OnePlus has always struggled to strike a balance between the enthusiast group and the general public. On the one hand, the company’s shaky origins have resulted in an intriguing heroic narrative. On the other hand, the business has strayed from many of the features that made its smartphones so popular. In the last year, we’ve watched the OnePlus move closer to OPPO, and many people were concerned that the OnePlus we’d known and loved might go. The OnePlus 10 Pro, on the other hand, makes it apparent that the firm isn’t done yet.
The issue with most of OnePlus’ marketing has been that its “Never Settle” credo has made it all too simple to convert it into a type of criticism against the brand. When purchasing a OnePlus device, we’ve had to “settle” in one area of the smartphone experience nearly every year. But this time, it’s more difficult than ever to say where especially at the price. Starting at $899, this is actually less expensive than last year’s OnePlus 9 Pro at launch, but there aren’t many places where you can claim a downgrade.
Essentially, the OnePlus 10 Pro establishes OnePlus as a premium smartphone brand worth your consideration. Furthermore, and perhaps somewhat controversially, the ColorOS codebase merging was one of the nicest things that could have happened to OnePlus smartphones in years. To take it a step further, Tech Enthusiasts wish that OnePlus and OPPO had gone forward with the unified OS since it would have saved development time while also assuring better stability.
However, if you’re considering purchasing a OnePlus 10 Pro, I’d be cautious of the reasons why. This does not feel like a OnePlus 10 Pro; rather, it feels like a OnePlus 9T Pro. The SoC operates similarly out of the box, the wide-angle camera is a downgrade, and the somewhat quicker charging is really worse when you consider that the time to charge is about the same and you receive an inferior charger. There are upgrades, but they are minor, and you should consider if the OnePlus 10 Pro is worth the extra $100 over the OnePlus 9 Pro. This is why it reminds us of a mid-cycle “T” upgrade that OnePlus used to do for its flagships — and had the designs been similar, the OnePlus 10 Pro could totally pass off as a OnePlus 9T Pro.
OnePlus 10 Pro: Specifications
Build
Aluminum mid-frame, Glass back
Dimensions & Weight 163 x 73.9 x 8.55 mm
Display
6.7-inch QHD+ 120Hz Fluid AMOLED
Second-gen LTPO calibration: 1Hz to 120Hz
SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
RAM & Storage
Up to 12GB LPDDR5 RAM
Up to 256GB UFS 3.1 storage
Battery & Charging
5,000 mAh
80W SuperVOOC wired fast charging (limited to 65W in North America)
50W AirVOOC wireless fast charging
Reverse wireless charging support
Security In-display fingerprint sensor
Rear Camera(s)
Primary: 48MP, Sony IMX789
Secondary: 50MP, Ultra-wide angle, Samsung S5KJN1SQ03, 150° FoV
Tertiary: 8MP, OmniVision OV08A19
Front Camera(s) 32MP, Sony IMX615
Port(s) USB Type-C 3.1
Audio Dual Stereo Speakers
Connectivity
NFC
Bluetooth 5.2
Software
China: ColorOS 12.1 based on Android 12
Global: OxygenOS 12.1 based on Android 12
Other Features
Alert Slider
X-axis Linear Motor
The OnePlus 10 Pro is noticeably different from the company’s previous product releases, thanks in large part to the redesigned camera design on the rear. When viewed from the front, the phone looks virtually indistinguishable from any other. However, when viewed from the rear, the tale is much different. It’s squared-off from the edge to accommodate three cameras and curves outward to the device’s body rather than cutting off abruptly. The Hasselblad logo is boldly carved on the camera island’s side.
Although, on that indistinguishable front, the gadget features a 6.7-inch 120Hz LTPO AMOLED display, which is quite comparable to the OnePlus 9 Pro. It is, however, a second-generation LTPO, which OnePlus claims can go as low as 1Hz. It looks excellent and shines brightly outside, being visible even in full sunshine owing to its maximum brightness of 1300 nits.
The phone’s top includes a speaker grille that serves as both an earpiece and a secondary speaker, however, it isn’t as powerful as the bottom-firing speaker. They do, however, have a terrific sound and may grow rather loud.
The phone is thick and somewhat heavy to hold in hand, though OxygenOS 12.1’s one-handed mode helps out when trying to use the phone with one hand. The back isn’t a fingerprint magnet at all, and it has a slight matte feeling so it’s not slippery either.
