Is a OnePlus 10 Ultra on the way?

The OnePlus 10 Pro is official, and that name suggests a standard OnePlus 10 could also be along before too long, but a rumor suggests a brand-new member could join the OnePlus 10 line.

As per the title of this article, a rumor has suggested a OnePlus 10 Ultra could be in the works, joining the rapidly-growing tradition of Ultra smartphones. This comes from a rather unproven leaker and journalist called Yogesh Brar, who tweeted about the recent Oppo and OnePlus merger.

Apparently, the two sister brands are busy sharing technology, with the Oppo Find X5 series likely to borrow the Hasselblad camera branding that OnePlus phones use, and OnePlus gearing up to use Oppo's MariSilicon X processing unit which enhances AI in photography.

Brar continues that "there are rumours of an Ultra flagship from OnePlus in the EVT phase right now." EVT stands for Engineering Validation Tests, and that means engineers are carrying out tests on various prototypes to make sure they work well and are up to standards.

That could mean this OnePlus 10 Ultra could be out later in the year, depending on the results of these tests, so we could see it come alongside the eventual OnePlus 10T or even earlier.

Take this with a pinch of salt, though, as just because a product is being tested doesn't mean it'll ever see the light of day. Moreover, Brar isn't exactly a proven source yet, and the tweet is worded in a way that suggests the leaker is providing new information, but you could interpret it to mean they're just passing on existing information.

Analysis: Ultra smartphones are becoming the next Pro

In recent years, we've seen a rise in the ultra-phone market, of mobiles that are so full of flashy features and top-end hardware that they sit above even 'Pro' phones.

Even in the last year we've seen the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra and Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra, and you could also consider the Pro Plus version of various Huawei mobiles, and the iPhone 13 Pro Max, part of this trend. Rumors also point to an Ultra version of the Motorola Edge 30 being on the way, as well as the next-gen upgrades on all the aforementioned phones.

Now it seems OnePlus is joining the party, and if it does Oppo likely won't be far behind.

That's a huge number of companies pumping out super-top-end phones, with really high prices - clearly, there's a market for this kind of mobile, or many brands wouldn't be designing these devices.

Companies just need to make sure their main devices don't end up redundant as a result - especially Pro phones, which already present a questionable proposition, as most simply provide you a bigger screen for more money.

• The rise of the ultra-smartphone in 2021 came at the worst possible time