With every single year, it becomes evident; OnePlus has changed, and they know it. Up steps the OnePlus Nord to remind us of the good old days. A mobile phone with high specs that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. The OnePlus Nord isn’t a flagship phone, but it doesn’t have to be.

Design

  • Dimensions: 158.3 x 73.3 x 8.2mm / Weight: 184 grams
  • Finishes: Blue Marble / Grey Onyx
  • Water-resistant (no IP rating)
  • Glass front and back

The OnePlus Nord is a throwback. Gone are the is the metal and curvy body and welcome the flat back design in dark Onyx Grey finish or the Blue Marble. No more camera system in the middle of the back of the device, but it is now in the left-hand corner. The dual-camera system is now in the top left corner, which can hinder your viewing experience.

Apart from that, nothing has changed. Expect the usual ports in their usual place and of course an absence of a 3.5mm headphone input. The keyboard is excellent, works fluidly and doesn’t make a noise ( I’m looking at you Google Pixel 4).

You can expect the OnePlus Nord to be quite thick, reminiscent of the iPhone 11 which is saying something.

Display

  • 6.44-inch Fluid AMOLED display
  • 1080 x 2400 pixels (Full HD+)
  • 1000-nits peak brightness
  • 90Hz refresh rate
  • Oxygen OS 10.5

For movie viewing alone, this screen is perfect. With a 6.44 inch display, there is nothing small about it. Black and vibrant colours can be expected with the AMOLED panel with Full HD+ resolution.

Camera

  • Quad camera system:
    • Main: 48-megapixel, f/1.75 aperture, optical stabilisation (OIS)
    • Ultra-wide: (119 degrees): 8MP, f/2.25
    • Macro: 2MP, f/2.4
    • Depth: 5MP, f/2.4
  • Dual 32MP and 8MP ultrawide selfie cameras
  • 4K video – to 30fp

When it comes to the back, the only cameras that are worth mention is the primary and ultra-wide camera. That’s because the primary camera is equal the OnePlus 8. Expect it to have a Sony sensor as well as optical image stabilisation (OIS) and electronic image stabilisation (EIS) to help you take those smooth videos and images.

You can expect it to perform well in good lighting and when the conditions are low, but be warned, it can tend to increase the exposure, but that’s manageable. Just use the exposure compensation slider to tone it down, and you’re good to go.

The dual-camera system is cool on paper but in real life? Not so much. Image quality isn’t as consistent as it should be. Expect good quality selfies with the 32-megapixel camera, but the system together isn’t at the standard it could be.

Internal

  • 4,115mAh battery with fast charging
  • Warp Charge 30T gets you from 0% to 70% in 30 minutes
  • Snapdragon 765G plus 8GB/128GB and 12GB/256GB configurations
  • 5G support

A 4,115mAh battery should be enough to get you through a day. If you’re anything like me ( 6 hours of music and 3 hours of movies), you would want to keep a battery pack and cable nearby just in case. On the plus size, the OnePlus Warp Charge 30T charging is on board which would get you from 0-70% in 30 minutes with the cable and power adapter in the box.

With a Snapdragon 765g under the hood, you can expect the phone to be responsive and gaming to be suitable for a phone in this category. However, if you’re expecting the power to be on par with an OnePlus 8 variant, then you’re mistaken.

The 8GM RAM model gives you 128GB storage which would be great for many. If space is an issue, then you should consider the 25GB model with the extra edition of RAM, which is suitable for all your gaming and app needs.

Final thoughts

The Oneplus Nord is not a flagship phone as intended. It may be considered a mid-range beater, but it has specs that are reminiscent of its fancier siblings. 5G capability, Warp charging, and the arrays of cameras the OnePlus Nord makes it possible to have the best features at a lower price point.