OnePlus 10 Pro Early Launch Won't Benefit Most Buyers
It almost seemed as if OnePlus was ready to test its might against Samsung, still the world's biggest smartphone brand. The OnePlus 10 Pro was leaked to share a bit of the Galaxy S22 design DNA, and it was also reported that the phone would launch around the same time as Samsung's event. While the last part might be true, new information suggests that it won't matter much to Samsung's markets because that early OnePlus 10 launch will be exclusive to just one.
According to an earlier tip, OnePlus is expected to launch the OnePlus 10 series around late January or early February. This puts it right in between the Galaxy S21 FE, expected to be announced on January 4, and the Galaxy S22 tipped for a February 8 debut. Now it seems, however, that the rest of the world will have to wait much later, at least for a global OnePlus model.
According to AllAboutSamsung's Max Jambor, the OnePlus 10 Pro that will be arriving in January or February will be exclusive to China. The global version of the phone isn't to be expected until March or April, giving the Chinese market almost two months of exclusive time with the phone.
— Max Jambor (@MaxJmb) November 17, 2021
While that strategy is not unheard of with brands like Xiaomi, OPPO, and Vivo, that is definitely a first for OnePlus. The company has mostly launched its phones simultaneously in global markets or at least didn't give some preferential treatment to its Chinese customers. This unexpected change is seen by some OnePlus fans as one of the biggest signs of change in the company.
Those changes mostly come from OnePlus' practical merger with its distant relative OPPO. The two have publicly merged their software development and R&D teams, but it won't be surprising to find out if there's more to it than that. The two are definitely sharing technologies, and the rumored 125W charging capability of the OnePlus 10 Pro might be another proof of that.
The delay is specifically being blamed on the "unified OS" that will debut on the OnePlus 10, merging the OnePlus OxygenOS user experience with OPPO's ColorOS internals. That merged OS might not be ready by February, or so goes the conjecture. The Chinese models of OnePlus' phones have switched to ColorOS long ago, so there's no reason for the OnePlus 10 Pro not to launch in China early, even if it means the rest of the world will have to wait.