Looking for a top of the line premium Android flagship? Unless you are looking for a device with a stylus, you are likely to find yourself stuck between two super phones. One is the flagship of an established brand, while the other represents a brand that takes pride in never settling. Both come packed with state of the art hardware and the latest software. And while there might seem to be a difference in their prices, they are the best Android can offer without venturing into the six-figure price mark. So which of the two pluses should a person seeking a high-end Android opt for – the Samsung Galaxy S22+ 5G or the OnePlus 10 Pro 5G?
Let us try and find out. For the sake of simplicity, we will refer to the phones without their 5G suffix.
Design and appearance
Both the Samsung Galaxy S22+ and the OnePlus 10 Pro have glass front and backs with a metal frame in between. And that is about all they have in common in design terms. The two phones are very good looking in their own ways, but they come from two different schools of design. The OnePlus 10 Pro has a curved back and sides, while the Galaxy S22+ sports the straight sides and flat back that are becoming popular these days. The camera units on the two phones are different as well. The OnePlus 10 Pro has a ceramic camera unit, which is slightly square-shaped and blends into the frame, while the Galaxy S22+ has a smaller rectangular camera unit that too meets the frame over the left side. Both phones have a very premium feel to them, with smooth glass backs and finishes that make them look almost metallic. The phones are different from the front as well – the OnePlus 10 Pro has a curved display with a punch hole notch in the top left corner while the Galaxy S22+ has a flat display with a punch hole notch in the top centre. Both phones use premium materials, with Gorilla Glass Victus on the front. On the back, the Galaxy S22+ uses Gorilla Glass Victus while the OnePlus 10 Pro uses Gorilla Glass 5.
Perhaps the biggest difference between the two devices is in terms of their size. Although they sport almost similar sized displays (the OnePlus 10 Pro has a 0.1 inch larger display), the Galaxy S22+ is significantly more compact than the OnePlus 10 Pro. The Galaxy S22+ is 157.4mm tall as compared to the 163mm of the OnePlus 10 Pro. The OnePlus 10 Pro is less wide – 73.9mm as compared to 75.8mm of the Galaxy S22+ – but the Galaxy S22+ is slimmer at 7.6mm compared to 8.6mm of the OnePlus device. Given its more compact and slimmer frame, the Galaxy S22+ is also lighter than the OnePlus 10 Pro, although the difference is actually not that much – 195 grams to 201 grams. The Galaxy S22+ also comes with iP68 dust and water resistance, something the OnePlus 10 Pro lacks.
Which device you prefer will depend on your tastes, but for us, the compact form factor of the Galaxy S22+ and its dust and water resistance win this round.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy S22+
Display
This is a battle between two very brilliant displays – both AMOLED, both with high refresh rates, but one is flat, and the other is curved. The Galaxy S22+ comes with a bright and colourful flat 6.6-inch dynamic AMOLED 2X full HD+ display with 120Hz refresh rate. It is a very good display indeed. But it gets just edged out by the curved 6.7-inch fluid AMOLED quad HD+ display with 120Hz refresh rate on the OnePlus 10 Pro. We actually think that many might prefer the slightly brighter and more colourful display on the Galaxy S22+. That said, we think the extra pixels and higher pixel density of the display on the OnePlus 10 Pro will make a difference to high-end users, which is why it takes this round. It is rare to see a Samsung display getting pushed to second place, but the resolution of the OnePlus 10 Pro wins this one.
Winner: OnePlus 10 Pro
Processor, RAM and storage
Both phones are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Generation 1 processor, which many feel is the best mobile processor you can find on an Android device. All square there. The difference comes in terms of RAM and storage. The Galaxy S22+ sticks with 8GB RAM and has two storage variants of 128GB and 256GB. Whereas the OnePlus 10 Pro has 8GB / 128GB and 12GB / 256GB RAM and storage variants. Neither phone has expandable memory, so we think that the extra RAM on the higher end OnePlus wins this round.
Winner: OnePlus 10 Pro
Gaming and multimedia
With broadly similar processor and RAM set ups, it is hardly surprising that there is little to separate both phones in terms of gaming and multimedia performance. Both phones will sail through high-end games and high definition videos without breaking sweat. The larger resolution display of the OnePlus 10 Pro does give it a slight edge if you really look closely, but the S22+ seems to have a brighter display and packs in better speakers. The smaller size of the Galaxy S22+ makes it easier to handle while gaming, but then we can see some people liking the slightly larger curved display of the OnePlus 10 Pro for a more immersive visual experience. It is a very close call here, and we are going for a tie.
Winner: Tie
Cameras
Both phones come with triple camera arrangements in very eye-catching enclosures on their backs. The three cameras are similar in nature too – one main sensor with OIS, one ultrawide and one telephoto with OIS. It is the megapixel counts that are different – the OnePlus 10 Pro comes with a 48-megapixel main sensor, a 50 megapixel ultrawide and an 8-megapixel telephoto, while the Galaxy S22+ comes with a 50-megapixel main sensor, a 12-megapixel ultrawide and a 10-megapixel telephoto. The OnePlus 10 Pro comes with its alliance with the legendary Hasselblad and much talked about natural colour calibration, but in terms of consistent performance, we found the Galaxy S22+ delivering better results. The main sensors of the two phones are broadly similar in terms of performance, although perhaps the Galaxy S22+ has slightly brighter colours.
The difference really comes in the performance of the other two sensors, with the Galaxy S22+’s ultrawide and telephoto cameras delivering better results in terms of colours, details and clarity than their counterparts on the OnePlus 10 Pro. The OnePlus 10 Pro’s ultrawide sensor does give you 150-degree field of view Fisheye options, but the Galaxy S22+’s sensor simply delivers better “normal” landscape shots. The OnePlus 10 Pro wins back some ground with very good low light performance, but the Galaxy S22+ has the edge in video.
In terms of selfies, the two phones are broadly tied in spite of having cameras with widely different megapixel counts – the Galaxy S22+ has a 10-megapixel snapper, while the OnePlus 10 Pro has a 32 megapixel one. Both produce good, slightly beautified selfies, with the Galaxy S22+ having slightly brighter colours. Both phones have detailed camera interfaces, with the OnePlus 10 Pro catering more to serious photographers, while the Galaxy S22+ is for more mainstream users.
The consistency of its sensors and the performance of its telephoto wins this round for the Galaxy S22+, but you never know, OnePlus could turn the tables with a few software updates.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy S22+
Software and interface
Although both phones run on Android 12, they have very different interfaces. The Samsung Galaxy S22+ comes with the very feature-rich OneUI while the OnePlus 10 Pro has the more minimalist OxygenOS. Which one you prefer is going to be – like the design – purely a matter of personal taste. Mainstream users might like the more feature-laden OneUI, while those with a slightly more technological bend of mind will prefer the more stock Android-like OxygenOS. If you are concerned about updates, then both brands have a good track record, although Samsung seems to have overtaken OnePlus in this regard following the latter’s problems with Android 12 and integration with ColorOS. We are calling this one a tie, as both interfaces are good and yet so different.
Winner: Tie
General usage
Both phones are extremely powerful devices and run smoothly through regular tasks like browsing the Web, emails, messaging and social networking. Both also come with in-display fingerprint scanners, but we felt the Galaxy S22+ had a slight edge in terms of speed here. The smaller form factor of the Samsung phone also makes it easier to use for everyday tasks. Both phones are future proof in network terms with support for 5G, but we felt that the call quality was slightly better on the Galaxy S22+. This is why we are giving this round to the Samsung device.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy S22+
Battery life and charging
You would think that the OnePlus 10 Pro would win this round easily as it has everything going for it – a bigger 5,000mAh battery, support for 80W fast charging and 80W charger in the box. The Galaxy S22+ on the other hand has a 4,500mAh battery, supports 45W charging and has no charger in the box. The charger and fast charging win the round for the OnePlus 10 Pro, but the Galaxy S22+ actually had slightly better battery life – perhaps as a consequence of the lower resolution display. Both phones will easily see out a day of use, but the Galaxy S22+ goes just a little further. Both phones also support wireless charging, although the OnePlus 10 Pro supports up to 50W wireless charging, while the Galaxy S22+ is limited to a very modest 15W. It tends to last longer on a single charge, but its relatively slower charging and total absence of charger costs the Galaxy S22+ this round.
Winner: OnePlus 10 Pro
Price
This is perhaps the most lopsided round of the whole contest. The OnePlus 10 Pro is priced at Rs 66,999 for its 8GB / 128GB variant, while its 12GB / 256GB variant is available for Rs 71,999. That is well below the Rs 84,999 that the base 8GB / 128GB variant of the Galaxy S22+ will set you back by. The S22+ also comes with an 8GB / 256GB variant for Rs 88,999. However, the simple fact is that the top 12GB / 256GB variant of the OnePlus 10 Pro is significantly less expensive than the base variant of the Samsung Galaxy S22+. And of course, you will have to purchase a charger for the Galaxy S22+ separately. Only one winner here.
Winner: OnePlus 10 Pro
So, which plus should you add to your phone life?
All of which brings us to the question that really matters – which of the two phones should you be going for? Well, if you are on a tight budget, the answer is an absolute no-brainer – the OnePlus 10 Pro is way more affordable. Bring compact design and camera performance into the picture and the S22+ becomes the better option. We really think that given how closely matched the two devices are, this is going to boil down to your preference for two factors – phone size and budget. The S22+ scores on the first. The OnePlus 10 Pro, however, does thump it in terms of sheer value for money – and there is even a charger in the box. Given how closely matched the two are in most performance parameters, you are unlikely to end up on the minus side, no matter which plus you pick.
With inputs from Akriti Rana
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