That OnePlus has marketed its phones as “flagship killers” since the company was founded is no secret. With the OnePlus 6, the Chinese OEM took it upon itself to make the fastest and smoothest Android phone, going as far as adopting the mantra of “The Speed You Need.” Judging by the phone’s reviews, OnePlus does seem to have accomplished what it set out to do, and the OnePlus 6 is being called the fastest Android smartphone yet. And, like previous OnePlus phones, you get flagship-level hardware at a much lower price than flagships from big-name manufacturers like Samsung, making the OnePlus 6 one of the most value-for-money smartphones out there today.
For Samsung, the competition from Chinese manufacturers usually comes in the budget category as far as prices are concerned. But when it comes to the OnePlus 6, the Korean giant will see its Galaxy A series phones being the biggest targets given the proximity of their price tags with the OnePlus offering. And with OnePlus primarily an online player, it’s no surprise Samsung has taken to the internet to tell people why they should get the Galaxy A8+ instead of the OnePlus 6.
Samsung says you deserve ‘more than just speed’
On YouTube, Samsung has a short new ad for the Galaxy A8+ that rips on the “speed you need” catchphrase of the OnePlus 6. As you can see in the image below, the company is touting features such as actual IP-rated water and dust resistance, Samsung Pay, a Super AMOLED display, and “Bixby Intelligence” to support the “more than just speed” tagline accompanying the phone. And, frankly, it’s a pretty good way to market your phone’s strengths to take the fight to a newly introduced competitor, even if the reasons listed by Samsung are not all that useful or better than what the OnePlus 6 is offering.
First, let’s talk about Bixby Intelligence. Without a dedicated Bixby button, the Galaxy A8+ isn’t a great example of how Samsung’s virtual assistant makes the consumer’s life better. The OnePlus 6 does get access to Google Assistant, and one can argue that without Bixby’s voice controls, the Galaxy A8+ isn’t really going to be all that smarter in terms of artificial intelligence.
Then there’s the Super AMOLED display. The Galaxy A8+ doesn’t have the notch seen on the OnePlus 6, but the latter does still have an AMOLED display. And, according to OnePlus, its “Optic AMOLED” display is a Super AMOLED display that’s tuned a bit differently. While the Super AMOLED displays on Samsung’s flagship phones would win a display competition every single time, its mid-range phones don’t exactly get the same quality AMOLED panels. As a result, it’s not exactly fair to call it an advantage for the A8+ compared to the OnePlus 6.
The Galaxy A8+ does hold its own
But the A8+ takes the lead when you take Samsung Pay and IP68 water resistance into account. Samsung Pay single-handedly makes many Samsung smartphones unique from the competition, and the convenience it offers is unmatched and will probably remain so in the foreseeable future. Water resistance is also where the A8+ does it better. The OnePlus 6 is being called weatherproof without an actual Ingress Protection (IP) rating, and its maker says you shouldn’t be taking the phone for a swim. Samsung doesn’t have to apply such conditions to the Galaxy A8+. So, despite being a mid-range device, the A8+ is officially equipped to handle splashes in water and unfettered use out in the rain.
At the end of the day, the OnePlus 6 is going to do extremely well based on the fact that it’s got a killer price for what is A-grade hardware. But Samsung’s Galaxy A8+ ad makes a good case for why it may be the better choice for some. It’s priced a bit lower than the OnePlus 6 as well, and with features like Samsung Pay and top-class water and dust resistance and a wholesome display with no notch, the A8+ holds its own despite being outmatched in the numbers game. Did we mention the A8+ also has a fast processor, unlike previous A series phones? It sure does, and you can see in our review why it’s close to Samsung’s own flagships in some regards.