Remember the OnePlus X? It was their first midrange device, but unfortunately, it never hit the spotlight. Even then, the device was plagued with many hardware issues, that the sales volume never hit their target. From then on, OnePlus decided that they wouldn’t create a midrange device ever again, and focus only on flagships. But then, they finally decided to go back on their promise, and released the OnePlus Nord, 5 years later. So here we are.
So let’s dive into the features and see why the OnePlus Nord phone got us all hyped up!
Display:
OnePlus has decided to keep the AMOLED display despite it being a mid-ranger. That’s an impressive feat considering Carl Pei, the head of OnePlus said that the AMOLED displays cost twice than that of LCDs in the BoM or Bill of Materials. The other aspect of the display is the refresh rate. 90Hz compared to 60Hz on other midrange phones. You will definitely feel a great improvement when switching apps, opening the camera, on a 90Hz display compared to the 60Hz one. It also supports HDR10+. The display size is 6.44 inches with an aspect ratio of 20:9. Thus you get a display resolution of 2400×1080 pixels. The 1080p displays won’t be going away any time soon even for high end phones.
System on a Chip (SoC):
As you all know, the phone supports Qualcomm’s latest midrange SoC, the Snapdragon 765G. The 765G comes with 2 powerful Kryo cores which is what drives the heavy apps, while 6 efficient Kryo cores are used for light tasks like facebook, whatsapp, or a music player. This chip is paired with Qualcomm’s in-house Adreno 620GPU and games run perfectly fine, without any lagging or stuttering on this mid-ranger. Carl Pei said that you wouldn’t really feel like you’re using a lower end phone with this 765G. The 765G is made using Samsung’s 7nm process node.
Cameras:
The Nord comes with 4 cameras. The primary is the 48MP camera, which is wide, along with an 8MP ultra-wide, 5MP depth and 2MP macro. The OnePlus 8 lacked a fourth camera, while the Nord added it. This is the depth camera. The only good camera available is the main 48 megapixel camera. It uses a Sony IMX 586 sensor. There’s OIS too. It’s rare to find OIS on a camera with budget specs. The main compromise from the OnePlus 8 to the Nord, is the 8 MegaPixel Ultra-wide camera. The ultra-wide camera has a 119 degree field of view. For the front, there’s a dual camera setup in the form of a pill. The primary one is a 32MP camera, along with an 8MP secondary camera, and that’s another ultra-wide camera. The ultra-wide has a 105 degree field of view. That’s not really bad though, and it’ll be great for group selfies!
Other smaller noticeable features:
5G:
5G on a midrange device is another impressive feat. The one in Europe has a few bands, while the Indian variant will be released with just 1, band 78.
Battery:
The battery has a capacity of 4115 milliampere hours. It’s not great, neither it’s that bad, as the battery will have enough juice by the end of the day. You have a 30w warp charger and that will get you 70% in just 30 minutes.
Headphone Jack:
The phone lacks a headphone jack, but with most headphones turning wireless these days, omitting the jack wouldn’t be much of a deal breaker. But of course, it would definitely be a deal breaker for some who love wired headphones, and probably has a whole collection of them. There’s also the option of buying USB C headphones, or fishing for an adapter that converts USB C to 3.5mm. You could also grab a USB C hub with multiple connections, including a USB C charging port off Amazon, or your local online store, or even Aliexpress.
OnePlus Buds:
OnePlus even released their TWS earbuds along with the phone, for $79.
Storage and Ram:
There are 2 storage variants. 8/128GB and 12/256GB heading to Europe and UK. There is a lower variant with 6/64GB which will be heading to India.
Water Resistance:
There is no official IP rating, but the company claims that their team of 300 engineers have put the phone through rigorous tests in order to make it drop and sweat resistance free.
Pricing and availability
The phone retails for £379($480) in the UK, and 399 in Europe, for the 8/128GB version. The 12/256 would retail for £469/€499 ($594). In India, the Nord starts at 25,000 for the 6/64GB version ($333 / €291), whereas the 8/128 is 28,000($373) and the 12/256 is 30,000($400). The phones will be launched in Europe, UK and India on the 4th of August. The lowest variant that is 6/64GB which exclusive to India, will be releasing in September. The Nord can be ordered in Blue Marble or Grey Onyx
Cases
By default, a clear gel case is included in the box. But OnePlus has released two cases, Sandstone Blue and Sandstone Black. There are other cases like the tear-down case from Jerry rig everything.
Alongside Nord, we've also developed three lightweight cases to keep your device protected in style #OnePlusNord pic.twitter.com/ql7QvC0br2
— OnePlus India (@OnePlus_IN) July 21, 2020
