Why I might ditch OnePlus for the Samsung Galaxy S21

I write since Android Authority since 2017. When I started as a freelance writer my daily driver was the OnePlus 5. Later, after becoming a full staff member, I got a OnePlus 6T. Today I am using the OnePlus 7 Pro. Due to my dedication to OnePlus (and the 7 Pro, in particular), I’m known as the “OnePlus guy” on our team. However, the Samsung Galaxy S21 put that moniker in jeopardy.

I won’t mince my words here. OnePlus has had a very bad year 2020. Things started out well with the OnePlus 8 series, especially the OnePlus 8 Pro. Unfortunately, more problems than success followed. The disappointing OnePlus Nord N10 and N100, the departure of Carl Pei, the controversy on Facebook and the brand’s constant opposition made it very difficult to be proud of being the “OnePlus guy”.

Now, with my beloved OnePlus 7 Pro aging and the company dragging its feet 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 increased dramatically. In fact, I admit that I pre-ordered both a Vanilla Samsung Galaxy S21 and a Galaxy S21 Plus. My intention is to give them both a try and see if ditching OnePlus is really what I want to do.

Samsung Galaxy S21: why I would change

Samsung has really upped its game this year with the Galaxy S21 series. The designs look great, lowering the prices is a big and smart move, and the Ultra model finally lives up to its name. The COVID-19 pandemic could prevent sales from skyrocketing, but I think the company has set itself up for real success this year.

I wrote the Android Authority review for the Galaxy S21 vanilla. In short, I loved my time on the phone. The camera is terrific (especially for 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 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 eyes. I’ll let you read the review for all my thoughts on these things.

Check it out: The Android Authority Samsung Galaxy S21 review

In the past, the main reason I avoided buying Samsung phones was software. Simply put, One UI isn’t my favorite Android skin. I’ll take the minimalist simplicity of Oxygen OS or Pixel UI everyday over the bloated and sometimes inconsistent mess of One UI. When you factor in Samsung’s poor reputation for delivering Android updates, that was enough to make me swear the mark.

However, things have changed. A user interface is now better than ever. Yes, there are always apps I don’t want and features I will never use, but Samsung has done a great job of making it all less visible. In addition, the company pulled an eighty in terms of after-sales support. Security patches are arriving at a breakneck pace. Android 11 landed on all of its major flagships in record time.

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

OnePlus 7 Pro: what makes me want to stay

As awesome as Galaxy S21 phones are, the OnePlus 7 Pro is still my all time favorite Android phone. In many ways, it looks like OnePlus designed the phone just for me. This ticks so many boxes of essential features for my smartphone.

I’ve already written a full article on why I love the OnePlus 7 Pro, so I’m not going to do it all over here. I want to focus on the two things the phone offers that the Galaxy S21 series doesn’t: an uninterrupted display and the alert slider.

Related: OnePlus phones: a story of the company’s entire lineup so far

I am of the opinion that pop-up selfie camera is currently the best way to get rid of display notches and cutouts in smartphones. The OnePlus 7 Pro’s pop-up camera is one of its best features, even now after screen cutout has become the industry standard. Yes, we will eventually have under-displayed selfie cameras that solve both issues. At the moment, however, the technology is simply not advanced enough to be widely adopted by consumers.

Going from that gorgeous 1440p display without cutout to a 1080p display with a large selfie camera hole at the top would be difficult. However, after a week of using the Samsung Galaxy S21, cutting has become less of a problem. But every time I started playing a game or watching a YouTube video, she was there, reminding me that this display just isn’t as good as the 7 Pro’s.

The alert slider would also be hard to give up. For the life of me, I have no idea why not all Android OEMs have stolen this feature. It’s so nice to just toggle the cursor when I don’t want to be interrupted. Fortunately, the premium version of the third-party Side Actions app gives me a workaround on Galaxy devices. Still, this slider alert would be sorely missed.

What else is in the pipeline?

We’re not even out of the first month of 2021 yet. 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?

Obviously, the OnePlus 9 series is just around the corner. However, there doesn’t seem to be much, even the OnePlus 9 Pro will offer on the vanilla Galaxy S21. The Galaxy S21 will likely have a better rear camera system, while the rest of the specs should be roughly the same on both phones. With the 9 Pro also having a display cutout, the only real benefit would be to keep the alert slider and stick with Oxygen OS.

Related: OnePlus must pass a home run with the OnePlus 9

The Asus ROG Phone 4 (or 5) is also coming soon. The Asus ROG Phone 3 was my favorite smartphone of 2020, so its tracking is definitely on my radar. The big issue I have with the ROG Phone series, however, is the size of the phones. I love using them for specific tasks – which includes playing, obviously – but I don’t like carrying them around with me everywhere I go. Nonetheless, it’s likely that this phone will have an uninterrupted display, which makes it attractive.

On the other end of the spectrum, we also predict that a Google Pixel 5a will land at some point during the first half of the year. If this sounds like the Pixel 4a, it’s bound to be a stellar device with a great camera, great software, and a low price tag. Still, my big gripe with Pixel phones is the fingerprint reader on the back. My phone lives on my desk for 10 hours a day, so I need my sensor on the front.

It seems that no matter what I do, I’m going to have to give up something to get something new.

Decision time: what is it going to be?

Honestly, I was hoping writing it all down would make this decision easier for me. I am not sure it worked.

On the one hand, I have the Samsung Galaxy S21. It will have a better camera than the OnePlus 7 Pro, a faster processor, 5G support, and a smaller form factor. However, it will have a display cutout and an alert slider.

On the other hand, I have the OnePlus 7 Pro. It has a higher resolution uninterrupted display. Its Snapdragon 855 processor is still fully capable, its camera is good enough to get the job done, and its software is much more to my liking.

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

I will inevitably have to upgrade. I can’t use the 7 Pro forever. The question, I guess, then becomes whether the time is right or not. The notable aspect of this whole conundrum is that I am considering switching to Samsung in the first place. I’m not sure if that says more about Samsung upping its game or the recent OnePlus escapees. 2021 is already a year full of surprises.

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Maybe you can help? Take the survey above, then let me know in the comments what you think I should do!