OnePlus 10 Professional Overview: Instances They Are a-Changin'

OnePlus has undergone a number of change since we first met the model as a plucky upstart all these years in the past. Having been partially folded into sister firm Oppo over the previous 18 months or so, the telephones that OnePlus is now releasing exist in a really completely different context to the corporate’s early handsets and the brand new OnePlus 10 Professional embodies this shift completely.

Whereas an preliminary January launch in China gave us our first style of what a OnePlus flagship in 2022 seems to be like, the cellphone’s newer growth into new markets globally actually highlights the enduring affect of the model’s passionate fandom, whereas reflecting the change that the corporate goes by internally, .

With no commonplace OnePlus 10 (and solely rumours of a OnePlus 10 Extremely), the 10 Professional is presently the one top-tier OnePlus purpose-built to tackle rivals from Samsung, Apple and past. However does it ship?

Design & construct

Surprisingly light-weight
OnePlus’ signature bodily alert slider
No IP-certified mud or water resistance

For all of the technical prowess, efficiency and innovation final yr’s OnePlus 9 Professional touted, it got here packaged in an uncharacteristically bland design for the model. This yr, OnePlus’ design workforce has veered in a wildly completely different course, with the OnePlus 10 Professional’s type punctuated by a daring new digital camera housing that is inconceivable to overlook and in contrast to something the corporate’s served updated.

In a design that clearly takes inspiration from entries like Samsung’s Galaxy S21 Extremely, the 10 Professional’s digital camera system is the very first thing your eyes are drawn to; a sizeable, daring association that curves in from the cellphone’s edge and extends previous the mid-point of its again, housing 4 broadly spaced out round components (consisting of three digital camera sensors and a dual-LED ring-shaped flash).

The sensors (and flash) are set inside an expansive mirror-polished steel encompass that, though mixing geometrically, presents up a contrasting look that is (maybe deliberately) at odds with the remainder of the cellphone’s end and color palette. It is a design selection that helps the OnePlus 10 Professional stand out towards the competitors whereas additionally implying the importance of the cellphone’s upgraded Hasselblad-branded digital camera system.

Past this assertion piece, the 10 Professional serves up a textured glass again that is nice at repelling fingerprints, surrounded by a skinny, colour-matched steel body whose polished end presents a pleasant distinction each in really feel and look.

Whereas Chinese language followers even have entry to an ‘Excessive Version’ that gives an unique Ceramic White end, elsewhere on the earth you may doubtless encounter the 10 Professional in certainly one of two colourways: Volcanic Black (which seems like a visible nod to the unique OnePlus One’s Sandstone end) or Emerald Forest (inexperienced).

Whereas not true in all places, your selection of color additionally impacts the RAM and storage choices you possibly can count on below the hood (e.g. within the UK, the upper RAM mannequin is solely obtainable in Emerald Forest). One thing we have seen from OnePlus earlier than.

The rounded Gorilla Glass 5 again and (barely much less) curved edges of the Gorilla Glass Victus entrance make for a cushty hand really feel, in a design that is pleasingly skinny at 8.55mm and deceptively gentle (regardless of technically weighing 200.5g); contemplating the sizeable battery onboard.

The glass meets at that aforementioned aluminium body, which includes a USB-C port alongside its backside edge, in addition to an influence key, quantity keys and the corporate’s signature knurled three-stage bodily alert slider; virtually unseen outdoors of choose OnePlus’ mid-rangers and flagships and a pleasant further tactile element.

Whereas OnePlus paid for its final two generations of flagships to bear IP68-certification towards mud and water ingress, the 10 Professional seems to be as if it is forgone that individual testing and as such, does not include the identical lab-tested assurances.

Even, so there are indicators that the cellphone remains to be constructed to face up to the identical challenges, with a well-recognized crimson rubber gasket across the SIM tray and (as confirmed by unbiased teardowns) related therapies across the bodily buttons and different components.

As such, do not go throwing your 10 Professional within the sink however know that for those who do, it doubtless will not end in instantaneous demise.

Show & audio

Very good viewing expertise
LTPO 2.zero expertise for higher energy effectivity
PIN and sample enter awkwardly excessive on display

At first look, the show provided up by the 10 Professional appears similar to its predecessor – a 6.7in 120Hz Quad HD+ AMOLED panel with help for 10-bit color depth, HDR10+ and a cited 1300nit peak brightness, however the ante has, the truth is, been upped.

The 10 Professional’s panel truly shares extra in frequent with Realme’s current GT 2 Professional flagship, specifically in the usage of LTPO 2.zero show expertise, which suggests the panel’s variable refresh price can truly quickly scale proper right down to 1Hz, leading to larger energy effectivity.

In addition to providing an ideal common viewing expertise – with pleasing colors, deep blacks and respectable outside visibility – OnePlus has additionally gone above and past with color calibration, guaranteeing the 10 Professional’s panel is designed to indicate correct colors at two discreet brightnesses (100nits and 500nits), whereas most rivals solely adhere to calibration at a single brightness stage.

Talking of brightness, the cellphone’s AI-supported auto-brightness could be educated to your particular tastes by adjusting the slider nearer to your most well-liked values; based mostly on elements just like the app in use and the time of day. Usually, it adjusts to a cushty worth for the situation however I did spend time coaching it to go dimmer in low gentle environments, which it began to understand throughout the assessment interval.

There are a bunch of customisation choices tied to the viewing expertise too, with completely different color area profiles (together with a Professional mode), display temperature management, pure tone performance (which adjusts color temperature relative to ambient gentle), a watch consolation mode, picture and video enhancers, and the choice to alter each decision and refresh price.

The show defaults to Full HD+ decision however could be set to Quad HD+ or dynamic, whereas refresh price can both be mounted to 60Hz or set to dynamic mode, with that 120Hz most.

These acquainted with the OnePlus 9 Professional’s oddly low-slung in-display fingerprint sensor will admire its migration northwards on the 10 Professional; sitting way more naturally within the backside third of the show space, permitting for extra comfy use.

This optical sensor (in addition to the RGB-based face unlock) is impressively snappy, nevertheless, by shifting the fingerprint reader space up, OnePlus has seemingly needed to transfer the PIN/sample enter to the higher half of the show too; making for an ergonomically awkward expertise.

Quite a few different telephones, like Google’s Pixel 6 line, do not appear to undergo from this concern, that means PIN enter and fingerprint sensor can occupy the identical space of pixels for higher consolation and comfort.

Dolby Atmos-certified audio system supply audible stereo separation, however the respective treble/bass bias between the earpiece speaker and the down-firing grille makes for an unbalanced headphone-free sonic expertise.

OnePlus launched a brand new Radiant Silver colourway of OnePlus Buds Professional alongside the 10 Professional’s world launch, clearly hoping to push potential patrons in direction of choosing up the brand new Buds as their go-to audio answer, particularly as there is not any headphone jack on-device and no 3.5mm USB-C adapter in-box to talk of.

Software program & options

Clear person expertise with nice personalisation
ColorOS 12.1 in China, OxygenOS 12.1 globally
Three years OS updates, Four years safety updates
Nice haptic suggestions

OnePlus’ OxygenOS person expertise has been one of many firm’s product’s best strengths and standout options; an Android pores and skin providing fluidity and ease in a approach that basically appears to resonate with customers.

With this in thoughts, when the corporate advised that OxygenOS could be fusing with Oppo’s ColorOS as a part of its OnePlus 2.zero initiative final September, followers have been understandably uneasy in regards to the transfer.

Group suggestions, nevertheless, pushed OnePlus to stroll again this determination, leading to ColorOS and OxygenOS nonetheless working on a newly-unified codebase (making for a neater replace roadmap throughout each platforms), whereas nonetheless retaining every’s individuality on their respective model’s units.

OxygenOS 12.1 because it seems on the 10 Professional (working atop Android 12) is, as anticipated, clear and characterful.

At any time when a ‘1’ seems within the clock widget, it is rendered within the model’s signature crimson, you may have management over fast settings and app icon shapes, the UI color palette, the fingerprint sensor animation and extra. You even have the choice to make use of OnePlus Sans instead of Android’s native Roboto font, which helps give the person expertise a refreshingly distinctive appear and feel, system-wide.

Haptics have been improved too, with an x-axis motor that is reportedly 40% stronger than earlier entries, making for extra exact and tactile interplay.

Enduring extras just like the Perception lock display and The Shelf (a house in your widgets that retains the house screens clear), have been joined by new inclusions like Work Life Steadiness, letting you filter notifications based mostly on schedule, app and even account.

The one caveat to the expertise provided up by The Shelf is that it is solely accessible by means of a swipe down from the highest proper nook of the display, an space I am used to interacting with with a view to entry the notifications and fast settings shade. Its unique dwelling – to the facet of the first dwelling display – was deserted in 2020, however for those who’re like me this small tweak comes with a much bigger studying curve than anticipated.

The OnePlus 10 Professional additionally advantages from the identical dedication to software program updates that the corporate made in mid-2021, that means three years of OS updates and 4 years of safety patches. In no way industry-leading however doubtless sufficient to final most customers by to their subsequent improve.

Specs & efficiency

4nm Snapdragon Eight Gen 1 chipset
As much as 12GB RAM (LPDDR5)
As much as 512GB storage (UFS 3.1)
Elective high-performance mode, RAM Enhance and HyperBoost Gaming Engine

OnePlus flagships all the time goal to supply the most effective {hardware} within the enterprise and the OnePlus 10 Professional isn’t any exception, with the cellphone powered by the most recent Snapdragon Eight Gen 1 chipset and sporting a baseline 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM (with a most 12GB RAM additionally obtainable), paired to both 128GB or 256GB of quick UFS 3.1 storage globally and as much as 512GB on the China-exclusive Excessive Version.

The 10 Professional is, as anticipated, an ideal real-world performer, with OxygenOS and that 120Hz refresh price working in live performance to supply up a clean, snappy, responsive person expertise, in addition to quick app load instances.

Synthetic benchmarks spotlight the relative consistency in CPU efficiency seen time once more when evaluating the Eight Gen 1 to final yr’s Snapdragon 888, whereas GPU efficiency pulls forward; solely actually falling behind the AMD RDNA 2-capable GPU inside Samsung’s Exynos 2200 (powering this yr’s Galaxy S22 collection, in choose markets).

When you’re feeling that efficiency remains to be in some way missing, OnePlus has additionally carried out a devoted high-performance mode (hidden away within the superior battery settings menu) that gives much more grunt on the expense of battery life (I solely used this throughout benchmarking to realize the very best scores the cellphone was able to), whereas a RAM Enhance function can be on-hand to leverage the cellphone’s speedy storage as further digital reminiscence, designed to assist with multitasking and the like.

The cellphone dealt with demanding video games comfortably, supported by a ‘3D passive cooling system’ that resulted in negligible warmth build-up, even after prolonged classes. The caveat to the gaming expertise is that – equally to the Realme GT 2 Professional – even video games which might be recognized to help 120fps gameplay remained capped at 60fps on the OnePlus 10 Professional, even when manually choosing increased refresh charges and enabling Excessive Efficiency Mode within the battery settings.

There’s additionally a Professional Gaming launcher that gives an in-game overlay to handle issues like notifications and brightness independently of the cellphone’s wider settings, in addition to permitting for real-time efficiency monitoring of RAM, GPU load and even system temperature. Choose video games additionally help real-time sport filters that change the sport’s visible output for aesthetic or practical benefit (relying on the sport).

OnePlus has confirmed that the 10 Professional will profit from Oppo’s HyperBoost Gaming Engine (that includes a branded toolset, consisting of the GPA Body Stabiliser, O-Sync and GPU Load Management) set to be issued in a forthcoming replace that may hit units someday after the cellphone’s world launch.

Battery life & charging

Sizeable 5000mAh battery paired with 80W wired charging
Warp Cost changed by Oppo SuperVOOC charging
Full cost in below 35 minutes
Very good longevity

At first blush, it may appear that there is been no seen enchancment to the quick charging when evaluating the OnePlus 10 Professional to final yr’s 9 Professional.

Each telephones attain roughly 95% cost in simply 30 minutes, which is an entirely spectacular feat in its personal proper, however within the case of OnePlus’ newest flagship, the corporate has truly bumped battery capability up from 4500mAh to 5000mAh too, making that constant recharge price extra of an achievement.

To facilitate this, the OnePlus 10 Professional matches Oppo’s newest Discover X5 Professional by pairing its 5000mAh cell to sooner 80W quick charging (up from 65W on the 9 Professional), leading to over 50% cost in simply 15 minutes and a full cost in lower than 35.

OnePlus followers would possibly discover that within the transfer to a brand new included 80W energy adapter, Warp Cost has been scrapped instead of Oppo’s SuperVOOC tech. You continue to get an iconic OnePlus crimson charging cable but it surely’s reverted again to USB-A on one finish, an odd facet impact of blending and matching charging requirements and applied sciences between the manufacturers.

Hopefully, Oppo will catch as much as OnePlus quickly sufficient and begin releasing VOOC chargers which might be USB-C to USB-C.

To spherical out the charging expertise, the cellphone additionally helps 50W wi-fi charging (and reverse wi-fi charging) matching the Xiaomi 12 Professional, that is additionally been rebranded to fall consistent with Oppo’s AirVOOC charging commonplace. Whereas this wasn’t examined because the suitable wi-fi charger is offered individually, OnePlus quotes a full cost in 47 minutes.

As for precise longevity, the bump to a 5000mAh battery has paid off in spades. Even when the show is about to its most refresh price and determination, it presents up a day and a half os use comfortably and can facilitate two days of use within the fingers of informal customers; doling out a formidable PCMark Work 3.zero battery check rating of 11 hours 20 minutes, alongside real-world screen-on time of 9 hours.

Cameras

48Mp major + 50Mp ultrawide + 8Mp telephoto w/ 3.3x zoom
Specialised 52Mp Sony IMX789 major sensor
Among the many first telephones with 150° ultrawide
Vital digital camera inconsistencies

Regardless of the bombastic new digital camera housing, the {hardware} at play is definitely virtually similar to that of the 9 Professional, albeit with one key exception.

The cellphone leads with the identical optically-stabilised Sony IMX789 major sensor (which is unique to OnePlus, Oppo and the like), that includes what’s technically a 52Mp practical space, however comes tied to an uncommon 16:11 side ratio.

The result’s that typical 4:Three stills are captured at 48Mp (with pixel-binning bringing them right down to 12Mp by default), nevertheless, extra of the sensor stays obtainable for video seize than would normally be the case.

The OIS-laden 8Mp telephoto can be lifted from final yr’s 9 Professional, with the identical 3.3x magnification, however issues take a flip the place the ultrawide is anxious, with a brand new 50Mp Samsung ISOCELL JN1 sensor that – as first seen on the Realme GT 2 Professional – presents a super-wide 150° subject of view.

Ultrawide pictures are normally captured at round 110° however by two further devoted capturing modes, the 10 Professional can snap stills on the full 150° with surprisingly little distortion, in addition to that includes a completely round fish-eye mode; permitting for extra inventive photographic choices.

A more in-depth have a look at that rear digital camera association additionally reveals a Hasselblad emblem and an unassuming set of letters and numbers in ‘P2D 50T’ which, in response to the corporate, interprets as follows: P = ‘Telephone’, 2D = ‘Second-generation Hasselblad digital camera for cellular’ and 50T = ’50-megapixel triple-lens rear digital camera setup’.

It is a fairly contrived method to get individuals speaking in regards to the Hasselblad partnership however amongst followers and tech fanatics, it appears to have labored.

The Hasselblad partnership struck final yr between the digital camera maker and OnePlus for US$150m manifests in various methods on the 10 Professional, though how tangible the advantages are to the cellphone’s photographic capabilities actually falls to private choice.

Past the signature orange shutter button, the cellphone includes a characterful XPan digital camera mode (which captures within the historic format’s uncommon panoramic 65:24 side ratio), whereas a trio of ‘Grasp Kinds’ (named ‘Serenity’, ‘Radiance’ and ‘Emerald’) function bespoke filters tuned by Hasselblad Ambassador Yin Chao and Hasselblad Masters winners Ben Thomas and David Peskens, respectively.

As for extra concrete technical enhancements, the power to shoot stills in RAW (and movies in LOG) has been prolonged with RAW+, which pairs a RAW picture with OnePlus’ post-processing; granting you the power to share instantaneously or fine-tune the uncompressed picture knowledge, with out high quality loss. You even have the choice to seize with 10-bit color depth (up from 8-bit on most trendy telephones).

Virtually talking, output from the OnePlus 10 Professional’s digital camera system makes for an odd combine. It is one of many extra assured cameras we have seen in a OnePlus flagship in a couple of years but it surely suffers from uncommon quirks, primarily round color science and publicity.

Photographs taken on the first snapper normally supply up pleasing colors (with a hotter bias than most) and are wholly suited to going straight onto social media, with the skilled options that OnePlus is touting, nevertheless, you’d count on a greater photographic baseline from the 10 Professional’s digital camera.

Even in well-lit situations, the 10 Professional’s digital camera tends to underexpose, suggesting restricted dynamic vary in comparison with its flagship rivals, or on the very least the necessity for extra tuning by OnePlus’ digital camera engineers.

Publish-processing additionally results in fantastic element breaking down below scrutiny, whereas inconsistencies with that new 50Mp ultrawide compared to the primary and telephoto snappers spotlight a fair larger dynamic vary distinction in excessive distinction situations (have a look at the cactus images for a superb instance).

Selfies too are inconsistent, with that acquainted under-exposure and an actual battle with correct pores and skin tones, one thing portrait mode utilizing the primary digital camera handles much better. The entrance 32Mp snapper appears to seize the blues of my shirt with out concern, edge detection is sweet and bokeh seems to be fairly pure, however my pure pores and skin tone and the crimson brick of the buildings within the background seem massively desaturated.

The silver lining is that just about all the 10 Professional’s digital camera points could be addressed by software program updates, it is only a disgrace the cellphone has made it to market with the digital camera within the state that it’s.

Worth & availability

The OnePlus 10 Professional made it to market in late January in China however the cellphone loved its true world launch on 31 March, with pre-orders in markets together with the US in place forward of launch.

As of 5 April, the cellphone is now obtainable throughout the UK, Europe and India, with the cellphone coming to the US on 14 April, sporting a beginning value of £799/US$899/€899/INR₹66,999 for the bottom 8GB RAM/128GB SKU.

As touched on earlier, the Excessive Version with 512GB of storage stays a China-exclusive in the meanwhile, whereas some markets pair obtainable reminiscence and storage configurations to particular colourways (this appears to be the case in Europe however not India, for instance).

Pricing locations it near Samsung’s base Galaxy S22 (which begins at £769/$799), whereas the expertise the 10 Professional presents is extra akin to the S22+ and splits the distinction between the Realme GT 2 Professional and Oppo Discover X5 Professional when it comes to options, design and value.

The usual iPhone 13 and Xiaomi 12 additionally have not been lengthy on the scene however each are available just below the OnePlus 10 Professional’s pricing, whereas nonetheless providing stellar flagship experiences.

You possibly can choose the OnePlus 10 Professional up from OnePlus.com (US, UK, Europe, India) instantly in addition to retailers together with Amazon (US, UK, DE, ES, FR), John Lewis (UK), Finest Purchase (US) and carriers, similar to Three (UK).

Verdict

Regardless of the apparent affect Oppo’s presence has had over the OnePlus 10 Professional’s growth, the cellphone retains its individuality; feeling completely different sufficient from bedfellows just like the Discover X5 Professional and Realme’s GT 2 Professional. The place Oppo has exerted its affect, nevertheless, the adjustments are more odd than definitively good or unhealthy.

The OnePlus 10 Professional presents up top-of-the-line shows in the marketplace proper now, delivers nice top-tier efficiency, distinctive battery life, a slick person expertise and a standout albeit considerably divisive design.

The cellphone’s largest weak point is, as ever, its digital camera, which like so many OnePlus flagships earlier than it, will doubtless require quite a few post-launch patches to deliver it consistent with rivals.

With its strengths in thoughts, see the way it stacks up towards our rundown of the present finest telephones in the marketplace, in addition to the most effective Android telephones particularly, telephones providing the most effective battery life and see the place it slots in amidst the most effective OnePlus telephones too.

Specs
OnePlus 10 Professional: Specs

6.7in 20:9 WQHD+ LTPO 2.zero 1Hz to 120Hz AMOLED show

Corning Gorilla Glass Victus

4nm Snapdragon Eight Gen 1 chipset

3D cooling construction

8GB or 12GB LPDDR5 RAM

128GB, 256GB or 512GB UFS 3.1 storage

Watch-grade 3D nanocrystalline ceramic lens cowl

48Mp major f/1.Eight Sony IMX789 sensor w/ OIS

50Mp ultrawide f/2.2 Samsung ISOCELL JN1 w/ 150° FoV

8Mp telephoto f/2.Four w/ OIS

32Mp front-facing f/2.Four Sony IMX615 sensor w/ 80.6° FoV