OnePlus Nord 2 5G Review: Just Call It OnePlus 9 Lite
“The OnePlus Nord 2 offers everything we like about OnePlus phones, from fast charging and a great screen to a practical alert slider at an affordable price. It also looks stunning in the Blue Haze color. "
advantages
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Compact design with nice color
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Very attractive screen
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Reliable software with guaranteed updates
The OnePlus Nord 2 is a particularly important new smartphone as it was the first time that OnePlus released a phone without a Qualcomm Snapdragon chip inside. The Nord 2 uses a modified version of MediaTek's flagship Dimensity 1200 chip and is arguably the company's best-known partnership to date, at least outside of Asia. While OnePlus is obviously looking for success, MediaTek will also be looking closely.
Plus, it's a big moment for the Nord series. The original Nord managed to bring OnePlus back to its value-based roots, but lacked identity. OnePlus gave the Nord 2 identity, but oddly enough, by doing so it accidentally created another OnePlus 9 phone, which makes me question what the Nord range is about.
So there is a lot to drive on the Nord 2 so how is it? I spent four days on the phone, enough time for a detailed pre-evaluation but not quite enough for a final, in-depth review. I will be returning to this review after a long time with the Nord 2 and so the score given at this point may change depending on how the phone continues to work.
design
Let's come to the color of our test model. It's called Blue Haze and it's absolutely stunning. OnePlus usually gets its colors right, but this may be for the best. The aquamarine hue has a glossy finish but does not attract fingerprints, and the Gorilla Glass 5 panel is very effective in hiding stains. It stays clean and sharp.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
The camera module uses the same hue, but reflects the light differently because it is not made of glass, and gives the back of the Nord 2 a lot of character. The glass even manages to hide the ugly legal text that has to be stamped on the back. I think the Nord 2 looks amazing and I like how it blends in with the design of the OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro so that it feels like part of the family.
Another important family feature is the Alert Slider on the side of the Nord 2, which allows you to quickly switch between Silent, Vibrate and Ring modes. It's quick and convenient, and it's a feature that sets OnePlus apart from other brands. The presence of the slider and pretty design make it look and work like a real OnePlus phone, which I think wasn't the case with the OnePlus Nord CE.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
The construction – a fiberglass frame with a “metallized” surface – and the size are essentially the same as the first OnePlus Nord, with a width of 73 mm and a thickness of 8.2 mm, which makes the phone easy to use and one-handed is to use. It feels solid and solid, and the modest weight of 189 grams ensures that it fits in your pocket without disturbing.
There's no water resistance rating, but I vouch for the Nord 2's durability. It's quite slippery, and the first day the phone slipped out of my pocket and crashed on the cobblestones. It survived with only the slightest mark in the upper right corner of the chassis. The glass back and the screen are fine. I may have been lucky so a case is advisable if you're prone to dropping slippery phones.
OnePlus 9 Pro (left) and OnePlus Nord 2 (right) Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
I found the first Nord a little faceless, but OnePlus changed that for the Nord 2 and effectively turned it into a OnePlus 9 Lite. That's not a bad thing, and really, it's the name that would go better with the Nord 2. Leaving the Nord name on cheaper models like the Nord CE that lacks vital OnePlus elements could be a better strategy.
Aside from the confusing branding, the Nord 2 is well proportioned, well made and – if you can get one in Blue Haze – an absolute beauty too.
Screen and software
It's a 6.43 inch, 20: 9 aspect ratio, liquid AMOLED screen on the Nord 2, complete with a refresh rate of 90 Hz and a resolution of 2400 x 1080. It doesn't seem to have HDR10 + certification like the Nord, however it has two artificial intelligence (AI) modes called AI Color Boost and AI Resolution Boost. However, these only work with certain apps. Both cooperate with YouTube, but otherwise AI Color Boost only works with MX Player Pro and VLC, while AI Resolution Boost works with Snapchat and Instagram.
The Nord 2's screen is beautiful and its resemblance to the 9 Pro makes the phone very desirable.
The screen is brighter and more vibrant than the Nord CE's screen, and there is surprisingly little to split between it and the OnePlus 9 Pro when watching video. The AI Color Boost increases the saturation and thus goes beyond the 9 Pro. Turn it off, and it's not quite as noticeable. The AI Resolution Boost is less noticeable since so much YouTube content is already available over 1080p.
When I'm not watching video, the Nord 2's screen isn't as bright as I'd like it to be, but it is still legible outdoors in sunlight. Other than that, the Nord 2's screen is beautiful and its resemblance to the 9 Pro makes the phone very desirable. The sound comes from stereo speakers that are amazingly loud but not very sophisticated. I had no desire and actually no need to take it over about 40% volume.
OnePlus' Oxygen OS user interface version 11.3 is installed and based on Android 11. It is largely the same as the OnePlus 9 Pro, but there are some strange differences in the settings. For example, on the OnePlus 9 Pro you can change the environment display, icons and font in the customization menu, while on the Nord 2 you can do this in the customization menu. Performance is great so far, with smooth scrolling through apps and menus.
My test phone received a software update since I started using it, and I'm still in the process of evaluating the software and its day-to-day reliability.
camera
The Nord CE's camera was inconsistent and the first Nord's camera suffered from poor performance. The Nord 2's camera improves the specification with both a 50 megapixel main camera with optical image stabilization (OIS) and an 8 MP wide-angle camera with electronic image stabilization (EIS). A 2-megapixel monochrome camera completes the rear setup, along with a 32-megapixel selfie camera, also with EIS.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
So far I have only taken about 100 photos with the Nord 2, so we have yet to get deeper insights. However, at this point it is obvious that the Nord 2 is an improvement over the Nord and Nord CE, but since OnePlus always takes a while to really improve the performance of its cameras, there are still a few issues but updates are likely to arrive to speak to you.
The focus, color management and dynamic range of the Nord 2 are usually very good. Shooting outdoors on sunny days can result in a slight oversaturation, while edge enhancement and processing can be harsh and noticeable. There are differences in exposure between the main and wide-angle cameras, but it's not drastic. OnePlus annoyingly adds quick access in the camera app to 2x and 5x zoom, but these are digital zoom modes and the quality really suffers. It is worth mentioning the selfie camera which has a nice natural tone with lots of detail.
So far, the Nord's camera has taken some great shots that are very easy to share without editing, but it has also disappointed with its aggressive processing. The camera performance has not yet been included in the evaluation. It's also worth noting that unlike the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro, the camera was not edited by Hasselblad.
The focus, color management and dynamic range of the Nord 2 are usually very good.
Performance and battery life
The MediaTek Dimensity 1200 that OnePlus uses for the Nord 2 is the first to emerge from MediaTek's Dimensity Open Resource Architecture (adorably known as DORA) initiative, which allows the phone maker to tweak the chip to do better with the hardware to work. You have the choice between 6 GB, 8 GB or 12 GB RAM and 128 GB or 256 GB storage space. My test phone is the 12GB / 256GB version.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
During the time I've been using the Nord 2, a software update has improved the phone's performance and reliability, which was a bit shaky at first. Nothing bad – notification support was a hit-or-miss and some apps were slow – but the issues seem to be resolved now. I've played Asphalt 9: Legends and haven't noticed any slowdowns or issues affecting gameplay. However, it gets a little warm after about an hour.
I have not yet put the Dimensity 1200 through its paces, but it has not yet made itself known for everyday use. This may sound like a disadvantage, but it isn't. Good processors just do their job and we shouldn't even notice them. You can quickly find out if a phone has a badly configured chip. For the Dimensity 1200 it currently looks positive.
However, it gets a little warm after about an hour.
Battery life so far suggests two days of moderate use is possible, but if you're playing a game, watching videos, and making video calls, it will likely drop to 30% by the end of the first day. The super-fast Warp Charge 65T charger from OnePlus brings the 4,500 mAh cell from flat to 100% in less than half an hour. This is the same system used on the OnePlus 9 Pro and an evolution of the Warp Charge 30T used on the Nord CE.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
I haven't tested the 5G connection yet, but it's good to see that both slots in the dual SIM tray support it. The under-screen fingerprint sensor is fast and reliable, but not as lightning-fast as the sensor on the OnePlus 9 Pro. There's Face Unlock too, and it's very quick to respond.
Price and availability
The OnePlus Nord 2 will hit the UK, Europe and India on July 29th. There are currently no indications of a US launch. It will cost £ 399 and will be sold through OnePlus' own online store, Amazon, John Lewis retail stores, and the Three and O2 networks.
Our opinion
The OnePlus Nord 2 is either at the top of the Nord range or at the end of the OnePlus 9 range, which isn't a bad position. It takes a lot of what I like about the OnePlus 9 models – nice design, great screen, good performance and software, very fast charging and the alert slider – then it charges less for it.
It's a great start. I have to use the camera even more, assess the battery life, try the MediaTek powered 5G connection, and use the phone longer before I can make a final judgment, but for now the Nord 2 has impressed. However, I can't help but think that OnePlus would sell more if it were called the OnePlus 9 Lite.
Is there a better alternative?
For a smartphone priced at $ 500 or £ 400, we recommend the Samsung Galaxy A52 5G. It has a few advantages over the Nord 2 with water resistance, two day battery life, a microSD card slot, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. It's similarly powerful and has a great screen with a refresh rate of 120 Hz.
Alternatively, the Apple iPhone SE (2020) and Google Pixel 4a both cost roughly the same price and offer something different. The iPhone SE is much smaller but still offers a great iOS experience, while the Pixel 4a has an excellent camera.
How long it will take?
OnePlus promises two years of version updates for the Nord 2 plus four years of security updates. For comparison: Samsung also offers four years of security updates plus three years of Android version updates for the Galaxy A52 5G. The phone is not waterproof and is made of glass but has proven to be quite durable in my anecdotal experience. It has 5G so you can connect to the newest and fastest network and quickly charge the battery. It should easily survive the version updates that are guaranteed for two years.
Should you buy it?
At the moment, the OnePlus Nord 2 5G can't quite beat the Samsung Galaxy A52 5G, but that may change if I've been using the phone for a longer period of time. The number of points received by the phone at the moment is not final and is subject to change. Look out for a review update very soon.
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