Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus vs OnePlus 10 Pro: How do they compare?

Samsung’s new Galaxy S23 Plus boasts improvements including boosted power and a bigger battery, but is it worth upgrading if you’ve already got a OnePlus 10 Pro? 

While Samsung’s latest flagship smartphone boasts a top-end experience, you might be surprised at how it compares to the year-old (but still capable) OnePlus 10 Pro, with the latter boasting faster charging, a higher resolution display and better cameras than Samsung’s latest smartphone. 

I break down the key differences between the Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus and the OnePlus 10 Pro right here. 

Design and screen

When it comes to general design, both the Galaxy S23 Plus and OnePlus 10 Pro are essentially black glass and metal slabs – just like practically every other smartphone out there – but there are slight differences between the two.

First up, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus is lighter than the OnePlus 10 Pro, though at 7.6mm and 196g compared to OnePlus’ 8.6mm and 201g, there’s not that much in it. Both feel relatively similar in the hand, though Samsung’s latest flagship boasts a more industrial design in line with recent iPhones while the OnePlus 10 Pro sports curved edges that help the phone sit in the hand a little more comfortably. 

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus also has the upper hand when it comes to device protection with the combination of Gorilla Glass Victus 2 and Samsung’s unique Armor aluminium frame that, combined, should provide a decent level of drop performance. The OnePlus 10 Pro is still a hardy device with the first-gen Gorilla Glass Victus, but the aluminium used on the frame is pretty standard.

Both have IP68 water resistance though, so both can survive a dunk in water as long as it’s not left for too long. 

Samsung has a more refined colour selection including Phantom Black, Cream, Green and Lavender while the OnePlus 10 Pro has a more in-your-face Emerald Forest alongside an understated Volcanic Black. 

Display-wise, the OnePlus 10 Pro wins on sheer screen size with a 6.7-inch AMOLED display with LTPO 2 technology and, at 1440 x 3216, it’s higher resolution than the Galaxy S23 Plus too. 

Samsung’s latest model sports a slightly smaller 6.6-inch display with Samsung’s Dynamic AMOLED 2X technology, a 120Hz refresh rate and a Full HD+ resolution, though at 1200 nits, it’s much brighter than the 800 nits of OnePlus’ option. 

In reality, though, you’re not likely to notice much of a difference when it comes to the displays aside from the slight difference in size and the curved edges of the OnePlus 10 Pro. Both deliver a top-notch viewing experience with support for premium formats like HDR10+ that’ll make supported content really pop. 

Cameras

Both the Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus and OnePlus 10 Pro have a triple-camera rear setup comprised of a main, ultrawide and telephoto lens, though there are notable differences between the two.

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus boasts a 50MP main sensor with specs including an f/1.8 aperture abd OIS and alongside a 12MP ultra-wide with a 120-degree field of view and an aperture of f/2.2 and a 10MP 3x telephoto lens with OIS and an aperture of f/2.4. It’s certainly a versatile offering in 2023, but it’s not quite as expansive as the top-end Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.

The OnePlus 10 Pro, on the other hand, sports a 48MP main sensor with identical f/1.8 aperture and OIS, though it features laser autofocus tech to make it easier to focus on subjects in low-light areas. That’s flanked by a 50MP ultrawide with an expansive 150-degree field of view (one of the widest around) with an f/2.2 aperture and an 8MP telephoto with 3.3x optical zoom and support for OIS.  

That’s both a wider field of view and a better zoom from the telephoto lens, making it the more versatile of the two, though that doesn’t necessarily mean the OnePlus 10 Pro will take the better photos of the two. 

OnePlus continues to pull away with its Hasselblad collaboration, with the famed camera company working with OnePlus on the Hasselblad Colour Calibration to keep colour consistent across three lenses, along with Hasselblad-exclusive filters and shooting modes. 

Samsung is the clear winner when it comes to video though, with the ability to shoot at up to 8K@30fps (compared to 24fps from OnePlus) as well as the ability to shoot super slow-mo at up to 960fps, compared to the 240fps maximum from its competitor. There’s also the ability to shoot in HDR10+ for improved dynamic range, a feature not available on the OnePlus 10. 

Performance

When it comes to performance, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus has the edge over not only the OnePlus 10 Pro but most other smartphones available right now. 

Why? Samsung worked with chipmaker Qualcomm to produce an exclusive version of its latest chipset for exclusive use within Samsung products. It’s called the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, and it boasts not only higher clock speeds but a boosted GPU for better gaming performance. 

That’s especially true when it comes to the OnePlus 10 Pro. While the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 is still capable in most rights, it’s now a year old and as such, can’t quite compete with the newer chipset in benchmarks. That said, you likely won’t notice that much of a difference in day-to-day use, though the newer chipset should be more battery efficient. 

That’s pretty important for the Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus with a slightly smaller 4700mAh battery compared to the 5000mAh battery of the OnePlus 10 Pro, though both should get you through a day’s use without much issue. OnePlus does steal a win when it comes to charging with its 80W charging capabilities compared to a paltry 25W from the Galaxy S23. It’s a similar story with wireless charging, with OnePlus’ 50W wireless capabilities leaving the S23’s 15W wireless charging in the dust.  

Both the OnePlus 10 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S23 offer support for Android 13, though depending on when you bought the OnePlus 10 Pro, you may have to upgrade it from Android 12. 

They’re two different flavours of Android with Samsung’s OneUI and OnePlus’ OxygenOS, but both are among the best skins around with an easy-to-use interface and genuinely helpful features, and both can look forward to multiple OS upgrades and security patches too. 

Early verdict

It’s not a clear win for the newer Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus compared to 2022’s very capable OnePlus 10 Pro, with OnePlus boasting faster charging capabilities, a higher resolution display and more capable cameras – on paper at least. 

However, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus design, camera performance and high-quality display aren’t to be sniffed at, and it’s the better option if you have other Samsung or SmartThings accessories (like the Galaxy Watch 5).