The OnePlus 10 Pro Is So Close to Being a Superb iPhone Competitor

I gave the OnePlus 10 Pro a healthy score of 8 out of 10 in my full CNET review. It earned those points thanks to its beautiful display, its powerful processor, its excellent battery life and what I think is a slick design that stands out against the competition. Then there's the fact that at $899 (£799) it's cheaper than the iPhone 13 Pro ($999) and Galaxy S22 Ultra ($1,200), while going head to head with the award-winning Google Pixel 6 Pro ($899).

It offers a lot of great tech, and though I do think it's among the best phones launched this year, there are some things holding back my excitement. For one, its camera still needs a bit of work. It can take some beautiful images -- especially in good daytime light -- but I noticed significant shifts in colors between the main and super-wide lenses, and low-light performance falls below the competition. 

Then there's the fact that an official IP waterproof rating has been withheld from almost all versions of the phone, instead being offered solely on phones sold exclusively via T-Mobile in the US. Water resistance is a hugely helpful safety feature keeping our phones protected when taking calls in the rain or from accidentally spilled drinks, so it feels frustrating that it's a feature most will miss out on just because of exclusivity deals. Especially when the previous OnePlus 9 Pro did come with an IP68 rating on all models. 

There's also the fact that OnePlus 10 Pro phones bought unlocked via T-Mobile will get varying levels of performance on other 5G networks and won't be compatible with AT&T's 5G network at all. 

Some of these issues might not be a big deal to you or might be entirely moot (living in the UK I don't give a halfpenny flip about T-Mobile or AT&T, for example), but things like the camera performance could be irksome wherever you are. And when you're spending $900 on a phone, you should feel like you're getting a complete flagship phone experience. 

If you're considering buying the OnePlus 10 Pro, make sure to read our full review.