Samsung Galaxy Note 10 vs. OnePlus 7 Pro: Specs comparison

The Samsung Galaxy Note was the world’s first phablet, and Samsung is celebrating that by offering Note-fanatics their very first choice between two Note models. But we’re not here to pitch the Galaxy Note 10 Plus against the Note 10nstead we’re here to look at how the smaller of the two models — the Galaxy Note 10 — fares against the competition.

“Smaller” is a relative term of course. The Note 10 is a giant of a phone, with a 6.3-inch AMOLED display, powerful flagship specs, and a total of four camera lenses. But there are lots of excellent phones out there, and the OnePlus 7 Pro offers an even larger 6.67-inch AMOLED display, the same powerful specs, and also has four camera lenses. Which is the better phone for you? Let’s find out.

Specs

Performance, battery life, and charging

We’re all winners here because both phones have the seemingly super-powered Snapdragon 855 processor. It’s powerful enough to tackle anything you throw at it, whether it’s your favorite apps or the latest 3D games. You get the option for up to 256GB of internal storage on both phones, and while the OnePlus 7 Pro has the option for 12GB of RAM, the Note 10’s 8GB of RAM isn’t going to seem any slower.

Both phones are neck-and-neck in power, but what about battery life? The 4,000mAh battery in the OnePlus 7 Pro easily manages a day’s use, despite some initial software problems. We have some worries about the Note 10’s 3,500mAh capacity though. We haven’t tested the Note 10’s battery yet, but it seems undersized for a larger phone. We’re not sure it’ll last as long as the Galaxy S10 Plus, and that’s a serious worry.

The Note 10 doesn’t have the 45W charging of the Note 10 Plus, but it does have a respectable 25W charging speed. We haven’t fully tested it yet, but it does seem to be on a similar level to the OnePlus 7 Pro’s Warp Charge, which charged a flat battery to full in just over an hour. The OnePlus phone doesn’t have wireless charging though, which the Note 10 does — and more besides. Place another Qi-compatible device on the Note 10 and it can use Wireless PowerShare to charge the other device.

But wireless charging is small potatoes compared to a beefier battery. With performance being about even, the OnePlus’ larger battery wins it the day.

Winner: OnePlus 7 Pro

Design and durability

Samsung pulled out all the stops, and the Note 10 is stunning. A central punch-hole may be a love-hate issue, but there’s no arguing the almost-seamless glass design is sleek and elegant. The new Aura Glow model is probably the most beautiful as it refracts light in a cascading rainbow — it’s stunning. But so is the OnePlus 7 Pro, which uses a pop-up camera to avoid a notch or hole-punch altogether. It’s just as good-looking, and a touch more futuristic.

So they’re beautiful. But are they durable? Glass has its downsides, and one of those is a certain fragility. A good protective case will help a lot. You’ll want to keep a stronger grip on the OnePlus phone though, as it lacks any official water-resistance. The Note 10’s IP68-rating should mean it can survive a trip into the pool or bath without any ill effects.

Both of these phones are stunners, but only one of them will survive an accidental dunk.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy Note 10

Display

Both phones rock large AMOLED displays with deep blacks and beautifully vibrant color ranges. The Note 10’s panel is the same Dynamic AMOLED HDR10+ panel from the Galaxy S10 range, and it’s one of the most beautiful displays around. The Fluid AMOLED display in the OnePlus phone is also beautiful, but there’s more to it than just that. It runs at 90Hz, giving a real smoothness that goes beyond software, and it runs a crisp 1440p resolution — compared to the Note 10’s less sharp 1080p resolution. Both phones also have in-display fingerprint scanners, but the Note 10 uses ultrasonic tech that is superior to the optical scanner in the OnePlus 7 Pro.

This is close, but the OnePlus 7 Pro has a bigger screen with no hole punched in it for the front-facing camera and that 90Hz refresh rate makes it silky smooth. It’s a win for OnePlus.

Winner: OnePlus 7 Pro

Camera

You’ll find similar triple-lens setups on the backs of both phones. The Note 10 comes with a 12-megapixel main lens (with variable aperture), 16-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens, and a 12-megapixel telephoto zoom lens. The OnePlus 7 Pro has a 48-megapixel main lens, a 16-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens, and an 8-megapixel telephoto zoom. Both suites are exceptional, but like the S10 Plus before it, we prefer the images the Note 10 puts out, and find it outdoes the OnePlus 7 Pro in most circumstances.

You’ll find a new video feature on the Note 10 too: Zoom-In Audio. Multiple mics isolate sound from a scene when you zoom in, making it seems as if you’ve physically moved towards the action and cutting out extraneous sound. The Note 10 also has 960 fps super slow-motion. But both will shoot in 4K, which is probably going to be good enough for most.

The OnePlus 7 Pro has the best camera we’ve ever seen on a OnePlus phone, but the Note 10 is still just slightly ahead.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy Note 10

Software and updates

Both of these phones run Android 9.0 Pie, but have dramatically different skins on top. The Note 10 runs Samsung’s One UI, and it’s a pleasant experience, with plenty of little fun touches and useful additions. The OnePlus 7 Pro runs Oxygen OS, which is more akin to Android on Google’s Pixel phones — just with more customization options.

But here’s where we hit one of Samsung’s biggest flaws — updates. While by no means the fastest updater around, OnePlus pushes out major OS updates much faster than Samsung which frequently takes upwards of six months to release a new Android version for even its latest flagships. OnePlus wins on that alone.

Winner: OnePlus 7 Pro

Special features

It used to be OnePlus phones had nary a special feature to call their own. These days, they’ve got a decent amount, including a dedicated Gaming mode, and a Zen mode that locks you out of your phone so you can take a break.

But the OnePlus 7 Pro can’t hold a candle to the Note 10 in this category. There’s the S Pen, which has been redesigned and granted the ability to draw on people in AR. You can also use it to control your camera from a distance with Air Gestures. There are also a bunch of integrations with Windows, including the ability to import handwritten notes into Word, or stream games from your gaming PC to your phone. The Note 10 can also run the Dex desktop mode on a Mac or PC in a virtual window, or on a dedicated monitor. Then there’s the usual Samsung suite, including Bixby, Samsung Pay, and more.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy Note 10

Price and availability

The Galaxy Note 10 is currently available for pre-order, and it releases on August 23. It’ll cost you a heady $950. The OnePlus 7 Pro is currently available, and is nowhere near that price, starting from a much lower $670. The Note 10 is available on all major carriers. The OnePlus 7 Pro works on Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T, but lacks official support on Sprint.

Overall winner: OnePlus 7 Pro

The Flagship Killer hasn’t lost its edge, but the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 runs it very close. The Galaxy Note 10 is one of the best big phones around right now, with powerful specs, an elegant design, and a gorgeous camera suite, but we’re not convinced it does quite enough to justify that high price tag.

With almost $300 between the two phones, the OnePlus 7 Pro more than holds its own. This is an impressively gorgeous phone, with that massive, silky smooth display, and it’s powerful enough that you won’t miss the Note 10 if you decide to go for it. While this competition ended in a tie overall, the OnePlus 7 Pro is the phone we would recommend for most people.