What the ‘e’ in iPhone 16e stands for is anybody’s guess, as Apple doesn’t have an official meaning. While the meaning is open to interpretation, there is no ambiguity in what the iPhone 16e wants to achieve: cement the brand name as a formidable player in the budget segment. This puts the iPhone 16e in competition with the OnePlus 13R, one of the best budget Android phones. It provides more value, and these are the five reasons why I think so.
The OnePlus 13R will make you forget you’re using a sub-$600 phone
Impressive performance at great value
5
High refresh rate and bigger display
The numbers speak for themselves
Apple has a habit of branding common tech with its marketing terms, from referring to AI as “Apple Intelligence” to a high refresh rate as a ProMotion display. This doesn’t hurt consumers as long as the company doesn’t use that as an excuse to deny its users widely available features like high refresh rate display. Apple’s “ProMotion” technology remains exclusive to “Pro” models, whereas, in the Android world, you get displays with a high refresh rate even in lower mid-range phones.
However, introducing a high refresh rate display is one thing and doing it the right way is another. The OnePlus 13R has a 120Hz display and comes with a dynamic refresh rate capability, allowing the phone to adjust the refresh rate based on whether you’re watching static content or scrolling. With a 6.78-inch display, the OnePlus 13R has a larger screen than the iPhone 16e, which has a 6.1-inch panel.
A bigger display with a 120Hz refresh rate matters to everyone who scrolls social media feeds on their phones. Also, a bigger display shows more content at once, which can be helpful, especially in multitasking, content viewing, and productivity. Content viewing is worth highlighting because you get a giant-sized notch in the iPhone 16e, which feels odd while watching videos on your phone. The OnePlus 13R’s tiny notch makes the obstruction seem barely noticeable.
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4
Ultrawide camera
Less isn’t always more
You can capture decent-quality photos from the iPhone 16e, but not as great as you’d expect from an iPhone. That’s because the 16e doesn’t have the camera hardware to produce great shots in all conditions. It depends on one camera to take all the photos, unlike the OnePlus 13R, which has a triple camera system, consisting of a main camera, one ultrawide camera, and a Telephoto lens.
The iPhone 16e’s minimal design is commendable, but that shouldn’t have come at the expense of losing features. The back of the iPhone 16e looks clean because it doesn’t have a giant camera bump, which is common in today’s phones, irrespective of the pricing. But it comes with a cost: the missing ultra-wide camera and telephoto lens also mean the iPhone 16e can’t add that level of versatility to the photos.
You might not miss the Telephoto lens as much on the iPhone 16e because of its 2-in-1 48MP Fusion camera, which produces 2x optical-quality telephoto shots. However, you’ll miss the ultra-wide camera on the iPhone 16e, especially if you’re into photography. The OnePlus 13R doesn’t have such a drawback. Thanks to the 8MP ultrawide lens, you can expand the field of view to capture beautiful landscape and group photos.
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3
Android
Android means the freedom to do more
Whether it’s an iPhone or a Mac, buying an Apple product comes with the risk of getting stuck in Apple’s walled garden. For example, an iPhone can integrate well only with a Mac, thanks to the Continuity features. Microsoft’s Phone Link can connect your iPhone to a PC, but it’s not as seamless as with an Android phone. This limitation can push iPhone users toward buying more Apple products to benefit from the company’s highly cohesive ecosystem, which ultimately locks them in.
It wouldn’t have been a problem embracing Apple’s ecosystem had the company made iOS open. While users in the EU region get some respite, thanks to the Digital Market Act, which forced Apple to allow third-party app stores on iOS, the OnePlus 13R lets you install apps without the Google Play Store because of the open nature of Android. Additionally, you can change the look of your home screen using one of the best launchers. While iOS has its advantages, it lags behind Android in customization and flexibility.
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2
More RAM and storage
The more, the better
After being in denial for a long time, Apple upgraded the RAM for its base variant MacBook laptops from 8GB to 16GB. However, the company doesn’t feel the same about iPhones. The most premium iPhone and the cheapest one have 8GB RAM. It isn’t a big deal because of the highly optimized iOS, but having more RAM is beneficial, especially during the rise of AI-driven features. A 12GB RAM in the OnePlus 13R gives you that extra future-proofing cushion.
The 128GB of storage also feels too low for a smartphone. While you can get the higher storage variant or buy an iCloud subscription, that will cost you more. OnePlus 13R doesn’t put you in such a precarious situation, as its base variant rocks double the storage of the iPhone 16e.
1
Pricing
Apple gets the pricing wrong
Pricing helps you decide what phone provides the best value. A high-value phone offers great performance and features at a lower price. The iPhone 16e has its strengths, but it doesn’t feel like a value phone if you compare it with the OnePlus 13R and other top-quality budget Android phones.
The base variant of the OnePlus 13R costs the same as the base model of the iPhone 16e with 128GB of storage. Still, the 16e feels like $100 more than the price of the OnePlus 13R because the latter has more storage in its base model. The iPhone 16e with 256GB of storage costs $700, whereas the base variant of the OnePlus 13R with 256GB storage sets you back $600. The OnePlus 13R offers more features than the iPhone 16e and is priced lower than the iPhone 16e.
OnePlus 13R offers incredible value
The OnePlus 13R can’t beat the iPhone 16e in all departments, but it epitomizes the balance between what to prioritize and what to ignore. From faster charging to an ultrawide camera and a high refresh rate display, the OnePlus 13R offers the popular features that matter to most people while being more affordable than the iPhone 16e. The OnePlus 13R gets many things right and fewer things wrong, certainly fewer than the iPhone 16e, making it the clear winner.
OnePlus 13R
The OnePlus 13 is one of the best budget Android Phones you can buy right now. Beyond that, it outshines the iPhone 16e in multiple areas, including fast charging, display, and capturing landscapes and group photos.
