OnePlus 10 Pro could get an Ultra version later this year

(Image credit: OnePlus)

Update (April 7): Another rumor from the same source claims a OnePlus 10 Ultra and base OnePlus 10 are still in the works.

The OnePlus 10 Pro is already available to buy in China, but the smartphone maker may have something even better up its sleeve — albeit something that’s in a very early testing phase.

That's according to the leaker Yogesh Brar, who has tweeted that the Chinese company could be working on a OnePlus Ultra model for later in the year. “Technology sharing between OnePlus & Oppo is in Full swing, Find X5 series gets Hasselblad treatment and I'm hearing that MariSilicon will be seen on a OnePlus Flagship in the 2nd Half of this year,” Brar tweeted. “There are rumours of an Ultra flagship from OnePlus in the EVT phase right now.”

Technology sharing between OnePlus & Oppo is in Full swing, Find X5 series gets Hasselblad treatment and I'm hearing that MariSilicon will be seen on a OnePlus Flagship in the 2nd Half of this year.There are rumours of an Ultra flagship from OnePlus in the EVT phase right now.January 25, 2022

OnePlus is the sister company of Oppo, and in the past the company’s phones have shared more than a passing similarity (the OnePlus 8 Pro and Oppo Find X2 Pro, for instance). We covered the rumored Hasselblad cameras for the Find X5 Pro recently, and in a follow-up tweet Brar stated that a Pro Plus version could be in the works, and hinted that this could be the blueprint for the OnePlus 10 Ultra.

Yeah, still in early EVT phase but given that Find X5 also has a Pro Plus model, this 10 Ultra could very well launch in H2 🤞🏼January 25, 2022

Unfortunately, there are no further details about what either theoretical handset could be like, but it’s interesting to speculate.

How to make a OnePlus 10 ‘Ultra’

The OnePlus 10 Pro, released in China just under two weeks ago, features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, 8/12GB RAM, up to 256GB storage and a 5,000mAh battery with 80W super-fast charging. Short of a bit more RAM and storage, there’s not much that could be improved upon there.

The same is true for the screen, which is a 6.7-inch Quad HD+ AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate. OnePlus could go bigger, maybe, but not much better.

Which leaves the camera array. The OnePlus 10 Pro features a 48MP primary camera, backed up by a 50MP ultrawide sensor and an 8MP telephoto zoom lens. There’s no periscope zoom, like on the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, so maybe that’s one area OnePlus could look at in order for the handset to earn its Ultra credentials.

Of course, one other way the Galaxy S21 Ultra sets itself apart is via S Pen support — something that Samsung is rumored to be doubling down on with the S22 Ultra, where it’s said to be integral rather than an optional extra. There’s no suggestion OnePlus will follow suit here, but you never know.

Of course, if the OnePlus 10 Ultra is real, the one thing it almost certainly won’t be is cheap. The company started off with the promise of undercutting rivals on price, but that approach has been gradually eroded over the years. The big question for OnePlus is whether it can compete when this advantage has completely evaporated.

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Freelance contributor Alan has been writing about tech for over a decade, covering phones, drones and everything in between. Previously Deputy Editor of tech site Alphr, his words are found all over the web and in the occasional magazine too. When not weighing up the pros and cons of the latest smartwatch, you'll probably find him tackling his ever-growing games backlog. He also handles all the Wordle coverage on Tom's Guide and has been playing the addictive NYT game for the last several years in an effort to keep his streak forever intact.

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How to make a OnePlus 10 ‘Ultra’