OnePlus 10T review

Android 12 with a layer of Oxygen on top

The software running on the OnePlus 10T is the same OxygenOS 12.1 over Android 12 we saw on the Nord 2T 5G just last week. You can read what some of us have to say about the ColorOS-ification of OxygenOS, though we don't all necessarily hold such strong opinions on the topic - you could say a bunch of us have settled.

As is the norm, the 10T supports fingerprint unlock, and the optical sensor works predictably great - always-on, fast, and accurate. You can also add a face for an even speedier unlock - though this is not as secure, being a simple camera-based solution.

A Quick Launch feature (found both in Special Features and the fingerprint settings) lets you open an app or execute a task if you keep your finger on the scanner for a second or two. There's plenty of slots to occupy, and you can cycle them by holding your thumb and swiping left or right.

Biometrics • Fingerprint settings • Fingerprint animation • Quick Launch • Quick Launch • Face recognition

Always-on Display is available, and it can be truly always-on, scheduled, or power-saving (on for just a bit). You can choose from many unique themes for the AOD screen. Also available is what OP calls Horizon Light, also known as Edge Light on other phones. It's independent of the AOD and lighter on the battery, and it is a good alternative to a notification LED (which the 10T doesn't have).

Always-on Display • Always-on Display • Always-on Display • Always-on Display • Horizon Light

OxygenOS 12.1 is, for all intents and purposes, ColorOS 12 with perhaps slightly more grown-up visuals - in any case, it should be familiar to anyone who's coming from an Oppo or Realme device. On the other hand, it's going to seem quite different to those switching from an older OnePlus device.

Lockscreen • Homescreen • Folder view • Notifications • Quick toggles • Task switcher

The launcher is from ColorOS and lets you customize things like the icon shape and size, while also supporting third-party icons. You can customize the wallpaper, and since this is Android 12, the OS will automatically adjust its color scheme for certain apps based on the wallpaper.

The app drawer isn't particularly customizable. It only allows four-icon-wide grid with no support for folders. OnePlus also got rid of the Hidden Space feature for placing unwanted icons on a separate screen. Also, the app drawer puts icons that start with numbers at the bottom of the alphabetical list instead of the top, as on every other Android phone.

Customization

The settings menu has been reconfigured compared to older versions of OxygenOS, so it may take a while to find some things. Options like being able to customize the navigation buttons to assign different functions when you press and hold or double-tap have also been removed. It feels more basic compared to the richer customizability of older OxygenOS versions.

Settings

Some of the other features have stuck around, such as the Shelf, which is where you can place your widgets and icons that can now be accessed from anywhere by swiping down on the top right of the screen. Zen Mode prevents you from using the phone for a set period of time, while Work Life Balance lets you limit certain apps from sending notifications during certain periods of the day.

Special features • Shelf • Shelf • Work Life Balance

The phone does not come with a lot of bloatware, though there are a couple of OnePlus brand apps which you can uninstall. There are a few duplicate apps from Google that do the same things as apps from OnePlus, such as the Files and Photos apps, and you can't delete the one you don't want.

Gallery • Gallery • File Manager • Weather • Notes

There is also a proprietary Game mode with options like Auto DND and Auto Resolution.

Game Mode

In terms of software updates, the OnePlus 10T should get three years of major OS releases (so up to Android 15), and four years of security updates total.

Performance and benchmarks

The OnePlus 10T is powered by the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset, so it's packing the best there is on Android at the moment. Our review unit is the top-spec version with 256GB of storage and (a bit excessive) 16GB of RAM, the base version stands at 128GB/8GB, and there's a middle option too (256GB/12GB).

OnePlus lists says the 10T has a "Cryo-velocity Vapor Cooling System" with a total area of 37038.8mm². That's a lot of area - they sum the multiple layers, otherwise, it wouldn't fit in a phone. It's a 64% increase over the 10 Pro's solution and gives the 10T twice the heat dissipation efficiency, their test data indicates.

Then there's the matter of the different system modes that the phone has. We tested it both in its default state and in 'High performance' mode. The latter allows the CPU to run at its full potential with little consideration for battery efficiency and higher thermal thresholds. The 'regular' mode (not a setting, strictly speaking, just with 'High performance' turned off) imposes some limitations on the processor, and the phone returns CPU benchmark scores lower than the OnePlus 9 Pro. The GPU isn't affected by this, and it's always working at full power.

GeekBench 5 (single-core)

Higher is better

• Realme GT2 Explorer Master
  1336
• Xiaomi 12S Ultra
  1324
• OnePlus 10T (High performance mode)
  1321
• Asus Zenfone 9 (High Performance)
  1313
• ZTE Axon 40 Ultra
  1207
• Motorola Edge 30 Pro
  1196
• Xiaomi 12
  1187
• vivo X80 Pro
  1184
• Xiaomi 12 Pro
  1169
• Sony Xperia 1 IV
  1160
• Honor Magic4 Pro
  1127
• OnePlus 9 Pro
  1126
• Asus ROG Phone 6 Pro
  1110
• OnePlus 10T
  1043
• OnePlus 10 Pro
  975
• Asus Zenfone 9 (Dynamic)
  927

GeekBench 5 (multi-core)

Higher is better

• Asus Zenfone 9 (High Performance)
  4338
• Xiaomi 12S Ultra
  4300
• Realme GT2 Explorer Master
  4021
• OnePlus 10T (High performance mode)
  3907
• Xiaomi 12 Pro
  3682
• Motorola Edge 30 Pro
  3658
• Xiaomi 12
  3652
• OnePlus 9 Pro
  3636
• Asus Zenfone 9 (Dynamic)
  3606
• Honor Magic4 Pro
  3512
• vivo X80 Pro
  3505
• OnePlus 10 Pro
  3447
• Sony Xperia 1 IV
  3403
• OnePlus 10T
  3401
• ZTE Axon 40 Ultra
  3189
• Asus ROG Phone 6 Pro
  2659

That difference in behavior between modes is also manifested in Antutu, where the CPU performance is a significant chunk of the overall result. But even in 'High performance' mode, the OnePlus falls a little short of the Zenfone 9, itself in 'High performance'.

AnTuTu 9

Higher is better

• Asus Zenfone 9 (High Performance)
  1083092
• Realme GT2 Explorer Master
  1045876
• Xiaomi 12S Ultra
  1039412
• OnePlus 10T (High performance mode)
  1016958
• vivo X80 Pro
  1002570
• Xiaomi 12 Pro
  985226
• Xiaomi 12
  985115
• Honor Magic4 Pro
  980755
• Motorola Edge 30 Pro
  941895
• OnePlus 10 Pro
  886248
• ZTE Axon 40 Ultra
  884923
• Sony Xperia 1 IV
  838832
• OnePlus 9 Pro
  789332
• OnePlus 10T
  786238
• Asus Zenfone 9 (Dynamic)
  783425
• Asus ROG Phone 6 Pro
  762090

In offscreen graphics benchmarks, the OP 10T proves to be a top performer, matching the Zenfone and adding a frame per second on top of the 10 Pro's already respectable numbers.

GFX Aztek ES 3.1 High (offscreen 1440p)

Higher is better

• OnePlus 10T
  46
• OnePlus 10T (High performance mode)
  46
• Realme GT2 Explorer Master
  46
• Asus Zenfone 9 (High Performance)
  46
• Xiaomi 12S Ultra
  46
• OnePlus 10 Pro
  43
• vivo X80 Pro
  41
• Xiaomi 12
  41
• Xiaomi 12 Pro
  41
• Honor Magic4 Pro
  40
• Motorola Edge 30 Pro
  39
• ZTE Axon 40 Ultra
  35
• Asus Zenfone 9 (Dynamic)
  33
• Asus ROG Phone 6 Pro
  33
• OnePlus 9 Pro
  28
• Sony Xperia 1 IV
  26

GFX Aztek Vulkan High (offscreen 1440p)

Higher is better

• Asus Zenfone 9 (High Performance)
  52
• OnePlus 10T
  51
• OnePlus 10T (High performance mode)
  51
• Xiaomi 12S Ultra
  51
• Realme GT2 Explorer Master
  50
• OnePlus 10 Pro
  48
• Motorola Edge 30 Pro
  45
• Xiaomi 12
  45
• Xiaomi 12 Pro
  45
• ZTE Axon 40 Ultra
  42
• vivo X80 Pro
  37
• Asus Zenfone 9 (Dynamic)
  36
• Asus ROG Phone 6 Pro
  36
• Honor Magic4 Pro
  32
• OnePlus 9 Pro
  31
• Sony Xperia 1 IV
  26

GFX Car Chase ES 3.1 (offscreen 1080p)

Higher is better

• Asus Zenfone 9 (High Performance)
  104
• Xiaomi 12S Ultra
  104
• OnePlus 10T
  103
• OnePlus 10T (High performance mode)
  103
• Realme GT2 Explorer Master
  103
• Asus ROG Phone 6 Pro
  103
• OnePlus 10 Pro
  97
• Xiaomi 12 Pro
  96
• Motorola Edge 30 Pro
  95
• vivo X80 Pro
  90
• Xiaomi 12
  84
• ZTE Axon 40 Ultra
  80
• Sony Xperia 1 IV
  79
• Asus Zenfone 9 (Dynamic)
  75
• Honor Magic4 Pro
  72
• OnePlus 9 Pro
  70

GFX Manhattan ES 3.1 (offscreen 1080p)

Higher is better

• Asus Zenfone 9 (High Performance)
  187
• OnePlus 10T
  183
• OnePlus 10T (High performance mode)
  182
• Realme GT2 Explorer Master
  182
• Xiaomi 12S Ultra
  182
• OnePlus 10 Pro
  175
• Xiaomi 12 Pro
  168
• vivo X80 Pro
  164
• Xiaomi 12
  164
• Motorola Edge 30 Pro
  160
• Asus Zenfone 9 (Dynamic)
  137
• Asus ROG Phone 6 Pro
  134
• Sony Xperia 1 IV
  126
• OnePlus 9 Pro
  119
• Honor Magic4 Pro
  117
• ZTE Axon 40 Ultra
  114

However, OnePlus' refusal to unlock high frame rate gaming on its phones (as is the norm with Oppo and Realme phones as well) also shows in onscreen GFXBench tests where the 10T maxes out firmly at 60fps.

GFX Aztek ES 3.1 High (onscreen)

Higher is better

• Asus Zenfone 9 (High Performance)
  67
• OnePlus 10T
  60
• OnePlus 10T (High performance mode)
  60
• Realme GT2 Explorer Master
  59
• Motorola Edge 30 Pro
  59
• Xiaomi 12
  59
• Asus ROG Phone 6 Pro
  58
• Asus Zenfone 9 (Dynamic)
  57
• ZTE Axon 40 Ultra
  46
• Sony Xperia 1 IV
  43
• Honor Magic4 Pro
  40
• Xiaomi 12S Ultra
  38
• OnePlus 10 Pro
  37
• Xiaomi 12 Pro
  36
• vivo X80 Pro
  34
• OnePlus 9 Pro
  24

GFX Aztek Vulkan High (onscreen)

Higher is better

• Asus Zenfone 9 (High Performance)
  69
• OnePlus 10T
  60
• OnePlus 10T (High performance mode)
  60
• Motorola Edge 30 Pro
  60
• Realme GT2 Explorer Master
  59
• Xiaomi 12
  59
• Asus Zenfone 9 (Dynamic)
  47
• Asus ROG Phone 6 Pro
  45
• ZTE Axon 40 Ultra
  45
• Honor Magic4 Pro
  45
• OnePlus 10 Pro
  41
• Xiaomi 12S Ultra
  39
• Xiaomi 12 Pro
  37
• vivo X80 Pro
  34
• Sony Xperia 1 IV
  31
• OnePlus 9 Pro
  27

GFX Car Chase ES 3.1 (onscreen)

Higher is better

• Asus Zenfone 9 (High Performance)
  89
• Asus ROG Phone 6 Pro
  79
• Motorola Edge 30 Pro
  78
• Xiaomi 12
  75
• Sony Xperia 1 IV
  74
• Asus Zenfone 9 (Dynamic)
  66
• OnePlus 10T
  60
• OnePlus 10T (High performance mode)
  60
• Realme GT2 Explorer Master
  60
• Honor Magic4 Pro
  59
• ZTE Axon 40 Ultra
  58
• Xiaomi 12S Ultra
  51
• OnePlus 10 Pro
  48
• Xiaomi 12 Pro
  46
• vivo X80 Pro
  44
• OnePlus 9 Pro
  36

GFX Manhattan ES 3.1 (onscreen)

Higher is better

• Asus Zenfone 9 (High Performance)
  120
• Xiaomi 12
  117
• Asus Zenfone 9 (Dynamic)
  113
• Motorola Edge 30 Pro
  111
• Asus ROG Phone 6 Pro
  108
• ZTE Axon 40 Ultra
  105
• Honor Magic4 Pro
  100
• Xiaomi 12S Ultra
  91
• OnePlus 10 Pro
  89
• Xiaomi 12 Pro
  86
• vivo X80 Pro
  82
• Sony Xperia 1 IV
  72
• OnePlus 10T
  60
• OnePlus 10T (High performance mode)
  60
• Realme GT2 Explorer Master
  60
• OnePlus 9 Pro
  57

We did observe one of the most stable runs of the 3DMark Wild life stress test on the OnePlus 10T - in High performance mode, the phone posted an 88% stability rating. Now, with 'High performance' disabled, it wouldn't complete the test, but that's beside the point.

When it came to CPU stability, the 10T behaved nicely, too, never showing random dips or peaks in either mode. It recorded roughly three-step diagrams in either case, gradually settling into a sustainable performance level around 70-ish percent of the initial score - though that initial score did differ greatly between the two modes, as was the case in GeekBench. Overall, a very competent showing under sustained load.

CPU throttling test (High performance) / (regular) • 3DMark Wild life stress test (High performance)