The 10 Pro represents OnePlus as an adult. With true flagship specifications and costs to match, last year’s 9 and 9 Pro made it very evident that the era of the scrappy upstart competitor was over.
This year, OnePlus has refined its idea of a real flagship phone to compete with the major manufacturers, and the end result is a smart, stylish product. It’s not simply a less expensive flagship; it’s a genuine rival to Samsung and Google with a distinct personality.
Not that OnePlus has completely bridged the gap between itself and the major Android brands. The $899 10 Pro price is more reasonable than the $1,069 9 Pro from the previous year. (A less expensive version existed, but it was never released in the US.) However, there are compelling reasons to choose the Pixel 6 Pro or the $999 Galaxy S22 Plus over the 10 Pro for the same price. One area where OnePlus needs to make up ground on its rivals is the camera department. Additionally, unlike Google or Samsung, which promise five years of support following launch, OnePlus does not offer software security upgrades for as long.
The OnePlus 10 Pro has a 6.7-inch screen, making it undoubtedly a large phone. It has a 1440p LTPO OLED display with slightly curved long edges. Its 20:9 aspect ratio is somewhat taller than the displays on the S22 Plus and Pixel 6 Pro, and its top refresh rate of 120Hz is the same as theirs. When comparing the displays side by side, I can see that the Galaxy S22 Plus’ display doesn’t get quite as dazzlingly bright in the presence of direct sunshine, but it still has enough brightness to be used comfortably even outside.
Gorilla Glass Victus and Gorilla Glass 5 are both present on the front and rear panels of the 10 Pro, which also has an aluminum frame. It seems fantastic that OnePlus imitated Samsung and incorporated the metallic camera bump housing into the side rails of the phone. Even though they are plagiarizing someone else’s work, it is at least being done by a bright student in the class.
The carrier version of the phone, which is only offered by T-Mobile in the US, has an IP68 classification, but the unlocked version does not. This is something that OnePlus is doing once more. According to OnePlus, there is no difference in the build quality between the unlocked phone and the model sold by T-Mobile. Use that information however you see fit.
Depending on the smartphone you’re comparing it to, the physical size differences between the 10 Pro and any other large premium Android phone are negligible—just a few millimeters in any direction. Despite this, it feels slightly more streamlined and manageable, in part because of the taller screen. Compared to the Pixel 6 Pro, which gets clumsier to hold the longer I use it, this is easier for me to use. In comparison to the slow fingerprint scanner on the Pixel, the in-display optical fingerprint sensor on the 10 Pro is quick and responsive. Even for this little phone enthusiast, it’s a pleasant phone to hold and use overall.
The in-display optical fingerprint sensor on the 10 Pro responds quickly.
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 is the best Qualcomm chipset this year and it powers the OnePlus 10 Pro. The 128GB model with 8GB of RAM will be the only one offered in North America at launch; OnePlus says its 256GB model with 12GB of RAM will become available in the US at a later time. These specifications provide more than enough processing power for regular workloads. Although I occasionally experienced stutters while performing more demanding tasks, such as playing Genshin Impact, overall, this is a quick device that offers performance on par with flagship models.
The 10 Pro supports 5G connection, much like every other 2022 flagship phone. For the vast majority of people, the fact that 5G only operates at sub-6GHz rather than at ultrafast millimeter wave (mmWave) is not a concern. Full low- and mid-band 5G compatibility is available on T-Mobile, Verizon, and starting in September 2022, AT&T 5G as well. Although AT&T 4G was the only network supported by the OnePlus 9 and 10 Pro at launch, it’s better late than never that 5G compatibility is now available.
Throughout my testing of this phone, I never once wished that it would charge more quickly
More good news about the battery is that the OnePlus 10 Pro supports fast charging and comes with a fast charger. That is unquestionably not available with a Samsung or Google phone. The phone can charge at up to 80W in some regions while only supporting 65W in the US. OnePlus claims that this only affects the total amount of time it takes to charge the phone by two minutes, but in reality, 65W is very quick — it takes just over 30 minutes to charge the battery from empty to full. I never once wished that this phone would charge more quickly while I was trying it.
All of this means that, unless you spend a lot of time gaming or streaming video, you probably won’t need to recharge the 10 Pro in the middle of the day. However, you won’t have to shell out an additional $30 to $50 for a fast charger if you do need to top the battery off because you can do it quickly.
Given that the Pixel 6 Pro is so close by, it is difficult to suggest this phone
It’s unfortunate that the OnePlus can’t quite compete with the best in camera quality and long-term software support for someone buying a premium Android phone in 2022. However, there is also a likeability factor. That might even be more crucial than getting better portrait mode shots, depending on your priorities. The new OnePlus still needs some development, but it is able to create likable devices that stand out from the crowd.
