OnePlus 10R 5G review: Well-rounded phone

OnePlus 9RT, which was launched earlier this year, was an iterative variant with just improvement in terms of internal hardware over the predecessor. However, as I noted in the review, the device was one of the most reliable phones in the sub-Rs 45,000 range.

. Now, with the new OnePlus 10R, the company has improved both in terms of the visual design language and internal specifications. Does it deliver? Let's check it out.

. Design, build quality and display OnePlus 10R flaunts flat rails around the edges with the display fit flush with the frame. On the back, it features a triple-camera module with a glossy finish. Yes, it does attract fingerprint smudges and also the dust gets accumulated around the circular rings of the sensors. That's nothing to be concerned about, as it is limited to the top-left corner. The rest of the back panel has a matte finish and does an excellent job repelling fingerprints and dust.

. There are also unique strip line patterns from the camera module to the base, it does improve the style quotient of the phone and stand out among its peers. However, if you happen to use the cover-case, offered by OnePlus with the retail box, the phone will definitely serve you longer, but loses its uniqueness.

. Talking of standout features, the 10R 5G model has also lost the alert slider, a signature attribute unique to OnePlus phones among rival Android OEM brands. To change from ringtone to vibration or to silent mode, you have to rely on multi-functional volume rockets on the left side. On the opposite side, there is the power button.

. At the base, you will find the Type-C port along with a mic, a speaker and a dual-SIM tray slot. And, on the top, there is a tiny speaker and a mic.

. It sports a fantastic 6.7-inch full HD+ (2412×1080p) Fluid AMOLED display with support for a 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+ content and a peak brightness of 950 nits. Also, it has an 87.6% screen-to-body ratio with a small camera at the top. The latter doesn't obstruct the uniformity of the screen while consuming any multimedia content.

. Most importantly, the colours of the objects in the motion picture come off as vibrant when watched indoors and even when outdoors, I did not have to squint my eyes too much, be it while reading news on the web or viewing TV during the long office-home commute.

. On the front, the display is protected by Corning's Gorilla Glass 5 shield and on top of it, the company has incorporated an additional transparent plastic screen guard to safeguard from scratches.

. It also comes with an in-display fingerprint sensor. It works fine like any other premium phone and the false rejection rate (FRR) is less. However, it goes without saying that the users have to place the thumb or any registered finger vertically to unlock the screen. Also, ensure the finger is dry.

. Performance OnePlus 10R is powered by a 5nm class MediaTek 8100-MAX octa-core chipset (2.85 GHz Cortex-A78 x 4 cores + 2.0 GHz Cortex-A55 x 4 cores) chipset with Mali-G610 MC6 GPU, 8GB/12GB LPDDR5 RAM, 128Gb/256GB storage(UFS 3.1) and runs Android 12-based OxygenOS 12.

. The user interface is clean and there is a very less number of third-party apps compared to other phones in the market. This way, OnePlus has ensured there is more storage space for the personal use of the device owner.

. It also boasts an advanced large 4129.8 mm² vapour chamber made of Graphite/Graphene combination, to dissipate excessive heat generated during heavy tasks such as playing graphics-rich games like Asphalt 9: Legends or operating a camera for 4K video recording.

. Also, it supports RAM expansion up to 7GB. This means users can expand the physical memory from 8GB to 15GB. The device with 12GB RAM, can be extended up 19GB, provided there is enough space left in the storage. FYI: The device come in two configurations-- 8GB RAM + 128GB storage and 12GB RAM + 256GB storage.

. The main purpose of the RAM Expansion is to make the phone work smoother, and load apps faster. This way, it improves the user experience of the phone. Does it work? Yes, it works. During the review period, I did not face any pressing issues like lag-ness or overheating to complain about. Though the phone gets warmed up a bit during the gaming session, it never was overwhelming. The OnePlus 10R worked smoothly at all times.

. Even while charging, the adaptor attached to the power-point gets heated, but the phone's back was surprisingly cooler than the former.

. A standard OnePlus 10R features a 5,000mAh battery and comes along with 80W. Ours is the top-end model OnePlus 10R 150W Endurance Edition. But, it comes with a smaller dual-cell 4,500mAh battery. It can charge up from zero to 100 per cent under 25 minutes.

. Even with 10 minutes of charging, it can reach from zero to 65 plus per cent capacity. Under normal usage including doom scrolling on social media platforms, a few minutes of the photography session and binge watch a couple or three 25 minutes episodes of TV series or playing games for an average of 45 minutes, the device can still deliver a full day.

. However, I have some advice for phone users. Always download TV series episodes or a movie on the OTT app at home at least one night before using Wi-Fi at home. And, consume the content the next day offline. This way, you can save a lot of battery life, as streaming directly using cellular internet, will drain the former in no time. This applies to all phones.

. And, OnePlus 10R supports multiple 5G bands-- SA: n1/n3/n40/n41/n78/n28A/n5/n8 and NSA: n1/n3/n5/n8/n40/n41/n77/n78. Both Airtel and Reliance Jio have announced to bring 5G service in the coming weeks in India.

. Photography OnePlus 10R boasts a triple-camera module-- primary 50MP (with Sony IMX766 sensor, f/1.88) + 8MP 119-degree ultra-wide-lens (with Sony IMX355 sensor, f/2.2) + 2MP macro camera (with GC02M1 sensor, f/2.4) with LED flash on the back.

. It takes really nice photos in the natural morning light and even in other outdoor conditions too. The colours of the subjects such as flowers are warmer than what they look to the human eyes. However, I have no qualm with this aspect, as they come off beautiful and the details too, captured pretty well, tailor-made for sharing on social media platforms.

. The wide-angle and ultra-wide angle pictures manage to cover more area without any bending effect.

. The macro mode is kinda tricky and needs a very steady hand to get a good close-up shot. As you can see from the sample photos, the end result is really good.

. As far as the night mode is concerned, the camera balances the light absorption of the street lights pretty well and never blows up. It takes in the right amount of light and in the end, the colour of the objects, such as the coconut looks natural.

. Even without the night mode on, the camera was able to get good photos with just an LED flash on.

. It also supports up to 4K at 30fps (frames per second) video recording. The videos are stable and the auto-focus feature too, is good, on par with rival brands in the sub-Rs 45,000 segments.

. On the front, it houses 16MP (with Samsung S5K3P9SP sensor, f/2.4). It takes fine selfies in the outdoors and indoors with controlled light conditions too, so there is less loss of quality.

. There are of course filters and editing tools to enhance the selfies in terms of adjusting skin colour tone, smoothening to erase acne scars, re-size chin, jaw bone, eyes, nose and more.

. However, what I liked is the portrait mode, the phone's front camera was able to take perfect selfies with a bokeh background blur effect. The edge detection around the ears and the hairs around the head were good too.

. Final thoughts OnePlus 10R is a well-rounded smartphone for its asking price. It ticks all the right boxes in terms of premium build quality, good display, reliable performer and more than a day of battery life.

. Like all the OnePlus phones, this 10R 150W series too, impresses all with the value-added fast charging feature that makes so much difference to user experience. With just 10 minutes of charging, it can fill the battery capacity to more than 65 per cent, enough for the entire day.

. The company offers OnePlus 10R with an 80W model -in forest green and sierra black. It comes in two configurations--- 8GB RAM + 128GB storage and 12GB RAM + 256GB storage--for Rs 38,999 and Rs 42,999, respectively.