"The OnePlus Nord has the right features and technologies to make the phone durable at a value-based price."
-
Acceptable price
-
Future-proof with 5G
-
Good battery life
-
Reliable, easy-to-use software
-
Camera needs to be improved
-
Some connectivity errors
OnePlus has always been incredibly valuable, but it got lost last year when prices for its most sought-after devices went up. Today's OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro are solid phones, but the price is equivalent to that of the competition.
The latest version of the company, OnePlus Nord, seems to be a return to the company's roots. It is a strong midrange phone that looks attractive and offers some high-end features. That's the value we want to see, but does it make the North a worthy purchase?
design
It's good that there is a large OnePlus logo on the back of the North, as the phone has a design similar to several other smartphones, from the Huawei P30 Pro to the Xiaomi Mi 9.
In other words, the north is not immediately recognizable. It's a proven look, but far from unique. The Gray Onyx version in the attached photos is reserved but attractive, while the Emerald Blue model is a real eye-catcher.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
Gorilla Glass covers both the front and back with a plastic frame between the two. However, it doesn't look or feel like plastic, and its use adds to its light weight of 184 grams. You shouldn't worry about the plastic frame feeling cheap, but the phone's metal keys lack the OnePlus 8's positive premium promotion of metal and glass.
OnePlus has a brand notification slider that allows you to quickly change the mode from silent to ringing or vibrating. The edited texture makes it easy to use. All buttons are well positioned, provided you are using the phone with your right hand. The phone's 73mm width and 8.2mm thickness make it easy to grip and hold. It's about the size of a Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
The phone doesn't have a "wow, that's a OnePlus Nord" design, but the ergonomics are just right and it looks and feels like phones that cost a lot more. Only when you pick up the Nord and a phone like the Galaxy S20 or OnePlus 8 do the differences become clear – mainly in terms of the additional weight and the feeling that a metal case is carved out of slate.
Screen and audio
Gorilla Glass 5 includes a 6.44-inch fluid AMOLED display with a refresh rate of 90 Hz, a resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels and a screen with an aspect ratio of 20: 9 and HRD10 + support. This is an excellent screen for a phone at this price. It is a flat screen that appeals to as many people as it bothers, but is less likely to slip out of the hand. Some will find it better for games too.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
Regarding Carfection's McLaren 600LT Spider test video on YouTube, the north screen has trouble viewing details in some of the darker areas, but has a nice color palette by default for the vivid screen. If you want to deal with the settings, you can activate the sRGB and Display P3 options, although the differences are minimal.
The sound is reproduced through a single speaker facing downwards. It's loud without being distorted, and although the bass is obviously missing, it's well tuned and never gets hard. There is no 3.5mm headphone jack, but like other OnePlus phones, the Nord supports both AptX and AptX HD. Assuming you have compatible headphones, you can hear high-definition audio via the Bluetooth connection from Nord.
Bluetooth music played via Spotify with a Bowers & Wilkins PX headphone offers a lot of volume and depth. The entire multimedia experience of the north is excellent considering the price.
camera
The main camera is a Sony IMX586 with 48 megapixels and an aperture of 1: 1.75 as well as optical and electronic image stabilization. Next to it are an ultra-wide camera with 8 megapixels, a depth sensor with 5 megapixels and a macro sensor with 2 megapixels. This is what you'll find in the OnePlus 8. On the front is a selfie camera with two lenses, which consists of a 32-megapixel main sensor and an 8-megapixel wide-angle sensor.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
Although the camera is similar to the OnePlus 8, it's not that good. It often underexposes pictures and cannot use HDR as effectively, which leads to loss of detail in difficult lighting conditions when both the wide-angle and standard lenses are used. The macro lens is of poor quality and rarely focuses well, which makes it largely unusable. Nightscape doesn't do it much better and often leads to noise or creates a monotonous photo.
I had to edit almost all of the photos I took with the North before I pass them on because they just didn't "burst" as I wanted them to. Overcast sky became oppressive and unnatural, and photos on sunny days had no dynamic range. However, I like the new filters by photographer Hannes Becker.
OnePlus Nord Sarek filter Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
OnePlus Nord Vaeroy filter Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
OnePlus Nord Yllas filter Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
Selfies in portrait mode have a strong, rather unnatural bokeh effect with only average edge detection. This problem still occurs when using portrait mode on the rear camera.
OnePlus Nord wide angle Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
OnePlus Nord standard Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
OnePlus Nord 2x digital zoom Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
OnePlus has shown significant improvements with the OnePlus 8 Pro camera, but has taken a step back with the Nord camera. It's not terrible at all, but it's not as good as I expected. There are better cameras on other phones, even at this price.
Performance and software
The Snapdragon 765G processor from Qualcomm with 8 GB / 128 GB or 12 GB / 256 GB RAM and storage space is located in OnePlus Nord. I checked the 12 GB version. It also offers 5G support if you live in an area where the service is available. Here are some benchmark test results:
3DMark Sling Shot Extreme: 2,985 (volcano)
Geekbench 5: 1,900 multi-core / 603 single core
It is the same chip as in the LG Velvet and Motorola Moto Edge. The North beats both in the game-oriented 3DMark test, but is largely similar in Geekbench 5. The performance is good. When switching between apps or from full-screen video to normal state, there is a slight hesitation, but not to the point where the phone feels slow. It is probably software related too and will be fixed in a future update. However, this makes me wonder if the 8GB / 128GB model might feel a little underwhelmed.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
While playing Real Racing 3, Sky Wings, and Dariusburst, no performance issues were found as you would expect from the game-oriented G version of the Snapdragon 765, and the phone didn't get hot even after long sessions. Onboard is the OnePlus Fnatic game mode, which minimizes distractions and optimizes the processor.
OnePlus & # 39; OxygenOS is one of the best Android versions available. It is fast, smooth and not filled with senseless functions or stylistic flourishes. It does the job it was made for and I have had no reliability issues.
I still like Zen mode, which gives you a 20-minute break by muting calls and notifications, and restricting app access. The Google News and Assistant popup window is helpful, there are some nice animated wallpapers, the gesture control works fine and it looks and feels silky smooth. OnePlus says it worked on the fluidity of OxygenOS and it shows.
Battery, connectivity and security
The 4,415mAh battery lasts approximately two days before needing to be charged, based on approximately three hours of daily screen time when primarily connected to Wi-Fi.
Behind the scenes of the north, an interesting technology works that helps protect the battery life by charging it intelligently and gradually over night. It will charge approximately 80% and then wait until you normally get up to add the final charge. This avoids problems keeping the battery fully charged for an extended period of time, which can reduce long-term capacity.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
It comes with Warp Charge 30T, OnePlus' proprietary quick charger. It is wired only in the north and goes from zero to 70% in 30 minutes and then goes back to full in just over an hour. The phone is secured with a built-in fingerprint sensor that works very reliably. The speed was so high that I was happy to use it without having to resort to unlocking it.
I had some Wi-Fi problems with my OnePlus Nord. I noticed that the connection sometimes got stuck and did not switch to cellular. The problem was only solved by switching the WLAN on and off. The range also seems to be shorter than with many other cell phones. I have reported the problem to OnePlus and am sending bug reports when the problem occurs, which fortunately is rarely the case. Calls were fine. I don't have a 5G near me, so I couldn't test performance.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
A few days before the verification embargo expired, OnePlus provided the North with a software update to help resolve Wi-Fi connectivity issues and improve the camera. I will update this review if anything changes.
Price, guarantee and availability
The OnePlus Nord costs £ 379, which translates to around $ 480 when you buy the 8GB / 128GB model. The 12GB / 256GB version I've tested here costs £ 469 or about $ 593. The North is not officially available in the United States. It will be available in the OnePlus online store on August 4, in addition to the John Lewis retail stores, Amazon and the Three network.
OnePlus does not intend to sell the US North outside of a promised but very limited beta program, but says it will manufacture a US-focused phone at reasonable prices in the future.
Our opinion
OnePlus has increased the value of the North in an old-fashioned way, increased the life of the phone and focused on the essentials in everyday life instead of eye-catching gadgets. You get reliable software, a great screen, long battery life, fast charging, 5G and software updates for several years.
These are core features that cheap phones often shun in favor of sensational camera specs that can disappoint in the real world, and a fancy design. These aren't good reasons to buy a phone at this price, but the OnePlus Nord offers just the right value.
Is there a better alternative?
The space for smartphones under $ 500 or less than £ 500 is pretty full. The $ 400 Google Pixel 3a hasn't been replaced yet, but it's still a good buy if you find one, or you can buy the cute Apple iPhone SE 2020 for $ 400. It's cute because it's small, but the build and materials are superior to the Nords, and iOS is superbly designed and easy to use. It's also worth checking out the $ 500 Poco F2 Pro or the $ 400 Samsung Galaxy A51.
These phones are highly competitive, so it is difficult to generally recommend them to any buyer. The North is the best choice if you value performance and display quality and are not particularly interested in photography.
You pay a little more for the $ 600 LG Velvet and the $ 500 Moto Edge, but both are good phones with more attractive designs and better cameras. If you can expand the budget a bit, consider the OnePlus 8 for $ 700, which has a more classy design and better camera, or the iPhone 11 for $ 700 with its great software, camera, and performance .
How long it will take?
While the OnePlus 8 Pro has received an IP rating, you should not expect an IP rating in the north. The phone is not waterproof, but can be used in the rain. The body is made of glass and can break if you drop it. It is therefore best to use a suitcase. OnePlus offers a range of sleeves for the North, some with the signature sandpaper surface for extra grip.
OnePlus promises two years of Android updates and three years of security updates. This is an excellent engagement that increases the long-term prospects of the north, especially with 5G on board. Combine this with battery saving technology, and the North lasts for several years, and that's great for such a cheap phone.
Should you buy one?
Yes. The Nord is a budget phone that you can buy without worrying that it will need to be replaced next year.
Editor's recommendations