By Akriti Rana and Nimish Dubey 


OnePlus has  launched its latest flagship device in India, the OnePlus 10 Pro. In best OnePlus tradition, the phone comes with all the features as well as bells and whistles that one can expect from a flagship. Be it a top of the line processor, multiple cameras with high megapixel counts, a beautiful tall display with 120 Hz refresh rate or a large battery with fast charging, the OnePlus 10 Pro has got it all. All of this in a premium design that is a blend of ceramic, aluminum and glass, and is stylish enough to justify a premium pricing that starts at Rs. 66,999.


Impressive though it is, the OnePlus 10 Pro is by no means in a zone of its own. In fact, it faces tough, pro-level competition, from existing players, a few new arrivals and even from one of its own siblings. So, if you are considering alternatives to the latest OnePlus, here are five phones that can actually prove to be a major headache for the OnePlus 10 Pro:


iQoo 9 Pro: Almost the same specs and a racy design


The iQoo 9 Pro is one of the finest phones to have been launched this year and given its specs and price tag, it is a shark in OnePlus waters. Coming with a slightly lower price tag of Rs. 64,990, the iQoo 9 Pro takes the OnePlus 10 Pro head on when it comes to specs. It comes with a tall 6.7 inch quad HD+ AMOLED display with 120 Hz refresh rate. It runs on the high-end Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Generation 1 processor, the same one that powers the OnePlus 10 Pro and is backed by plenty of LPDDR5 RAM and USF 3.1 storage. The phone brings a triple camera set up with 50 megapixel main sensor backed by another 50 megapixel ultrawide sensor and a 16 megapixel telephoto sensor. It has a slightly smaller 4,700 mAh battery as compared to the one on the OnePlus 10 Pro but comes with insanely fast 120 W charging support which can get the phone charged from zero to full in a matter of minutes. It is also very distinct when it comes to design, with a very distinct racing inspired pattern on the back. It is powered by Android 12  with a feature-rich layer of FunTouchOS. iQoo does not have the sort of track record that OnePlus has in terms of software updates, but the phone remains an insanely good option for anyone looking to buy a fully loaded flagship phone. 


Price: Rs 64,990


Samsung Galaxy S22: Compact, but still a colossus  


The OnePlus 10 Pro is a super phone, but it is by no means a compact one. So if you like the OnePlus 10 Pro but want the same power and update record in a smaller size, then Samsung's Galaxy S22 series might have the right phone for you. The Samsung Galaxy S22 comes with a much smaller form factor but has a processor that is on par with the OnePlus 10 Pro - the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Generation 1, paired with plenty of  RAM and storage. There is again a triple camera setup on the back with a 50 megapixel main sensor paired with 10 megapixel telephoto and 12 megapixel ultra wide lens. The camera numbers may seem slightly underwhelming in megapixel terms, but what the Galaxy S22 lacks in numbers it makes up for in terms of performance. It is powered by Android 12 which is topped with Samsung’s feature-loaded OneUI, and Samsung also has an extremely good software update record. What's more, the phone comes with dust and water resistance, something which is strangely missing from the OnePlus 10 Pro. That said, the smaller form-factor means that you get a smaller, 6.1 inch dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a resolution that is full HD+ rather than quad HD+ as seen on the OnePlus 10 Pro.  The smaller size also keeps the Galaxy S22 from having a bigger battery. It comes with a 3700 mAh battery and there is no charger in the box. It also lacks the super fast charging of the OnePlus 10 Pro, and charges at a rather ‘regular’ 25 W speed. It however, has a very good design and we know that there are plenty of takers for that smaller form factor, especially when paired with that powerful chip.


Price: Rs 72,990


iPhone 13: For those who want a long-term player


Many might not consider the iPhone 13 to be a real challenger to  the OnePlus 10 Pro. After all, it comes with a more expensive price tag, has a smaller and lower resolution display, brings just a dual camera set up on the back and has neither fast charging speeds nor a charger in the box. But even with all those seemingly negative points, the iPhone 13 can actually be a massive roadblock in the OnePlus 10 Pro’s path to success. The biggest asset the iPhone 13 has is the processor that powers it -  the A15 Bionic. This ensures that it basically can glide through even the most high-end, power hungry tasks with ease. It also comes with very competent cameras that might not be mighty in numbers and megapixels, but are unmatched in terms of video recording, and consistent photography. Top that with  assured software updates for the next five years or more and you have yourselves a phone that is not only an exceptional performer today, but one that is  unlikely to get dated for a very long time. That is something we cannot say for any Android device out there, including the OnePlus 10 Pro. 


Price: Rs 79,900


OnePlus 9 Pro: The predecessor remains a prime player 


The tech arena is a  ‘shark eat shark world,’  so it is hardly surprising that one of the challengers to the new OnePlus flagship is actually the previous flagship. We are talking about the OnePlus 9 Pro. Yes, the phone comes with a slightly older Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor, but it still is one of the most powerful smartphone chipsets out there. Paired with ample LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage, the OnePlus 9 Pro is actually a pro that handles everything ranging from casual to high-end without skipping a beat. It comes with a stylish, classy, glassy design, a stunning curved display and a quad camera set up that is not just comparable, but might actually feel better to some than the three cameras on the back of the OnePlus 10 pro - not least because the OnePlus 9 Pro has a proper Macro mode, unlike the 10 Pro. The Hasselblad association is present on the OnePlus 9 Pro as well, so you get features like XPan mode.  The older flagship loses out in the selfie camera department and has a smaller 4,500 mAh battery which is paired with slightly slower SuperVOOC 65 W charging,  but then the phone comes with a much lighter price tag. A proper in-family contest!


Price: Rs 54,999


Xiaomi 12 Pro: The Unsettler Waiting in the Wings


Xiaomi and OnePlus have been sparring with each other, ever since Xiaomi returned to the premium phone segment in India in 2020. So it came as no real surprise that the brand has announced a phone that many think could unsettle the OnePlus 10 Pro. The Xiaomi 12 Pro is set to arrive in India later this month and is expected to be priced close to the OnePlus 10 Pro. The phone is powered by the same chip as the OnePlus 10 Pro, has a 6.73 inch quad HD+ AMOLED display with 120 Hz refresh rate, and also comes with a very classy, understated design, marked by a different textured camera unit. It is what is inside the camera unit that makes the Xiaomi 12 Pro formidable - three 50 megapixel cameras with large sensors. No matter whether you use the main sensor, the ultrawide one, or the telephoto, photography is expected to be of the highest caliber you can get from a phone camera. It also comes with quad speakers, a rarity in phones, promising a different level of audio experience. The battery might seem small at 4600 mAh, but it is backed by Xiaomi's 120W HyperCharge, which can charge the phone in under twenty minutes. It will come with Android 12 topped by Xiaomi's feature rich MIUI. A lot is going to depend on its price, but given recent history and Xiaomi's own track record, this could be the phone that ensures that the OnePlus 10 Pro actually never settles. 


Price: TBA