If you’ve read (and watched) our OnePlus 10 Pro review, you’ll know we’re fans of the simple interface of the alert slider and the Hasselblad-influenced camera system. As confirmed to The Verge, the latter of those is particularly weird, since it’s been a part of OnePlus phones for nearly a decade. So, why have they vanished from the OnePlus 10T? Let’s take a look.
Hasta la vista, Hasselblad
Onboard the OnePlus 10T, you’ll find a 50MP Sony IMX766 primary sensor. Those who are well-versed on the sensors OnePlus uses will know that is not the IMX789 used in the 10 Pro. Simply put, this is not the Hasselblad camera. The legendary camera company was brought in to help OnePlus with some of its problematic camera traits like color science, so why is it not present here? OnePlus Chief Designer Hope Liu said the company “wanted to offer an ultimate performance flagship smartphone at the device’s chosen price point.” Translating this carefully worded sentence into layman’s terms, this was a cost-cutting move. What is interesting, though, is that this is (on paper) a small upgrade from 48MP to 50MP. There is still support for 10-bit color and what OnePlus is calling “improved HDR photography.”
Arrivederci, alert switch
I remember my first experience of the OnePlus alert switch with the 7T Pro, and how much I loved the convenience of it compared to having to hammer the volume switch. The 10T ends a long streak of this being an integral part of the OnePlus experience by removing it altogether. My first reaction was an eye roll followed by a rather loud exclamation of “why." But now that I’ve calmed down, the reason OnePlus has given seems logical. Liu said this was to make room for “high wattage charging, a large battery capacity, and better antenna signal.” The alert switch takes up 30 mm² of the device’s motherboard area, which is valuable space needed for the “two charging pumps” that will be used for the rumored 150W charging support, alongside the 15 antennas built into the phone for improved signal.
Outlook
Do these omissions mean the OnePlus 10T is compromised? We won’t know for sure until we get our hands on one for review. All news points to this being business as usual for the OnePlus T lineup — a performance upgrade with some strategic cutbacks to offer it all at a flagship killer price. Will this be the right move? Time will tell.
