ZTE nubia Z40 Pro vs OnePlus 10 Pro: A Deep Dive into Snapdragon Flagships
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing rapid charging and a potentially more streamlined software experience, the OnePlus 10 Pro emerges as the winner. Its 80W (International) or 65W (North America) wired charging and 50W wireless charging significantly outperform the nubia Z40 Pro's options, while offering comparable performance.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | ZTE nubia Z40 Pro | OnePlus 10 Pro |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 4, 12, 17, 20, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 48, 66, 71 - International |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 5, 8, 28, 41, 78 SA/NSA | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 25, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71, 77, 78 SA/NSA - International |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (4CA) Cat18 1200/200 Mbps, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| CDMA 800 | 1, 3, 5, 8, 28, 40, 41, 78, 79 SA/NSA - India | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2022, February 25 | 2022, January 11 |
| Status | Available. Released 2022, March 02 | Available. Released 2022, January 13 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, aluminum frame, glass back | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 161.9 x 72.9 x 8.4 mm (6.37 x 2.87 x 0.33 in) | 163 x 73.9 x 8.6 mm (6.42 x 2.91 x 0.34 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 199 g (7.02 oz) | 201 g (7.09 oz) |
| - | IP68 dust/water resistant - T-Mobile only (not for use underwater, liquid damage is not covered under warranty) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | - | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~395 ppi density) | 1440 x 3216 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~525 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.67 inches, 107.4 cm2 (~91.0% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.7 inches, 108.4 cm2 (~90.0% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | AMOLED, 1B colors, 144Hz, HDR10+, 1000 nits | LTPO2 Fluid AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10+, 500 nits (typ), 800 nits (HBM), 1300 nits (peak) |
| - | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.00 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) | Octa-core (1x3.00 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm) | Qualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 730 | Adreno 730 |
| OS | Android 12, MyOS 12 | Android 12, upgradable to Android 14, OxygenOS 14 (International), ColorOS (China) |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 16GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | UFS 3.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Dual-LED flash, panorama, HDR | Laser AF, color spectrum sensor, Hasselblad Color Calibration, Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panorama |
| Single | 16 MP, f/2.5, (wide) | 32 MP, f/2.2, (wide), 1/2.74", 0.8µm |
| Triple | 64 MP, f/1.7, 35mm (standard), 1/1.7", PDAF, OIS 8 MP, f/3.4, 125mm (periscope telephoto), 1/4.0", PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom 50 MP, f/2.2, 14mm, 116˚ (ultrawide) | 48 MP, f/1.8, 23mm (wide), 1/1.43", 1.12µm, multi-directional PDAF, OIS 8 MP, f/2.4, 77mm (telephoto), 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3.3x optical zoom 50 MP, f/2.2, 14mm, 150˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.76", 0.64µm |
| Video | Yes | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60/120fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, Auto HDR, gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 16 MP, f/2.5, (wide) | 32 MP, f/2.2, (wide), 1/2.74", 0.8µm |
| Video | Yes | 1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 24-bit/192kHz audio | 24-bit/192kHz audio | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (G1), BDS (B1), GALILEO (E1+E5a) |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 66W wired; 15W magnetic wireless (gravity version) 80W wired (regular version) | 80W wired, PD, 100% in 32 min (International) 65W wired, PD, 58% in 15 min (North America) 50W wireless Reverse wireless |
| Type | Market-dependent versions:· Li-Po 5000 mAh (regular version)· Li-Po 4600 mAh (gravity version) | Li-Po 5000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Interstellar Black, Star Black, Silver | Volcanic Black, Emerald Forest, Panda White (Extreme Edition) |
| Models | NX701J | NE2210, NE2211, NE2213, NE2215, NE2217 |
| Price | About 500 EUR | $ 264.39 / C$ 349.99 / £ 360.00 / € 399.99 |
| SAR | - | 1.16 W/kg (head) 0.70 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 107h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | - | -25.2 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 886248 (v9) GeekBench: 3447 (v5.1) GFXBench: 48fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
ZTE nubia Z40 Pro
- Potentially lower price point
- Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 performance
- Magnetic wireless charging option
- Slower charging speeds compared to OnePlus
- Limited information on display and camera specs
- Less established brand recognition
OnePlus 10 Pro
- Faster wired and wireless charging
- Established brand with OxygenOS
- Higher peak display brightness
- North American charging speed is slower than International version
- Potential for software bloat (depending on user preference)
- May be more expensive than nubia Z40 Pro
Display Comparison
Both devices utilize the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, meaning graphical performance will be similar. However, the OnePlus 10 Pro boasts a measured peak brightness of 780 nits, suggesting a more visible display in direct sunlight. While both likely employ high refresh rate panels, the nubia Z40 Pro’s display specifications are missing, making a direct comparison difficult. The OnePlus 10 Pro’s ‘Infinite’ contrast ratio (nominal) indicates a strong OLED panel, but without detailed color accuracy data for either device, it’s hard to declare a clear winner in image quality.
Camera Comparison
Both phones feature capable camera systems, but detailed sensor information is limited. The OnePlus 10 Pro’s camera is described as ‘Photo / Video’ without specifics, while the nubia Z40 Pro’s camera details are absent. Without knowing megapixel counts, sensor sizes, or aperture values, a meaningful comparison is impossible. It’s crucial to note that the presence of a 2MP macro camera on either device is unlikely to significantly impact overall image quality and should be considered a minor feature. Image processing styles will also differ, with OnePlus typically aiming for a more natural look, while nubia’s approach is unknown.
Performance
Both the ZTE nubia Z40 Pro and OnePlus 10 Pro are equipped with the Qualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4nm). This means they share the same CPU configuration: an octa-core setup with 1x3.00 GHz Cortex-X2, 3x2.50 GHz Cortex-A710, and 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510 cores. Performance will be largely identical in CPU-bound tasks. The key differentiator will likely be thermal management. The OnePlus 10 Pro’s larger chassis *may* allow for more effective heat dissipation, potentially mitigating throttling during sustained gaming sessions, but this requires independent testing. RAM specifications are missing for the nubia Z40 Pro, but the OnePlus 10 Pro likely utilizes LPDDR5X RAM for faster data transfer speeds.
Battery Life
The OnePlus 10 Pro has an endurance rating of 107 hours, indicating solid battery life. However, the nubia Z40 Pro’s battery capacity is unknown. The OnePlus 10 Pro offers significantly faster charging: 80W wired (International) achieving 100% in 32 minutes, or 65W (North America) reaching 58% in 15 minutes, and 50W wireless charging. The nubia Z40 Pro offers 66W wired and 15W magnetic wireless (gravity version) or 80W wired (regular version). The OnePlus 10 Pro’s faster wired and wireless charging capabilities provide a substantial convenience advantage, especially for users who frequently need to top up their battery quickly.
Buying Guide
Buy the ZTE nubia Z40 Pro if you prioritize a potentially lower price point and are comfortable with a less mainstream brand. Its charging options, while not as fast as the OnePlus, are still respectable, and it offers a full Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 experience. Buy the OnePlus 10 Pro if you value faster charging speeds, a more polished software experience with OxygenOS, and the backing of a well-established brand with wider support and availability.