The OnePlus 10 Pro is fresh on the scene after having been launched just a few days ago on the 31st March 2022. I’ve been trying it out over the past few weeks to find out if all the hype was worth it. To cut a long story short, it was.
A flagship handset with a big screen, this will likely be the best phone for a lot of people because it combines up to date features and the latest hardware with a slightly less painful pricetag than elsewhere.
It’s got big shoes to fill because the OnePlus 9 Pro was one of the best Android phones last year. It was their first device that benefited from a partnership with camera maker Hasselblad, and the result was OnePlus’ most advanced camera system to date. That sat alongside powerful performance, fast charging and a slick user interface.
Luckily, the OnePlus 10 Pro didn’t disappoint. While it’s not completely perfect, it’s not that far off either and it’d be very hard not to recommend it.
Starting from $899 in the US and £799 in the UK, its launch price is slightly cheaper than other Pro-level handsets from big-name smartphone makers like Samsung, Apple and Google which immediately made me sit up and pay attention. That in itself will make this an attractive choice for a lot of people including myself.
Outside of that, there’s a lot more good to say about this phone. Starting from the design, which has had a bit of a refresh. It looks a lot more grown-up than any of the OnePlus phones that have come before it, swapping a glossy glass back for a shimmering matte glass back, and switching the matching camera module for a sleek ceramic black notch.
You can buy it in one of two colours: Volcanic Black or Emerald Forest. Both look smart and both come with a matching silicone case included in the box.
If you’re after a big screen then that’s exactly what you’ll get here and it’s a beauty. At 6.7-inches, it might be a little too big for some people but it gives you plenty of room for just about any task, be that mobile games, streaming TV shows or sending messages.
The QHD+ display has a resolution of 3216 × 1440p with a huge 10-bit colour depth which means it’ll be able to display up to 10 billion colours! What that means is a vibrant screen that looks fantastic, especially for video. And it has a super-smooth 120Hz refresh rate so it feels just as lovely to use.
The big, bright screen is really good for composing shots on the three-lens rear camera system as well. You’ll get some good point-and-shoot photos on the camera with plenty of detail and a good amount of contrast - it’s OnePlus’ most advanced camera system yet. Truth be told, it’s not as good as on the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. In comparison, it can be a bit hit and miss, but when it works well, it is excellent.
You’ll even be future-proofed because the rear camera system can snap 10-bit photography, and while right now not many screens can display that, they soon will and you’ll be ready!
Also very convincing is the hardware. Packing the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, the OnePlus 10 Pro guarantees plenty of power. The performance is pretty much on par with a lot of other flagship devices like the Oppo Find X5 Pro and is actually better than some others, like the Google Pixel 6 Pro. I really enjoyed using the phone because it was fast and efficient, I didn’t see a loading wheel at any point and I'm always going to be thankful for that.
But it’s the charging capabilities that will make the most difference day-to-day in my opinion. It only takes half an hour to recharge it from empty to 100% using the included 80W charger. You can easily leave it to the last minute and still get a full day’s charge, for me that’s a huge perk because I’m always forgetting to charge my phone until just before I need to leave the house.
Admittedly, the actual battery life is less impressive. It’s not bad but it won’t match up to some other flagships lasting just over a day but no longer than that, especially if like me, you spend a shameful amount of time on your phone. That’s about the only significant downside I have to note though because this is otherwise an excellent piece of kit.
All of these things combined add up to a very accomplished smartphone. Even though it’s not quite as impressive as the most expensive flagships on the market, it still managed to win me over because it works very well, it looks great and it’s not quite as expensive as some of the other high-end options.
Pre-order your OnePlus 10 Pro from the OnePlus Store [US]
Pre-order your OnePlus 10 Pro from the OnePlus Store [UK]
Just can't wait? Take a look at the best deals on last year's OnePlus 9 Pro in the widget below.
