OnePlus
Smartphones

OnePlus 10R review

Déjà vu

₹ 43,999

(150W variant)

Sambit Satpathy 17 May 2022 12:48 PM

OnePlus has been launching smartphones faster than its brick-like charger will juice up its latest smartphone. Speaking of which, today we are reviewing the OnePlus 10R. 
If you get a feeling that you’ve recently seen a device with similar design and the same key specs, that’s because you have, and there’s nothing wrong with the Matrix. On paper, the OnePlus 10R shares uncanny similarities with the Realme GT Neo 3. So is it the same device under a new disguise, or does the OnePlus 10R offer something different? Well, read on.

Design

Both devices share the same form factor and size, but with subtle differences. For one, where Realme’s design is inspired by an iconic sports car, OnePlus has opted for a stealthy classiness of a German luxury sedan. 
The back panel gets a matte finish with a mix of plain and striped textures. It is an interesting design choice, which will surely appeal to those who love geometry and patterns. Complimenting the matte panel is the glossy camera module with a singular large camera lens at the top that reminds you of a cyclops. 
OnePlus has also kept the edges and the body flat, which feels better to hold than the curvy Realme phone. Some might find the plastic body to be less-than-premium, but it does help in keeping the weight down. One glaring omission is any manner of IP certification, which means you shouldn't have the phone on you during a wild pool party.

Display

Up front, the 6.7in Fluid AMOLED display takes up all the space with extremely slim bezels surrounding it. The cyclops theme is seen here as well with a punch-hole housing the camera lens located top-centre. The display itself is a treat for the eyes with punchy colours, great viewing angles, and touch response. At 950 nits of peak brightness, the display is legible outdoors even on a hot sunny day. Support for 120Hz refresh rate makes everything from scrolling to animations feel smooth as skating on ice.
Whether you’re reading the latest articles on the Stuff India website, playing games or watching OTT content, you won’t find much to complain about here. Aiding the multimedia experience is the stereo speakers that can get loud when you want them to. 
For security, you can choose between an in-display fingerprint sensor or face unlock. Both are quite accurate and extremely fast to unlock the device.

Performance

Powering the device is MediaTek’s Dimensity 8100 Max chipset, along with 12GB of RAM. Just as we mentioned in our Realme GT Neo 3 review, performance is never an issue here. The chipset is able to handle basic day-to-day work, multitasking, OTT bingeing, and gaming without breaking a sweat. 
Games like Asphalt 9: Legends worked like a charm, though we did face a few optimisation issues with games like CoD Mobile. OnePlus has also done a great job with the cooling, and at no point did the phone become too hot to handle.

In the software department, OnePlus easily trumps Realme with its UI. As we’ve mentioned in our previous reviews, OxygenOS is among the best out there with little to no bloatware, a mature design, and extremely fast.

Battery

The highlight of the OnePlus 10R is obviously its insane charging speed. With support for 150W charging, it can juice up a batter from zero to 100% in less than 20 minutes. Despite having read about the tech in detail, seeing it in action still gives us goosebumps. 0-50% in just six minutes is speedy enough to enter drag races. 
As far as battery life is concerned, the 4,500mAh unit easily survives till the end of the day with some gas still left in the tank. You’d need to charge the phone by night if you’re a power user though. If you need longer battery life, you can opt for the variant with a bigger 5,000mAh battery, but that “only” supports 80W charging speeds.

If we were to nitpick (it’s our job after all) though, the charging brick is, well, the size of a brick. It is massive and heavier than the phone itself, which means fitting it into a handbag isn’t easy.

Cameras

The triple camera setup at the back is led by a 50MP Sony IMX766 sensor, which does a good job in ideal lighting conditions. It manages to capture plenty of details with good dynamic range and colour reproduction, though we did notice a fair amount of shots having a reddish tinge.

In Night mode, the camera is able to shoot some good looking photos. These shots have a fair amount of details, and not a lot of noise. But they do tend to have artificially boosted colours making the scene look brighter than it actually is.

The ultra-wide angle lens is able to fit in quite a bit into the frame, but one does notice a loss of details at the corners. As for the macro lens, the less said the better. Trying to focus on a subject requires the training and patience of a kung fu master.

Verdict

In nearly every aspect, the OnePlus 10R is similar to the Realme GT Neo 3, and yet it is so different. While the overall syllabus remains the same, it is the way OnePlus approaches the subject that makes it better. The design is sober and should appeal to the majority, and the software is far better than the RealmeUI. 
And yet the issue of which variant to opt for remains. While 150W is the party trick, it does come at a higher cost. The variant with 80W charging gets a bigger battery, which in theory should last longer, and is also cheaper by ₹5,000.

Stuff Says

A flagship killer with hyper-fast charging speeds
Good stuff
Bad stuff

  1. Matte black finish

  1. Super-speedy charging

  1. Dependable performance

  1. Bloat-free UI

  1. Below par macro camera

  1. No IP rating

Specifications
Display: 6.7in Fluid AMOLED 120Hz
Chip: MediaTek Dimensity 8100 Max
Memory: 12GB RAM / 256GB storage
Rear cameras: 50MP + 8MP + 2MP
Front camera: 16MP
Battery: 4,500mAh 150W fast-charging
OS: Android 12 (OxygenOS)
Dimensions: 163 x 75.5 x 8.2 mm
Weight: 183 grams