Vivo X21 vs Honor 10 vs OnePlus 6: mid-range flagships that take things up a notch

“Which one should you pick between the Vivo X21, Honor 10 and OnePlus 6? We find out”

The Indian smartphone market is now home to a variety of powerful, yet affordable smartphones. First, there was the Honor 10 (review) which made a splash with its exquisite looks and a strong list of specifications. Then came the OnePlus 6 (review) which, in keeping with the company’s standards, offered flagship-grade hardware at an incredibly attractive price. And now, Vivo has launched its new X21 (review) which is headlined by an in-display fingerprint scanner that allows it to have a truly bezel-less front. If you have a budget that hovers around Rs 35,000, you’ll most definitely be torn between these three devices. We’re here to clear out your confusion by giving you a detailed comparison between them.

Design and display

If you haven’t been convinced about the fact that the notch is here to stay, you’ll definitely concede after looking at these three handsets. There’s just no escaping it these days. Anyway, each of these smartphones has attractive looks, but the Honor 10 wins with its shiny aurora glass design on the rear surface. This is made possible by the brilliant colour choice made by Honor, which is accentuated by the glass coating. Both the other phones are also well designed, but they don’t exude the kind of exuberance that the Honor 10 does.

The Vivo X21’s highlight is of course its under-display fingerprint scanner which although slightly slower than those on the other two devices, is quite an innovation. It’s also the first commercially-available device in the world to boast such a feature. While all of them are sturdy handsets, waterproofing is an attribute none of them can flaunt. The OnePlus 6 can survive rain though, but cannot be dunked in the pool. These three devices grab bottom-firing single speakers and headphones jacks. The advantage that the Vivo phone has is its Hi-Fi DAC which provides better audio through headphones. However, it features a micro-USB port, while the other two phones have gone for the Type-C standard.

Lastly, if you’re a fan of the alert slider on OnePlus handsets, you’ll be relieved to know that the 6 has retained it. The Vivo X21 kicks in a 6.28-inch 19:9 panel with a 1,080 x 22,80 pixel resolution. It’s a pleasant surprise to see that the brand has opted for a Super AMOLED panel on this device. The OnePlus 6 also adopts an AMOLED panel which is modified a bit to give it the company’s Optic AMOLED branding. This one’s also a 6.28-inch 19:9 panel with a 1,080 x 2,280 pixel resolution. A slightly smaller display has gone onboard the Honor 10, with its 5.84-inch size. Maintaining a ratio of 19:9, this IPS LCD panel offers a resolution of 1,080 x 2,280 pixels.

Hardware and software

The Vivo X21 adopts an octa-core Snapdragon 660 processor. This chipset goes head to head with the Honor 10’s octa core Kirin 970 SoC, but it’s miles away from what the OnePlus 6’s powerful Snapdragon 845 processor has on offer. Vivo equips its handset with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage which is expandable via its hybrid SIM slot. The Honor 10 on the other hand, is being sold in India with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. The OnePlus 6 can be bought in the form of a 6GB RAM variant which comes with 64GB of storage, or an 8GB RAM variant which allows 128GB of space. A limited Avengers edition of the phone is also sold in India, with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. The Honor and OnePlus devices do not feature microSD card slots.

The Vivo X21 runs the familiar Funtouch OS 4.0 that’s based on Android 8.1 Oreo, and features gesture navigation. Its camera app uses AI to identify beauty spots on your faces, to improve HDR and to add backlight to photographs. The AI-based Dual Pixel tech enables the rear camera setup to deliver better photos in dark and low-light conditions. The Honor 10’s AI implementation features scenario recognition which adjusts the settings to suit the pictures. For selfies, there are several lighting effects to take advantage of moreover. This phone runs EMUI 8.1 which is based on Android 8.1 Oreo.

The OnePlus 6, of course, comes with the latest version of Oxygen OS that too is based on Android 8.1 Oreo. This software is still the winner for its minimalistic interface and extremely useful modifications to stock Android. It comes with an updated Gaming Mode and a video editor this time around. Navigation gestures are present on this handset as well. One thing that’s common for all three of these phones is the presence of their very own face unlock technologies. Lastly, the Vivo X21 and the OnePlus 6 are eligible for the Android P beta, which is a big plus for developers.

Camera and battery

The Vivo X21’s dual camera setup includes a 12MP f/1.8 primary camera and a 5MP f/2.4 secondary one. This helps it deliver some really neat portrait shots. The Dual Pixel PDAF technology moreover, helps it deliver great low light shots. The 12MP f/2.0 front camera on this phone clicks decent selfies. The Honor 10 grabs a 16MP f/1.8 main sensor and a 24MP monochrome unit. This camera excels at offering sharp and colour accurate photographs, while its portrait mode is also something worth appreciating. Its front camera features a whopping 24MP sensor, and coupled with its various AI features, this one will be loved by selfie enthusiasts.

But the OnePlus 6 definitely takes the cake with its camera setup. Its rear surface houses a 16MP f/1.7 sensor that’s aided by a combination of EIS and OIS, and a 20MP f/1.7 secondar4y sensor. 4K videos are captured by this phone at 60fps, while slow-motion video clips can be shot on 480fps at 720p. The front camera of this phone houses a 16MP f/2.0 sensor which benefits from EIS. Despite shunning metal bodies, none of these phones offer wireless charging.

The Vivo X21 grabs a 3,200mAh battery which supports fast charging. A 3,400mAh battery goes inside the Honor 10, which also features fast charging capabilities. The OnePlus 6 goes for a 3,300mAh battery that’s aided by its Dash Charge functionality. This is the world’s fastest phone charging technology at the moment and makes it almost surreal to own a device that can get juiced up so fast.

Conclusion

Among three of these similarly-priced handsets, the OnePlus 6 is the clear winner. It’s a complete phone that provides excellent value for money. Go for the Honor 10 if you’re a fan of clicking selfies and the Vivo X21 if you adore its under-display fingerprint scanner. Otherwise, sticking to the OnePlus 6 seems to be a good choice.

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