OnePlus 10 Pro vs. Older OnePlus Phones: Should You Upgrade?

OnePlus 10 Pro has finally launched in the international market to pick up the best phones out there. In addition to the refined design and updated processor on offer, it also includes an upgraded second-generation Hasselblad-tuned camera system. Although OnePlus flagships almost always reduce competition, they have gradually increased in price over the years. Fortunately, the company has reversed that trend this time around, albeit to a lesser extent. Pricing aside, though, let’s take a look at how the 10 Pro stacks up against its predecessors and discuss whether you should upgrade from your old OnePlus smartphone.

Our verdict: OnePlus 10 Pro Review

Although the OnePlus 6 and 6T still arrive in 2022 as quite modern looking smartphones, their internal specifications are definitely starting to look a bit dated. Most mid-range smartphones on the market today, including OnePlus’s own Nord 2 (not available in the US), will probably surpass the 2018-era Snapdragon 845 processor.

Even putting performance differences aside, you’ll see a number of minor usability improvements to a new smartphone like the 10 Pro. The OnePlus 6T’s in-display fingerprint reader, for example, was decently fast for its time but nothing impressive by modern standards. The OnePlus 10 Pro’s 65W fast charging (80W outside of North America) also outperforms the company’s older dash charge technology. Finally, the 60Hz FHD + display certainly shows its age in 2022, and the limited peak brightness and HDR capabilities don’t help either.

More importantly, though, enough time has passed to reach the end-life status of the OnePlus 6 series. In other words, OnePlus will not offer any more software updates in the future, leaving its users on Android 11 forever. This is not a problem, but you can clearly see that the new smartphones are moving very fast in terms of software features. This means you won’t even see the security patch, which exposes your phone to any subsequent vulnerabilities to Android.

Price is the only downside to a possible upgrade from OnePlus 6 or 6T. At 99 899, the OnePlus 10 Pro is a bit cheaper than many other flagships. However, it’s still hundreds of dollars more than the amount you paid for any phone in 2018. You will of course get a lot more loaded specific sheets, but only you can decide if it is worth the admission price. However, if you still have OnePlus 6 or 6T, we recommend that you upgrade soon.

The OnePlus 7 Pro (and after the 7T Pro) is the company’s first entry into the premium smartphone market, priced higher than ever before. While the regular OnePlus 7 and 7T only offer recurring improvements over the OnePlus 6, the Pro models offer significantly more premium design than the QHD + display and any previous OnePlus smartphone – if you don’t mind the aggressively curved display. Still, depending on who you’re asking, individual pop-up front-facing cameras are a much more elegant solution than ugly notches or punch-holes.

This generation also marks the first time that OnePlus has adopted a higher refresh rate, with all models (except the OnePlus 7) sporting a 90Hz display. While playing this year’s OnePlus 10 Pro with a faster 120Hz display, keep in mind that the upgrade will be much less noticeable than the jump from 60Hz to 90Hz. However, you’ll still get other upgrades, including a 5G connection and a significantly more powerful camera set. You also get a 25-30% larger battery, which helps you feel more comfortable at the end of a heavy day.

Finally, when the OnePlus 7 Pro offered a capable triple-camera setup, it wasn’t the best on the market. OnePlus’s color science has also improved over the years by leaps and bounds. You can thank the company for partnering with the famous camera brand Hasselblad for this.

The OnePlus 7 series will receive its final major software update sometime this year, bringing the devices to Android 12. It will still get security patches for another year, but don’t expect Android 13 or feature updates. To that end, upgrading to OnePlus 10 Pro might make sense when these older phones still have some resale value.

The OnePlus 8 Pro not only brings 5G to the company’s smartphone lineup, but also introduces long-awaited features like wireless charging and an IP68 Ingres rating (something that the OnePlus 10 Pro lacks unless you buy it from T-Mobile). The OnePlus 8, meanwhile, only got an updated SoC (including 5G) and a slightly larger battery than its direct predecessor.

If you regularly own OnePlus 8, upgrading to OnePlus 10 Pro may seem tempting – you’ll get wireless charging, a new processor and a much more capable display. OnePlus offers a more versatile camera setup on the 10 Pro, including a dedicated telephoto camera and a unique 150-degree ultraviolet lens. The OnePlus 8 was the latest smartphone to feature the previous generation of OnePlus, the Warp Charge 30 technology. The OnePlus 10 Pro is at least twice as fast charging and comes with a large battery capacity.

On the other hand, if you currently own a OnePlus 8 Pro, you may not receive an upgrade. If you don’t really need the 10 Pro’s fast charging or improved camera capabilities, chances are you won’t notice any major speed improvements from the upgrade. That being said, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 GPU division has been able to deliver impressive profits year after year, so you’ll probably appreciate the extra grants in the games.

The series is set to receive at least one more Android update, it is not yet fully in its last state of life. If you’re a happy OnePlus 8 or 8 Pro user today, you might as well take another year off your device. At the very least, you should wait or look for sales until a more attractive upgrade path opens up.

OnePlus 9 has revived the company’s tradition of reducing premium features in its affordable models. Compared to the OnePlus 8, it has achieved wireless charging (mostly on the market), a 120Hz refresh rate and fast 65W charging. Even if the OnePlus 9 didn’t blow the competition out of the water, it was a very good round package.

Read our full comparison: OnePlus 9 Pro vs. OnePlus 10 Pro

The OnePlus 9 Pro, meanwhile, marks the first time that OnePlus has focused on camera performance – and pointed to a premium price tag in the process. This is also the first time the company has partnered with Hasselblad. The OnePlus 9 Pro, even in our regular 9 reviews, we are largely impressed by the performance of the camera on display. Although not without its flaws, it was a promising first show.

This year’s OnePlus 10 Pro does not offer a brand new camera setup. You get the same IMX789 primary sensor as last year. This is not a bad thing to be clear, as it still manages to deliver excellent results in a variety of situations. The ultraviolet camera, however, reduces the autofocus capability in favor of a unique 150-degree field of view. Finally, the OnePlus has dropped the mostly meaningless 2MP monochrome sensor. Overall, the OnePlus 10 Pro’s camera hardware isn’t a dramatic leap from the 9 Pro, and is probably one step behind the Ultravide.

OnePlus 9 Series Buyer’s Guide: Everything you should know

That being said, the OnePlus 10 Pro has a few obvious advantages over its predecessor. More specifically, this year’s model offers a 10% larger battery, Qualcomm’s latest SoC, slightly faster 80W charging (outside North America) and higher Gorilla Glass Victus on the front. Interestingly enough, though, the company stopped offering IP ratings for OnePlus 10 Pro models that weren’t purchased through T-Mobile – breaking a two-year tradition in the process.

We haven’t received any indication that the regular OnePlus 10 will hit the shelves anytime soon. In other words, if you are not willing to enter the high price level, there is still no direct replacement for OnePlus 9. And even if you do jump, upgrades probably won’t blow you away. With the remaining two years of software updates on the horizon, an upgrade shouldn’t be too much on your priority list.

As we’ve already mentioned, the OnePlus 10 Pro offers relatively modest upgrades compared to the OnePlus 9 Pro, and is inferior in some ways when you attribute the lack of a universal IP rating and downgraded ultraviolet camera. However, those coming from older flagships like the OnePlus 7 Pro from 2019 will find plenty to appreciate here. From enhanced displays and cameras to significantly larger battery capacity, the OnePlus 10 Pro does much more than the old OnePlus phones. And even if you’re not a current OnePlus user, the slightly lower starting price of Pro 899 for the 10 Pro may seem attractive compared to other $ 1,000 flagship smartphones.