Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Lite vs OnePlus 7T: How does Samsung's flagship killer stack up against the original flagship killer?

Samsung recently confirmed the pricing of the Galaxy Note 10 Lite in Indian markets, taking the count of Note 10 models to three, four if you include the Note 10+ 5G. The Galaxy Note 10 Lite starts at Rs 35,990 in India and brings the famed Galaxy Note experience to the country’s flagship killer market, a market which is filled with competition.

But Samsung’s biggest competition in this market segment comes in the form of OnePlus, more precisely, the OnePlus 7T. So, how does the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Lite stack up against its nearest rival; well, let’s find out.

When it comes to performance, the Exynos 9810 chipset on the Galaxy Note 10 Lite is miles behind the OnePlus’ Snapdragon 855+ SoC. Additionally, the entry-level OnePlus 7T packs 8GB of RAM (Over 6GB on the Note 10 Lite) as well as UFS 3.0 storage standards. But that’s not to say that the Note 10 Lite won’t perform up to the mark. The Exynos 9810 is still a very capable processor, and for most consumers who buy smartphones exceeding Rs 30K, ultimate performance is not really a concern. Although Samsung’s Note 10 Lite has the same chipset as the Galaxy S9 series, it is going to make a world of difference to the average user.

Samsung smartphones are best known for their excellent displays. The screen on the Galaxy Note 10+ was arguably the best we saw on a smartphone.

However, the Galaxy Note 10 Lite utilises a 1080p panel with a 60Hz refresh rate, while the OnePlus 7T’s 1080p display offers a 90Hz refresh rate. While it may not seem like much, the 90Hz refresh rate is a significant improvement over 60Hz, making everything you do on the phone feel smoother. Additionally, the OnePlus 7T supports HDR10+ and offers 100-percent DCI-P3 coverage, while the Note 10 Lite only supports HDR content.

In terms of design, the Galaxy Note 10 Lite does what it sets out to accomplish. It looks like a premium phone that just about captures what the Note 10 series is all about without feeling like a cheap knock off. There’s even an S Pen, which is quite amazing at this price point. For us, the camera placement on the back and punch-hole notch on the front of the Note 10 Lite gives it an edge in aesthetics over the OnePlus 7T.

For optics, both handsets get a triple camera setup with similar cameras with different specifications. In terms of megapixel count, the OnePlus 7T certainly has the upper hand with the primary camera featuring a 48-megapixel primary sensor. However, megapixel count alone isn’t the defining factor behind a camera’s performance. And the camera department is an area where Samsung has always had the advantage over OnePlus. But the OnePlus 7T had a pretty impressive triple-camera setup that could go head-to-head with the best. But we’ll have to review the Note 10 Lite’s camera setup before recommending it.

One of the best parts about the Galaxy Note 10 Lite is that it runs on Android 10 with the One UI 2.0 skin, which is arguably one of the best in the business. And in most circumstances, One UI 2.0 would be the apparent choice of Android skin, but OnePlus’ OxygenOS is the exception. The OnePlus 7T runs on Android 10 with OxygenOS 10.0.7, which is literally the best Android skin at the moment. It is the first to receive Android updates, and one could even argue that the experience on OxygenOS might be better than stock Android.

The battery on the Galaxy Note 10 Lite is much bigger than that on the OnePlus 7T. But the OnePlus 7T offers 30W (Warp Charge 30T) fast charging, while Samsung hasn’t mentioned the charging speed on the Note 10 Lite, apart from the fact that it will support fast-charging (25W Fast-charging expected). Additionally, Galaxy Note devices are also renowned for their battery management; however, this is the first Galaxy Note Lite device, so that remains to be seen.

In most areas, the OnePlus 7T does have the upper hand over the Galaxy Note 10 Lite. But the Galaxy Note 10 Lite is arguably the most exciting Samsung handsets we’ve seen, and that’s primarily because of its price.

The Galaxy Note 10 Lite does something that we’ve never seen from Samsung in the past. Even if it doesn’t succeed, the Galaxy Note 10 Lite seems like excellent phone and does a great job of bringing the core features of the Note series at a more-than-reasonable price.