OnePlus Nord has launched in India starting at a sub-Rs 25,000 price point, although there is a catch (which we will discuss in a little while). OnePlus hasn’t launched phones in this price bracket in many years and things are much different now in 2020. We have extremely competitive phones today under Rs 20,000 that can punch well above their weight. The upcoming Samsung Galaxy M31s is shaping up to be one such model. The Samsung phone may not look as well-rounded as the OnePlus Nord, but it does come with some features and specifications that even the Nord doesn’t offer. Here’s a closer look at how the two phones compare, based on the rumoured/ expected specifications and price of the Samsung Galaxy M31s.
OnePlus Nord vs Samsung Galaxy M31s: price in India
The OnePlus Nord price in India starts from Rs 24,999 for the base model with 6GB RAM and 64GB internal storage. This variant, however, will not be available until September. The phone comes in 8GB + 128GB and 12GB + 256GB variants that will be on open sale from August 4.
The Samsung Galaxy M31, on the other hand, starts at Rs 17,499 for the 6GB + 64GB base variant and goes up to Rs 20,499 for the 8GB + 128GB option. The phone is on sale in India and can be purchased through Amazon, Samsung’s online store, and offline retail stores across India.
OnePlus Nord vs Samsung Galaxy M31: design and specifications
When it comes to premium look and feel, The OnePlus Nord has the edge. The phone comes with glass on the front and back, slim bezels around the display and an elongated punch-hole cutout. The Galaxy M31 has a glasstic rear panel, so it feels more plastic than glass. The display has a thicker chin compared to the Nord and a waterdrop notch.
Both the phones come with display that are similar in size. The OnePlus Nord sports a 6.44-inch display and the Galaxy M31 features a 6.4-inch screen. Both displays offer FHD+ resolution and use AMOLED panels. Samsung is of course known for delivering stunning AMOLED displays and in our review of the Galaxy M31, we found the display to be vibrant and bright with excellent viewing angles and deep blacks. We’re not quite sure which panel OnePlus is using, but our initial thoughts on it are positive as the display looks bright and rich.
The OnePlus Nord, however, gets the added advantage of offering a 90Hz refresh rate for a smoother scrolling experience. The Galaxy M31 comes with a standard 60Hz refresh rate, which is fine if you’re not used to high refresh rate displays.
The OnePlus Nord is powered by the 7nm Snapdragon 765G 5G chipset, which is one of the most powerful mid-range processors in the market right now. This is paired with up to 12GB of RAM for smooth and lag-free multitasking. The Galaxy M31 doesn’t deliver quite the same amount of power with the Exynos 9611 chipset paired with up to 8GB RAM. While the Galaxy M31 will handle day to day tasks smoothly, it does tend to heat up while playing games at high graphics. In benchmarks, the Exynos 9611 pales in comparison to the Snapdragon 765G.
Things are quite interesting in the camera department. The OnePlus Nord is equipped with a quad camera setup that include a 48MP Sony IMX586 sensor, an 8MP wide-angle lens, a 5MP depth sensor and a 2MP macro lens. The Galaxy M31, on the other hand, gets a higher resolution 64MP Samsung GW1 sensor accompanied by an 8MP ultra wide-angle lens, a 5MP depth camera and a 5MP macro lens. On paper, the Galaxy M31’s rear camera setup looks better thanks to a higher resolution primary camera and macro lens. However, OnePlus says the Nord’s camera system has been optimised to deliver a flagship camera experience, which we will know for sure in our full review.
Up front, both the OnePlus Nord and Galaxy M31 offer a 32MP primary selfie camera. However, the Nord gets an extra 8MP wide-angle lens, allowing you to take group selfies. It is worth noting that the Samsung phone also allows you to take wide-angle selfies using the main camera.
Lastly, we come to the battery where the Samsung Galaxy M31 wins hands down in terms of size. The phone houses a massive 6,000mAh battery as opposed to The OnePlus Nord’s 4,115mAh capacity. This means you’re going to get a day and a half to days of battery life with the Samsung phone while the Nord should last a full day on a single charge. However, the OnePlus Nord charges faster with a 30W charging tech, while the Galaxy M31 will take over three hours to fully charge as it comes with only 15W charging support.
Sanket Vijayasarathy
July 25, 2020 at 09:04AM
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