After tons of hype, today OnePlus announced its much anticipated mid-ranger at a remote event. The OnePlus Nord is the second mid-range phone ever produced from the brand, proceeded by 2015’s OnePlus X.
Although the Nord is a more budget-friendly alternative to the OnePlus 8 family, it’s still an attractive and well-designed handset. There’s also a reasonable amount of power under the hood, though it’s certainly not a flagship if you’re judging it by raw specs.
Let’s break down everything you need to know about the OnePlus Nord.
See also: OnePlus phones: A history of the company’s entire lineup so far
OnePlus Nord: Price and release date
The OnePlus Nord launches formally today, July 21, 2020 and will release on August 4 in select regions around the globe. Unfortunately, the device will not be available in the United States.
OnePlus will also offer special online pop-up events for those who wish to get the Nord early. The first pop-up event happens today at 3:30PM BST (10:30AM ET) and will have limited stock. Customers who miss out will have a second opportunity to buy the phone early on July 31 at another 24 pop-up — more details on this are expected in the coming week.
The Nord will have three different variants: the most widely available versions come either with 8GB RAM and 128GB of storage, or 12GB RAM and 256GB of storage. Both models have the same overall specs, which include a Snapdragon 765G processor, an AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate, and a whopping six cameras (4 on the back, 2 on the front). A 6GB RAM and 64GB storage variant will also be available exclusively in India.
For more on the price, availability, and release dates, check out our dedicated article here.
- OnePlus Nord (6GB RAM/128GB storage — India exclusive) — 24,999 rupees
- OnePlus Nord (8GB RAM/128GB storage) — £379/€399/27,999 rupees
- OnePlus Nord (12GB RAM/256GB storage) — £469/€499/29,999 rupees
What you need to know about the OnePlus Nord
Our very own Ryan-Thomas Shaw spent a little time with the Nord and you can find his hands-on impressions here. While we recommend reading (and watching) his hands-on for more details on the Nord, below are just a few things you should know about the phone:
The hardware is predominantly plastic and Gorilla Glass 5. This design looks great and feels quite premium. In fact, it’s hard to tell its plastic at all.
The same Oxygen OS you know and love is here. The phone will ship with OxygenOS 10.5 on Android 10.
The OnePlus Nord supports 5G. Â The phone is capable of delivering both mmWave and sub-6Ghz variants of 5G.
It has two front cameras. The main front camera is a 32MP Sony IMX616 sensor, while the secondary lens is an 8MP ultrawide selfie camera.
The main rear camera is the same as the OnePlus 8! For the uninitiated, that means there’s a Sony IMX586 48MP main cam. This is complemented by an 8MP ultrawide camera with a 119-degree field of view. Below that, you’ll find a 2MP macro camera and a 5MP depth sensor.
One paper, the battery looks impressive. It’s too early to say how it actually performs, but you get a beefy 4,115mAh battery with 30W charging. That’s the same charging standard found in the OnePlus 8 series.
OnePlus Nord vs OnePlus 8 series: What’s the difference?
| OnePlus Nord | OnePlus 8 | OnePlus 8 Pro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.44-inch AMOLED 2,400 x 1,080 (20:9) 90Hz refresh rate In-display fingerprint sensor Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
6.55-inch AMOLED 2,400 x 1,080 (20:9) 90Hz refresh rate In-display fingerprint sensor 3D Corning Gorilla Glass |
6.78-inch AMOLED 3,168 x 1,440 (19.8:9) 120Hz refresh rate In-display fingerprint sensor 3D Corning Gorilla Glass |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G | Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 |
| RAM | 6GB / 8GB / 12GB LPDDR4X | 8GB / 12GB LPDDR4X | 8GB / 12GB LPDDR5 |
| Storage | 64GB / 128GB / 256GB UFS 2.1 | 128GB / 256GB UFS 3.0 | 128GB / 256GB UFS 3.0 |
| Cameras | Rear: 48MP main, f/1.75, 0.8µm, OIS, EIS 8MP ultra-wide, f/2.25, 119 degrees 5MP depth, f/2.4 2MP macro, f/2.4 Front: |
Rear: 48MP, f/1.78, 0.8µm, OIS, EIS 2MP macro, f/2.4, 1.75µm 16MP ultrawide, f/2.2, 116° Front: |
Rear: 48MP, f/1.78, 1.12µm, OIS, EIS 8MP 3x telephoto, f/2.44, 1.0µm, OIS 48MP ultrawide, f/2.2, 119.7° 5MP color filter, f/2.4 Front: |
| Battery | 4,115mAh Warp Charge 30T (5V/6A) |
4,300mAh Warp Charge 30T (5V/6A) |
4,510mAh Warp Charge 30T (5V/6A) Warp Charge 30 Wireless |
| IP Rating | None | None | IP68 |
| Software | OxygenOS 10.5 Android 10 |
Oxygen OS Android 10 |
Oxygen OS Android 10 |
| Dimensions and weight | 158.3 x 73.3 x 8.2mm 184g |
160.2 x 72.9 x 8.0mm 180g |
165.3 x 74.35 x 8.5mm 199g |
So, how does the Nord stack up against OnePlus’ current flagships? Pretty well on paper!
The Nord shares a lot of similarities with the regular OnePlus 8. The display is near identical, they both have a macro camera instead of a telephoto lens, and neither have an IP rating. Moving up to the OnePlus 8 Pro represents a huge leap from both devices, however. If you want the very best OnePlus has to offer, the OnePlus 8 Pro with wireless charging, an IP rating, and a 3x zoom camera is the best choice. All three phones support 5G.
Read more: OnePlus 8 review: Watered down yet still worthy
Aside from the Snapdragon 765G processor and the dual selfie camera, the biggest difference between the Nord and the OnePlus 8 series is the price. The starting price of £379/€399/27,999 rupees for the 8GB/128GB model blows the equivalent OnePlus 8 (£599/€699/44,999 rupees) and OnePlus 8 Pro (£899/€899/54,999 rupees) pricing out of the water.
Is the OnePlus Nord worth buying?
As always, only you can make that call. Not to mention, it’s a brand new phone that we haven’t had time to properly review yet. We’ll likely have a firmer opinion in the weeks to come, but for now, it all depends on what you’re looking for. This could be a perfect handset if you are a OnePlus fan coming from an older OnePlus device and never got on board with the more expensive premium vision the company has shifted to in recent years.
Read more: OnePlus Nord specs in detail
While it’s not a flagship, the phone should still provide a solid experience and has the same great Oxygen OS software you’d get with a higher-end OnePlus device. Those looking for a future-proof phone will also be pleased that there’s 5G support onboard. For OnePlus fans on a budget, probably one of the most compelling reasons to get the Nord is that you can find it for £220 cheaper than the base model OnePlus 8.
Ultimately, if you want a brand new phone on a budget and are set on OnePlus, the Nord is definitely worth a look. Just be aware there are a lot of alternative options out there. We’ll be sure to expand this section with more details and analysis once we’ve had time to put it through a full review.
Questions and Answers
Below are just some of the questions we found users asking on the web. Have a question we didn’t mention? Let us know in the comments.
Q: When does OnePlus Nord will launch in India?
A: We expect the Nord to launch in India very soon, but OnePlus has yet to confirm an official date.
Q: Does the OnePlus Nord have a headphone jack?
A: Unfortunately, no. OnePlus moved away from the headphone jack a while ago and this remains true for its new mid-ranger.
Q: Does it have stereo speakers?
A: No, the OnePlus Nord has a single bottom-firing speaker.
Q: Will OnePlus Nord work on Verizon?
A: The OnePlus Nord isn’t officially available in the US and while you should be able to import it, the odds of it working on Verizon are pretty much zero. However (in theory), it should work with AT&T, T-Mobile, and MVNOs running on those networks.
Q: Is OnePlus Nord waterproof?
A: There is no waterproof or dustproof rating for the OnePlus Nord. The company says the phone has been internally tested in up to 30cm water for 30 seconds, however the lack of an official rating means we’d recommend not taking the phone for a plunge.