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In this article, we’ll compare two rather affordable smartphones, the Samsung Galaxy A13 (5G) vs OnePlus Nord N20. Both of these smartphones are priced below $300 in the US, and are ideal for those of you on a tight budget. Which one is better, though? Well, that’s what we’re here to find out, kind of. We’re here to find out which one is better for you, as we’ll compare the two phones across a number of categories, so that you can decide.
As per usual, we’ll start by listing the specifications of the two phones, and will then move to a number of other categories. We’ll compare their designs, displays, performance, battery life, cameras, and audio performance. Having said that, let’s kick off the Samsung Galaxy A13 vs OnePlus Nord N20 comparison, shall we?
Specs
| Samsung Galaxy A13 5G | OnePlus Nord N20 5G | |
| Screen size | 6.6-inch fullHD+ LCD display (60Hz) | 6.43-inch fullHD+ AMOLED display (60Hz) |
| Screen resolution | 2408 x 1080 | 2400 x 1080 |
| SoC | Samsung Exynos 850 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G |
| RAM | 3GB/4GB/6GB (LPDDR4X) | 6GB (LPDDR4X) |
| Storage | 32GB/64GB/128GB (eMMC 5.1), expandable | 128GBGB, expandable |
| Rear cameras | 50MP (f/1.8 aperture, wide, PDAF) 5MP (ultrawide, f/2.2 aperture, 123-degree FoV, 1.12um pixel size) 2MP (f/2.4 aperture, macro) 2MP (f/2.4 aperture, depth) |
64MP (f/1.8 aperture, wide, PDAF) 2MP (f/2.4 aperture, macro) 2MP (f/2.4 aperture, depth) |
| Front cameras | 8MP (wide-angle, f/2.2 aperture) | 16MP (f/2.4 aperture, wide) |
| Battery | 5,000mAh, non-removable, 15W wired charging | 4,500mAh, non-removable, 33W wired charging |
| Dimensions | 165.1 x 76.4 x 8.8mm | 159.9 x 73.2 x 7.5mm |
| Weight | 195 grams | 173 grams |
| Connectivity | LTE, NFC, Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C | 5G, LTE, NFC, Bluetooth 5.1, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C |
| Security | Side-facing fingerprint scanner | In-display fingerprint scanner (optical) |
| OS | Android 12 One UI 4.1 |
Android 11 OxygenOS 11 |
| Price | $250 | $282 |
| Buy | Amazon | T-Mobile |
Samsung Galaxy A13 vs OnePlus Nord N20: Design
First and foremost, let’s just say that both of these phones are made out of plastic. That goes for their frame, and backplate. They do not feel cheap, though. The OnePlus Nord N20 does seem more premium to us, based on the design alone, but it doesn’t use more premium materials. The Samsung Galaxy A13 has a waterdrop display notch, and thin bezels. The OnePlus Nord N20 includes a display camera hole in the top-left corner, and also thin bezels. The bottom bezel is thicker than the rest on both devices.
Both of these phones include flat displays, and their rear cameras sit in the top-left corner. Brandings from both companies are present on the back as well. The Galaxy A13 has four cameras on the back, while the OnePlus Nord N20 has three, more on that later. The sides on the OnePlus Nord N20 are flatter than the ones on the Galaxy A13. Therefore, the in-hand feel is considerably different.
The Galaxy A13 does have a larger display, and it’s larger overall. The phone is taller, wider, and thicker than the OnePlus Nord N20, while it’s also heavier. It is actually quite wide, wider than most other phones out there at 76.4mm, compared to 73.2mm of the OnePlus Nord N20. The Nord N20 is definitely easier to use with one hand, if that’s something you care about. Both devices are quite slippery in the hand.
Samsung Galaxy A13 vs OnePlus Nord N20: Display
The Samsung Galaxy A13 features a 6.6-inch fullHD+ (2408 x 1080) LCD display with a 60Hz refresh rate. This display offers a 20:9 aspect ratio, and it is protected by the Gorilla Glass 5. The display is flat, by the way. We’re looking at an 83.2-percent screen-to-body ratio, approximately.
The OnePlus Nord N20, on the other hand, includes a 6.43-inch fullHD+ (2400 x1080) AMOLED display. This display is also flat, and it’s also a 60Hz panel. A 20:9 display aspect ratio is in effect here, in case you were wondering. We’re looking at an 85.3-percent screen-to-body ratio on this device. We’re not sure what display protection OnePlus used on this device, though.
So, which device offers a better display? Well, most people tend to prefer AMOLED panels these days, due to more vivid colors, and lower power consumption. So the OnePlus Nord N20 technically has the upper hand, but both displays are okay. Both offer good viewing angles, and are more than sharp enough. You’ll have to settle for a 60Hz refresh rate on both devices, though.
Samsung Galaxy A13 vs OnePlus Nord N20: Performance
You’ll be glad to hear that both of these phones offer good performance. The Galaxy A13 is fueled by the Exynos 850 SoC, while it comes in 3GB, 4GB, and 6GB RAM variants. We’re not sure how the 3GB and 4GB RAM models perform, though, so keep that in mind. The OnePlus Nord N20, on the other hand, includes the Snapdragon 695 SoC, along with 6GB of RAM.
As already mentioned, both phones offer good performance. When it comes to everyday tasks, both are quite snappy, regardless of whether you’re consuming multimedia, browsing, taking pictures, or something else entirely. The OnePlus Nord N20 should stay that way for longer, at least looking at the hardware side of things, but who knows. Neither device is great for gaming, but both can handle less demanding games like champs. If we had to pick one, the OnePlus Nord N20 is better for that purpose.
You’ll be fine as long as you don’t expect flagship-grade performance out of these phones. Keep in mind that these are budget phones, not gaming machines or anything of the sort. As long as you keep that in mind, you’ll be fine, as both devices really do perform really well in most situations.
Samsung Galaxy A13 vs OnePlus Nord N20: Battery
Is the battery life any good on these? Well, yes, in fact, it’s great. For light(er) usage, both phones can deliver two days of battery life. If you’re pushing these phones a bit more, you’ll get one day’s worth of use. Still, you can really use both devices intensively during the day, and not need to charge them before the end of the day. It is worth noting that the Galaxy A13 may be able to edge out the Nord N20 in the battery life department, but only barely. They’re kind of close in that regard.
Your battery life results will depend on your usage, of course. You may end up getting considerably different battery life results. Gaming, video processing, taking a lot of pictures and video, and other processor-intensive tasks, can drain the battery faster. So, if you’re a truly heavy user, your battery life results will be a lot different, of course.
What about charging? Well, the OnePlus Nord N20 definitely takes the cake in that regard. The phone offers 33W fast wired charging, and it also includes a charger in the box. The Galaxy A13 supports 15W wired charging, and it doesn’t include a charger in the box. The OnePlus Nord N20 not only has noticeably faster charging, but also a smaller battery, which will charge up way faster. Neither phone supports wireless charging.
Samsung Galaxy A13 vs OnePlus Nord N20: Cameras
What about the cameras? Well, the situation is actually quite interesting. Let’s talk about the Galaxy A13 first. It performs well in good lighting, though the processing can be a bit too intense at times. The problem is… low light. The phone doesn’t offer a dedicated night mode, so the darker it gets, the less details you’ll get out of the image. You’ll also get more grain as the darkness creeps in. Ultrawide, macro, and depth cameras are nothing to write home about, and chances are you’ll want to stick to the main 50-megapixel camera.
The OnePlus Nord N20 actually offers a better camera experience overall. It does a really good job in low lighting, though it tends to leave parts of the image brighter than they should be. It doesn’t exactly shine in low light, but it managed to retain more detail than the Galaxy A13, and also keep a better hold of noise in those images. Its macro and depth cameras are not exactly something you’ll use often, though.
So, all things considered, both phones offer solid camera performance at their price tags. When compared to more expensive counterparts, there’s a lot to be desired here. The OnePlus Nord N20 does a better job overall, though, at least based on what we’ve seen.
Audio
When it comes to audio, well, neither phone offers stereo speakers, unfortunately. You do get a single speaker at the bottom, and in both cases, it does a good job. If you’re used on stereo speakers, though, you’ll be disappointed, of course. A single speaker simple can’t replace a proper stereo setup.
Both devices do offer a 3.5mm headphone jack, though. That is not something you get on many more expensive devices, so if you’re used to using a wired connection for your headphones, this is something you’ll appreciate. There’s not much more to say here, the speakers do an okay job, and you can also get a solid sound output if you connect your headphones, whether you do it through a wire or wirelessly.
Do note that the Galaxy A13 supports Bluetooth 5.0, while the OnePlus Nord N20 offers support for Bluetooth 5.1 In case you plan on connecting your headphones wirelessly.