OnePlus 10T vs Samsung Galaxy S22: Should you pay $150 more? | digital trends

OnePlus has introduced the OnePlus 10T, a companion smartphone to the OnePlus 10 Pro. As the first entry in its “T” series since 2020’s OnePlus 8T, it combines the powerful 4nm chip Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 with a sharp 6.7-inch AMOLED display, incredibly fast 125- W charging and a three-lens camera setup. And at $650, it’s a great price too.

But the OnePlus 10T isn’t the only Android flagship out there. One of its biggest direct competitors is the Samsung Galaxy S22. It’s also reasonably priced, retailing for $799 and often available for even less. Despite the affordable price, it packs a number of premium features – like a beautiful design, a detailed screen, and a similarly muscular 4nm chip.

Which is the better phone? We’ve put that to the test in this head-to-head comparison examining each phone’s specs, designs, displays, performance, cameras and software. By weighing the pros and cons, it aims to help the undecided to make their choice.

specifications

Design, display and durability

To the casual observer, the OnePlus 10T looks very similar to the 10 Pro. It has a hole-punch selfie camera in the top center of its 6.7-inch display surrounded by pleasingly narrow bezels. It also has pretty much the same rear camera module design with three lenses arranged in a square with an LED flash. While it looks appealing from a distance, the effect vanishes when you actually pick up the device. Gone is the 10 Pro’s aluminum frame, and in its place is a plastic alternative that feels like plastic in the worst possible way. It’s sticky and warm, belying the relatively steep price tag OnePlus is charging for the phone.

With the Galaxy S22, the design is certainly one of its strengths. While the basic S21 had a plastic back, the S22 has been upgraded with a glass equivalent, giving it a much more premium feel. The camera module is also arguably a little slimmer and sleeker than that of the 10T, as it slants organically into the device’s shoulders and still manages to turn heads.

As for the displays, each device is not too far apart. The OnePlus 10T sports a 6.7-inch Fluid AMOLED display, which is slightly down on the 10 Pro’s LTPO 2.0 AMOLED screen. The panel offers a resolution of 2412 x 1080 pixels, which is also lower than that of the 10 Pro, with a density of 394 pixels per inch. This is in contrast to the Galaxy S22’s 6.1-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, which packs 2340 x 1080 pixels. Both displays support a refresh rate of 120 Hz and ensure smooth scrolling and animations.

Samsung has covered the S22 with Gorilla Glass Victus Plus on the front and back, while the OnePlus 10T has the slightly less resilient Gorilla Glass 5 for protection. The latter also only has a basic protection rating of IP54, while Samsung’s device has been certified IP68, making it more resistant to water and dust. Combined with its aesthetic and display-related advantages, this gives the S22 the round.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S22

Performance, battery life and charging

The OnePlus 10T has been treated to the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, which is a step above the Galaxy S22’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. While the difference in performance isn’t massive, the newer chip also allows for slightly more efficient use of battery power. With 8GB of RAM on the 10T (which can be upgraded to 16GB for a higher price), OnePlus’ device is a touch faster than Samsung’s.

Both phones come with 128GB of internal storage as standard and are available (for more money) with 256GB. Neither has a microSD card slot, so you may need to ration the available storage.

There is a fairly large gap in battery sizes between the two devices, with the OnePlus 10T having a 4,800mAh cell and the Galaxy S22 having a 3,700mAh counterpart. In practice, this translates to a longer lifespan in everyday use, with the 10T being able to last around a day and a half of normal use, while the S22 only lasts a full day. In addition, the OnePlus 10T offers incredibly fast charging. With 125W speeds in the US (or 150W in other markets), the 10T goes from 0-100% in about 20 minutes. The S22 just can’t even come close, giving the OnePlus an easy win this time around. The 10T’s lack of wireless charging isn’t ideal, but everything else in that department is excellent on the phone.

Winner: OnePlus 10T

cameras

Samsung’s Galaxy S22 has three rear camera lenses, including a 50-megapixel main lens, a 12-megapixel ultrawide, and a 10-megapixel telephoto lens. Likewise, the 10T has a triple-lens array that combines a 50-megapixel main camera, an 8-megapixel ultrawide camera, and a 2-megapixel macro camera.

The 10T’s specs are decent enough, but in reality it doesn’t shine as much as those of the Galaxy S22. The 50-megapixel main lens takes very nice photos in good, natural lighting, but like too many Android devices, it struggles on cloudy days or when the lighting isn’t quite optimal. Its ultrawide lens isn’t as capable as its main camera either, while its macro camera was described as “almost completely pointless” in our review of the phone. As such, it doesn’t really offer as much versatility as it would like to think.

In contrast, the S22 is a better all-round camera phone. The main lens captures sharp images with impressive colour, detail and balance. Likewise, the portrait mode holds its own against that of the iPhone, while the ultrawide lens is more useful than that of the 10T.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S22

software and updates

The OnePlus 10T ships with OxygenOS 12, which is based on Android 12, while the Galaxy S22 overlays One UI 4 over the same Android 12 skeleton. While software is (to a certain extent) a subjective and individual experience, it’s arguable that Samsung’s Android skin is just a little bit better overall this time around. OxygenOS might be fast and reliable, but it also has a few small issues — like showing old notifications, a default bias toward battery conservation, and an overemphasis on sometimes unnecessary system notifications.

One UI 4 eliminates many of these annoyances while adding a number of helpful features such as B. Smart Calendar (which automatically detects dates). It also has the edge when it comes to updates, because although OnePlus promises three years of Core Android updates, Samsung has upped the ante with four.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S22

Special features

Longtime OnePlus fans may be disappointed to find that the OnePlus 10T lacks the alarm pusher that you’ll find on pretty much every previous OnePlus phone. Still, it has some notable features – like a reliable in-screen fingerprint sensor, 5G support, and the aforementioned insanely fast charging.

Like the 10T, the Samsung Galaxy S22 also supports 5G networks. In addition, it offers Bixby (if you’re tired of Google Assistant) and Samsung’s desktop-emulating DeX mode.

There’s not much in this round as both devices are cheaper versions of premium phones. Nonetheless, we’re giving the S22 another round with a little more versatility.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S22

price and availability

The OnePlus 10T starts at $649 for the model with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. While pre-orders are now live in some countries, pre-orders in the US won’t start until September 1st. And from there, regular sales don’t start until September 29th.

The Samsung Galaxy S22 has an official price of $799 for the 128GB model, although it’s been out for a few months, so you should be able to find good deals online.

Overall winner: Samsung Galaxy S22

There isn’t a huge difference between the two devices, but the Samsung Galaxy S22 wins in enough departments to take a clear overall win. It sports a better design than the OnePlus 10T, along with a more vibrant screen, a more useful camera, and marginally simpler software (and more updates). Granted, the 10T offers more power and superior performance, but it doesn’t go as far as compensating for its other relative disadvantages. And since the OnePlus 10 Pro is more competitive at around $799, OnePlus fans might be better off going with the Pro if they don’t want the Galaxy S22.

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