why we must (absolutely) wait for this smartphone

Announced in China at the start of the year, the OnePlus 10 Pro is about to land in France. During MWC 2022, the Chinese brand formalized its launch before the end of March and that’s good news. Closer than ever to Oppo, OnePlus reassures about its future and knows that it has to pull out all the stops. That’s good, its OnePlus 10 Pro has many assets to interfere in the battle of the very high end.

A neat design

Unless you opt for a folding format, it is quite difficult to surprise in terms of design. We cannot say that the OnePlus 10 Pro creates a rupture; but its design ticks all the boxes of a premium model. Large format (163 x 73.9 x 8.6 mm) with a weight of 200 g, it sports an imposing triple photo module. Arranged in a square, it is more visible than on the Oppo Find X5 Pro and rather brings us closer to that of Samsung’s Galaxy S21 range. This choice is no coincidence and allows the manufacturer to highlight its partnership with the Swedish firm Hasselblad. On the color side, OnePlus will opt for a “volcanic” black and an “emerald forest” green. Note that a white variant called Panda White also exists in China.

If everyone has their opinion on the choices made in terms of design, it is clear that the 10 Pro offers a solid base…well, almost. YouTuber JerryRigEverything pushed the smartphone to its limits during a durability test.

A powerful smartphone

Top of the range with a premium trend, the OnePlus 10 Pro wants to rub shoulders with the best devices on the market. On Android, these rivals will be the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, Google Pixel 6 Pro or Oppo’s Find X5 Pro. At Apple, the iPhone 13 Pro will face a new competitor who does not lack ambition. The large format of the OnePlus 10 Pro can accommodate a 6.7-inch LTPO 2.0 AMOLED panel with a QHD + definition (3,216 × 1,440 pixels). This screen offers adaptive refresh up to 120Hz.

Under the hood, OnePlus offers state-of-the-art components. Qualcomm’s latest chip, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, is backed up by 12GB of RAM (maximum) and 256GB of storage. An Extreme Edition variant can even carry up to 512 GB of RAM. This configuration promises good performance and the brand adds a 5,000 mAh battery, compatible with fast charging at 80 W. SuperVOOC Flash Charge should offer a full wired charge in 32 minutes.

Wireless is not forgotten with AirVOOC 50W charging, for a charge from 1% to 100% in 47 minutes. A high-end proposition for a smartphone launched in 2022.

Photo: the Hasselblad signature

While Oppo has just entered into a multi-year partnership with Hasselblad, OnePlus continues to benefit from the Swedish photo expertise. In terms of features, the 10 Pro leaves nothing to chance with the presence of a triple module including a 48-megapixel wide-angle lens whose lens opens at f / 1.8. In addition to this sensor, OnePlus offers an ultra wide-angle of 50 megapixels (f / 2.4) at 150 ° and an 8 megapixel telephoto lens with x3.3 zoom. Each module can shoot in 10-bit color.

More than the characteristics, the manufacturer claims a neat photo experience. This goes through Hasselblad, which collaborates to guarantee better color reproduction. The smartphone relies on the OnePlus Billion Color solution to bring “Hasselblad’s natural color calibration” to pictures. Added to this is a Hasselblad Pro mode for 12-bit RAW and RAW+ capture support. The video is not outdone with the support of the LOG format or the possibility of adjusting the ISO, the shutter speed and the white balance before and during a shoot.

Finally, a 32-megapixel front camera takes place at the front of the device. It is housed in a punch, located in the upper left corner.

Oxygen OS or Color OS? OnePlus has decided

Since the merger between Oppo and OnePlus, doubts remain about the future of the OxygenOS overlay. OnePlus reassures and confirms to us that its overlay will continue to exist to offer an experience close to Android Stock. This method is valid for terminals launched outside of China while Chinese OnePlus devices will switch to Color OS.

A project for a new unified OS was once mentioned; however, it seems that both brands want to take their time. However, we can think that this common base will help OnePlus in the future, especially with regard to fast charging. Announced by Oppo, the 150 W SuperVOOC fast charge will also make its debut on a OnePlus smartphone. The manufacturer is also working on gaming functions with its HyperBoost Gaming Engine

Price and availability

The OnePlus 10 Pro is ready to enter the arena to take on the best smartphones on the market. It remains to know its price and its date of availability, two elements which have not yet been communicated. However, we know that this smartphone will be launched in March and the official site confirms a “spring launch”.

On the price side, it’s a safe bet that it is around 1,000 euros in our regions. As a reminder, the OnePlus 9 Pro cost 919 euros when it was released.