While it may have started as a scrappy little company, OnePlus has come a long way from its early days. Upon its inception in 2014, the company aimed to offer Android smartphones with flagship-level specifications at cheap prices. To be more precise, this was the case until recently, when it gave in to market pressure and began making genuine flagship phones at actual flagship pricing.
The company’s newest smartphone, the OnePlus 10 Pro, is a prime example of this trend. When compared to last year’s OnePlus 9 Pro, which had an almost identical design, set of specifications, and camera system, it’s evident that the brand isn’t very interested in driving many year-over-year advancements. As an alternative, it appears that OnePlus only wants to build upon the recipe it used to create last year’s flagship device, which was met with widespread acclaim from critics and consumers alike.
(image courtesy of OnePlus.com)
Although this year’s OnePlus 10 Pro is excellent overall, it’s difficult to recommend it over other flagship smartphones because of several features that fell short of our expectations. However, this gadget might be a welcome change if you’re sick of Samsung and Google’s smartphone ecosystems.
The OnePlus 10 Pro is officially on sale for an opening price of $899, depending on the retailer. In addition to the $100 trade-in incentive, OnePlus is providing a free set of OnePlus Buds Z2, Amazon is including a free Echo Show 8, and Best Buy is offering a free $100 gift card with the purchase of a new phone. Are you considering making the leap? Continue reading for our full review.
General information
If you’re looking for a smartphone that’s a little bit unique and different from Samsung and Google, the OnePlus 10 Pro is a good option. It’s software and hardware are both creative, and it has a flexible camera system and a cheaper price tag than many other top Android devices.
The OnePlus 10 Pro is not particularly innovative when compared to other smartphones. Its primary goal is to please a broad audience rather than cater to any specific segment. A stunning 6.7-inch AMOLED display, strong performance, good cameras, and extended battery longevity (featuring arguably one of the quickest charging we’ve ever seen) are all still included in this package.
The luxury design of the OnePlus 10 Pro is on par with its rivals, such as the Samsung Galaxy S22 series and the Google Pixel 6 Pro. It also features an impressive list of technical specifications, including a long-lasting 5,000mAh battery and a high-end Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor that can keep up with devices like the S22 and Pixel 6. The camera on the OnePlus phone is the main differentiator from others in the same price range.
OnePlus 10 Pro design
With its rounded corners and deceptively small bezels, the OnePlus 10 Pro is a contemporary Android flagship in every sense of the word. It’s not a terrible design, but there isn’t much here that sets it apart from the many other bezel-less Android phones on the market.
If there is anything unique about its hardware, it is the fantastic Emerald Forest color we reviewed. It’s highly saturated without becoming overbearing. There is also a Volcanic Black option for those who want a more elegant look.
(image courtesy of OnePlus.com)
The rear camera placement has been rethought, and the results are intriguing. It’s bulkier than the OnePlus 9 Pro but doesn’t stick out too far. While the bump on smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra and the Apple iPhone 13 Pro is annoying, using the OnePlus 10 Pro while it’s lying flat on a desk is just slightly moving.
The OnePlus 10 Pro, like previous OnePlus phones, includes an alert slider for quickly adjusting the volume, vibration, and silence of incoming notifications. We found this to be one of the most valuable features of the OnePlus throughout our testing, and we have seen no other Android manufacturer match it.
With a USB-C connector and SIM tray on the bottom, dual speakers, and volume/power buttons, the OnePlus 10 Pro is on par with other Android flagships in the rest of its design. For maximum durability, it features Gorilla Glass Victus up front, while the back has the tried-and-true Gorilla Glass 5. The rear of the OnePlus 5T has a frosted texture coating that improves grip. Yet, it is no substitute for a protective cover. The glossy finish on the metal frame doesn’t assist with gripability because it makes the material slippery.
OnePlus 10 Pro screen
If you’re looking for a high-quality smartphone display, the OnePlus 10 Pro is hard to beat. The Fluid AMOLED technology that OnePlus is known for produces deep blacks and bright, vivid colors. With a maximum brightness of 1,300 nits and a refresh rate of 120 Hz, using the screen outside is a breeze, even in bright daylight.
In addition, the resolution is excellent. Despite the phone’s screen resolution of 3216 x 1440, you won’t be able to distinguish individual pixels when using the gadget. OnePlus defaults the screen resolution at 1080p to conserve battery life. Still, it would be best to turn it to the maximum setting to see everything the screen offers.
Size and color quality are two potential friction points for consumers. While the OnePlus 9 Pro’s identical 6.7-inch display size is excellent for creatives, it won’t win over those who want a more compact handset. You’ll need to be content with a larger-than-average phone because OnePlus doesn’t provide a smaller version of its newest flagship.
The edges are also a source of disagreement. To provide the impression of even slimmer bezels, OnePlus rounded off the left and right borders of the screen. Content can easily fall off the edges and get distorted when trying to view a movie or play a game. The curves aren’t too severe to be an annoyance, which is good news. Still, the design probably won’t win over enthusiasts of flat panels.
OnePlus 10 Pro camera
Regarding camera quality, the OnePlus has never been a frontrunner. Apple, Samsung, and Google are just a few companies that have routinely outpaced OnePlus, which is working hard to close the gap. OnePlus has worked with Hasselblad over the past few years to improve the quality of its cameras and the processing of still images and video. This has led to a second-generation engine that isn’t quite as excellent as the best in its category but is still extremely good overall.
Detail is captured adequately by the primary 48MP f/1.8 sensor in most well-lit situations. At the same time, colors pop, and contrast is kept in check. Although the OnePlus 10 Pro has supposedly vastly improved ISO and white balance, the results were largely underwhelming. The 8MP f/2.4 3.3x telephoto lens and the 50MP f/2.2 ultra-wide camera, which offers a stunning 150-degree field of view, share these characteristics.
(image courtesy of OnePlus.com)
It’s evident that the OnePlus 10 Pro lags behind competing phones when put side by side. While the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s 100x Space Zoom function allows for far closer shots, the iPhone 13 Pro’s improved color accuracy and processing balance allow for much more lifelike photos. When comparing phones, even Google’s Pixel 6 Pro comes out on top because of its improved contrast and white balance.
While OnePlus claims that the OnePlus 10 Pro’s night mode is an improvement, we were not too impressed with the results. In general, the image appears overexposed, with the camera seemingly refusing to register the presence of darkness. The result is a sense that the photographs have been overly manipulated and don’t feel genuine.
The good news is that you can improve your photos in any lighting with OnePlus’s new Pro shooting mode. From an ISO slider to a focus peaking tool, you’ll find everything here. On compatible devices, the phone can also take photos with 10-bit color, resulting in a more vivid picture.
(image courtesy of OnePlus.com)
Similar to Apple’s ProRAW and Samsung’s Expert RAW, the new RAW+ shooting format combines a RAW image’s enhanced clarity and control with the simplified post-capture processing of a JPEG. After pressing the shutter button, the resulting image is ready to be shared immediately and may be edited quickly in your preferred program. This is a tremendous improvement over regular photos, allowing for more precise adjustments.
For a flagship device, the video quality is quite lacking. Your videos consistently suffer from artifacts (irregular black and white shapes appearing around the objects), oversaturated colors, and poor white balance. Even though OnePlus’s camera lets you shoot in 8K, there’s not much use because 8K TVs are still in their infancy and crop in when switched to the mode.
Nothing about the camera setup on the OnePlus 10 Pro stands out as particularly impressive. Despite the Hasselblad terminology, these cameras are scarcely “good enough” for a flagship phone. This isn’t very comforting to see coming from a brand that has lagged far behind the market for a long time.
OnePlus 10 Pro performance
OnePlus phones have consistently been some of the quickest available. In terms of technical standards and software optimization, the brand has always been at the forefront of the industry. In the end, it paid off, but with the OnePlus 10 Pro, the business seems to be moving in a new direction.
The OnePlus 10 Pro in the United States is a step backward for the company since it does not match or exceed its competitors’ storage capacity, RAM, or processing power. It has a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 CPU, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage, all of which are also in handsets like Samsung’s Galaxy S22 series. The business hopes to deliver a model with more significant memory and storage space to American soil one day.
No matter the situation, the phone’s performance is consistent and great. It could multitask between work apps, run demanding games like Asphalt 9, and edit images in Adobe Lightroom while on the road without a hitch. OnePlus’s unique five-layer 3D Passive Cooling System kept it from overheating and throttling when processing tasks were too taxing for the processor.
(image courtesy of OnePlus.com)
On a day-to-day basis, however, it fell short of expectations, especially compared to more powerful smartphones such as the iPhone 13 Pro and the Galaxy S22 Ultra. The loading times for games and image editing software like Adobe Lightroom were long.
When comparing Geekbench 5 scores, the performance gap becomes quite glaring. There is a sizable difference between the OnePlus 10 Pro and the iPhone and Galaxy regarding processing power.
We were particularly impressed by the device’s software and ability to optimize its performance. With its smooth animations, overall simplicity, and superb optimization, OnePlus’ OxygenOS has been heralded as one of the best implementations of Android available on a smartphone. It would appear that all of that has been reduced with the OnePlus 10 Pro. The OS feels more bloated than ever, app launches are slower, and visuals take time to load compared to prior OnePlus phones we’ve tested.
Compared to lighter default launchers on prior phones, the one included here feels more like a low-quality third-party app from the Google Play Store. The notification shade appears sluggish and takes a long time to appear. The UI has much more customized iconography, colors, shapes, and transparency effects, giving it a more bloated feel.
Many people have become attached to OxygenOS over the previous few years, but this version is fundamentally different. Instead, it is bloated and conforms to the philosophy of ColorOS, which is Oppo’s take on Android and is typically designed with different markets in mind. Since ColorOS and OxygenOS are now based on the same underlying technology, this is to be expected. At one time, OnePlus was planning to combine the two OSes but ultimately scrapped the idea.
(image courtesy of OnePlus.com)
The OnePlus 10 Pro is not for you if you want a streamlined version of Android 12.
OnePlus 10 Pro battery
The 5,000mAh battery found in the OnePlus 10 Pro ensures that your device will survive all day. After 16 hours of varied usage, including snapping photographs, checking email, continuously reading social media, and taking notes, we found that roughly 25% to 30% of the battery life remained.
Although it can survive a day, it is not designed to do so and is unlikely to do so in practice. To get more time out of it, you’ll need to lower the screen’s resolution, activate battery saver mode, and switch to night mode. That’s hardly a formula for fun, so if you’re considering buying this gadget, know that a full charge will only last you a day.
(image courtesy of OnePlus.com)
The good news is that it doesn’t take long to return to a full charge. We discharged the battery of the OnePlus 10 Pro until it turned off, and then we connected it to the outlet using the charger that came with it. In only 38 minutes, it was able to come back to its original 100%.
The 65W SuperVooc rapid charging technology that OnePlus uses is responsible for all this. The battery is divided into two cells for maximum efficiency. It is charged through a dedicated wall adapter and USB-C connection. Even while OnePlus offers 80W cable charging in some international markets, we think most customers will be satisfied with the 65W option.
Unfortunately, we could not test the OnePlus 10 Pro’s 50W rapid wireless charging. You may charge accessories like earphones via reverse wireless charging as well. Our tests showed that it functioned as expected but with a sluggish charging time.
OnePlus 10 Pro’s other features
When it comes to the OnePlus 10 Pro and 5G, the discussion is, to put it mildly, perplexing.
Unfortunately, the gadget is not compatible with millimeter-Wave (or “mmWave”) 5G networks in the United States, so you won’t be able to take advantage of the carriers’ claimed lightning-fast download rates. Because mmWave connections are so rare, this isn’t a problem either.
Sub-6Ghz, the widely available 5G spectrum, is where problems emerge. T-Mobile and Verizon users can use the OnePlus 10 Pro with 5G; however, AT&T customers (and anybody else who uses a provider that depends on AT&T’s network) are really out of luck.
You should be on T-Mobile or seriously consider making the transition if having access to 5G on your device is vital, especially if you want to keep it for several years.
OnePlus has included an optical fingerprint reader below the screen, which is elevated slightly from its position on the OnePlus 9 Pro. The sensor has a quick response time and works as advertised, detecting fingerprints quickly. The presence of excessive water or sweat, as well as any dirt on your hands, will continue to be a challenge.
Additionally, the left and right stereo speakers are of high quality. OnePlus’s bottom-firing driver and earpiece provide for a reliable audio pair. Pearl Jam’s “Garden” was one example of a track that sounded spacious and full, with clear guitar strums and a full, resonant bottom from the drums. They aren’t as good as the speakers on the iPhone, but they’re not terrible, either.
Final thoughts
Suppose you’re looking for an affordable alternative to the latest and greatest flagship smartphones. In that case, the OnePlus 10 Pro is a great choice.
Nonetheless, the gadget is not without flaws. If you’re looking for a good camera, consider spending the same amount on a Samsung, Google, or Apple model instead. The performance is adequate, but it pales compared to the best smartphones we’ve tested. Also, this is not the right phone for you if you want anything smaller.
The OnePlus 10 Pro’s pricing of $899 is right on the money, and we couldn’t recommend purchasing the product if the price is higher. Still, if you’re looking for something a little bit different in your next smartphone and can afford it, it’s something to think about. Just know that you may have to let go of small details that are important to you.
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