The OnePlus 10 Pro is here, and one of its biggest competitors in the flagship phone space is the Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus.
What makes this combination so interesting is that there are few similarities between the two phones down to the smallest detail. These two manufacturers do things very differently, which is always nice to see.
So which of these two phones is the better buy? Let's take a closer look.
OnePlus 10 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus: price and availability
The global model of the OnePlus 10 Pro hit stores on April 5. The base model costs €899 / €799 for 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage. In the UK, you can upgrade to 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage for €899 (which would probably be around €999).
The Galaxy S22 Plus arrived in the US on February 25, Australia on March 3, and the UK on March 11. .
So, in the price department, it's a clear win for the OnePlus 10 Pro. Similarly, it's €100/€150 cheaper.
OnePlus 10 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus: design
We're big fans of the refreshed design of the OnePlus 10 Pro. After the somewhat bland OnePlus 9 Pro, our reviewer hailed it as "distinct without falling into 'weird' territory."
What really impresses is the 10 Pro's boxy camera array, with its expansive yet surprisingly slim dimensions. We also liked the phone's frosted glass finish; but it's only available in black or green, and those colors are partially tied to the storage capacity you choose.
On the other hand, our reviewer's reception of the Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus design was a bit more mixed, stating that we "love it and hate it" at the same time. The love was for Samsung's Contour Cut camera bump, as well as the fact that the phone comes in a much wider variety of colors (white, black, green, pink, grey, cream, pale blue, and purple). . However, we did find the phone uncomfortable to hold and use.
It doesn't have much to do with its size: at 157,4 x 75,8 x 7,6mm, it's wider but also shorter and slimmer than the OnePlus 10 Pro at 163 x 73,9 x 8mm. . It also weighs less at 0,6g compared to the OnePlus at 195g.
However, that considerable width, coupled with the phone's boxy design and sharp edges, makes it a literal pain to hold at times. OnePlus has opted for a much more curved shape, and therefore more comfortable.
In favor of the Galaxy S22 Plus is its screen covered with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus Plus, which is probably a bit tougher than the OnePlus 10 Pro's Gorilla Glass Victus coating. Both phones offer IP68 dust and water resistance.
However, only the OnePlus 10 Pro comes with this unique alert slider. Being able to put your phone in silent mode without turning on the screen is a small but potentially significant benefit.
OnePlus 10 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus: screen
The OnePlus 10 Pro packs a 6,7-inch display, while the Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus has a slightly smaller 6,6-inch equivalent. They both have 120Hz refresh rates, so they're equally smooth.
Both are AMOLED screens, offering vivid and accurate colours, with the ability to adjust the hue to your liking. However, the OnePlus 10 Pro display can be expanded up to 3216 x 1440 (WQHD+) resolution if desired, while the Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus is stuck at 2340 x 1080 (FHD+).
FHD+ is fine for most tasks, of course, and some gaming and video services will take full advantage of full QHD resolution. But it's still something we'd expect to see in non-Apple phones at this price point.
Samsung responds with a higher peak brightness of 1750 nits, with the OnePlus 10 Pro landing well below 1300 nits.
OnePlus 10 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus: cameras
The OnePlus 10 Pro packs a very similar camera system to its predecessor, the OnePlus 9 Pro, while the Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus heralds the changes.
With the OnePlus 10 Pro, you get a 48-megapixel f/1.8 wide-angle sensor, an 3,3-megapixel 8x telephoto lens, and a new 50-megapixel ultra-wide that can take 150-degree fisheye photos.
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus, for its part, leads with a new 50-megapixel f/1.8 sensor, accompanied by a 12-megapixel f/2.2 ultra-wide angle and a 10-megapixel f/2.4 telephoto lens for 3x optical zoom.
OnePlus wins on the size of the main sensor, but Samsung's camera takes more consistent photos. Samsung is well known for offering an even tone across its various sensors, while our reviewer noted that the OnePlus 10 Pro's balance between all three cameras was off.
Both manufacturers like to spice up their colors a bit. This is a common move from Samsung, while OnePlus' partnership with Hasselblad seems to have led to more vibrant color science of late.
Both phones handle portrait mode well, but Samsung may be the best in the business so far. It just manages to pick out more detail around the edges of the subject, and you also get the artificial background blur and range of effects.
The OnePlus telephoto lens gets a little closer to the action than its rival, but neither is up there with the best in the business (that would be the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra).
We'd give the OnePlus 10 Pro the performance win, simply because its hardware setup is more consistent. You get the blazing-fast Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip no matter where you are in the world, while Samsung splits its supply between Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and Exynos 2200.
There isn't much of a difference between the two chips in the CPU department, but the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 seems to have the upper hand over the Exynos 2200 when it comes to GPU. Or at least that's what the benchmarks seem to suggest.
In practice, however, you certainly won't be able to tell the difference. These are two fast flagship phones that can handle anything you throw at them.
Our review of the Galaxy S22 Plus noted that it's "great for gaming because it loads titles quickly, doesn't stutter during sessions, and allows you to load the best graphics settings for gaming." This is also the case with the OnePlus 10 Pro.
Both phones offer 8GB of RAM as standard, although the OnePlus 10 Pro gives you up to 12GB if you go for the higher-capacity model.
Of course, performance also has to do with the software that sits on top of that hardware, which can often be a matter of perception more than anything. On that front, OnePlus continues to use its smart and fast OxygenOS, albeit now running on the underpinnings of Oppo's ColorOS.
Either way, it's a crisp and fast UI, and it certainly looks snappier and cleaner than Samsung's rather slow and busy One UI. OnePlus also includes fewer additional apps and services on its phones.
By contrast, Samsung promised four years of software updates to OnePlus' three years. It's a win for Samsung, if you're the type to keep your phones past the end of your average contract.
OnePlus 10 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus: Battery
The OnePlus 10 Pro comes with a 5000mAh cell, while Samsung equips its phone with a smaller 4500mAh battery. On paper, this would seem like an instant advantage for the OnePlus phone.
In practice, both phones are good for a day of moderate to heavy use, and nothing more. The Galaxy S22 Plus's low-res display probably balances things out here.
However, there's no denying which phone wins on the charging front. While OnePlus includes an impressive new 80W charger in the box, Samsung only supports 45W and it's not included with the phone.
Also, in our tests, we just couldn't charge the Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus as fast as it should. Even with a much faster charger, it took us two hours to charge the battery to 100%, while the OnePlus 10 Pro filled up in 30 minutes.
Wireless charging support is 50W for the OnePlus 10 Pro and 15W for the Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus, so it's another win for OnePlus.
To go
Both Samsung and OnePlus are sleek and stylish flagship phones with their own strengths, but we have to give the OnePlus 10 Pro the win as a whole.
Yes, we rate the OnePlus higher than the Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus (8/10 beats 7/10), but that's more than just a numerical comparison.
The OnePlus 10 Pro is cheaper than the €22/€100 Samsung Galaxy S150 Plus, but it has a cooler, more comfortable design, a sharper screen, faster charging (with that built-in charger), and faster software.
By contrast, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus has a more consistent camera system, a higher maximum screen brightness, and an additional year of software updates. So designed, the OnePlus 10 Pro simply gives you more for your money.