Apple iPhone 17e and (Oppo) OnePlus 13s tie on the OH Rank at a score of 58. Apple iPhone 17e wins on Performance and IP Protection; (Oppo) OnePlus 13s wins on Battery and Screen. (Oppo) OnePlus 13s is 0.2mm wider than Apple iPhone 17e. Apple iPhone 17e is the more recent release, from Mar 11, 2026.
EDITORIAL: Apple used to update it's basic (SE) iPhones every few years but the last year's 16e got it's upgrade just a year later. We will see if this is a beginning of a yearly update cycle - it would make sense if this very modestly equipped $600 phone sells well. 17e comes with a very fast A19 processor and it does great in benchmarks, beating all iPhone 16 models, including 16 Pro Max. It also features the latest iOS version and comes with double the memory for the same price as 16e but this is where the excellence runs out. The rest of the phone is very elementary - same small battery, less-then-a-day endurance, 60Hz Retina display, reliable single lens cameras front and back. This is your cheapest ticket into iPhone world but the plain 17 model is a much better option...
EDITORIAL: (this is a pre-release and pre-test listing based on reasonable expectations of battery endurance and camera performance) This year, OnePlus joins other Chinese makers in adding a mini-flagship. The 13s could be a bulls eye with top processing and battery endurance, very good screen, AF selfie and 4 years of OS updates. Tests should confirm the charging speed (sub-60min expected) and the main + tele lens performance. Unfortunately, this phone is only IP65 (can't be submerged) and the awesome hardware ring-slider is now replaced with a programmable button.
Both phones here were scored by me, using the same ten categories, with no ads, sponsorships, or manufacturer relationships — this comparison is as objective and honest as it gets.