The best OnePlus phones you can buy right now
OnePlus has had tremendous metamorphosis throughout the years, and the same can be said for its approach to manufacturing the phones. The company makes a much larger variety of OnePlus phones nowadays, which can end up a bit confusing for the uninitiated.
But that is exactly why we are here to give you our top picks of the best OnePlus phones right now. There is plenty to choose from, no matter if you are looking for a flagship, mid-ranger, or a budget model, and we have tested all kinds of them throughout the company's evolution.
The best OnePlus phones at a glance:
OnePlus 10T
8.0 OnePlus 10T The Good Sets a new standard for fast charging
Very fast thanks to Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1
16GB RAM option is a sweet overkill
Large, bright display with gorgeous colors The Bad No zoom camera
Overall camera quality not quite on par with the best
Alert slider is gone
USB 2.0 speeds from the port
Who needs a macro camera?
The OnePlus 10T is the latest phone to come out from OnePlus, and it is definitely an odd beast. Of course, the most striking piece of information about this phone is its record-breaking charging speeds, and the technology behind it.
The OnePlus 10T can charge up at a total maximum of 150W! This outrageously high power wattage results in, at least according to our own tests, a charge from 0% to 100% for just 23 minutes. Feel free to read our OnePlus 10T battery and charging article if you want a more detailed look.
Another great upside to the OnePlus 10T is the fact that it comes with the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, which is one of the best chipsets you will currently find in an Android phone. What makes this noteworthy, though, is the fact that it is inside a phone that costs as little as $650 for the base model
OnePlus 10 Pro
8.5 OnePlus 10 Pro The Good Great performance with good thermal management
Gorgeous display
Nice haptics and lovely sound
Premium design
Versatile camera
You get a charger in the box The Bad Sometimes bleak image colors
Color temperature inconsistencies between the different lenses
No auto Night Mode
OnePlus is changing. The brand we all know and love is merging with its parent company Oppo , and the OnePlus 10 is the first phone to bear the fruits of this merger. Apart from some cues taken from Oppo's ColorOS, the OnePlus 10 Pro is your typical flagship killer (albeit the price of OnePlus flagships now refuting this term more or less). The phone comes with s big 6.7-inch screen that's pretty bright and vivid.
There's a top-of-the-line processor onboard - the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, and the camera system has been upgraded, taking some inspiration from the Galaxy S21 series. The charging on this phone is out of this planet - you can charge it from 0 to 100% in 30 minutes, and the battery isn't exactly small with its 5,000mAh capacity. While your regular iPhone charges its 2,500mAh or so battery to 50% in 30 minutes, the OnePlus 10 Pro can charge a battery that's two times bigger twice as fast. Amazing!
The OnePlus 10 Pro is a great flagship phone that bears the banner of change. But it's for the best - Oppo decided to give its subsidiary the best of what Chinese users have already been getting in the past years - world's fastest charging phones with huge batteries, a colorful (pun intended) operating system, top-notch hardware, and a solid camera on the back.
The global release of the OnePlus 10 Pro is pending, so we can't give this phone our "best OnePlus phone" award but once it gets released outside China, it will surely snatch it with ease.
Read More: OnePlus 10 Pro review
OnePlus 9 Pro
9.3 OnePlus 9 Pro The Good Stylish and user-friendly design
Bright, colorful, smooth display
Superb performance
Very fast storage
Great camera performance
Super-quick wired and wireless charging The Bad Battery life is not that good
Lack of some software features
The OnePlus 9 Pro is not only the best OnePlus phone at the moment, it's the one of the best Android phones you can get! You can read our full OnePlus 9 Pro review if you want to delve into details but the final score speaks for itself. The OnePlus 9 Pro is the pinnacle of an evolution that's been going for almost a decade - it's the perfect flagship phone that gave iPhone and Galaxy devices a serious run for their money.
This phone has an excellent camera designed in partnership with Hasselblad, a gorgeous 120 Hz LPTO (1Hz to 120Hz and everything in between) AMOLED screen with a generous 6.7-inch diagonal, chart topping performance and blazing (without the flames, though) fast wired and wireless charging. You can have the phone with either 8 or 12GB of RAM, and 128 or 256GB of native storage, and unsurprisingly the latest Snapdragon 888 chipset powers this technology gem.
Read More: OnePlus 9 Pro review
OnePlus 9
9.0 OnePlus 9 The Good Pretty, functional design, solid build
Beautiful screen
Fast performance
No-nonsense user interface The Bad Camera was a bit of a letdown
Speakers are shrill
The smaller sibling in the OnePlus 9 family packs a serious punch at a bargain price. And while the OnePlus 9 Pro is a pretty expensive phone by all standards, the vanilla OnePlus 9 manages to keep the panage and speed, while at the same time avoiding the eye-watering price. It features a 6.5-inch flat screen with a 20:9 aspect ratio and a resolution of 2400 x 1080. It’s a bright and vivid OLED panel with a 120 Hz refresh rate as a bonus.
The hardware inside is pretty much identical to the one found in the Pro model - you get the Snapdragon 888 chipset, again insanely fast coupled with the light and snappy Oxygen OS. The memory configurations are also the same - either 8 or 12GB of RAM and 128 or 256GB of internal storage. You also get the same 4,500mAh battery and the monstrous fast charging that's able to fill the battery from 0 to 100% in 30 minutes! The hardware inside is pretty much identical to the one found in the Pro model - you get the Snapdragon 888 chipset, again insanely fast coupled with the light and snappy Oxygen OS. The memory configurations are also the same - either 8 or 12GB of RAM and 128 or 256GB of internal storage. You also get the same 4,500mAh battery and the monstrous fast charging that's able to fill the battery from 0 to 100% in 30 minutes!
There are only two cameras on board (no telephoto) - the main snapper is a 48 MP camera and the one above it is a 50 MP ultra-wide camera. They get the job done decently enough, and frankly speaking - people tend to use the wide and ultrawide smartphone cameras most of the time anyway.
Read More: OnePlus 9 review
OnePlus Nord 2T
8.5 OnePlus Nord 2T The Good Affordable price
Incredibly fast charging
Fast performance
Mute switch
Good loudspeaker quality
Great haptic feedback The Bad This is not a flagship camera
Photos have bleak colors
Battery life is just fine, not extraordinary
Display doesn't get as bright as rivals
Ugly camera layout
The OnePlus Nord 2 5G was a great successor to the original Nord series. It came with better performance and a beautiful design while still keeping an affordable price tag, ending up in our Best phones under $400 article.
At the end of May, 2022, we got the next generation, or more like a transition upgrade with the introduction of the OnePlus Nord 2T. As some of you might already know, OnePlus uses "T" the same way Apple used the letter "S" once upon a time. In other words, the letter represents an incremental update over the last generation.
And incremental it is with the Nord 2T. It comes with the same camera hardware and display like its predecessor that, to be frank, are not half bad to begin with. However, competitors like the Galaxy A53 are still arguably better in both of these aspects. And incremental it is with the Nord 2T. It comes with the same camera hardware and display like its predecessor that, to be frank, are not half bad to begin with. However, competitors like the Galaxy A53 are still arguably better in both of these aspects.
The upgrades with the OnePlus Nord 2T over the Nord 2 5G are a faster, more energy efficient chipset (Dimensity 1300) that offers more stability and some improvements in the camera app like better low-light photography and dynamic range while shooting video. Additionally, the base model of the Nord 2T comes with more RAM, 8GB to be exact, as well as faster charging at 80W compared to the 65W on the previous model.
Despite its small upgrades, though, the Nord 2T is still the better phone, so it takes the crown from its predecessor for being the best mid-ranger that OnePlus offers right now.
Read More: OnePlus Nord 2T review
OnePlus Nord N200 5G
8.2 OnePlus Nord N200 5G The Good Gorgeous, lightweight design
Large, clear 90Hz display
Excellent battery life
5G on a budget The Bad Mediocre cameras
Occasional performance hiccups
No mute switch like on more expensive OnePlus phones
OnePlus quickly realized what an enormous success the original Nord was, and this fact led to numerous spin-offs. The company started to venture into the affordable market niche, bringing the OnePlus Nord N200 5G to the world. It's an even more affordable Nord, and even though it's not the best OnePlus phone - quite far from it, this ultra-budget OnePlus device definitely deserves a place in our list.
The price is insane on this model and for a little over $200 you get a great phone. The OnePlus Nord N200 5G brings to the table a sleek design, superb display, and excellent battery life, along with the futureproof 5G connectivity, which at this price point may very well be enough for many people. Plus you get "old-school" features like a 3.5mm audio jack and a microSD card slot. There's nothing wrong with having a budget model for OnePlus fans, right? The price is insane on this model and for a little over $200 you get a great phone. The OnePlus Nord N200 5G brings to the table a sleek design, superb display, and excellent battery life, along with the futureproof 5G connectivity, which at this price point may very well be enough for many people. Plus you get "old-school" features like a 3.5mm audio jack and a microSD card slot. There's nothing wrong with having a budget model for OnePlus fans, right?
Read More: OnePlus Nord N200 5G review
OnePlus 8T
9.0 OnePlus 8T The Good Fastest charging on a mainstream phone
Industry-leading display quality
Great value for the money
Impressively fast and smooth performance
First non-Google phone with Android 11
Dual SIM The Bad Camera still a bit behind the very best
No telephoto zoom lens
Tends to get warm with intense apps and games
No wireless charging
No IP water protection rating
There's nothing wrong with previous-gen models, as you're all about to see for yourselves. The OnePlus 8T is still a great device in 2021, and it's worth every penny. It's positioned somewhat between the vanilla OnePlus 8 and the Pro model, and we're going with the 8T instead of the 8 for many reasons. The 8T has the 120 Hertz fast refresh rate from the flagship 8 Pro, and also features - what was deemed revolutionary back then, and now still quite fine - charging system.
When we reviewed the OnePlus 8T we were incredibly impressed with the screen - it is a 6.5-inch OLED display with a 1080p resolution with the aforementioned 120 Hz refresh rate for buttery smooth scrolling. The device comes equipped with a Snapdragon 865 chipset, coupled with 12GB of RAM. The onboard storage is 256GB and the 65W fast charging we now know and love can charge this baby from 0 to 100% in 32 minutes!
The camera system consists of four separate snappers - two of which are not very useful. There's a macro camera and a monochrome sensor that have quite limited applications but then again, you get two "normal" cameras with decent specs and performance - the main camera uses a 48MP Sony sensor and has OIS, and the ultra-wide does the job too with its 16MP sensor. The OnePlus 8T was competing for the title of best OnePlus phone when it came out, and even now it's a valid option, especially when you factor in the price. The camera system consists of four separate snappers - two of which are not very useful. There's a macro camera and a monochrome sensor that have quite limited applications but then again, you get two "normal" cameras with decent specs and performance - the main camera uses a 48MP Sony sensor and has OIS, and the ultra-wide does the job too with its 16MP sensor. The OnePlus 8T was competing for the title of best OnePlus phone when it came out, and even now it's a valid option, especially when you factor in the price.
Read More: OnePlus 8T review
OnePlus 8 Pro
9.0 OnePlus 8 Pro The Good Fantastic display
Fast, solid performance
OxygenOS is light, adds a few meaningful features and improvements
Great camera performance, 3x telephoto is cool The Bad A bit chunky and heavy
The storage-hungry might want larger options or microSD slot
Speakers are a bit harsh
The OnePlus 8 Pro is the OnePlus flagship that many people thought was too expensive to buy. Now, a year later, things have changed. You can find this phone for as low as $699, and for that kind of money, the OnePlus 8 Pro is a great option.
The OnePlus 8 Pro is a 5G-ready device and comes equipped with a 6.78-inch QHD+ AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate - it's another gem in the OnePlus display family. The phone is powered by a Snapdragon 865 chipset with either 8 or 12GB of RAM, as well as fast storage with either 128 or 256GB of capacity.
The camera system is rather good and one reason to choose this phone over the OnePlus 8T. The main camera has a 48 MP sensor which takes 12 MP photos by default and they look pretty good. The ultra-wide camera also features a 48MP sensor and is calibrated to match the colors of the main snapper - switching between the two is a breeze. There's a dedicated telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom which is great at taking portraits, actually. All in all, the OnePlus 8 Pro is a well-rounded performer that manages to hold its ground even in 2021.
Read More: OnePlus 8 Pro review
OnePlus 7T Pro
9.3 OnePlus 7T Pro The Good Beautiful display
OxygenOS is fast and functional
Launched with Android 10
Versatile camera
Great battery life
Ultra-fast charging The Bad No US availability yet
Macro mode is fun, but the quality of macro photos isn’t great
Here's a blast from the past. The OnePlus 7T Pro was definitely the best OnePlus phone when it first launched, and even though it's not quite there by modern standards, this phone offers something unique - an edge-to-edge display with a pop-up selfie camera. Now, this pop-up camera solution was and still is quite polarizing - people either love it or hate it passionately.
The fact of the matter is that OnePlus phones have always sported great displays and getting one that's not obstructed by a cutout for the selfie camera is worth the trouble. The large, 6.7-inch Optic AMOLED display is a joy to look at thanks to its high resolution and, most of all, its 90Hz refresh rate. The camera system is also decent with three snappers on the back (48MP main camera, 8MP 3x telephoto camera, 16MP ultra wide-angle), and the pop-up selfie cam on the front.
On the hardware side of things, we find a Snapdragon 855+ chipset, which is kinda old now but still offers a stutter-free experience. Memory-wise, the OnePlus 7T Pro is available with either 8 or 12GB of RAM and 256GB of fast UFS 3.0 storage. The price of the OnePlus 7T Pro is really sweet, too. You can get it for midrange money!
Read More: OnePlus 7T Pro review
OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G
8.4 OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G The Good Great display
Surprisingly snappy performance
Ample battery
Super fast charging
SD card slot
3.5mm audio jack
The price
5G connectivity The Bad Plasticky build
Mediocre camera
No IP rating
No wireless charging
The second iteration of the "Core Edition" Nord - the even more budget friendly offering - is here. OnePlus has decided to seriously venture into the low-tier market, and exploit the success of the original Nord. But that's not a bad thing.
The OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G keeps the ingredients that made the Nord so popular in the recipe. A great OLED screen with a 90Hz refresh rate, 5G connectivity, snappy performance, amazing fast charging technology, and even bells and whistles such as a 3.5mm audio jack AND a microSD card slot!
But most importantly, OnePlus has managed to keep one vital ingredient untouched - the price! The phone keeps its 349 euro price tag, and for all the features it has on board it's a great deal. There aren't many phones out there at this price range that will get you such a package - especially the OLED goodness.
Read More: OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G review
Conclusion
So there you have it! These are the best OnePlus phones you can get, but of course, this list is not set in stone, far from it. Things are moving so fast in tech nowadays - manufacturers dish out dozens of new models every year. We're currently waiting for the OnePlus 10 Pro to launch globally, as the Chinese unit was pretty impressive with its charging speeds and camera system. The legitimate successor of the original Nord - the OnePlus Nord 2 is already out, so there's a new "best budget OnePlus phone" crowned king. Check this space regularly and stay tuned for more OnePlus goodness!
Apps on Google Play
Worked great, very simple to use. I was transferring from OnePlus 3t and had no issues. Which is more than I can say when I tried to use Google's tool. One thing to note, and I knew this would be the case, some apps don't transfer dates very well, and even though the app transferred, the data stored for the app did not come over in a manner that the app recognized it. I believe it had to do with the app and not OnePlus switch.
Loren Young more_vert Flag inappropriate
Show review history June 30, 2020
Just started Using the app as I begin to type this review. Was really easy to transfer data from my Oneplus7 Pro to the New Oneplus8 Pro. Had about 20G of data to transfer, and it said 22 min. to get it done. it is on track to get it done in about only 15 min. Was smooth and seamless. Had to update the app on my new device, and then it started, it updated it automatically for me, so that was a plus. Will check it out as it has only about 3GB left now, it is moving right along. This seems much better than going thru google and SMS backup also. I will know when it is done if everything transferred, but from the looks of things it can't get any easier than this. Start on one device, scan the QR code, set the phones down and let them do their thing. Screen starts full power, then dims for the transfer process, but you can still read the data and see the countdown from one device to the other. Everything is transferred now, and it looks like everything made it with no issues. I haven't had the time to check everything, but all the big stuff is definitely there. I will return if it looks like it missed something, but I don't think so. Definitely 5 stars in my book! Keep up the good work Oneplus, and I am looking forward to your Nord devices to release very soon.
OnePlus 10 Pro review: A solid alternative to Samsung and Google
OnePlus has matured a great deal since its inception as a young, scrappy startup. The company, originally founded in 2014, focused on delivering flagship-level Android phones at very competitive price points. That is, up until a few years ago, when it finally succumbed to the market and started producing proper flagship phones for flagship prices.
The OnePlus 10 Pro, OnePlus’s latest in that effort, might be one of its most iterative smartphones to date. With a similar design, set of specs and camera system to last year’s OnePlus 9 Pro, it’s clear that the company isn’t focused on driving many year-over-year upgrades. Instead, it seems that OnePlus wants to simply improve the formula it cooked up with last year’s flagship, which ultimately led to positive reviews and customer feedback.
This year’s OnePlus 10 Pro is very good, but with certain features that didn’t quite meet our expectations, it’s hard to justify recommending this phone over its competitors. But if you’re tired of living in Samsung or Google’s smartphone world, this might be the device for you.
The OnePlus 10 Pro is available now starting at $899, with a number of retailer-exclusive offers. OnePlus is offering a free pair of OnePlus Buds Z2 in top of a $100 trade-in bonus, Amazon is throwing in a free Echo Show 8 with the phone and Best Buy will give you a free $100 gift card. Thinking of taking the plunge? Read on for our full thoughts.
The who, what and how
Who this is for: The OnePlus 10 Pro is a solid smartphone for anyone who wants something different from the likes of Samsung and Google. Its design and software are unique, the camera system is versatile and it’s priced lower than many flagship Android phones.
What you need to know: Compared to other phones, the OnePlus 10 Pro doesn’t really offer anything groundbreaking. Instead, it focuses more on being a good all-rounder rather than appealing to a particular niche. Of course, that still means you’ll get a good phone with a beautiful 6.7-inch AMOLED screen, good performance, decent camera quality and solid battery life (with some of the fastest charging we’ve ever seen).
How it compares: The OnePlus 10 Pro fits right in with the premium designs of its competitors, from Samsung’s Galaxy S22 series to the Google Pixel 6 Pro. It also has the spec sheet to boot, with the high-end Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 that offers competitive performance to the S22 and Pixel 6, as well as a 5,000mAh battery that can last all day. The biggest difference between OnePlus’s phone and similarly priced alternatives is the camera, which still can’t quite keep up with the pack.
A familiar-feeling design
OnePlus 10 Pro Max Buondonno/CNN Underscored
The OnePlus 10 Pro’s rounded corners and seemingly thin bezels are everything you’d expect from a modern Android flagship, perhaps to a fault. By no means is this a bad design, but there’s not a lot that makes it stand out among the dozens of other bezel-less Android phones you can get.
However, if there’s one special feature of the hardware, it’s the awesome Emerald Forest color that our unit came in. It offers the perfect amount of saturation while not being too offensive. There’s also a Volcanic Black model for those who like a more plain-Jane appearance.
The redesign of the camera area on the back of the phone is interesting, to say the least. It’s much larger in size compared to the OnePlus 9 Pro, yet it doesn’t protrude much. It still rocks slightly on a table if you attempt to use it while it lies on your desk, but it’s certainly not as bad as the bump on devices like Samsung’s Galaxy S22 Ultra and Apple’s iPhone 13 Pro.
Like every OnePlus phone that came before it, the OnePlus 10 Pro comes with an alert slider that lets you effortlessly control notifications and whether they make a sound, vibrate or remain silent. It’s by far one of the best qualities of owning a OnePlus given how no other Android manufacturer has duplicated it, and we enjoyed its convenience during our review.
The rest of the OnePlus 10 Pro is in line with other Android flagships, with a USB-C port and SIM tray on the bottom, stereo speakers and volume/power buttons. It uses Gorilla Glass Victus on the front for extra durability, while the older Gorilla Glass 5 is used on the back. OnePlus coated the back with a frosted texture that adds a bit of grip to the device, although it’s certainly not a replacement for a proper case. The frame is made of aluminum and comes with a glossy coating, which doesn’t help in the gripability department.
A solid screen, but it’s not very compact
OnePlus 10 Pro Max Buondonno/CNN Underscored
It’s really hard to find issues with the OnePlus 10 Pro’s display, at least in the quality department. OnePlus uses its signature Fluid AMOLED technology that delivers inky black levels and vibrant, punchy colors. Its 1,300 nits of peak brightness are enough to make viewing the screen effortless in direct sunlight, and the 120Hz refresh rate keeps everything silky-smooth.
The resolution is also plenty sharp. When looking at the phone’s 3216 x 1440 screen, you’ll never notice any individual pixels when interacting with the device. Out of the box, OnePlus sets the screen resolution to 1080p in order to save battery life, so if you want to get the most out of it, crank it up.
There are two areas of contention some users may have with the screen, and one involves the size. OnePlus stuck with the same 6.7-inch form factor as the OnePlus 9 Pro, and while that does give you a spacious canvas to work with, it will do anything but appeal to those who may prefer a smaller phone. Matters get even worse when you consider that OnePlus doesn’t make a smaller version of its latest flagship, so you’ll need to be okay with having a larger-than-average phone.
The other area of contention is the edges. OnePlus decided to slightly curve the left and right sides of the display to mimic thinner bezels, and it certainly looks premium. But when you try to watch a video or play a game, content can easily slip off the edges and get warped in the process. Luckily, the curves aren’t too steep where they’ll become a nuisance, but fans of flat screens won’t be pleased by this design decision.
Solid security and stereo speakers
OnePlus 10 Pro Max Buondonno/CNN Underscored
Under the display, OnePlus includes an optical fingerprint scanner that sits a bit higher than it did on the OnePlus 9 Pro. Performance is solid, with the sensor registering a fingerprint in a very short amount of time. Of course, excess water or sweat still gets in the way, as does any dirt you may have on your hands.
The stereo speakers flanking the screen are also good. OnePlus offers a solid stereo pair with a bottom-firing driver and the earpiece. Songs like “Don’t Think Jesus” by Morgan Wallen sounded open and vibrant, with guitar strums offering great clarity and the deep bass of drum kicks adding depth to the listening experience. While they still aren’t on par with speakers on devices like the iPhone, they aren’t bad by any means.
Performance is underwhelming, and the software doesn’t help
OnePlus 10 Pro Max Buondonno/CNN Underscored
Historically, OnePlus has been known to ship some of the fastest phones you can get. The company has always been on the bleeding edge when it comes to specifications and software optimization. That’s ultimately led to great success for the company, but it appears to be taking a different direction with the OnePlus 10 Pro.
Instead of crushing the competition with gobs of storage, RAM and processing power, OnePlus has taken a more conservative approach with the OnePlus 10 Pro in the US. The device ships with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor (the same one found in other devices like Samsung’ Galaxy S22 series), 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. The company said it plans to bring a version with more RAM and storage Stateside at some point in the future.
Regardless, the phone delivers reliably good performance. It managed to handle every task we threw at it, whether it be juggling productivity apps, playing heavy games like Asphalt 9 or editing photos on the go with Adobe Lightroom. It also stayed nice and cool thanks to OnePlus’s new five-layer 3D Passive Cooling System, ensuring the CPU doesn’t overheat and begin throttling.
But while its day-to-day performance was impressive, it struggles in certain areas compared to beefier devices like the iPhone 13 Pro and Galaxy S22 Ultra. Switching between apps was particularly slower, as was loading heavier applications like games and Adobe Lightroom.
The difference in performance is especially evident when you compare Geekbench 5 scores. The OnePlus 10 Pro lags behind both the iPhone and Galaxy in terms of processing power, with a relatively large gap between the three devices’ scores.
OnePlus 10 Pro Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Apple iPhone 13 Pro Single-core score 987 1199 1716 Multi-core score 3264 3467 4651
However, what we found interesting about the device’s performance was the software. OnePlus’s OxygenOS has been widely regarded as one of the best versions of Android you can get on a smartphone with its slick animations, general tidiness and excellent optimization. With the OnePlus 10 Pro, there seems to be less of all that. Apps don’t open as quickly as previous OnePlus phones we’ve tested, animations take longer to load and the entire OS feels more cluttered than ever.
The stock launcher, for example, feels more like a low-grade third-party launcher from the Google Play Store rather than a lightweight stock launcher like on previous phones. The notification shade feels laggy and far from instantaneous to reveal. The UI also feels a lot heavier with more custom iconography, colors, shapes and transparency effects.
This is not the same OxygenOS many users have fallen in love with over the past few years. Instead, it’s much more bloated and falls in line with the vision behind ColorOS, Oppo’s take on Android that is generally geared toward alternative markets. This is likely because ColorOS and OxygenOS now share the same codebase, meaning they’re built on the same general system. The two operating systems were even going to merge at one point before OnePlus decided to call it off.
If you crave a lightweight version of Android 12 on your next phone, the OnePlus 10 Pro probably isn’t for you.
A camera that perfectly qualifies as “good enough”
OnePlus 10 Pro Max Buondonno/CNN Underscored
OnePlus has never been at the top of the market in terms of camera quality. Competitors like Apple, Samsung and Google have regularly outperformed them while OnePlus tries to catch up. Over the past couple of years, we’ve seen OnePlus partner with Hasselblad to better optimize the way pictures and videos are processed while also delivering a unique shooting experience. The result is a second-generation system that still can’t top its competitors, but is generally very good.
The main 48MP f/1.8 sensor does a good job at capturing detail in most well-lit scenarios, while colors are vibrant and contrasts aren’t overdone. ISO and white balance are supposed to be notably improved with the OnePlus 10 Pro, but things generally felt a little too washed-out for our liking. The same thing can be said for the 50MP f/2.2 ultra-wide camera which boasts an impressive 150-degree field of view, as well as the 8MP f/2.4 3.3x telephoto lens.
Max Buondonno/CNN
Compared to other phones, it’s easy to tell the OnePlus 10 Pro can’t keep up. The iPhone 13 Pro produces much more lifelike photographs with better color reproduction and processing balance, while the Galaxy S22 Ultra can zoom in much further thanks to its 100x Space Zoom feature. Even Google’s Pixel 6 Pro wins in comparison thanks to better contrasts and a more-even white balance distribution.
OnePlus says its night mode is improved with the OnePlus 10 Pro, but we found it difficult to imagine that photographs taken while using it would impress anyone. The entire scene generally feels too bright and almost overexposed, to the point where the camera doesn’t want to acknowledge that it’s dark. This leaves photos feeling unnatural and far too processed for our taste. Devices like the iPhone 13 Pro and Pixel 6 Pro do a far better job at capturing photos like this.
Max Buondonno/CNN
Luckily, OnePlus’s improved Pro shooting mode can help get a better shot regardless of your conditions. Every tool you could imagine from ISO adjustment to focus peaking can be found here. The phone also supports capturing images with 10-bit color for a more vibrant image on supported devices.
The new RAW+ shooting format is similar to Apple’s ProRAW and Samsung’s Expert RAW in which it combines the extra detail and control you have over a RAW image with the processing of a standard JPEG image. The result is a photo that’s ready for sharing right after you tap the shutter button, but can be easily manipulated in your favorite photo editing app as well. We found this feature to be particularly useful since you can apply much finer edits compared to a standard photo.
Max Buondonno/CNN
Video quality is very sub-par, especially for a flagship phone. Artifacting (aka strange rectangles around subjects in your videos) is prevalent in almost every scenario, colors are a bit too saturated and white balance is far from perfect. OnePlus gives you the option of shooting in 8K, but given the fact the camera crops in when switching to the mode and 8K screens are far from mainstream, there’s not much reason to use it.
OnePlus 10 Pro Max Buondonno/CNN Underscored
Overall, there’s nothing impressive about the OnePlus 10 Pro’s camera system. Don’t let the Hasselblad jargon fool you — these cameras just barely qualify as being “good enough” for a flagship phone. That’s disappointing to see from a company that’s slacked behind the competition for so long.
A battery that lasts all day and charges incredibly fast
OnePlus 10 Pro Max Buondonno/CNN Underscored
The OnePlus 10 Pro offers a 5,000mAh battery that’s big enough to last all day. During our testing, we noticed that we had about 25% to 30% left in the tank after a full 16-hour day filled with mixed usage consisting of taking photos, checking email, endlessly scrolling social media and jotting down reminders.
It’s worth noting that while it’s capable of lasting a full day, it’s by no means equipped to last more than that. If you want to stretch it any longer, you’ll have to ratchet down the screen resolution, turn on battery saver mode and use dark mode. That’s not a recipe for a great experience, so if you’re interested in buying this device, keep in mind that it’s only good for a single day on a full charge.
Fortunately, getting back to a full charge takes no time at all. We drained the OnePlus 10 Pro until it shut down, then plugged it into the wall using the included charge. It managed to get back to 100% in just 38 minutes.
That’s all thanks to OnePlus’s 65W SuperVooc fast charging system. It uses a special wall adapter and USB-C cable to recharge the battery, which is split into two cells to maximize efficiency. Overseas, OnePlus includes even faster 80W wired charging, but we can assure you 65W is plenty fast for most people.
OnePlus also includes 50W fast wireless charging on the OnePlus 10 Pro, although we weren’t able to test that. You can also use reverse wireless charging to charge accessories such as earbuds. In our testing, it worked well, although the charging process was pretty slow.
What’s up with 5G?
The 5G conversation regarding the OnePlus 10 Pro is confusing, to say the least.
In the US, the device isn’t getting millimeter-Wave (or “mmWave”) 5G, meaning you won’t be able to use the crazy-fast speeds advertised by carriers. That’s not much of an issue, of course, since mmWave connections are extremely hard to come by.
What’s more of an issue is sub-6Ghz, the 5G spectrum that’s widely available across the country. The OnePlus 10 Pro only supports 5G on T-Mobile and Verizon, whereas AT&T customers (and anyone who uses a carrier that relies on AT&T’s network) are out of luck due to compatibility disputes between the companies.
Having 5G on your phone is good for future-proofing if you plan to hold onto it for a number of years, so if that’s important to you, you’ll either want to be on T-Mobile or consider switching.
Bottom line
OnePlus 10 Pro Max Buondonno/CNN Underscored
The OnePlus 10 Pro is a solid alternative to other popular smartphones with its premium design, solid performance, good battery life and charging speed and decent camera system.
However, the device isn’t without its shortcomings. You can get a much better camera from Samsung, Google or Apple for around the same amount of money. Performance, while decent, isn’t on par with our picks for the best phones. And if you want something more compact, this phone isn’t for you.
At $899, the OnePlus 10 Pro is certainly priced appropriately. Anything more and we would have to advise against purchasing it. However, at that price point, it’s worth considering if you want something different from your next smartphone. Just know that in the process, you’ll have to give up certain qualities that could be deal breakers.
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