The OnePlus 10 Pro has been announced, with global availability set to be sometime in March. After our OnePlus 9 Pro amazed us as much as we were last year, we’re very excited to see it.
So how might the two pioneering generations differ? Where has OnePlus been able to make improvements?
While we haven’t had a chance to work with the OnePlus 10 Pro yet, we have a comprehensive list of specs and a few official product shots for your reference.
Here’s how we’re seeing the OnePlus succession process right now.
OnePlus 10 Pro and OnePlus 9 Pro: Price and Availability
The OnePlus 10 Pro was announced in mainland China on January 11, 2022. We haven’t heard anything about a global rollout yet, but you can be sure it’s coming before very long.
Pricing starts at CNY 4,699 in China for 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage, which comes out to around $740 / £550 / AU$1,056. Alternatively, you can collect CNY 4,999 ($786 / £586 / AU$1,123) for 8GB / 256GB, or CNY 5,299 ($833 / £621 / AU$1,191) for 12GB from RAM and 256 GB.
Backwards a little less than a year, the OnePlus 9 Pro hit stores on March 30, 2021. Prices started at $969 / £829 for 8GB RAM / 128GB storage, then went up to $1,069 / £929 for a copy 12 GB / 256 GB.
OnePlus 10 Pro and OnePlus 9 Pro: Design
OnePlus doesn’t seem to completely rip off the slick design guide for the OnePlus 10 Pro, but it has made some welcome improvements.
It seems that the main change in the camera module. The square camera module on the OnePlus 10 Pro now appears from the side of the frame in a delightful way. In comparison, the OnePlus 9 Pro unit looks rather boring and by the book.
Other than that, we’re looking at two phones that are fairly similar, with gently curved edges and a distinctive central OnePlus logo around the back.
It’s roughly proportional, with the OnePlus 10 Pro measuring 163 x 73.9 x 8.6mm and the OnePlus 9 Pro measuring 163.2 x 73.6 x 8.7mm. The OnePlus 10 Pro is only a few grams heavier at 200.5g, compared to the OnePlus 9 Pro’s 197g. This difference may be attributed to the newer phone’s larger battery.
It certainly appears to be made of similar materials, with aluminum frames and glass on the front and back. With the OnePlus 10 Pro, the display is covered with Gorilla Glass Victus, which is stronger than the Gorilla Glass 5 of the OnePlus 9 Pro.
Both are IP68 rated, so they can withstand the same degree of water and dust ingress.
Another common point is OnePlus’ signature alert slider, which lets you toggle between silent, vibrate, and loud mode in an instant.
OnePlus 10 Pro and OnePlus 9 Pro: Presentation
There is little difference between the screens of these two phones, at least on paper. Both are 6.7-inch AMOLEDs with QHD+ resolution and 120Hz refresh rates.
While the OnePlus 10 Pro’s display is apparently a new variant of LTPO that can shoot up to 1Hz, it’s worth noting that the OnePlus 9 Pro’s display can also achieve this feat by spraying custom magic.
It’s a dead tie in front-facing max brightness too, with both phones hitting 1,300 nits (albeit far from the leader in their class).
We’ll need to try out the OnePlus 10 Pro before we can come to a conclusion, but an initial check of these specs suggests they’re similar displays. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as the OnePlus 9 Pro had a great screen.
OnePlus 10 Pro and OnePlus 9 Pro: Cameras
Just like with the displays, we don’t see many signs of progress with the OnePlus 10 Pro’s camera setup.
Both phones give you a 48MP f/1.8 wide sensor, an 8MP sensor capable of capturing photos with 3.3x optical zoom, and 50MP ultra-wide. From initial reports, the two previous sensors are exactly the same on both devices.
The main hardware difference here appears to be the ultra-wide sensor, which has a new 150-degree wider angle on the OnePlus 10 Pro. Hopefully, OnePlus won’t spoil the fact that the wide OnePlus 9 Pro was very well-balanced and distortion-free.
Both phones use Hasselblad color tuning, although the OnePlus 10 Pro is presumably taking things a step further. We have to wait and see on this front.
The biggest advances here are likely due to the newer, faster processor used in the OnePlus 10 Pro, as well as any improvements made to image processing algorithms by OnePlus and Hasselblad.
On paper, though, there’s disappointingly little between these two camera systems.
OnePlus 10 Pro and OnePlus 9 Pro: Specifications and Performance
There has been a clear generational progression between the OnePlus 9 Pro and OnePlus 10 Pro when it comes to performance. While the OnePlus 9 Pro used the Snapdragon 888 chip, the OnePlus 10 Pro uses its successor, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1.
It has been suggested that this represents a 20% increase in the performance of the newer phone, although initial reports indicate that the CPU gap may not be entirely apparent. We’ll know for sure once we get the hands-on and benchmark the performance of the OnePlus 10 Pro.
This doesn’t mean this is a huge deal. The OnePlus 9 Pro – and indeed the entire 2021 class – still feels fast and fluid. We expect the OnePlus 10 Pro to feel the same way.
OnePlus has outfitted both phones with 8GB of RAM, and there are 12GB upgrade options either way. In a similar fashion, both phones give you 128GB and 256GB storage options.
Oddly enough, one of the biggest differences could be the software that the OnePlus 10 Pro runs in. OnePlus 9 Pro was one of the last phones to be launched with the company’s OxygenOS UI user interface. Since then, OnePlus has merged with Oppo, and the new OnePlus phones are based on the latest ColorOS.
We still expect OxygenOS to offer a neat API with the OnePlus 10 Pro, but this will be layered on top of the ColorOS core architecture. The Chinese prototype doesn’t even care about the custom UI part of the equation.
It’s a little sad to see the effective end of what used to be one of our favorite Android user interfaces, but hopefully Oppo and OnePlus can keep what we loved about it while adding an extra slap of customization capabilities.
OnePlus 10 Pro and OnePlus 9 Pro: Battery
Perhaps the most significant hardware improvement made in the OnePlus 10 Pro is the provision of a larger 5,000mAh battery. OnePlus 9 Pro had a 4,500mAh cell.
While that still “reliably sees you through a full day on a full charge with typical use,” according to our review, there was definitely room for improvement.
OnePlus also stepped up matters in recharging, although that was one area that didn’t need to be addressed. The OnePlus 9 Pro is equipped with a 65W fast charger, but the OnePlus 10 Pro can squeeze in an 80W charger.
We love OnePlus for continuing to offer the fast charging bricks mentioned in the box, unlike Samsung and Apple. This may go on for a long time.
Both phones support 50W wireless charging via a special charging stand.
away
It’s early, but the OnePlus 10 Pro doesn’t seem to be a huge step forward from the OnePlus 9 Pro. The screen, design, and camera all appear to be quite the same.
There have been advances here and there, like a bigger battery and faster charging, while we absolutely love what OnePlus has done with the new phone’s premium camera module.
But early indications are that this is a safe half-step forward rather than a whole generation leap from OnePlus. Given that the OnePlus 9 Pro was one of our favorite phones of 2021, that might not be a bad thing for many.
We’ll know for sure either way once the OnePlus 10 Pro model lands on our hands. stay tuned