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OnePlus 3T vs Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge: Which 5.5-inch phone is best?

OnePlus 3T vs Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge: How does the new OnePlus 3T compare with Samsung’s Galaxy S7 Edge? We compare these two mighty 5.5-inch phones packing premium features to see which is best for you.

If you like the OnePlus 3, chances are you’ll absolutely love the OnePlus 3T, which just launched this week. The OnePlus 3T packs some seriously premium specs and a crisp, colourful 5.5-inch screen, making it a strong rival for Samsung’s mighty Galaxy S7 Edge.

But which phone is best for you? Here’s our full OnePlus 3T vs Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge comparison review.

OnePlus 3T vs Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge: Specs

Phone OnePlus 3T Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
Screen size 5.5-inches 5.5-inches
Screen resolution Full HD 1920×1080 Quad HD 2560×1440
Fingerprint sensor? Yes Yes
Water resistant? No Yes
OS Android 6.0 Marshmallow Android 6.0 Marshmallow
Processor Snapdragon 821 Exynos/Snapdragon 820
Memory 6GB 4GB
Storage 64/128GB 32/64GB
MicroSD? No Yes
Battery 3400mAh 3600mAh
Rear camera 16-megapixel 12-megapixel
Front camera 16-megapixel 5-megapixel
Price From £399 From £450

OnePlus 3T vs Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge: Design and media

The OnePlus 3T and Galaxy S7 Edge are both mighty 5.5-inchers, so neither is ideal if you want something that’s compact and easy to handle. However, they’re both pretty rugged, able to handle a fair bit of bashing around without scratching up. If you want something to take in the shower, you’ll need to pick the S7 Edge – it’s the only handset here that’s water resistant.

Design-wise, the Galaxy S7 Edge is the looker of the bunch too – in our eyes at least. Those eye-pleasing curves and the way the screen bends around the edges make for a unique and attractive handset, while the glass and metal blend works beautifully. Of course, the OnePlus 3T’s all-metal frame (now available in two tones) is good looking too, in a very different way. And you can mix up the style by adding one of OnePlus’ official covers, to give the phone a wooden finish or similar.

The S7 Edge’s 5.5-inch Super AMOLED panel is sharper than the OnePlus’ screen, offering a dense Quad HD resolution compared with standard Full HD. However, stack the two side-by-side and you’ll only notice a little difference in visuals. The OnePlus 3T’s display still pumps out sharp images, with punchy colours just like the S7 Edge. Movie fans will definitely be happy either way.

OnePlus 3T vs Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge: Features and OS

If you want to carry around a massive media collection, the Samsung phone is your best bet. You get a choice of just 32GB or 64GB storage, but there’s a microSD memory card slot so you can quickly and easily expand at any time. Meanwhile the OnePlus 3T boasts either 64GB or 128GB, but doesn’t support microSD.

Both phones pack a fingerprint sensor, built into their home buttons. In both cases you get a fast and accurate sensor, which unlocks your handset pretty much instantly.

The S7 Edge obviously has those curved screen edges, although Samsung hasn’t come up with too many uses for them. You can stick a bunch of shortcuts down the sides, for your favourite contacts and apps, for instance. You can also have the edges flash a set colour whenever your contacts call, but beyond that it’s pure aesthetics.

OnePlus 3T vs Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge: Performance and battery life

Both of these phones offer a silky smooth everyday performance, no matter what you’re up to.

Samsung has crammed either its own Exynos processor or the nippy Snapdragon 820 processor into the S7 Edge (depending on region) and the latest apps and games run perfectly. Meanwhile the OnePlus 3T offers the latest Snapdragon 821 processor, plus extra memory – 6GB compared with 4GB in the Samsung. That means the OnePlus beats the S7 Edge for benchmark performance.

Both phones pack a mighty battery too, although the OnePlus 3T boasts faster charging. OnePlus’ Dash Charge tech is the best we’ve tested so far, beating Samsung’s Adaptive Fast Charging as well as Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0. Check our full comparison review.

OnePlus 3T vs Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge: Cameras

The OnePlus 3T boasts ‘better’ cameras on paper, with a 16-megapixel rear snapper and 16-megapixel front-facing camera, compared with the S7 Edge’s 12 and 5-megapixel shooters. However, the S7 Edge still boasts one of the best mobile cameras of 2016, with particularly impressive low light performance.

Both snappers can shoot 4K video complete with image stabilisation, while phase detection autofocus means your photos are captured the moment you hit the shutter button.

We’ll be doing a full OnePlus 3T camera comparison with the S7 Edge very shortly.

You can grab the OnePlus 3T exclusively on contract from O2, from £31 per month.

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