OnePlus 10 Pro long-term review

Conclusion

The OnePlus 10 Pro is very far removed from the OnePlus One, which launched back in 2014. Right? Well, it is, and it isn't. While the new phone comes with all the modern bells and whistles, most of the general things one can say about it are eerily similar to what was said about the OnePlus One all those years ago. Let's give it a try: what we have here is a device that focuses on performance, is incredibly fast and smooth in operation, has okay but not groundbreaking battery life, and the cameras aren't as good as the phone's positioning would have you believe. See? The OnePlus formula is practically unchanged in its general ambitions.

Okay, we know there are a ton of caveats and nuances here, so let's go through them. The OnePlus One was priced like a mid-ranger, and the 10 Pro most definitely isn't. But the fact remains that while this device wipes the floor with a Galaxy S22 or S22+ in sheer speed and especially smoothness, the Samsungs still win the camera game, no matter what the Hasselblad branding may have you believe.

The point here is that the OnePlus formula has been improved over the years, but it's still pretty similar to what it's always been, albeit at a much different price point. Speaking of improvements, the screen on the 10 Pro is extremely high quality and among the most accurate out there, even if it doesn't get as bright as its competitors.

The experience of using the phone is silky smooth, performance is on point, and battery life is good and should adequately provide a day's use for all but the most extreme power users. OxygenOS 12.1 may just be ColorOS 12.1 underneath, but OnePlus has added its own coat of paint and features that improve usability. It's also been an almost bug-free ride for us across two software versions, and we're hoping that stays the same in the future. Security update cadence seems to be twice as slow as Google and Samsung, which is obviously worse but not bad enough that it would need extensive calling out (looking at you, Xiaomi).

The cameras are good, don't get us wrong, we were just expecting a bit more in the second year of the Hasselblad partnership. That still seems to be more of a marketing stunt than any real co-development going on, Huawei and Leica style. And it's a shame because there are definitely areas where OnePlus' processing could improve, and we're assuming Hasselblad would be able to lend a hand. Maybe that's coming for the OnePlus 11 Pro, but as it is, we'd definitely not recommend anyone go and buy the 10 Pro just based on the co-branding.

Looks wise, this is a very 2022 phone, but it even manages to stand out if you consider the unique and somewhat polarizing design of the camera island on the rear. Everywhere else, it's definitely a safe design, but one that works, and handling is great unless you have small hands.

So, essentially, what the OnePlus 10 Pro brings to the table is a stellar performance, extreme smoothness, a controversial (for some) but perfectly adequate for most software experience, good battery life, and cameras that, while good, aren't among the best out there.

While the OnePlus 10 Pro is the most expensive OnePlus you can buy, competing brands do have even steeper priced offerings, and yes, those generally beat the 10 Pro when it comes to camera quality, but you are literally paying for that with their higher price tags. If you're fine with not sporting the best smartphone cameras in your pocket, care a lot about performance and smoothness, don't mind a 'less pure' skin on top of Android than OxygenOS used to be, and don't need to extract ten hours of screen on time during a day of use from the battery, then this OnePlus could be for you. There aren't any glaring problems with it, and it's a very good phone overall, just not the best at any specific thing aside from smoothness.