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OnePlus Nord
OnePlus Nord
OnePlus Nord
OnePlus Nord
OnePlus Nord
OnePlus Nord
...


8.7/10
Informr score
The OnePlus Nord currently has an Informr score of 8.7 out of 10. This score is based on our evaluation of 57 sources including reviews from users and the web's most trusted critics.

What's good

  • Affordable
  • 5G capable
  • Fast-charging
  • 90Hz refresh rate

What's bad

  • More camera than necessary
  • No waterproof IP rating
  • Only available in certain regions
  • No wireless charging
  • No headphone jack

With all of the mid-tier phones out there, it can be difficult to distinguish what makes one better than another. The OnePlus Nord emerges claiming some pretty impeccable things, does it stand up to myriad others in its group?

Design

There’s nothing particularly special about the design but that’s not exactly a bad thing. Like its cousins -- and many other phones released these days, the OnePlus Nord has a metal frame with Gorilla Glass on both sides.

Display

The OnePlus Nord has another claim to fame for the mid-tier market, a 6.44 inch AMOLED screen with 90Hz refresh rate making for swift smooth actions and tasks. It has a flat-display whereas its cousins the OnePlus 8 and the OnePlus 8 Pro have the waterfall style display. Reviewers said that the ability to show deep shadow without the blue tint that some displays have made it more immersive to use with media.

Tom’s Guide says, “The OLED panel did what it does best and really brought out the blacks of the shadow-cast scenery, while still making the magic effects look exciting and dangerous.”

Performance

The OnePlus Nord has a lot going for it and performance is no slouch. Reviewers quoted that the phone had plenty of oomph. It reacts nearly instantly with slick scrolling and no apparent stutter or pausing in between tasks

Pocket Lint states, “This phone is speedy and fluid in everyday interactions...”

Software & Storage

The phone runs Android 10 but has software called OxygenOS 10.5 running over the top which improves performance. Storage starts at 128GB which is a good bit of space for lots of apps and photos.

Cameras

The cameras on the OnePlus Nord are a bit insane -- in good ways and bad. The phone has a whopping 6 cameras: four rear-facing and two front-facing. The four rear cameras are a 48MP wide angle lens, an 8MP ultra-wide angle lens, a 5MP depth sensor, and a 2MP macro lens. The 2 front-facing options are a 32MP standard lens and an 8MP ultra-wide angle lens.

The photos are without a doubt great, but some reviewers said it was overkill -- especially considering the mediocre performance of both the macro and the front-facing ultrawide.

Battery Life

The life of the phone’s battery is average and will need to be plugged in at night. If you’re a heavy mobile gamer, you might need to charge part of the way through the day. However, the phone offers Power 30T charging and charges quite fast. No wireless charging though, so you’ll still need to keep a charge cable handy.

Audio

With one downward-facing speaker at the bottom of the phone, the audio leaves a lot to be desired and is easily muffled when held in a landscape orientation for gaming or video watching.

Specs at a Glance

  • Metal and Gorilla Glass chassis
  • 6.44-inch AMOLED 90Hz display
  • Octa-core 2.4 GHz Snapdragon 765G processor
  • 8GB of RAM
  • Android 10 with OxygenOS 10,5
  • 128/256 GB storage
  • Rear-facing 48MP wide angle, 8MP ultra-wide angle, 5MP depth sensor, 2MP macro lenses
  • Front-facing 32MP standard and 8MP ultra-wide lens
  • 4115 mAh battery

Bottom Line

There’s hardly anything to dislike about the OnePlus Nord (except maybe if it’s not released in your country.) For the price, it is in some ways above and beyond what other phones in its tier offer. In other ways, it’s an obvious trade for some of the nice features instead of the kitchen sink. Overall reviewers liked what the OnePlus Nord had to offer for a mid-tier price.

Tech Radar says, “OnePlus has made an emphatic return to the mid-range market with the OnePlus Nord – it's an affordable smartphone that's packed with features. There's a great screen, plenty of power, and a set of capable cameras, all wrapped up in a package that belies its affordable price.”

Android Authority states, “The OnePlus Nord is a good mid-range smartphone with great software and a striking new colorway. OnePlus did a respectable job delivering a solid experience that equals, but doesn't always surpass, the competition.”

The Verge remarks, “Picking a midrange phone is normally a matter of choosing your battles. You pick the features that are most important to you because no midrange phone is going to offer all of them. When it comes to the Nord, however, it’s a little harder to put its compromises into simple terms. It’s too well-rounded, meaning there are no serious pitfalls, but there’s also no single area where it excels.”


Android
Operating system
Operating system
Android
2.4 GHz
Processor
Processor
2.4 GHz
6.44"
Screen Size
Screen Size
6.44"
48+ MP, f/1.75
Camera
Camera
48+ MP, f/1.75
4115 mAh
Battery


What the Critics Are Saying...


T3
T3

While the OnePlus Nord isn't a perfect phone, it scores very highly in all the key areas – camera, performance, battery life, design, screen, software experience – and it's just about our favourite phone right now if you want to maximise the bang you get for your buck.

- David Nield, T3
DxOMark
DxOMark

It performs well in general — exposure and autofocus are accurate in most conditions, and details are well preserved. But it’s in the specialty areas that the device’s flaws become more evident. In low-light conditions, the OnePlus Nord’s performance dropped in both camera and video; its lack of a t...

- Chris Welsch, DxOMark
Review Hub
Review Hub

If you’ve been looking for a capable camera setup, excellent built quality, 5G and the fastest charging phone under £400, then you’ll love the Nord. However, if the camera quality & display are your main concerns, the Samsung Galaxy A71 wins.

- Review Hub
TheCanadianTechie
TheCanadianTechie

The OnePlus Nord is a solid all-around device for its price and offers features that would typically be reserved for a flagship. The only major issue is that this Nord model won’t be making its way to North America any time soon.

- Sachin Bahal, TheCanadianTechie
Android Guys
Android Guys

The OnePlus Nord is almost a great phone. And there’s no qualifier here about the price, it’s just damn near a great phone. You can nitpick things like the plastic frame of the phone, lack of expandable storage, or the hole-punch camera, but the only true downside in my opinion is the camera array....

- Matt Adams, Android Guys


Prices (Where to Buy)




Common Questions


We've got you covered! Download a free PDF copy of the OnePlus Nord user manual here.


OnePlus backs up the Nord with a 2 Years parts & labour warranty.


If your Nord has problems and is still within its warranty period, you could contact OnePlus support or the retailer you purchased the phone from. You'll find OnePlus's contact information here. If your phone is off warranty and needs repair for a physical problem such as a broken screen or bad battery, you should visit an authorized service centre or a local phone repair shop. You can also connect with others in The Informr Community Forum to find and share answers to questions.



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Quick view

Screen Size
6.44"

The OnePlus Nord's screen size is 6.44 inches with 1080 x 2400 pixels resolution.

Processor
2.4 GHz

There is a Qualcomm SDM765 Snapdragon 765G (7 nm) Octa-core 2.4 GHz processor (CPU).

OS

The phone runs on the Android 10 operating system (OS).

Camera
48+ MP

You can take photos or capture video with the phone's onboard 48+ MP, f/1.75 camera.

There is also a secondary front facing camera with 32+ megapixels resolution.

Storage
128/256 GB

Internal memory is 128/256 GB. No external card slot is available for expansion.

Battery
4115mAh

The phone is powered by a Lithium Polymer (Li-Pol), 4115 mAh battery. OnePlus's performance ratings are 1505 minutes, 802 minutes Wi-Fi surfing.

OnePlus Nord Specs

Overview
Release Date August 4, 2020
Regions Available USA, United Kingdom
Operating System Android 10

Compare Android Smartphones

Processor Qualcomm SDM765 Snapdragon 765G (7 nm) Octa-core 2.4 GHz
Internal Storage 128/256 GB
RAM 8 GB
Hearing Aid Compatible Yes
TTY/TDD Yes
Noise Cancellation Yes
SAR Head: 0.90 W/kg
Body: 1.27 W/kg
Manufacturer Warranty 2 Years
Accessories Included USB Power Adapter, Manual, Data Cable
Cellular
Networks
HSUPA, HSPA+, LTE, 5G
Mobile / Cellular Data
5G, 4G/LTE
Push-to-talk (PTT) No
Wi-Fi Calling Yes
Voice over LTE (VoLTE) Yes
SIM card size
Nano-SIM
Dual SIM Yes
Connectivity
USB USB Type-C
USB OTG Support Yes
GPS Type A-GPS
Infrared No
Bluetooth 5.1
Bluetooth Profiles A2DP, AVRCP, OPP/FTP, HID, HFP, HSP, PAN
Bluetooth Audio Codecs SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, LDAC
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Mobile Hotspot Yes
Memory Expansion Slot No
NFC Yes
Data Tethering Compatibility Yes
Camera
Main Camera
Resolution / Aperture
48+ Megapixels, f/1.75
Zoom
Yes
Flash
Yes (Dual LED)
Additional Rear Camera Info
Auto focus, Effects, Face detection, Geotagging, Multi-shot, Night mode, Panorama, Self-timer, 2nd camera feature (8 MP, F2.25, Ultra-wide), 3rd camera feature (5 MP, F2.4), 4th camera feature (2 MP, F2.4), HDR, Time lapse mode, Slow motion recording
Video Recording Formats
MPEG-4
Video Recording Parameters
Ultra HD (3840 x 2160 pixels), 30 fps
Front Camera
Resolution / Aperture
32+ Megapixels
Additional Front Camera Info
Aperture F2.45, 2nd camera feature (8 MP, F2.45, Ultra-wide)
Video Recording Parameters
Ultra HD (3840 x 2160 pixels), 30 fps
Display / Screen
Type Color
Technology AMOLED
Colors 16.7 million
Resolution 1080 x 2400 pixels
Pixel Density 408 pixels
Size 6.44 inches
Secondary Display No
Sensors Ambient Light, Proximity, Motion / Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Digital Compass
Multi-Touch Yes
Fingerprint-Resistant Coating No
Additional Display Features Capacitive touchscreen, Corning Gorilla Glass 5, 90Hz refresh rate, In-display fingerprint sensor
Power & Battery
Battery Type Lithium Polymer (Li-Pol)
Battery Capacity 4115 mAh
Removable Battery No
Wireless Charging No
Fast Charging Yes
Video Playback Time Up to 1095 minutes
Internet Use (Wi-Fi) Up to 802 minutes
Internet Use (Cellular) Up to 678 minutes
Talk Time Up to 1505 minutes
Standby Time Unknown
Mixed Usage
Physical Characteristics
Design Type Bar
Material Aluminium
Colors Gray Onyx, Blue Marble
Dimensions [H x W x D] 15.83 x 7.33 x 0.82 cm (6.2 x 2.9 x 0.3 in)
Weight 184 grams
Water Resistant / Waterproof No
Rugged design No
IP Rating No
Headset Jack No
External Speakers Yes
Input / Navigation
Sleep / Wake Key Yes
Home Key No
Input / Keyboard Type Touchscreen
Navigation Type Touchscreen
External Volume Control Yes
Fingerprint Sensor Yes
More
Additional Information Other Names (AKA): OnePlus 8 NORD 5G, OnePlus Z
Related Links Manual (PDF)
OnePlus Nord Reviews
Where to buy OnePlus Nord
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