Dark mode isn’t a new concept for smartphones, but on the OnePlus 10 Pro, OnePlus upped its dark mode game in a big and exciting way. As is often the case with OnePlus smartphones, the conversation for the 10 Pro has mostly revolved around its flagship hardware. And for good reason! Everything you could want in a high-end Android phone is present on the OnePlus 10 Pro. There’s a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, 120Hz AMOLED display, 5000 mAh battery, and 65W charging that gets you from 0 – 100 percent in a little over 30 minutes. It’s all very impressive stuff.
But hardware is just part of the 10 Pro’s story. Just as important is its software. The OnePlus 10 Pro ships with OxygenOS 12.1 based on Android 12. Some aspects of OxygenOS 12.1 — like not being able to customize individual app icons — feel like a step backward compared to previous OxygenOS versions. At the same time, other parts of the software feel like a noticeable step forward. The OnePlus Shelf has moved to the top right of the screen, now allowing you to access it in other places beyond the home screen. The OnePlus 10 Pro also has a new Work Life Balance feature (not unlike Focus modes in iOS 15).
As excellent as those changes are, there’s one that stands out to me even more — and that’s the OnePlus 10 Pro’s dark mode. On the surface, dark mode on the 10 Pro works just like it does on any other Android phone. You can manually enable it or set up a schedule to automatically switch between like and dark modes at specific times. While most phones stop there, the 10 Pro goes a step further. More specifically, it lets you change the color/intensity of its dark mode. So long as you know where to look, finding the OnePlus 10 Pro’s dark mode settings is easy enough. Open the Settings app, tap ‘Display & brightness,’ tap ‘Dark mode’ if it’s not already selected, and tap ‘Dark mode settings.’ In the words of Han Solo himself, this is where the fun begins.
Why The OnePlus 10 Pro’s Dark Mode Is So Great
The OnePlus 10 Pro has three dark mode styles — Enhanced, Medium, and Gentle. Enhanced completely blacks out the background to the deepest black possible. Since the 10 Pro has an AMOLED screen, anywhere you see black in Enhanced mode is where the display is actually turned off. It’s the most comfortable style to view at night, and the reduced display usage can also help your battery last a little longer.
But some people may find that Enhanced is a bit too contrasty for their eyes. If that’s the case, Medium and Gentle change the all-black background to more of a light gray. All three modes look great in their own right. Enhanced is sleek and stealthy, Gentle is great for the evenings as you’re winding down, and Medium strikes a perfect balance right in the middle. And you can take the customization even further! Below the dark mode styles are a few other toggles. OnePlus lets users control how their wallpaper and app icons react to dark mode, how dark mode contrast changes in different light conditions, and more.
While the settings themselves are a load of fun to play around with, they also remind me why I like OnePlus phones so much. Even with some of the controversial tweaks in OxygenOS 12.1, the OnePlus 10 Pro remains an extremely customizable device. From changing your home screen transition effects, picking new accent colors, controlling app icon shapes, etc., there’s a lot to dig into. The new dark mode settings add to that in a big way, and it’s something I really hope other phones take note of
