I tried the new CHEAP OnePlus phone that competes with the iPhone – but is it better?
ONEPLUS has made a name for itself over the years by producing smartphones with flagship specs at cheap prices.
The Chinese tech company’s latest offering is the OnePlus 10 Pro, and I’ve been testing it for the past two weeks to see if it lives up to the hype.
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While it’s not the company’s most exciting release yet, the phone has a lot going for it and a price that won’t break the bank.
However, OnePlus still has a long way to go before it challenges Apple and Samsung as one of the world’s top phone makers.
design and build
OnePlus rarely disappoints when it comes to the design of its devices, and the 10 Pro is no exception.
With its blacked-out camera array on the back, it’s stylish without being too weird.
This rear bump blends into the metal body on either side, giving it a sleek and sleek look that’s easy on the eye.
The blower is available in two colors: green and black. A white version was launched in China but is not available worldwide.
The review unit I got was green and it looks amazing, a subtle hue that’s different enough to catch people’s attention.
In terms of construction, the 10 Pro is slightly thinner than other smartphones and feels good in the hand.
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It has glass on both sides – frosted on the back – with a shiny metal band
The device feels solid and doesn’t bend or squeak when you apply pressure like some cheaper phones do.
Overall, I would say that the OnePlus 10 Pro is one of the better looking smartphones to come out in the last 12 months.
Display, camera and functions
The OnePlus 10 Pro’s 6.7-inch OLED screen is among the best, following in the footsteps of OnePlus’ previous great displays.
It’s bright and colorful with a 120Hz refresh rate that ensures animations are silky smooth.
It really is one of the best smartphone displays money can buy and one of the biggest selling points of the 10 Pro.
The cameras, on the other hand, are solid without being spectacular.
You get three on the back: a 48-megapixel main, 50-megapixel ultrawide, and 8-megapixel telephoto (for 3.3x optical zoom).
There’s also a 32MP selfie camera that does a decent job.
My main issue is that while the main camera does a good job, the telephoto and ultra-wide angle leave a lot to be desired.
In terms of quality, they simply cannot compete with cameras that I have tried on other smartphones in the same price range, such as the iPhone SE 3.
Stick with the main camera and you’ll be fine. Photos come out bright and colorful, although the lens struggles in low light.
If your phone’s snapper is what matters most to you, I can’t in good faith recommend the 10 Pro over its similarly priced rivals.
Elsewhere, the 10 Pro’s super-fast charging is certainly worth noting.
The phone comes with a dedicated charger that will get you from empty to full in about half an hour, faster than most phones on the market.
That quick juicing is necessary to make up for the 10 Pro’s mediocre battery life, which is okay without exceeding the limits.
Most of the time it lasts about a day on a single charge without ever stretching to a second day.
Price
When it comes to price, the 10 Pro really shines when compared to the flagships from Apple and Samsung.
At £799 ($899) it’s still reasonably priced, but £30 cheaper than last year’s model.
Importantly, it costs significantly less than the £950 iPhone 13 Pro and £1,149 Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra.
It’s also £250 less than parent company Oppo’s Find X5 Pro.
Far from being the cheapest phone out there, the 10 Pro still offers a lot for your money.
Final Verdict
Overall, the OnePlus 10 Pro is a solid phone without being spectacular.
It feels a bit more mediocre than previous OnePlus versions and plays it safe compared to its predecessors.
The display and loading speed are brilliant and can match or beat almost anything on the market.
In my opinion, however, it falls short when it comes to the cameras and the battery life.
All in all, I feel like the 10 Pro doesn’t quite match the performance of the best Samsung and Apple phones without being cheap enough to justify the drop in quality.
In my opinion, if you are looking for a good, cheaper cell phone, you are better served with the iPhone SE 3 or the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE.
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
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https://www.thesun.ie/tech/8833960/i-tried-new-cheaper-oneplus-phone-rivals-iphone/ I tried the new CHEAP OnePlus phone that competes with the iPhone – but is it better?