Why I could drop OnePlus for the Samsung Galaxy S21

I’ve written for Android authority since 2017. When I first started as a freelancer, my daily driver was the OnePlus 5. Later, after becoming a full member of staff, I got a OnePlus 6T. Today I am using the OnePlus 7 Pro. Due to my commitment to OnePlus (and the 7 Pro in particular), I am known as the “OnePlus man” on our team. However, the Samsung Galaxy S21 has compromised that nickname.

I will not mince words here. OnePlus had a very bad 2020. It started well with the OnePlus 8 series, especially the OnePlus 8 Pro. Unfortunately, more problems followed than successes. The disappointing OnePlus Nord N10 and N100, the departure of Carl Pei, the Facebook controversy and the brand’s steady opposition all made it very difficult to be proud of being the “OnePlus man”.

With my beloved OnePlus 7 Pro getting old and the company dragging on when it comes to an Android 11 rollout, I’m tempted to switch teams. With the launch of the Galaxy S21 series, the temptation has grown significantly. In fact, I have to admit that I pre-ordered both a vanilla Samsung Galaxy S21 and a Galaxy S21 Plus. My intention is to try them both and see if OnePlus fleeing is really what I want to do.

Samsung Galaxy S21: why I should switch

Samsung has really upped its game this year with the Galaxy S21 series. The designs look great, the reduced price is an important and smart move, and the Ultra model finally lives up to its name. The COVID-19 pandemic could keep sales from going through the roof, but I think the company has had real success this year.

I wrote it Android authority review for the vanilla Galaxy S21. In short, I loved my time on the phone. The camera is great (especially at the asking price of $ 800), its palm-friendly size is a breath of fresh air in the “bigger is always better” world of Android, and the Snapdragon 888 processor is a total monster. Even the controversial changes this year didn’t really matter to me. Yes, the lack of a microSD card slot is annoying, but the switch to a plastic back is actually good in my view. I’ll let you read the review for all my thoughts on those things.

See: The Android authority Samsung Galaxy S21 review

In the past, the main reason why I didn’t buy Samsung phones was the software. Simply put, One UI isn’t my favorite Android skin. I take the minimalistic simplicity of Oxygen OS or Pixel UI over the bloated and sometimes disjointed mess of One UI every day. When you took into account Samsung’s dismal reputation for providing Android updates, that was enough to make me swear the brand.

However, things have changed. One user interface is now better than ever. Yes, it’s still packed with apps I don’t want and features I’ll never use, but Samsung has done a great job of making all that less in-your-face. In addition, the company has drawn an eighty-one when it comes to aftermarket support. Security patches are flying in at breakneck speed. Android 11 has landed on all of its major flagships in record time.

In short, the Samsung Galaxy S21 series has excellent hardware and great software. This is not something I have ever been able to say with conviction about Samsung phones.

OnePlus 7 Pro: why do I want to stay?

As great as the Galaxy S21 phones are, the OnePlus 7 Pro is still my all-time favorite Android phone. In so many ways, it seems like OnePlus made the phone just for me. It ticks so many of my essential smartphone features.

I’ve already written an entire article about why I love the OnePlus 7 Pro, so I won’t repeat it all here. I want to focus on the two things the phone offers, but the Galaxy S21 series does not: uninterrupted display and the alert slider.

Related: OnePlus Phones: A History of the Company’s Entire Lineup to Date

I believe the pop-up selfie camera is currently the best way to hide notches and cutouts in smartphones. The pop-up camera on the OnePlus 7 Pro is one of the best features, even now after the screen cutout has become the industry standard. Yes, in the end we have selfie cameras under the screen that solve both of these problems. At the moment, however, the technology has not advanced enough for wide consumer acceptance.

Switching from that gorgeous 1440p display with no cutout to a 1080p display with a large selfie camera hole at the top would be difficult. Nevertheless, the cutout became less bad after a week of using the Samsung Galaxy S21. But every time I started playing a game or watching a YouTube video it would be there, reminding me that this screen just isn’t as good as the 7 Pro’s.

The warning slider would also be difficult to exit. For the life of me, I have no idea why all Android OEMs haven’t stolen this feature. It’s so nice to just flip the slider up when I don’t want to be bothered. Fortunately, the premium version of the 3rd party Side Actions app offers me a solution for Galaxy devices. Still, that warning slider would be greatly missed.

What else is in the pipeline?

We’re not even out of the first month of 2021. While I’m very impressed with the Samsung Galaxy S21 series, would it be a good idea to wait a little longer to make a commitment?

The OnePlus 9 series is of course around the corner. However, there doesn’t seem to be much that even the OnePlus 9 Pro will offer over the vanilla Galaxy S21. The Galaxy S21 will likely have a better rear camera system, while the rest of the specs should be pretty much the same for the two phones. Since the 9 Pro also has a screen cutout, the only real benefit would be that I would keep the warning slider and stick with Oxygen OS.

Related: OnePlus has to hit a homerun with the OnePlus 9

The Asus ROG Phone 4 (or 5) will also be released soon. The Asus ROG Phone 3 was my favorite smartphone of 2020, so the successor is definitely on my radar. However, the big problem I have with the ROG Phone series is how massive the phones are. I like to use them for specific tasks – including gaming, of course – but I don’t like to lug them around with me wherever I go. Nevertheless, it is likely that this phone will have an uninterrupted display which makes it attractive.

At the other end of the spectrum, we also expect a Google Pixel 5a to land sometime in the first half of the year. If it’s anything like the Pixel 4a, it is undoubtedly a great device with a great camera, great software, and a low price. Still, my major complaint with Pixel phones is that the fingerprint reader is on the back. My phone is on my desk for 10 hours every day so I need my front sensor.

Whatever I do it seems I have to give up something to get something new.

Time for decision: what will it be?

Frankly, I was hoping writing all of this down would make this decision easier for me. However, I’m not sure it worked.

On the one hand, I have the Samsung Galaxy S21. It has a better camera than the OnePlus 7 Pro, a faster processor, 5G support, and a smaller form factor. However, it has a cropped view and no warning slider.

On the other hand, I have the OnePlus 7 Pro. It has a continuous display with a higher resolution. The Snapdragon 855 processor is still fully capable, the camera is good enough to get the job done and the software suits my taste a lot more.

Related: Samsung Galaxy S21 is here, but should you wait for the OnePlus 9?

Inevitably I will have to upgrade. I can’t use the 7 Pro forever. The question, I think, then becomes whether it is the right time or not. What’s striking about this whole conundrum is that I’m thinking about switching to Samsung in the first place. I don’t know if that says more about Samsung improving the game or OnePlus’ recent awkwardness. 2021 has been a year full of surprises.

---

Maybe you can help? Answer the poll above and then let me know in the comments what you think I should do!