Here’s how the OnePlus 10 Pro is better than the OnePlus 9 Pro.
Although the 10 Pro does not have the same camera as the 9 Pro, it has a better quality camera. Plus, there are new camera modes available to take more creative shots. It’s easy to see why the 10 Pro is the best phone. It’s worth the upgrade from the 9 Pro, to the 10 Pro. This is harder to answer.
OnePlus 10 PRO vs. OnePlus 9Pro: Price and availability
You can purchase a OnePlus 9 Pro through various retailers and carriers both in the U.S.A and the U.K. The base model costs $969/£829, comes with 8GB RAM (and 128GB of storage), and has an MSRP of $969/£829. The more costly version is $1,069/£929. It has 12GB RAM but 256GB storage. If you shop around, both versions are available at a discounted price.
The OnePlus 10 Pro’s price is much lower at $899/£799, for an 8GB RAM/128GB storage version. It’s almost as affordable as the Pixel 6 Pro in the U.S., making it difficult to make a decision. You can read our OnePlus 10 Pro vs. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra match-up for more details on Samsung’s best.
OnePlus 10 Pro vs. OnePlus 9 Pro: Design
The front of the OnePlus 9 Pro is identical to the OnePlus 10 Pro. Both feature curved displays with camera punch holes in the top-left corner. The biggest difference can be seen if you flip the phones.
The OnePlus 9 Pro’s top-left corner had a simple rectangular camera block. The Hasselblad logo separated the larger and smaller lenses. This block has been extended to the left to meet the phone’s side rail. OnePlus also rearranged three of the cameras onto a square-shaped back for its new phone. The fourth spot is occupied by the flash.
It is very easy to see the differences in the size and weight of the phones by looking at their measurements. The difference in size and weight between the two OnePlus devices is only fractions of a metre. You can choose a phone with a 6.7-inch screen if you don’t mind.
OnePlus 10 Pro vs. OnePlus 9 Pro: Display
Both the OnePlus 10 Pro & OnePlus 9 Pro feature a 6.7-inch AMOLED display with high-resolution QHD resolution. The new phone is slightly taller at 3,216 x 1,440 pixels, compared with the OnePlus 9 Pro’s 3,168 x 1.440 pixels.
The biggest difference is in the refresh rates. The underlying tech is different between the two phones, which have an adaptive refresh rate of 1Hz to 120Hz. The OnePlus 9 Pro uses a different version of the LTPO layer while the OnePlus 10 Pro uses LTPO 2. Although this does not unlock any new features this makes the display on the 10 Pro more fluid and efficient.
OnePlus 10 Pro vs. OnePlus 9 Pro: Cameras
Technically, the OnePlus took a step back with the cameras of the OnePlus 10 Pro. They equipped it with one less camera than the OnePlus 9 Pro.
Both the 10 Pro, 9 Pro, and 9 Pro have 48MP main cameras and 50MP ultrawide cameras. They also feature 8MP telephoto cameras that can zoom in at 3.3x. The OnePlus 9 Pro has a 2MP monochrome camera, which adds texture to black-and-white photos. This sensor was not particularly useful for us, so the OnePlus 10 Pro will have that lens.
The front has also seen a subtle improvement. The OnePlus 10 Pro front camera now has a 32MP sensor. This is in contrast to the 16MP sensor on the OnePlus 9 Pro. This will give you more detail when taking selfies.
The basics of the OnePlus 10 Pro are unchanged, but OnePlus has implemented some new features for its latest flagship. The OnePlus 10 Pro is now capable of shooting in RAW format to make editing easier. There are also 10-bit colour photos, a Move Mode which allows you to create expressive videos, and Master Style pre-sets for your photos. Ultrawide cameras can now shoot at angles up to 150 degrees, in addition to the 110-degree, for more space.
The OnePlus 9 Pro introduced the OnePlus Partnership with Hasselblad camera maker, which continued with the OnePlus 10 Pro. The partnership proved to be a success, making OnePlus’ historically poor photography more competitive. However, low-light images were still noticeably worse than those of rival phones. Hopefully, this will be rectified with the OnePlus 10 Pro.
This guide will be updated with a comparison of all the cameras in the next few days. The 10 Pro seems to be the better camera phone, even with the one sensor removed.
OnePlus 10 Pro vs. OnePlus 9 Pro: Performance and 5G
As you might expect, OnePlus updated its silicon to be the most current from Qualcomm. The Snapdragon 888 chip powered the OnePlus 9 Pro. However, the OnePlus 10 Pro uses its successor, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. This should provide more computing power as well as greater efficiency.
OnePlus also offers the OnePlus 10 Pro in two versions, with 8GB RAM and 128GB, and 12GB RAM (with 256GB storage). The 12GB version of the OnePlus 10 Pro is only available outside the United States.
Benchmark testing using the Geekbench CPU test showed that the 10 Pro scored 995 single-core and 3482 for the multicore tests. The OnePlus 9 Pro scored 1,126/3,685 but the 10 Pro scored 995 single-core and 3482 on the multicore tests. This could be due to the differences in RAM between the review units. The 10 Pro beat the 9 Pro in the 3DMark Wild Life Unlimited graphics benchmark with 10,221 points and an average frame rate of 61fps. This is up from 5,755 frames per second and 34.5fps.
Both Snapdragon 8 series chips are compatible with 5G. The OnePlus 9 Pro and Snapdragon 8 series chips were not compatible due to US carriers using different 5G bands. We are hopeful that OnePlus will fix this problem before the OnePlus 10 Pro launches globally.
OnePlus 10 Pro vs. OnePlus 9 Pro: Battery and charging
This category sees the OnePlus 10 Pro win twice over the OnePlus 9 Pro. First, the OnePlus 10 Pro boasts a larger 5,000 mAh capacity battery, compared with the 4,500 mAh in the OnePlus 9 Pro. This has put the OnePlus 10 Pro on the best phone battery life lists. It achieved an impressive 11 hours and 52 minutes of running at 120Hz using the Tom’s Guide custom battery testing. While the OnePlus 9 Pro lasted a more than average 10 hours, 40 minutes the same test on the same test the 10 Pro represents a significant improvement.
The OnePlus 9 Pro’s strong 65-watt wired charging has been improved by the OnePlus 9 Pro, which can now charge at 80 watts. OnePlus promises that the 10 Pro will charge from empty to full in just 32 minutes. We tested it and it made it to 99% in 30 seconds.
This 80W speed is however not available in Canada or the U.S. The charging system of the OnePlus doesn’t support different frequencies of AC electricity in these countries so the 10 Pro is equipped with a 65W charger. According to an official post on OnePlus Forum (which opens in a new tab), This is disappointing news, but 65W still fills the phone with 93% in less than 30 minutes.
Both the OnePlus 9 Pro and the 10 Pro offer 50W wireless charging. The OnePlus 9 Pro can be charged to 70% in 30 minutes if it is using the correct charging station. The OnePlus 10 Pro has a larger battery so it takes 47 minutes for it to charge 100%.
OnePlus phones still come with charging bricks, which is a big difference from rival phones such as Apple, Samsung, and Google. You will have unlimited wired charging speed without paying extra.
Software
Here is the secret difference between these two phones. The OnePlus 9 Pro came with OxygenOS 11 (OnePlus’ take on Android 11). The OnePlus 10 Pro includes OxygenOS 12 on the Android 12 skin. This was created by both OnePlus as well as Oppo.
OxygenOS 12 includes some updates such as a gesture that summons the Shelf, OnePlus’ screenful of widgets that behave like an iPhone Control Center; and a more customizable mode that lets users choose from three different dark options.
On a OnePlus 9 Pro, OxygenOS 12, we were disappointed by the number of rough edges we discovered when we first tested it. We are glad to see the rough edges have been smoothed.
Verdict
Given its many upgrades to the OnePlus 9 Pro, the OnePlus 10 Pro could easily be the best purchase. It also took over the best Android phones and best phones spots of its predecessor.
The OnePlus 10 Pro’s larger batteries, higher performance, and more efficient display all make it a better smartphone for most people. Photography on the 10 Pro is superior to the 9 Pro’s monochrome sensor unless you need it. It’s even better if you live outside North America, and can also use the faster charging standards.
The OnePlus 9 Pro has many features that are similar to the 10 Pro. It could be the best value for money option after the new device launches. Depending on how low the older model goes, it may end up being the cheaper option. It may seem tempting to upgrade from the OnePlus 9 Pro to the OnePlus 10 Pro. However, it is better to save money. Even a year after its launch, the OnePlus 9 Pro continues to be a highly capable smartphone.