The OnePlus new 10T model is a solid mid-tier smartphone, giving it strong appeal among consumers seeking an affordable smartphone with premium features. The 10T will be an even bigger hit among gamers thanks to the Cryo-velocity Vapor Cooling System, OnePlus’ new cooling system available only on the OnePlus 10T, which enables higher heat dissipation to allow for longer and more comfortable gaming sessions.
The smartphone also has a 6.7-inch AMOLED display with HDR10+ and up to 120Hz refresh rate, a large 4,800mAh battery, and 150W fast charging (125W in the US).
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The last time the company released a premium mid-tier smartphone was 2020, with the OnePlus 8. The OnePlus 10T is therefore a great addition to their premium mid-tier smartphone lineup.
A strategic mistake?
However, the company may have made a strategic mistake in pricing the top model of the OnePlus 10T at $749, which is only $50 less than their 10 Pro that retails for $799. A $50 difference is almost negligible under a monthly instalment plan, especially when the 10 Pro has crowd-pleasing features like a better display, bigger battery, and Hasselblad camera system.
This could cannibalize sales of the 10T top model, which has 16GB RAM and 256GB of storage rather than the 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage included in the lower-priced base version, potentially creating excess inventory at a time of supply chain woes and inflationary pressures.
OnePlus customer backlash
A large portion of OnePlus’ customer base have expressed frustration at the company’s decision to remove the integrated alert slider on the side of the phone. The alert slider has become a key distinguisher and selling point as it is one of the few OEMs to still incorporate it, and as such has become a favorite among OnePlus customers.
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By GlobalDataTo pre-empt backlash, OnePlus provided an official statement to explain the reasoning behind ditching the alert slider, citing better antenna connectivity, larger battery capacity, and faster charging as the primary reasons. However, many customers have been wondering why the company didn’t just increase the thickness of the phone, leading them to believe that OnePlus is cutting corners in the interest of saving money.
Oxygen OS 12, the Android 12-based software installed on the OnePlus 10T, has also received backlash from customers who claim that the OS shares too many similarities with Oppo’s Color OS (OnePlus is currently majority-owned by Oppo as its only shareholder, which is a subsidiary of BBK Electronics), namely that it has too much bloatware.
As a result of pressure from loyal consumers, OnePlus scrapped plans to merge Oxygen OS and Color OS. The company has promised Oxygen OS 13, which is set to be released in Q4 2022, which will stick close to the stock Android OS experience that OnePlus consumers have shown a preference for. The OnePlus 10T is available for pre-order in the US beginning September 1, with the base version starting at $649, and the phone is set to launch on September 29. The OnePlus 10T will be available in 40 countries across Europe, North America, South America, Asia, and the Middle East.
