“See one phone, seen them all” is pretty much what one can say about smartphone design in recent times. The tendency to follow a template has never been as evident as it has been over the past couple of years. So much so that even before one has clapped eyes on a device, one can be relatively sure of what it looks like – a tall display in front with a notch, curved or flat sides and a back in one of the standard shades, that will either have a glossy or matte finish, with a protruding camera. There is one brand, however, that has always believed in swimming against the tide of smartphone sameness, time and again.
We are talking about OnePlus. The brand has always believed in Never Settling and this has been reflected in its design philosophy. It started off by bringing a textured and grainy Sandstone finish to its first phone, surprising a world that was used to glossy finishes. It also made the charging cable a design statement – making it red when most brands were content with the standard (read “boring”) black and white! The brand was among the first to use ceramic on a phone’s back, and then amazed people with its innovative approach to special edition devices, featuring tie-ups with Star Wars and McLaren. It then brought a frosted glass finish to smartphone backs, making them look almost metallic, and then made blue a rage with its Nord series, and then tied up with Steve Harrington for adding funky designs to TWS and fitness bands. When it comes to product design, OnePlus has always been in a zone of its own, rejecting stereotypes and coming up with concepts that have pleasantly surprised its community.
And the brand has pulled yet another rabbit out of its design hat with the amazingly crafted OnePlus 10R. It simply is nothing like anything out there in the cluttered smartphone market. And yet it looks different without shocking or being an eyesore. That is because it reflects OnePlus’ core burdenless, unified and stylish design philosophy, and even adds a new touch to it.
This is evident from the moment you see the OnePlus 10R. Its back comes with a nano-level dot matrix arrangement that makes it resistant to fingerprints. This same process is then used to create a unique, stylish pattern just below the camera module, with slim stripes almost seeming to flow vertically from the camera unit. As a result, the phone looks as if it has two textures on the back, and yet feels wonderful to hold. Giving it an excellent feel in the hand are its flat sides that provide improved grip and comfort, particularly when holding the phone horizontally for binge watching those shows, or for those intense Genshin Impact sessions. Of course, as this is a OnePlus device, you can be assured that the brand has used premium quality materials in the build. There are two colour variants – Forest Green for those who want to flaunt that unique design on the back loud and proud, and Sierra Black, for those who prefer a more understated look.
While the OnePlus 10R sports a large 6.7 inch display and comes with a 4500 mAh or 5000 mAh, depending on the variant you choose, the phone is still very slim at 8.2 mm and weighs a surprisingly light 186 grams. The weight is also well-distributed over the phone, making it very comfortable to hold and use over long periods of time.
And of course, the OnePlus 10R is the sort of phone most folks are going to be using for long periods of time. That is because it is designed to deliver one of the best phone experiences you can get today. The 6.7 inch display is a full HD+ fluid AMOLED one with a 120 Hz refresh rate, which adjusts to 90 Hz and 60 Hz as per the content being shown on it. There are stereo speakers that deliver fantastic sound to make multimedia experiences immersive, while a MediaTek Dimensity 8100-MAX octa-core chip, along with up to 12 GB of LPDDR5 RAM and up to 256 GB of UFS 3.1 storage, ensures that the phone handles anything and everything that you throw at it. A 50 megapixel Sony IMX 766 sensor with OIS ensures fantastic snaps, backed up by depth and macro sensors. And if you opt for the 150W SUPERVOOC Endurance Edition, you can charge your phone in as little as 17 minutes! It comes with TU¨V Rheinland certification for safe fast charging as well.
Another major design touch of the OnePlus 10R flows within it. The OxygenOS interface on the device reflects OnePlus’ commitment to burdenless design. It works smoothly without screaming for attention or cluttering up your system with bloatware. It gets updated regularly to incorporate new features and stay up to speed with new Android versions and patches as well. Unlike anything on other phones.
It is different and turns heads with both its design and its performance. All of which make the OnePlus 10R the perfect style icon in an age where predictability is the rule.
