OnePlus 10T: Everything we know so far and what we want to see

OnePlus has had a rocky couple of years that brought big shifts in strategy and product lineup. It’s become harder to anticipate what OnePlus will do next, but one thing is for sure — OnePlus phones still draw plenty of attention. The rumor mill pegs the OnePlus 10T as the next launch coming this summer. Here are all the OnePlus 10T news and rumors we know so far.

Will there be a OnePlus 10T?

OnePlus has kept us guessing when it comes to the OnePlus 10 series. Whereas in previous years, the brand had always released a “T” version of its flagship phone, in 2022 that was not guaranteed. That’s because the OnePlus 10 Pro launched on its own, leaving the option for a OnePlus 10 to come later.

Recent rumors suggest that OnePlus’ next phone will be the OnePlus 10T, rather than the OnePlus 10, which is still missing in action. There’s always a chance that the rumors are wrong, but we’re fairly positive the OnePlus 10T is real and coming soon. One small note: it’s likely the phone’s official name will be “OnePlus 10T 5G.”

Also read: OnePlus phones — A history of the company’s entire lineup so far

When will the OnePlus 10T release date be?

The OnePlus 10T release date will likely be in the next few weeks, with one report suggesting a launch window in late July — early August.

For a little background, here’s when OnePlus launched previous T-version phones, with the observation that there was no 9T model in 2021.

• OnePlus 8T — October 2020 (six months after OnePlus 8)
• OnePlus 7T — September 2019 (four months after OnePlus 7)
• OnePlus 6T — October 2018 (five months after OnePlus 6)
• OnePlus 5T — November 2017 (five months after OnePlus 5)
• OnePlus 3T — November 2016 (five months after OnePlus 3)

The OnePlus 10 Pro launched in January 2022, so OnePlus is already late to release the 10T, at least compared to its predecessors.

One report out of India claims the OnePlus 10T will launch in the country sometime in the last week of July. The global OnePlus 10T release date will likely be around the same period, give or take a few days.

What features and specs will the OnePlus 10T have?

Previous T-edition phones brought clear improvements over the “non-T” phone in the series. The picture is a little less clear when it comes to the OnePlus 10T.

OnePlus 10T design

The most notable design — and functional — change on the OnePlus 10T is the lack of a physical alert slider. A signature feature of OnePlus phones from the beginning, the alert slider lets you toggle the mute mode on the device. This fan-favorite element is reportedly going away from most OnePlus phones, a move that has already created controversy.

Leaks from Steve Hemmerstoffer and Yogesh Brar point to a design closely resembling the OnePlus 10 Pro. The large camera module dominates the rear, while on the front, the “major” change is the relocation of the selfie camera to the center of the screen. Appearances deceive, however — the OnePlus 10T will reportedly have a plastic frame instead of aluminum, though the back will still be made of glass. The choice of plastic is curious, given the 10T is superior to the 10 Pro when it comes to some specs.

The OnePlus 10T will be available in Moonstone Black and Jade Green.

Also read: OnePlus 10 Pro updates tracker

OnePlus 10T specs and features

The OnePlus 10T will reportedly retain the same display size as the OnePlus 10 Pro but will downgrade the resolution to FHD+ (1,080 x 2,412 pixels), resulting in a slightly lower pixel density. The 120Hz display will also have flat edges, unlike the 10 Pro.

The 10T will get the latest-and-greatest processor from Qualcomm. The Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 is a more battery-friendly iteration of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 found in the OnePlus 10 Pro. It also offers minor performance improvements. Battery life improvements — up to 30% according to Qualcomm — should give the OnePlus 10T a nice boost in longevity, although rumors claim the battery will be 4,800mAh, down from 5,000mAh on the OnePlus 10 Pro.

OnePlus will bundle the phone with a 150W charger, ensuring some of the fastest charging speeds around. That’s more than double the 65W of the US version of the OnePlus 10 Pro.

The new processor will be coupled with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage in the base version. Souped-up versions with more RAM and storage will likely be available as well.

The primary camera on the OnePlus 10T is rumored to have a 50MP sensor and will be accompanied by a 16MP ultrawide and a 2MP macro lens. Don’t expect to see the Hasselblad logo on the camera module, though. If the rumors are correct, the 10T will not boast tuning from the iconic camera company.

What will the OnePlus 10T prices be?

It’s not clear yet how OnePlus plans to position the OnePlus 10T against the OnePlus 10 Pro. The improved processor points to a higher price point, but the plastic chassis and lower-resolution screen would give the company room to hit a lower price.

According to a screenshot of an alleged Amazon listing for the OnePlus 10T, the phone will cost £799 (~$850) in the UK. That’s the same price as the base version of the OnePlus 10 Pro at launch. If that’s the case, the 10 Pro could get a modest price cut to make it more competitive, at least until stock is exhausted.

There’s also a chance the new OnePlus phone will be slightly cheaper. A Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 phone sold for around $700—$800 would make a strong impression in the crowded high-end bracket.

Also read: OnePlus 11 Pro — Everything we know so far

OnePlus 10T series: What we want to see

Now that we’ve listed the OnePlus 10T rumors, here’s what we’d like to see from the next flagship phone from OnePlus.

Better build and an IP rating for all

Our review called the OnePlus 10 Pro’s design “unrefined” due to its excessive branding and unpleasantly sharp buttons and seams. Those are issues you wouldn’t expect on a high-end smartphone in 2022. It remains to be seen how the OnePlus 10T will feel in hand, but the switch to plastic doesn’t bode well for the user experience. We’ve already heard the alert slider is going away, but we’d love to be wrong about that particular rumor.

While we’re discussing the phone’s construction, we’d like to see OnePlus finally include an IP rating as a default feature for all versions of its high-end phones. That’s coming after the company made the baffling decision to drop the IP rating from all OnePlus 10 Pro versions except the one sold by T-Mobile. And no, assuring users that the phone is durable without actually certifying the phone as water-resistant isn’t good enough.

One of the weaker parts of the OnePlus 10 Pro is the ultrawide camera. The problems stem from the small size of the Samsung JN1 sensor used in the ultrawide camera. A smaller sensor means less light is captured, which in turn means the camera tends to struggle with noise levels, brightness, and dynamic range, especially in low-light settings. The 150-degree field of view on this camera is a cool party trick but not really useful to most users.

Judging from the OnePlus 10T rumors, OnePlus has heard the complaints and is switching the ultrawide camera to a different, 16MP sensor. We hope this change will alleviate the issues we’ve seen on the 10 Pro and that OnePlus will be able to deliver a well-rounded camera experience this time around.

More consistent software

Software used to be OnePlus’ strong suit, but ever since parent company Oppo decided to merge Oxygen OS with Color OS, it’s been a mess. Oppo backtracked on that decision, but it’s obvious that Oxygen OS has lost focus and direction.

Inconsistencies, small and large, are marring the user experience on the OnePlus 10 Pro, so we hope the OnePlus 10T will fix some of these issues. Examples include weird differences in font sizes across different sections of the OS, longstanding bugs, and Color OS UI elements that feel tacked on top of an Oxygen OS base. Cleaning up some of these issues would go a long way towards restoring Oxygen OS’ reputation.

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