The smartphone space is booming with new entrants and buyers have no shortage of choice while planning to buy a premium smartphone. The new iPhones and flagship Galaxy phones might be on another league (in terms of pricing), there have been some worthy additions that are too good to be missed. But it's also easy to get confused as all the options seem to be just as good.
Xiaomi launched its Mi 10T series in India to compete in the segment, where we already have players like OnePlus 8T, Samsung Galaxy S20 FE and ROG Phone 3. The Mi 10T's price-to-performance ratio is being lauded, but does it mean it is a clear winner of the race? We ought to find out.
In this article, we are going to compare the best and brightest of the sub-Rs 50,000 price range smartphones to see which one suits buyers the best. Let the hunger games begin.
Pricing
Mi 10T
- 6GB+128GB: Rs 35,999
- 8GB+128GB: Rs 37,999
OnePlus 8T
- 8GB+128GB: Rs 42,999
- 12GB+256GB: Rs 45,999
Samsung Galaxy S20 FE
- 6GB+128GB: Rs 49,999
ROG Phone 3
- 8GB+128GB: Rs 49,999
Based on this pricing, we are picking the 8GB+128GB variants of each phone for comparison, except for Galaxy S20 FE, which comes with 6GB RAM. This also means the Mi 10T is the cheapest of the lot followed by OnePlus 8T. Both Samsung and ROG phones are priced similarly.
Display & Design
All phones have a distinct design and it comes down to buyers' personal choice. The ROG Phone 3 has the most unique design with its tall form-factor and the gaming modifications.
ROG Phone 3 has a stunning design, with an illuminating ROG logo at the back, a custom rear cover, dual front-firing speakers, capacitive controls on the side for gaming. But the only thing is the bezels on top and at the bottom of the display, which adds to the height.
The other three phones have more identical, form-factor with a premium design, complete with glass back and rectangular camera module. You won't be let down by the design aspect of any phone you may choose. The displays, however, are a completely different picture.
ROG Phone 3 sports a 6.59-inch Full HD+ display with 144Hz refresh rate. The OnePlus 8T has a 6.55-inch 120Hz Full HD+ display. The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE also has a near-identical 6.5-inch 120Hz Full HD+ screen and the Mi 10T has a 6.67-inch 144Hz Full HD+ display. If you place them all side by side, the Galaxy S20 FE looks more natural and the OnePlus 8T comes at a close second. The ROG Phone 3 is bright, but the natural element is amiss comparatively. We do not have the Mi 10T to compare it right away. That said, you probably won't notice any difference if you're not comparing them side-by-side. However, the refresh rate in the ROG Phone 3 and the Mi 10T will give a slight edge over the other phones.
Cameras
There are plenty of cameras on all the phones. Here's a quick look at the setup.
OnePlus 8T: 48 MP + 16 MP + 5 MP + 2 MP
Galaxy S20 FE: 12 MP + 12 MP + 8 MP
Mi 10T: 108MP + 13MP + 5MP
ROG Phone 3: 64MP + 13MP + 8MP
For selfies, Mi 10T has a 20MP sensor, ROG Phone 3 settles for 13MP, OnePlus 8T gets a 16MP and Galaxy S20 FE has a 32MP camera.
Performance
Samsung Galaxy S20 FE is powered by Exynos 990 with 6GB RAM and the other three phones have Snapdragon 865 with 8GB RAM under the hood. All phones are performance-centric devices, which are capable of handling the toughest of the tasks with ease. Be it gaming, hardcore multi-tasking, and more, they all are equipped to deliver a lag-free experience.
The game changes when it comes to software. The OxygenOS 11 in OnePlus 8T is by far the best UI. The Mi 10T doesn't have ads, which makes it a compelling choice. Samsung has its native OneUI 2.5, which is familiar to the masses and ROG Phone 3 gets a customized UI, which is easy to use. It's a near draw between all phones in this category.
Battery
ROG Phone 3 bags the biggest battery of 6,000mAh unit. The Mi 10T has a 5,000mAh while Samsung and OnePlus phones get 4,500mAh batteries each. OnePlus 8T has a major advantage over others with its 65W fast-charging support. The Mi 10T gets 33W fast charging, ROG Phone 3 supports 30W and the Galaxy S20 FE gets 15W quick charge support.
Add-ons
All phones have 5G except Galaxy S20 FE. The phones have all the other features as standard, including an in-display fingerprint scanner, dual SIM 4G support, face unlock, USB Type-C ports and more.
