OnePlus 10T Review: The Most Perfect OnePlus
If you ask me, I think the OnePlus 10T is a pretty good semi-flagship phone with very little compromise. The way I see it, the real problem here is not the phone but OnePlus’s strategies these days. I mean, we knew OnePlus to be a brand that used to stand out, that used to provide cool features, but now its products, including the OnePlus 10T, are very generic.
Because of that, I think OnePlus’s charm as a brand is diminishing at quite an alarming rate. Yes, a lot of people blame the Oppo OnePlus merger for this, but in my opinion, there are a couple of other factors involved too. For instance, as I mentioned before, I think OnePlus is not trying to stay different anymore. This phone, the OnePlus 10T, has all the generic specs that there should be in its price range, and you can actually see similar specs in its competition like the IQ90 or the Zenfone 9. So yeah, there is nothing exciting and unique about the OnePlus.
OnePlus 10T Specifications:
- Display: 6.7-inch Fluid AMOLED, Full HD+, 10-bit, 120Hz refresh
- Color: MoonstoneBlack, JadeGreen
- Rear Camera: Triple (50MP primary, 8MP ultrawide, 2MP macro)
- Front Camera: 16MP (hole-punch cutout)
- Video: 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, gyro-EIS
- Performance: Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (4nm)
- OS: Android 12, OxygenOS 12.1
- Memory: Up to 16GB RAM
- Storage: Up to 256GB
- Battery: 4800mAh, non-removable
- Charging: 150W fast charging
OnePlus 10T Design
If you look at the design, it’s as if the OnePlus 10 Pro and the Nord 2T had a baby, it would look something like the OnePlus 10T. Here, the camera module and the overall heft resemble those of the OnePlus 10 Pro, while you get the same not-so-premium feel as the OnePlus Nord 2T. On top of that, they also got rid of the one thing that made their designs different from others: the alert slider. And their justification for that was just ridiculous.
No one in the tech world is happy about it, and neither am I. So design-wise, I think they are just playing it safe by giving what’s already out there and accepting it. In comparison, brands like Realme collaborate with designers to make their smartphone designs different. There’s Vivo with its innovative color-changing back.These brands have gone over the top to create something unique, and I appreciate their effort, which seems lacking from OnePlus’s side.
OnePlus 10T Display
The OnePlus 10T features a 6.7” FHD+ AMOLED display with a 120Hz fast refresh rate and a touch sampling rate of up to 1000Hz. It boasts 950 nits of brightness with HDR10+ support, making it a top-notch display. The higher brightness enhances the colors, and the screen-to-body ratio is also commendable.
OnePlus 10T Camera
The OnePlus 10T’s cameras also don’t look very inspiring. Its 50MP primary camera can take some good shots with excellent vibrant colors and a mostly balanced dynamic range, but the other two lenses are below average for the price. I think the only thing OnePlus could do to justify its premium price is to provide a better ultra-wide-angle camera. The quality of ultra-wide-angle shots is only as good as a mid-range phone and not much more.
If I recall, the cheaper OnePlus 9RT had a better ultra-wide-angle camera. Also, even its basic camera optimizations and compatibility aren’t as good as the Pixel 6a or Samsung’s semi-flagship offerings like the Galaxy A73 or S21 FE. So what OnePlus could have done with the 10T was to offer Hasselblad optimization to make its camera stand out a bit.
But again, that’s not the case here.
OnePlus 10T Android version, software
The look and feel of the UI in OnePlus phones, including the OnePlus 10T, is not what it used to be. The camera UI, the settings menus, the multitasking tray—almost everything resembles ColorOS. Additionally, the new OxygenOS 12 has added even more ColorOS features. So while using the OnePlus 10T, I didn’t feel the excitement that I used to when using a OnePlus device, although it’s not poorly optimized.
The company has made sure to optimize the 120Hz refresh rate well. The UI does not feel stuttering even a little bit and everything just feels smooth here. But if you are a core OnePlus fan, you will feel somewhat betrayed by this merger.
However, looking at it from a different perspective, OnePlus’s perspective, the merger might result in faster and more stable updates for both companies and it might reduce various costs for OnePlus which can further be put to research, development, and innovation. But nothing of that sort has happened yet.
OnePlus 10T Performance
The OnePlus 10T comes with the best chipset Android has to offer right now, the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1, and as you would expect, it is really powerful. In all my time with this phone, I played a lot of games and the phone’s power and thermal capacities have impressed me.
I was able to play games like Genshin Impact in the highest settings with very good stability and comparatively fewer heating issues. In one of my gaming tests, I played Genshin Impact for more than 40 minutes and the phone’s temperature never reached beyond 42 degrees which is just excellent. Other relatively less demanding games like PUBG, Call of Duty, Asphalt, etc run very well in their highest settings.
As you can see from this graph, the FPS stability and thermal performance in such games are commendable too. Sadly, OnePlus has not optimized many 120 FPS games like Oddmar and Injustice 2 to take advantage of higher FPS support though. But I guess this is because the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 is a relatively new chip for game developers so we can expect to see that fixed through various updates in the future.
Likewise, I haven’t faced any issues here when it comes to everyday performance. So even though I have complained about a lot of things on the OnePlus 10T till now, performance is not one of them. This might even be the best-performing Android phone right now.
OnePlus 10T Battery
Despite its slightly larger size and weight, I also found the battery life on the OnePlus 10T to be satisfactory.It comes with a 4800 mAh cell with which I was able to get around 7 hours of screen time with moderate usage which translates to a tolerable day for me.
On days when I clicked a lot of pictures and gamed a lot, its battery would give up on me at around 6 or 7 in the evening. But I never considered that as an issue because with the 150W SuperVOOC charger that you get inside the box, the phone would quickly juice up within 20 minutes and I would be good to go.
OnePlus 10T verdict
The OnePlus 10T is a very good phone for the price, especially for performance-centric users who will find great utility in it. However, as I mentioned throughout the video, it lacks that distinctive OnePlus factor that we used to expect from OnePlus phones.
When you consider the prices, the cost of the T lineup has gradually increased every year, but the equivalent innovation just isn’t there. This has led to the OnePlus 10T feeling like just another phone in its price range, which is why people seem less and less interested in OnePlus phones.
I believe now is not the time for OnePlus to solely compete based on specs. They need a point of differentiation. Previously, it was their combination of competitive specs at a reasonable price, Oxygen OS, and features like the alert slider. But now that these aspects are disappearing, OnePlus needs to come up with a plan B, and I hope they do so soon.
Alvi Hosain
I am a tech enthusiast with over 1.5 years of experience in phone reviews and gadgets. Passionate about making technology easier for everyone, I focus on creating smartphone reviews and detailed tech guides. Whether exploring the latest devices or providing tips on how to get the most out of your gadgets, I love helping others navigate the world of technology. Known among my friends for solving phone-related problems, I enjoy discussing technology and staying up-to-date with the latest industry trends.
