Why should you choose an iPhone over Oneplus?

 Oneplus has long been the dominant force in the premium smartphone segment in India. Apple was losing out market share big time with Oneplus and Samsung taking a huge piece of the pie. This trend seems to be changing in the recent past with the increase in the prices of the Android flagship devices. Apple's handsets have a long life be it durability or software support. Devices are generally supported for 5 years in software updates and hold up pretty well. Android flagships are quickly catching up but are not up to the level of the iPhone.

So why choose an iPhone over Oneplus?

The elephant in the room is price. The latest flagship from Oneplus, the 9 Pro costs Rs.64,999 for its base variant while the iPhone 12 Pro costs 1,19,999 and 12 Pro Max costs 1,29,999. It may sound comical when I suggest that the iPhone is worth its price, but it is for a vast majority of people. iPhones have a sense of continuity to their approach which makes it easier for people of any age to just pick up the latest iPhone and use it with ease. Oneplus is not the brand it once was, consumer-focused and a value-for-money brand. Oneplus can't match the excellent software support of iPhones though they have a slick version of Android skin(Oxygen OS). iPhones hold their value better than Oneplus devices which lose value at a pretty rapid rate. There are trimmed-down versions at more affordable prices, but older iPhone models give them a run for their money as well. iOS has the advantage of being the same on all the iPhones unlike different versions of Android by different manufacturers making it a cumbersome process to switch brands even when consumers are spoilt for choice. Smartphone cameras have come a long way in the past few years and are going toe to toe with DSLRs given their high megapixel, high quality, and versatile camera lenses. Most consumers expect their smartphones to have at least top-tier cameras if not the best. Apple is constantly among the top three smartphone cameras year after year. While Oneplus has come a long way, it still can't match the likes of Samsung and Apple. There might be an argument that Oneplus devices have the best specifications but, the way Apple makes its hardware and software work in unison, its just pure bliss. Add to it the fact that Apple has one the best ecosystem of devices going around, the iPhone is a no-brainer for most people. The gaming experience will mostly be similar except for the high refresh rate on the Oneplus display which is negated by the performance of Apple's silicon(chipset). The App ecosystem of the Apple App store is another advantage the iPhone has over all the Android flagships. Most apps are first built for iOS and the quality of apps are miles ahead in some cases. Snapchat is the most common example, Snapchat camera on Android is simply trash when compared to iOS. All this might make me sound like an Apple fanboy, well I like iPhones but I am an android user myself. After hearing from my friends who made the switch to iPhones from their android devices one thing was very clear, almost 80% of people fell in love with their iPhone. The fact that 92% of iPhone owners upgrade to a newer iPhone shows the loyalty the brand has(often referred to as Apple sheep by Android fans). People who upgrade to newer phones regularly may not agree to this or this may not affect them but, for the vast majority of people buying an expensive smartphone, it is an investment they make though being a depreciating one, hoping they might not need to buy a new smartphone for at least 3 to 4 years. Oneplus has had a huge fan following among consumers aged 18-30 years and I don't see it lasting that long with a visible shift in interest to iPhones. All these arguments don't mean the iPhone is perfect, it has its drawbacks but, the good things outweigh them in this comparison and hence, iPhone seems to be the more sensible buy. I would love to hear your thoughts on this!!!

P.S. The video linked below details how Oneplus has shifted its focus from being a consumer-focused brand to a mainstream one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cmtak_ZDEY

P.C: Techstory.in

VAMSI KRISHNAN A