Samsung's Galaxy S20 series suffered slow sales immediately after its launch, but that's to be expected in the midst of a global pandemic. There is little demand for phones costing more than $1,000 right now. But there is more bad news for Samsung, and that is the rise of emerging smartphone maker OnePlus. [Both the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro are $300 cheaper than the Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S20 Plus. And shoppers may be willing to take a chance on this once obscure brand as it becomes more favored by carriers.

The new $699 OnePlus 8 is not only $300 cheaper than the regular Galaxy S20, it also has a larger display and longer battery life. What's more, the OnePlus 8 is now available on T-Mobile and, for the first time, Verizon; OnePlus is gaining serious momentum as a brand.

The $999 Samsung Galaxy S20 has several advantages over the OnePlus 8, including availability on all major US carriers, a better camera, and wireless charging. The S20 also has a display refresh rate of 120 Hz, faster than the OnePlus' 90 Hz. However, the S20 is not $300 better than the OnePlus 8.

In fact, OnePlus could be an alternative to the $699 iPhone 11. This is because it offers 5G support and a better OLED display for the same price as Apple's phone. We won't see a 5G iPhone until the iPhone 12 arrives this fall.

The $899 OnePlus 8 Pro is even worse news for Samsung, as the OnePlus 8 Pro vs Galaxy S20 Plus showdown shows. Again, OnePlus is $300 cheaper than Samsung, and thanks to its superior design, display, and battery life, OnePlus wins the overall comparison. The OnePlus 8 Pro also has the fastest wireless charging ever.

Again, the Galaxy S20 Plus has several advantages. The camera system is generally excellent, and only Samsung's handsets support both sub-6GHz and millimeter wave 5G networks; the OnePlus 8 Pro only gets slower network speeds below 6GHz. But now that the OnePlus 8 Pro is available, we put the Galaxy S20 Plus at the top of our best phones list. Simply because it is a better value.

The only downside to the OnePlus 8 Pro is that it must be purchased unlocked and is not sold through carriers (at least for now). The good news is that for the first time, a OnePlus phone will be sold through Amazon.

In other words, Samsung is clearly put on the defensive by the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro. What will Samsung do in response?A few days after the debut of the OnePlus 8, Samsung finally decided to release the Galaxy S10 Lite. First of all, this is no beer. Second, there is no "Lite" in the $650 price tag.

The S10 Lite has a few things going for it, including a large 6.55-inch OLED display and three rear cameras (including an ultrawide shooter). But it also harbors last year's Snapdragon 855 processor and plastic design; why pay $50 more for the more premium OnePlus 8, with its Snapdragon 865 CPU, smoother 90Hz display, and glass and metal body Wouldn't it?

It was a rhetorical question.

Don't get me wrong. There are three great models in the Galaxy S20 lineup, and Samsung also has solid, low-priced A-series models, including the $499 Galaxy A51 5G. But it's clear that OnePlus is outpacing Samsung in terms of buzz, exerting the type of pressure that LG, ZTE, Sony, and other Android rivals have failed to do.

If all US carriers are wise, they will take up the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro. But even if they don't, Samsung should take this threat seriously, as OnePlus is aiming for Android's crown.