Samsung Galaxy S9 vs OnePlus 5T: Is it worth making the leap?

Now that Samsung has taken the covers off its 2018 flagship, the Galaxy S9, we compare it to the mid-range marvel that is the OnePlus 5T so you can decide if the price difference is worthwhile.

OnePlus has crafted a name for itself as punching well above its weight, and has delivered some of the best value smartphones available. The OnePlus 5T was no different, even if it was only a minor update to the original OnePlus 5. Now that the Galaxy S9 is on the horizon, we look at whether it’s worth stretching to Samsung’s flagship.

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Related: MWC 2018

Samsung Galaxy S9 vs OnePlus 5T Design: What’s the difference?

Both phones fully embrace a modern bezel-less design, which has seen larger displays squeezed into today’s smartphones by reducing the frame around the screen. But of the two, the Galaxy S9 is probably going to win more beauty contests.

Its curved display and combination of glass and metal give it a lot of high end appeal. The OnePlus 5T is still an attractive phone, but the Galaxy S9 feels more premium. The Galaxy S9 has shaved down its top and bottom bezels compared to the previous Galaxy S8, too.

Where the OnePlus 5T has the edge is in terms of screen size, with a 6-inch display to the S9’s 5.8-inch display. The Samsung Galaxy S9 has a higher resolution 2560 x 1440 display, however, making it look incredibly sharp. Both displays use AMOLED tech, providing deeper blacks.

Related: Best Samsung Galaxy S9 deals

The Samsung Galaxy S9 has front-facing speakers that support Dolby Atmos for pseudo 360-degree sound, which combined with the higher resolution display might make the Galaxy S9 a more tempting prospect for those looking for entertainment on the go.

Both phones have a fingerprint scanner on the back but some might still find the revised placement of the Galaxy S9’s as a little unwieldy.

The Galaxy S9 is IP68 rated for water-resistance, whereas the OnePlus 5T shouldn’t be submerged.

Samsung Galaxy S9 vs OnePlus 5T Specs: Which phone has better features?

With the OnePlus 5T having come out last year, it makes do with the soon to be updated Qualcomm Snapdragon 835. The Galaxy S9 will be powered by either the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 or the Samsung Exynos 8910 depending on where you buy it.

The new mobile platform will bring with it the performance increases you’d expect, so the Galaxy S9 should outperform the OnePlus 5T. It’s the updated chips that allows for some of the Galaxy S9’s more advanced features like its 960fps super slow-motion video at 1080p and the new AR Emojis. You should also expect faster download speeds courtesy of the new chips.

Elsewhere, the OnePlus 5T has more RAM, at 6GB to the Galaxy S9’s 4GB. Both models start at 64GB of storage, although there’s a larger 256GB option for the Galaxy S9 whereas the OnePlus 5T only lets you jump to 128GB. The Samsung phone has the edge with support for microSD expansion and is compatible with memory cards up to a whopping 400GB (although these get more expensive the higher their capacity).

The cameras of the two phones are very different. The OnePlus 5T has a dual-camera setup, with one sensor 16-megapixel and the other 20-megapixel. Both lenses have f/1.7 aperture but there’s no optical image stabilisation. The extra resolution of the second sensor is to allow for a little digital zoom and to help with the camera’s portrait mode.

The Galaxy S9’s sensor is only 12-megapixel, and there’s just the one camera, but it does support optical image stabilisation. But the interesting element is the variable mechanical aperture. This lets the lens adjust between f/1.5 and f/2.4 depending on the lighting situation. When in low-light, the larger f/1.5 aperture lets more light reach the sensor, which should result in sharper shots.

The OnePlus 5T has a bigger 3300mAh battery to the Galaxy S9’s 3000mAh cell. However, we’ll need to benchmark both phones because it might well be that the greater efficiencies of the updated chips in the Galaxy S9 offset the lower capacity battery.

Samsung Galaxy S9 vs OnePlus 5T: Price

The OnePlus 5T seriously punches above its weight for price to performance. It starts at £449 for the 64GB, rising to £499 for the 128GB model. The new Samsung Galaxy S9 starts at £739, jumping to £869 for the 256GB option.

Samsung Galaxy S9 vs OnePlus 5T Summary: What’s the difference?

Here’s a quick summary of the Galaxy S9 vs OnePlus 5T differences.

• Design: Both phones have an attractive bezel-less design, but the Galaxy S9 is the more premium of the two. Only the Galaxy S9 is happy to take a dunk in water.
• Specs: The Samsung Galaxy S9 uses the latest Snapdragon 845 or Samsung Exynos 9810 chips, making it more powerful than the older OnePlus 5G.
• Price: The Samsung Galaxy S9 will be available for £739. The OnePlus 5T starts at just £449.We’ll have more information to help inform your purchasing decision when we’ve spent a good amount of time with S9.

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