, perhaps with the higher chapters configuration too carrying a similar bump in memory.

Galaxy S20 Fe vs OnePlus 8T: Bombardment

OnePlus 8T Warp Charge 65 — A teaser image from OnePlus advertising the OnePlus 8T's new Warp Charge 65 adequacy. (Image credit: OnePlus)

If the OnePlus 8T has whatsoever reward over the Galaxy S20 FE, it could be down to the bombardment. While both of these devices have been confirmed to pack 4,500-mAh batteries, simply the OnePlus 8T supports and comes with a 65-watt charger. The Galaxy S20 FE supports 25W peak charging speed, even so ships with a apprehensive 15W brick in the box.

Using OnePlus' Warp Charge 65 applied science, the company claims the 8T can accomplish a 58% charge in merely 15 minutes and a full charge in 39 minutes. That'southward impressive, because some of the virtually expensive phones on sale today can't even reach 58% in a half hour. On the flip side, if you prefer to charge without being tethered, but the Milky way S20 FE supports wireless charging between the pair.

Milky way S20 FE vs OnePlus 8T: Outlook

The Galaxy S20 FE and OnePlus 8T are certainly like in more ways than they're different. It'due south those few differences that will decide the issue of this Milky way S20 Atomic number 26 vs. OnePlus 8T face up-off, in one case we've had the opportunity to use both phones.

The OnePlus 8T could cease upwards beingness slightly more than powerful than Samsung'south offering, specially if OnePlus opts for that newer Snapdragon 865 Plus processor. It'southward also probable to charge considerably faster. However, the Milky way S20 FE should be more widely bachelor through carriers, and we know it'll offer expandable storage, wireless charging and certified water resistance. Plus, given Samsung's recent track record, nosotros expect the Galaxy S20 Iron to win the camera round too.

At to the lowest degree, those are our predictions for this boxing amid modestly-priced Android flagships. Stay tuned over the coming weeks for our final verdict.

Adam Ismail is a staff writer at Jalopnik and previously worked on Tom'south Guide covering smartphones, car tech and gaming. His love for all things mobile began with the original Motorola Droid; since then he'due south owned a diversity of Android and iOS-powered handsets, refusing to stay loyal to one platform. His work has also appeared on Digital Trends and GTPlanet. When he's not fiddling with the latest devices, he's at an indie pop prove, recording a podcast or playing Sega Dreamcast.