Galaxy Note 10 Lite at Rs 38,999 sounds good but it’s no better than the segment-leading OnePlus 7T

HIGHLIGHTS

• The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Lite starts at Rs 38,999 for the base variant.
• The OnePlus 7T with 8GB RAM starts at Rs 34,999.
• Samsung offers the S Pen on the Note 10 Lite while OnePlus offers a 90Hz display on the 7T.

Samsung has made an unexpected start to 2020 with the Lite versions of its Galaxy S10 and Note 10 phones. Before the Galaxy S20 series lays the groundwork for the 2020 premium phones, Samsung is trying to gather some attention in the sub-Rs 50,000 segment with the Galaxy Note 10 Lite (the Galaxy S10 Lite could be priced slightly higher). Starting at Rs 38,999, it’s the cheapest Note series phone from Samsung in a long time and is almost half the price of the Galaxy Note 10.

While it’s more affordable than the Note 10, Samsung is retaining some of the premium features in this one, with the prime one being the S Pen and a rather big 6.7-inch AMOLED display. If you have always wanted to own a Samsung Note phone without spending a fortune, this Galaxy Note 10 Lite is like God answering your prayers. However, if you are considering to invest in the Note 10 Lite, stop and think again- if you want to spend almost Rs 40,000 on a new smartphone, the OnePlus 7T deserves your money more. Surprised?

Galaxy Note 10 Lite: Looks impressive, doesn’t it?

Yes, the Galaxy Note 10 Lite looks and sounds impressive. Samsung’s Note series phones have led the charge in terms of design and practicality. The Note 10 Lite inherits these qualities from the desirable Galaxy Note 10 Plus in massive ways. It looks similar and even has the same cameras as the Note 10.

That 6.7-inch AMOLED display with 1080p resolution and a tiny punch-hole cutout is a great medium to watch YouTube videos and Netflix movies. Without the curved edges, the Note 10 Lite also seems to up its game in practicality.

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The OnePlus 7T in comparison has a slightly smaller 6.4-inch display with a 20:9 aspect ratio but it has the 90Hz refresh rate on its side. The 90Hz factor makes the same YouTube videos and Netflix movies seem smoother. And not only movies, your Android system also feels smoother and eager to your touch inputs.

Of course, you may say the 90Hz refresh rate is not useful to you and what matters is the design. The Note 10 Lite brings the minimalist glossy gradient design with a massive camera hump reflecting the modern design trends. Samsung uses its Glasstic for the back, which is essentially a new compound that fuses plastic and glass. But if you really want the Note 10 Lite for its gradients and its camera hump, the OnePlus 7T offers you a better iteration of these two properties. The OnePlus 7T started the camera hump trend and it’s circular design imitates a DSLR camera lens design. Unlike the Galaxy Note 10 Lite, you get a proper Gorilla Glass 5 panel with a more premium frosted glass finish. Hence, objectively, the OnePlus 7T excels but you have the right to exercise your subjectivity.

Isn’t the Galaxy Note 10 Lite more practical in daily usage?

That completely depends upon you. If you want a stylus in your workflow, the Note 10 Lite is a winner. The S Pen brings some PC-like features to the Note 10 and if you want that, there’s nothing beating the Galaxy Note 10 Lite. But if the stylus isn’t that important, it’s the OnePlus 7T that makes more sense.

Both these phones come with last year’s specifications but it’s the OnePlus 7T that has got the faster of the two chips. The Snapdragon 855 Plus on the OnePlus 7T paired with Oxygen OS 10 based on Android 10 has proven to be reliably fast on a daily basis. The Galaxy Note 10 Lite uses the Exynos 9810 chip from the Galaxy S10 and that paired with OneUI based on Android 10 is great at offering lots more features but isn’t as slick as the OnePlus software.

Samsung’s software is also known to slow down over time and takes a massive mega toll on the battery life. Hence, with the 4500mAh battery, you can expect at most to end the day with just some juice to spare. The OnePlus 7T has a power-efficient OS and despite its smaller 3700mAh battery, the phone can easily last an entire day and beyond on moderate usage. The 30W Warp Charge 30T fills up the battery within an hour, while Samsung’s 25W system will be slower on the bigger battery.