Review | OnePlus 10T phone review: fast charging, fast processor, good camera with dual-view video shooting but no zoom lens
- The mid-priced OnePlus 10T has the latest Snapdragon processor and incredibly fast battery recharging, although there is no wireless charging
- The camera system is great in low light and can shoot video from the front and back at the same time, but there is no zoom lens
When you hear the term mid-priced phone, you probably think of older or slower components in a phone that is just decent. Not so with the OnePlus 10T – for the most part.
Design and hardware
The phone measures 6.4 inches by 2.96in by 0.34in (16cm x 7.5cm x 0.8cm) and it weighs just 203 grams (7.17 ounces). Unlocking options include an in-screen fingerprint reader and facial recognition.
Other top features include a 6.7-inch AMOLED display with a dynamic refresh rate up to 120 Hertz, which means the screen can refresh itself up to 120 times per second, making motion look very smooth and clear. The screen has a resolution of 2,412 x 1,080 pixels for a pixel density of 394 pixels per inch. The graphics chipset is the Adreno 730.
It is sporting the latest and fastest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen1 processor with a new cooling system to keep the phone running at top speed.
The 10T comes in two configurations, with 8 gigabytes of RAM and 128 gigabytes of storage (US$649) or with 16 gigabytes of RAM and 256 gigabytes of storage (US$799).
Software and features
The handset runs the Android 12 operating system as well as OnePlus’ Oxygen 12.1 overlay. Oxygen is OnePlus’ software that tweaks the stock Android interface. Android 13 and Oxygen 13 are coming later this year.
The 10T has a three-camera system on the back with a 50-megapixel main camera, an 8MP ultra-wide and a 2MP macro camera, but no zoom lens.
Photo modes include Nightscape, which offers amazing performance in low light; and pro mode, which allows the user to set the ISO, shutter speed and white balance.
It can shoot 4K video at 30 or 60 frames per second and features image stabilisation for both photos and videos. There’s a dual-view video mode that shoots video from front and rear cameras at the same time in an interesting split-screen.
The selfie camera has a 16MP sensor that’s used for facial unlock as well as photos and 1080P videos.
Performance and battery life
This is the first OnePlus phone in a few years without the Hasselblad co-branding, if you worry about that. I never thought the word Hasselblad on the camera bump plus whatever software they contributed added that much value.
If you are a phone gamer, the 10T has a Cryo-velocity Vapour Cooling System for better graphics performance.
OnePlus says the 10T uses a GPA Frame Stabiliser and GPU Load Control for the smoothest action on any OnePlus device. The games I tried played smoothly without any lag.
The 10T has a dual-cell 4,800 milliamp-hour battery which supports 150-watt fast charging, although in the US, the 120v outlets mean it will take a little longer.
The benefit of two batteries is the charge can be split between them and smaller batteries charge faster.
OnePlus says the 10T’s battery will charge from 1 per cent to 67 per cent in just 10 minutes, and a full charge takes less than 20 minutes.
This is the fastest charging I’ve seen, and it makes me almost forget the 10T has no wireless charging option.
The fast-charging power adaptor ships with the phone, which is rare these days. Apple and Samsung have stopped including power adaptors.
Conclusion
There are some nice features, like the processor and screen refresh, and the wired charging system and battery are top notch.
The Moonstone Black finish I reviewed has a textured back that does not show fingerprints at all.
Since the 10T is cheaper, people may consider it a lesser phone. I’m not sure I’d call it lesser, but it is very close. The 10T has a newer, faster processor, but no wireless charging. The lack of a telephoto lens is another trade-off.
Price: from US$649
