OnePlus 10T won’t have a mute switch — here’s why

The OnePlus 10T isn’t scheduled to launch until August 3, but it won’t be a OnePlus phone if the company doesn’t reveal some details early. Today, we’re taking a look at the device’s exterior design, which reveals some interesting (and, depending on your point of view, potentially disappointing) changes compared to its predecessor. Although the overall design of the 10T is similar to that of the OnePlus 10 Pro, there’s no alert/mute slider this time around, nor is there any sign of the Hasselblad-branded-camera system found on the recent OnePlus flagships.

The alert slider has been a staple of OnePlus’ flagship phones for years, offering a quick and easy way to put your phone into silent and vibrate modes without having to tap through any onscreen menus. in an email interview with ledge, OnePlus chief designer Hope Liu said that removing the slider was necessary for the 10T to have enough internal space for other components needed for “higher wattage charging, a larger battery capacity and better antenna signal”.

For example, to offer the kind of fast charging speeds that OnePlus is targeting with the 10T (it’s yet to be announced officially, but leaks suggest that the OnePlus 10R’s 150W fast charging will make an appearance). could build), Liu says that OnePlus had to include two “charging pumps” inside the 10T, compared to just one for the 80W fast charging-compatible OnePlus 10 Pro. The company also preferred an antenna system that includes 15 different antennas inside the OnePlus 10T, which it says improves signal when holding the phone horizontally – a benefit when playing online games.

“While the Alert slider appears to be a very small component, it actually has a relatively large impact on the motherboard area of ​​the device – taking up 30 mm²,” says Liu. “To make sure the OnePlus 10T delivers in the areas we know our users care about the most… We need to stack the device’s motherboard while keeping the alert slider on, making the device thicker.” go.” Removing the slider was a compromise that OnePlus decided to make.

Image: OnePlus

Another difference compared to the 10 Pro is the lack of a Hasselblad-branded camera system – though, given its minimal impact on other OnePlus phones, we’re not worried about omissions here. OnePlus’ partnership with the camera company began with last year’s OnePlus 9 Pro and mainly involved tuning the colors from the camera. This year, it added new features like support for 12-bit RAW photos with this year’s phone. They are neat additions but not a mainstream imperative.

When I ask Liu why the Hasselblad branding went away, he tells me it’s because OnePlus “wanted to offer an ultimate performance flagship smartphone at the device’s chosen price point”, making it seem like it’s time to reach the phone. A necessary compromise was the (as yet undeclared) price tag. But Liu confirms that the 10T’s main camera will use a 50-megapixel Sony IMX766 sensor (which is technically a higher resolution than the 48-megapixel main camera from the 10 Pro) and will support shooting in 10-bit color, As well as “improved HDR photography” and OnePlus’ Night photography mode.

Liu is set to confirm other features that include a 6.7-inch display for the 10T. The resolution and refresh rate are yet to be announced, but from the images, it appears to be a flat display and not the curves around the edges of the device. Liu also says that the phone will be available in matte black as well as glossy green. OnePlus had earlier said that the phone would be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 processor.

That’s all Liu is willing to confirm for now. For a full announcement, we’ll have to wait for the OnePlus 10T official launch on August 3 at 10 AM ET.