CRISP. Tech: OnePlus Nord Review

6 years on from the release of ‘Flagship Killer’ – the OnePlus One – we are greeted with the OnePlus Nord continuing a lineage of top tier mobile phones at an affordable price.

This time around the OnePlus Nord is coming into a packed market of exceptionally good, feature-heavy phones at a fair price point.

 

Dimensions & Details:

 

Height 158.3mm

Width 73.3mm

Weight 184g

Screen Size 6.44”

Resolution 2400×1080 pixels 408ppi

4k Video @ 30/60fps

Gorilla Glass 5

OxygenOS 10.5

RAM 8GB/12GB

Storage 128GB/256GB

Battery 4115 mAh (not removable)

 

 

Design & performance

 

It has an eye-catching design, that does not look out of place among the premium offerings out here in 2020. It bears a familiar look to its big cousin the OnePlus 8 (check out our review of that here).

The Nord is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, providing improved CPU speeds and faster graphics rendering.

The 756G is complemented by a nice sized chunk of RAM as well, with 8GB and 12GB variants available. This makes for a handset that is quick and responsive, able to handle multiple apps with next to no slow down or stuttering.

Worried about future-proofing your phone? Worry no more, the OnePlus Nord is 5G-ready and will also have years of support for Android updates going forward.

The glass panels combined with the plastic framing and metal button adds firmness that feels more premium than its price may suggest.

However, it can be a little slippery, but a durable and unintrusive case is provided in the box, in place of a pair of earphones.

Compared to the OnePlus 8 the Nord is shorter but wider, thicker, and heavier, those with smaller hands may need to struggle to reach all four screen corners comfortably with one hand.

 

Battery

 

The Nord’s battery life isn’t the best out there. Coming with a 4115mAh battery & fast charging, there is no wireless charging option. You will absolutely be able to make it through the day with moderate usage but start layering apps, using the camera, playing games, or watching high-res videos and the battery life disappears quite quickly.

This is offset by the fast Warp charge 30T, which comes in the box and can get you from 0%-70% in about 30mins and give a full charge in under an hour.

 

 

Camera

One notable talking point for this phone is the quality array on cameras included, six in total – the most OnePlus has put on any phone so far.

The main camera on the rear comes straight off the OnePlus 8. A variable 48MP SonyIMX586 allows for high-res snaps, ideal for prints, detailed enhancements or lower resolution pics more suited for social media postings.

This aligns nicely with a trio of other cameras – a 5MP depth sensor, a 2MP Macro camera and a 119-degree ultra-wide-angle lens for when you must capture as much scenery as possible.

A whole host of shooting options and modes including 4k recording, slow-motion capture, and nightscapes that wouldn’t be out of place on any flagship model appear on the Nord.

Rounding out the selection are two front-facing cameras – a 32MP main lens and an 8MP 105-degree ultra-wide – super handy for the obligatory group selfie.

 

Display

 

A 6.44” AMOLED screen with a 20:9 aspect ratio, full HD+ resolution and a 90Hz refresh rate provides a silky smooth, responsive, colourful and detailed display. The screen fills nearly all the front due to the super-slim bezels.

The only distraction on the front is the hole-punched shape of the dual selfie cameras in the top corner, a position that does slightly limit space for the notification panel. Not a big deal, but some people may not be so chill.

The display is bright and clear, but unlike the OnePlus 8, the Nord is flat as opposed to having curved edges that spill over the side.

 

Price

Starting at £379 for the 8GB RAM/ 128GB storage model, and rising to £469 12GB RAM/ 256GB of memory, no matter how you see it, you are looking at top tier bells and whistles at a mid-range price point.

But to obtain that, certain sacrifices had to be made like a smaller battery, no headphone jack, and no wireless charging capabilities.

Ultimately this will be a particularly good primary or secondary phone.

It includes OxygenOS 10.5, complete with all the features you would want, like a dark theme, gesture navigation, zen mode plus six good cameras.

It may look and act like a flagship phone but it isn’t where it counts most…the cost.

 

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