ONEPLUS NORD – REVIEW

As you might be aware, OnePlus launched its first smartphone - One Plus 1 in 2014. Surprisingly, it was well-liked by the customers for its price worthiness and performance. We know what happened in the next years. One Plus, despite being a newcomer, became a strong competitor of Apple, Samsung and Huawei. Heretofore, they have launched numerous models from One Plus 1 to One Plus 8 and 8 Pro at similar price ranges and all of them were one of the best at their times. However, in spite of being impressive in the performance, the last few models were priced a tad high which many people didn't like much. It was then OnePlus broke the news of Nord, a phone with relatively a lower price, which had been a talking point ever since then. Now they have finally launched the product.

Can OnePlus Nord be one of the best smartphones in 2020? Let's see what it holds!

Key Specifications

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G (7 nm) processor
• 6GB/8GB/12GB RAM
• 48 MP + 8 MP + 5 MP + 2 MP Rear Camera
• Li-Po 4115 mAh battery
• 30T Warp charge
• OxygenOS-based Android 10
• One Plus Nord - Design
• 158.3 x 73.3 x 8.2mm
• 184g

There is nothing unique about the design of Nord. It's almost similar to the design of the phones we are seeing lately. However, altogether it gives a premium look to the device. It's a medium-weighing phone with 184g weight and the phone is surrounded by a plastic frame. On the front, you get the thin bezelled display which boasts a capsule-shaped dual punch hole camera on the top left similar to the one we have seen in Oppo Reno 3 Pro (Read the review here) and Realme 6 Pro. You can also see the buttons placed ergonomically. The volume button is isolated on the left side of the phone and on the opposite side there is a power button accompanied by a ringer switch which you might have seen in some iPhone models. On the top of the chassis, there is a microphone and the bottom is where the speaker, USB Port, and a dual-SIM card tray rest. On the rear side, the panel is given a glossy finish and the quad-camera is mounted on a pill-shaped module on the top left. There is also the One Plus Logo on the centre and the wordmark on the bottom. Since there is no official IP rating, the water-resistance or water-proof ability is still in doubt. Altogether, the feel and look of the phone are impressive.

OnePlus Nord - Display

• 6.44 inch AMOLED display
• 1080 x 2400 pixels

The display of the Nord is surely one of the best in this price segment. Nord sports a 6.44inch AMOLED display with 1080 x 2400 pixels and 408ppi. Capable of producing vibrant and crisp colours, the display can give you a great visual experience. Adding to that, the refresh rate of 90Hz makes the experience more immersive and smooth. You also get an option to set the refresh rate to 60Hz if needed. Whether it be for watching high-quality videos or playing games, Nord's display can furnish you with an excellent viewing experience. The screen also offers great viewing angles and good brightness levels which can make the screen visible even under sunlight. There are also features like Video enhancer, Reading mode and night mode for different purposes. Long story short, the display is one of the commendable pros of this phone.

OnePlus Nord - Performance

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G (7 nm)
• Adreno 620
• 6GB/8GB/12GB RAM

Though the phone is equipped with Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, a not-so-cutting-edge processor, it performs very well. For a smartphone at this price range, this chipset is decent enough to make the performance seamless. This means you will not face any problems when multitasking, scrolling through the menu and, launching the applications. The powerful RAMs also have a big hand in making the performance seamless. The phone also sports Adreno 620 GPU which is capable of furnishing you with impressive gaming experience. However, it's not the best phone for ultra gamers. Pubg, Call of duty, 8 ball pool and Fortnite we some of the game we tried and we didn't come across any notable issues. The phone also has an in-display fingerprint scanner and face unlock which manages to unlock the phone pretty fast but not so quick. In total, the performance of Nord is excellent despite having a slightly old processor.

OnePlus Nord - Camera

• 48MP + 8MP + 5MP + 2MP Primary quad-camera
• 32MP + 8MP Dual Front Camera

Nord boasts four cameras in the rear and two selfie cameras. Precisely saying, there is a 48MP primary lens, 8MP wide-angle lens, 5MP depth sensor and 2MP macro lens at the back. On the front, there is a 32MP and 8MP lens with both having an aperture of f/2.45. Nord might not be a phone for photography enthusiasts. However, the crispness and details of the photos are decent enough. The 48MP lens is capable of producing good images with nice detailing, punchy colours and no oversaturation. Having said that, the image quality slightly drops in low light conditions. The wide-angle lens does a good job in covering the areas but the quality is not as expected. Coming to the depth sensor, it really helps in capturing decent portraits with good background blur and sharp edges but it could have been better. Speaking about the macro lens, you can capture decent close-up shots with good detailing. However, it's not the best one. The selfie camera, on the other hand, is excellent. This is said since the dynamic range, colours and contrast are pretty good but when it comes to low-light selfies, the images are just decent. Coming to the videos, the quality might amaze you. Though it doesn't shoot 4k videos at 60fps, the 30fps videos look brilliant with good sharpness and stabilization. In a nutshell, the camera might not be the best you can see in the modern-day smartphones but considering the price, it's quite decent.

OnePlus Nord - Battery

• 4,115mAh battery
• Warp Charge 30T fast charging (30W)

The battery compartment surely is one of the best pros of the phone. The 4115mAh battery assisted by the processor can easily give the phone enough juice to work more than a day even with casual usage. Moreover, the Warp Charge 30T does a good job in refuelling the battery. To be precise, it can fully charge the phone within one hour. Without a doubt, the battery of the Nord matches the battery power of the phones in this price range.

OnePlus Nord - Variants

We have already said how beautiful the design of the phone is. The colours have a big role in making the phone appealing. Nord comes is two good-looking colours - Grey Onyx and Blue Marble. The former is somewhat a mixture of black and grey and it looks alluring. The latter, on the other hand, is a unique blue which also gives the phone an outstanding look. Coming to the RAM and ROMs, the phone comes in 6GB, 8GB and 12GB RAMs and 64GB, 128GB and 256GB ROM.

OnePlus Nord - Price

The 6GB/64GB model carries a price tag of Rs.25000, the 8GB/128GB variant costs Rs.28000 and the 12GB/256GB variant is priced at Rs.30000. The prices are truly fair when we compare the performance with the phones at a similar price range. Even if you look into the specs and the overall performance, the price seems quite fair.

Summary

Nord might not be the best phone in Rs 25000 - Rs 30000 category but surely it's one of the best and a phone which is value for money. If you have ever wanted to purchase a OnePlus model but couldn't because of the high price, then Nord is the one for you. It has compelling design, acceptable camera, excellent performance despite having Snapdragon's 700 series processor and excellent battery. Not to mention, Oxygen OS software. There are flaws here and there, especially the rear cameras but then all smartphones cannot be versatile. Comparing the price and overall performance, Nord is a great choice at this price segment. To get the best out of the phone, ensure you buy the genuine one. Find it in our store and shop now to get it delivered it within 24 hours.