OnePlus Nord hands-on review

Introduction

Six years after revolutionizing it, OnePlus is returning to the mid-range segment with the OnePlus Nord. With the company's flagships increasingly out of the reach of its core audience, Nord is intended to bring some of the OnePlus flagship experience and core values to the more price-conscious segment of the market - the one that made OnePlus what it is today.

This isn't the brand's first rodeo in the mid-range market. OnePlus first took a swipe at this segment with the OnePlus X, which despite being a great phone, met with a tepid response from the customers and got the series shelved after a year.

But things are different now; the OnePlus X was only slightly cheaper than the OnePlus 2, which was the flagship OnePlus phone at the time, so for some people, it didn't feel necessary. This time around, the OnePlus 8 is significantly more expensive, with the 8 Pro even further up the price ladder, making the Nord that much more relevant.

So Nord is no longer a fun little experiment for OnePlus like the OnePlus X was. It's a serious weapon that it intends to wield in this increasingly competitive segment. A segment now dominated by brands like Xiaomi and Realme in certain markets, who took OnePlus' absence as an opportunity to build their repertoire. And a segment that was recently shaken by the launch of the iPhone SE and caused some to question their loyalties as they made the switch to Apple's perfectly manicured walled-garden.

OnePlus Nord specs

• Body: Plastic frame, Corning Gorilla Glass 5 front and back, 158.3 x 73.3 x 8.2mm, 184g
• Display: 6.44-inch, 2400x1080 20:9 AMOLED, 90Hz, HDR10/HDR10+/HLG, DCI-P3
• Rear cameras: Main: 48MP f1.75 PDAF 6P OIS Ultra-wide: 8MP f2.25 fixed-focus Macro: 2MP f2.4 fixed-focus Depth: 5MP f2.4, dual-LED flash; 4K30, 1080p240 video
• Front cameras: Main: 32MP f2.45 fixed focus Ultra-wide: 8MP f2.45 fixed focus; 4K60 video
• Software: Android 10, OxygenOS 10.5
• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G: octa-core CPU (1x2.4 GHz Kryo 475 Prime & 1x2.2 GHz Kryo 475 Gold & 6x1.8 GHz Kryo 475 Silver), Adreno 620 GPU
• Memory: 8/12GB LPDDR4X
• Storage: 128/256GB UFS 2.1
• Battery: 4115mAh, 30W Warp Charge 30T
• Connectivity: Dual SIM, 5G, LTE-A, USB-C 2.0, dual-band Wi-Fi 2x2 MIMO 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.1, NFC, GPS/GLONASS/Galileo/BeiDou/SBAS/NavIC
• Misc: Under-display fingerprint sensor, single loudspeaker, linear vibration motor, face unlock, alert slider

Nord has its work cut out for it then. On one hand is the OnePlus fanbase, who has gotten increasingly displeased at the company's rising prices. On the other hand, is competition from rivals who have now gone on to become market leaders in this segment. And in between is people like us, who have gotten mighty used to reviewing great budget phones and are getting harder to please.

Today, we are only allowed to show you a little bit of this new phone and the full review will have to wait for a later date. Until then, enjoy this little hands-on.