OnePlus 11R vs Nothing Phone (1): which mid-range offers the best value for money

The Nothing Phone (1) and the OnePlus 11R are two interesting choices for consumers following the official launch of the latter a couple of days ago. Given the former connection Nothing’s founder Carl Pei has with OnePlus, it’s quite natural that the two brands will go on to make models that will be close in terms of their pricing and specifications.

Thanks to the recent release, the OnePlus 11R comes with certain advantages in terms of pure specifications; however, it comes at a higher cost. Then comes the big question of the availability of both models since it greatly impacts decision-making.

The Nothing Phone (1) might have been released last year, but it has improved greatly since then. Almost all the work has gone into the area of the operating system, which has vastly improved the performance. How far will the improvements perform compared to the more economical version of the latest 11th generation of OnePlus? Let’s find out which device offers better value regarding their expected costs and specifications and what the buyers should decide.

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Better software and a relatively lesser price could allow the Nothing Phone (1) to edge out the OnePlus 11R

Modern-day mobile devices are no longer about hardware, as consumers increasingly pay attention to software.

Having great specifications is never enough, as poor software can cause several issues in the short and long run. Let’s first look at what each model offers regarding hardware specifications.

Model	Nothing Phone (1)	OnePlus 11R
Price	$299	INR 39,999 ($480)
Processor	Snapdragon 778G+	Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
RAM	8/12 GB LDDPR 5	8/16 GB LDDPR 5+
Storage	128/256 GB; external goes up to 1 TB	238/256 GB
Camera	50+50 (ultrawide)	50+10(ultrawide)+2(Macro)
Battery	4,500 mAH, 33W fast charging	5,000 mAH, 100W fast charging

The display is one of the major areas where there are noticeable differences. The Nothing Phone (1) is much more compact, with a 6.55” screen size and an FHD OLED panel. The OnePlus 11R gets a larger 6.74” FHD+ AMOLED display with a better pixel density of 450 ppi.

Both displays are fitted with Corning Gorilla Glass 5, which adds to their overall durability. Both displays have a 120 Hz refresh rate, enabled with dynamic settings that adjust automatically.

The processor is another notable difference, and the OnePlus 11R is more powerful. It comes with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, which is only bettered by the Gen 2 chipset.

The new processor is well supported by the 4 nm processor, which is again an improvement over the hardware of the Nothing Phone (1). The latter comes with the Snapdragon 778G+ 6 nm chipset, which is also quite efficient.

OnePlus’ recent release comes with a better Adreno 740 GPU and the ability to opt for 16 GB LDDPR 5 RAM. Something similar can also be done with Nothing’s debut launch, but it’s limited to only eight and 12 GB configurations.

The Nothing Phone (1) comes with two 50 MP lenses. In contrast, the OnePlus 11R has a triple-lens setup, and both use Sony sensors. While the latest model from OnePlus has an upgraded version of the same, the difference won’t be too noticeable.

Finally, the OnePlus 11R has a larger 5,000 mAH battery and 100W fast charging with SuperVOOC; however, one can find no wireless or reverse charging on the first phone model from Nothing.

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Which phone offers better value for money?

As of writing, the price of the OnePlus 11R in the US is not out yet. The Nothing Phone (1) is available as beta in the US, starting at $299. When one analyzes the prices in markets like India, there’s a difference of around INR 10,000 to 12,000 after considering all discounts.

This comes to somewhere between $130 in the final cost, which one must pay for the better hardware. If a similar price difference exists, the Nothing Phone (1) will be a better deal unless someone is a hardcore gamer. This is purely due to the simple fact that the model works in a limited segment with such great features.

Moreover, Nothing Phone (1) has improved its OS, and the device will even get an upgrade to Android 13 soon. The Oxygen OS on the OnePlus 11R has been subject to criticism recently, and many questions have been asked. Its clear advantage lies in the superior hardware, as Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 creates a big difference.

Availability remains a big question for the US market for both devices, which can be problematic for buyers. Nothing has already hinted at a premium phone they’re working on, keeping the US market in mind. If the model launches in 2023, it will make the competition even tighter.