The OnePlus 10R 5G is now the second phone in the company’s latest series of numbers. It is the direct successor to OnePlus 9R (Review) from last year and has a lower starting price than this year OnePlus 9RT (Review). OnePlus 10R 5G starts under Rs. 40,000, which was the hotbed for OnePlus flagship phones at one point. That’s also one of the reasons why the 9R was launched at this price point for the Indian market, to appease OnePlus’ longtime fan base.
With the company now under new management, we’re starting to see a lot of outside influence from Oppo and its sister brands like Realme, diluting its once iconic and recognizable image. These changes are most noticeable in the company’s low-cost Nord CE series of phones and now the 10R 5G.
As the successor of the 9R, the OnePlus 10R 5G seems like a good upgrade as it offers a more powerful 5G SoC, an exciting new design, an upgraded camera, and faster charging on the more premium version. 10 Pro. However, all of this comes with some compromises, which may seem insignificant to the casual buyer, but can be disappointing for fans of the brand.
It’s hard to consider the 10R 5G as a OnePlus smartphone without the logo
The design of the OnePlus 10R 5G is a good starting point. If you look at this phone from the back and cover the OnePlus logo, it won’t be immediately recognizable as a OnePlus smartphone. The design isn’t bad but definitely lacks some characters. The phone also lacks OnePlus’ iconic Alerts slider, which is a trademark found on every OnePlus smartphone except the Nord CE series. Another change, or should I say downgrade, is the materials used. The OnePlus 10R 5G has a polycarbonate back and frame, compared to the glass and metal used for the OnePlus 9R. This shouldn’t get in the way of day-to-day use, especially if you’re ordering a case for this phone, but it’s a compromise nonetheless.
On the bright side, the most advanced version of OnePlus 10R 5G there is a very cool party trick, which is the ability to charge up to 150W. This model that I brought along with the SuperVOOC Endurance Edition 160W charger. It is half the length of the phone and is quite heavy. OnePlus claims that you’ll be able to charge the 4,500mAh battery in this 10R 5G from empty to full in just 17 minutes, which is incredibly quick.
To preserve the health of the battery in long-term use, this model features the exclusive Battery Health Engine which is said to ensure safe fast charging, and the battery can also retain 80% of its original capacity right away. even after 1,600 charge cycles. This model is priced at Rs. 43,999 and is available with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.
SuperVOOC Endurance Edition 160W charger included with the top-end OnePlus 10R 5G model
The standard OnePlus 10R 5G can still be charged at a very fast 80W and comes with an 80W SuperVOOC fast charger in the box, just like OnePlus 10 Pro 5G (Review). This model lacks the Battery Health Engine feature but it has all the basic safety considerations for fast charging in place. The battery capacity in the standard model is 5,000mAh, and it’s rated to last longer than the 4,500mAh battery in the 150W model. Pricing for the 80W model starts at Rs. 38,999 for 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, and Rs. 42,999 for 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.
The OnePlus 10R 5G checks a lot of boxes when it comes to premium features, which we’ve come to expect from phones in this segment. It lacks wireless charging and an IP rating, but it has a vibrant 6.7-inch AMOLED display with an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate. It supports 10-bit color depth, is certified for HDR10+ video playback, and has Corning Gorilla Glass 5. The phone also has stereo speakers and an in-display fingerprint sensor. For software, you get OxygenOS 12.1 based on Android 12.
The SoC in the OnePlus 10R 5G is the MediaTek Dimensity 8100-Max which is a customized version of the standard Dimensity 8100 SoC found in another recent launch, Realme GT Neo 3. I will test its performance in detail in my full review, but in my opinion the ‘Max’ moniker is most likely related to some custom AI algorithm to image or video processing. We’ve seen custom SoCs similar to the Dimensity 1200-AI in the past OnePlus Nord 2 (Review) and Density 1200-Max in Oppo Reno 7 Pro (Review).
The missing Alerts slider on the OnePlus 10R 5G is a bit of a surprise, not to mention disappointing
The main rear camera uses a 50-megapixel Sony IMX766 sensor and benefits from optical image stabilization. We’ve seen this sensor on a lot of flagships, so I’m expecting good results. The ultra-wide camera has an 8-megapixel Sony IMX355 sensor with f/2.2 aperture and no autofocus. The third camera on the back is a 2-megapixel macro camera. OnePlus has upgraded the selfie camera of the 9R to a Samsung sensor with 10R 5G. It has a 16-megapixel resolution along with an f/2.4 aperture.
The OnePlus 10R 5G definitely an exciting new addition to Rs. Smartphone segment 40,000. If you take a look at the plastic used for the body and lack some of the familiar OnePlus features, it still manages to deliver solid specs for the price. However, the 10R 5G also faces a direct threat in the form of Realme GT Neo 3. In addition to similar pricing and specs, the GT Neo 3 comes in two different models with 80W or 150W charging support, making it suspiciously similar to the 10R 5G. We’re currently testing both smartphones and will have the final verdict on them in full reviews, coming soon.
