The iPhone 14 and OnePlus 10T make for an interesting comparison. The OnePlus 10T is one of the best affordable flagships in the U.S., offering a big display, Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chipset, crazy fast charging, and a rich software experience. In many ways, it’s even better than its more expensive sibling OnePlus 10 Pro, packing a more powerful CPU, up to 16GB of RAM, and faster charging speeds.
The iPhone 14 may not look as glamorous and fun as the OnePlus 10T, but it’s one of the most refined smartphones you can get for under $1,000. Instead of the latest and greatest, it sticks to the tried and tested while adding some small yet meaningful upgrades. But which one should be your next smartphone?
Apple iPhone 14 vs OnePlus 10T: Specifications
| Specification | Samsung Galaxy S22 | OnePlus 10T |
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| Front Camera(s) | TrueDepth camera: 12MP, ƒ/1.9 | 16MP |
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Design and display: Traditional design vs unique
Apple has been known to stick with its product designs for a long time, and the iPhone 14 is perhaps the best example. The new iPhone keeps the same design as its predecessor. It’s still a good-looking phone, but there’s nothing special about its design either. From flat aluminum sides and unsightly notch cutout on the front to that square camera module on the back, it’s all too familiar.
In contrast, the OnePlus 10T has a refreshing design, featuring a unique camera module that blends into the side frame. But while the iPhone 14 uses a glass-and-aluminum build, the OnePlus 10T settles for a plastic body that doesn’t feel as premium. The OnePlus 10T is also much larger and heavier than the iPhone 14.
Another area where the iPhone 14 has the edge over its OnePlus counterpart is the IP rating. Boasting IP68 certification, the iPhone 14 positions itself as a more durable device, able to withstand water splashes and dust exposure. You don’t get this peace of mind on the OnePlus 10T.
If you’re a fan of big displays, you will be impressed with the OnePlus 10 T’s 6.7-inch AMOLED FHD+ display. It’s a high refresh rate 120Hz panel that offers smooth visuals, 950 nits peak brightness, and HDR10+ content support.
The iPhone 14’s 6.1-inch display may not be as big and immersive as the OnePlus 10T, but it’s brighter and sharper. It also has Apple’s True Tone feature, which automatically adjusts the white balance based on the surrounding lighting for a more comfortable reading experience.
Performance: Excellent in day-to-day
The OnePlus 10T is powered by Qualcomm’s latest and greatest Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 SoC. The new chipset offers 10% faster CPU performance and 30% improved power efficiency over the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, which powers the OnePlus 10 Pro. On top of that, the OnePlus 10T also packs up to 16GB of RAM compared to 12GB in the OnePlus 10 Pro.
There’s no change in iPhone 14’s processing package. It uses the same A15 Bionic chipset as the iPhone 13, with the only notable upgrade being the additional GPU core. While the chipset is unchanged from last year, RAM has been bumped from 4GB to 6GB, which should help the iPhone 14 offer a better multitasking experience.
Both phones are excellent performers in day-to-day tasks. Whether you’re juggling multiple apps or playing graphics-intensive games such as Call of Duty or Genshin Impact, you’re unlikely to encounter a major slowdown or lag on these phones. Although the iPhone 14 is more powerful in terms of raw power, the OnePlus 10T is smoother and more responsive thanks to its 120Hz higher refresh rate display.
Cameras: iPhone 14 takes the edge
The iPhone 14 has a familiar dual-camera system on its back consisting of a 12MP main camera and a 12MP ultra-wide shooter. While the resolution is unchanged, there are two key upgrades to the main camera: a faster aperture (f/1.5 compared to f/1.6) and a larger pixel size at 1.9μm (vs 1.7μm). In addition, the camera system also uses Apple’s new image pipeline called Photonic Engine, which the company claims significantly improves mid-to-low light performance across all cameras.
The OnePlus 10T packs a triple camera system featuring a 50MP f/1.8 main shooter, an 8MP ultra-wide camera, and a 2MP macro lens. It’s a big step-down from the OnePlus 10 Pro’s camera system, which included a 48MP Sony IMX789 shooter, a 50MP ultra-wide camera, and an 8MP telephoto lens. Not only that, but the OnePlus 10T also misses out on the Hasselblad branding and features like X-Pan Mode and Hasselblad Pro Mode.
As for selfies, the iPhone 14 has a new 12MP f/1.9 TrueDepth camera with autofocus, while the OnePlus 10T has a 16MP f/2.4 fixed-focus shooter.
iPhone 14 camera samples
OnePlus 10T camera samples
While both phones capture great shots in good lighting conditions, the iPhone 14 has an edge in low-light photography. Additionally, the iPhone 14 outperforms the OnePlus 10T in video performance with its superior stabilization and features like Cinematic Mode and Action Mode.
Battery life, charging, and software: Different systems
While the OnePlus 10T loses out to the iPhone 14 in the camera race, it shines in the battery department. The OnePlus 10T packs a 4,800mAh battery, which is 200mAh smaller than the OnePlus 10 Pro. But despite that, it delivers far better battery life thanks to the efficiency gains of the new chipset. As noted in our review, the OnePlus 10T is a battery champion, delivering up to six to seven hours of screen time with moderate usage. Of course, your mileage will vary depending on your usage patterns, but you should be able to make it through the day without any issues.
The iPhone 14 might not be a battery champ like the OnePlus 10T, but it still provides respectable battery life. With moderate usage, I regularly get 4 to 4.5 hours of screen time on my iPhone 14, and I don’t recall ever having to do a quick top-up before bedtime.
While the OnePlus 10T loses out to the iPhone 14 in the camera race, it shines in the battery department.
Not just endurance, the OnePlus 10T also blows the iPhone 14 out of the water in charging speed. With super fast 150W charging, the OnePlus 10T can go from 1% to 100% in just 19 minutes. In contrast, the iPhone 14’s charging speed tops out at 20W, and it takes close to two hours to fully charge the device. Another win for the OnePlus 10T is that it comes with a charger inside the box, while the iPhone 14 doesn’t (you only get the Lighting cable).
However, the OnePlus 10T falls short of the iPhone 14 with wireless charging. This shouldn’t be a dealbreaker for most users, but something to keep in mind if you’re coming from a phone that supports wireless charging. The iPhone 14 offers MagSafe magnetic charging as well as Qi wireless charging support.
On the software side of things, both phones run vastly different operating systems. The iPhone 14 runs iOS 16 out of the box, while the OnePlus 10T ships with Android 12-based OxygenOS 12. Both phones also differ when it comes to software support. The OnePlus 10T promises three major software updates and four years of security updates. Although Apple hasn’t confirmed how long it plans to support the iPhone 14, we can expect the phone to get at least five years of iOS updates.
Other notable highlights of the iPhone 14 include basic satellite connectivity, Face ID, Crash Detection, stereo speakers, Spatial Audio, NFC, and Ultra Wideband (UWB). Noteworthy highlights of the OnePlus 10T include an in-display fingerprint scanner, stereo speakers, dual-band GNSS, Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi 6 with 2×2 MIMO, and a dual nano-SIM slot.
Apple iPhone 14 vs OnePlus 10T: Which one should you buy?
The OnePlus 10T is the cheapest Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1-powered smartphone in the U.S. It starts at $649, and the power and value it offers at that price tag are unmatched. From a big beautiful AMOLED display and powerful chipset to crazy fast charging speed and a rich software experience, the OnePlus 10T delivers a flagship smartphone experience in an affordable package. The only downside is the camera performance, which falls short of the benchmark set by the OnePlus 10 Pro.
The iPhone 14 starts at $799, but you can get it for much less with deals and discounts. While not as exciting as the OnePlus 10T, the iPhone 14 delivers a very refined smartphone experience at a reasonable price. While iPhone 13 and iPhone 12 users should hold off upgrading to the iPhone 14, there are many improvements and upgrades in store for those coming from an iPhone X or iPhone 11. Apart from solid cameras and powerful performance, the iPhone 14 also brings novel features like Emergency SOS via Satellite and Action Mode, which you won’t find on other smartphones. That said, if you can spend more, we recommend checking out the iPhone 14 Pro, which has many exciting features to offer, including Dynamic Island, a 48MP camera, and an Always-on display.
OnePlus 10T
The OnePlus 10T tries to make up for its compromises with a flagship chipset and super fast charging speeds.
Apple iPhone 14
The iPhone 14 is the base model of the 2022 iPhone series, offering a balanced set of features for the average user.
