iPhone SE vs OnePlus Nord vs Pixel 4a: battle of the heavy lite-weights

The iPhone SE (2020), the OnePlus Nord and the Google Pixel 4a. Three amazing phones. All released during the pandemic in a world that was largely shut down. Each of them is considered to be a scaled-down, more affordable version of a more powerful original. Each of them represents a mid-segment or middle ground for those who find the originals a little too expensive. I mean: If you want a good iPhone but are on a tight budget, the iPhone SE is a great option. If you love OnePlus, but find its more recent offerings out of your budget ever since they went totally north of Rs 30,000, go for the OnePlus Nord. If you have a thing for Google’s Pixel range but have always found it crazy expensive, rejoice, the most affordable Pixel ever (in India) is here, the Pixel 4a.

Their prices might differ – the OnePlus Nord starts at Rs 24,999, the Pixel 4a at Rs 29,999 and the iPhone SE at Rs 39,999, but if you want a slightly more affordable avatar of a premium device, these are perhaps the best options you have out there. The lite versions of heavyweights, so to speak. And each of them is a super performer in its own right. And represents a different school of mobile phone thought. So which one should you be going for? Let’s try and figure out.

Design and appearance: Compact, retro and futuristic

When it comes to design, all three phones follow different philosophies. The iPhone SE (2020) is basically the iPhone 8 with a slightly differently placed logo on the back, and is remarkably compact with glass on the front and back and comes in black, white and product red. The OnePlus Nord, on the other hand, is perhaps the most flashily designed of the three phones and comes with a glass front and pack with a very interesting blue marble that can make it stand out, apart from grey onyx and grey ash shades.