OnePlus Nord 5G release date, price, features and news
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What is the OnePlus Nord 5G?
OnePlus started off as an enthusiast device company — no marketing, no bells and whistles, it just made one phone model per year, which was chock-full with flagship-tier hardware, all at half the price of an actual, "big-name" flagship phone. But the company has grown, its reach has expanded, and it has one foot firmly planted in the mainstream. Inevitably, its latest phones — the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro — have crept up to costing as much as your regular flagship. That's understandable, but left some of the company's oldest fans... a bit disappointed.
The OnePlus Nord is a return to the good old OnePlus that we know from 6 years ago — aggressively priced, yet powered by hardware that you usually see in a more expensive, mainstream handset. Also, it seems that it will be sold in limited quantities at a time, with pre-announced sale events, kind of echoing the way the OnePlus One through OnePlus 3 were sold — invite cards, limited numbers, and sale events.
The OnePlus Nord is definitely a great value for your buck.
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OnePlus Nord 5G release date
The OnePlus Nord will not be launched in the USA, at least not initially. The first wave of sales is targeted at Europe and India. However, the company has stated that if there is "enough demand", there will be a US launch.
OnePlus Nord in the USA
Reportedly, OnePlus is preparing a slightly different Nord model, which will launch in the US. Two models to be exact, internally codenamed as Billie 1 and Billie 2. Information on those projects is still scarce.
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OnePlus Nord 5G price
The OnePlus Nord 5G starts at 399 Euro (about $460) for the 8 GB / 128 GB version. You can purchase it by visiting OnePlus' official website, as linked below:
Buy OnePlus Nord (UK store)
Rocky release
The aggressive pricing of the Nord took its toll on some quality control of the first batch. Some issues with display and construction were reported.
OnePlus Nord 5G camera
Despite being classified as a "midranger" the OnePlus Nord has pretty... crazy cameras. First things first — there are a total of 6 camera sensors on the phone — two on the front and four on the back.
The OnePlus Nord 5G has two selfie snappers— a 32 MP main camera and an 8 MP ultra-wide-angle selfie camera. On the back, there's a quad setup — a 48 MP main camera with optical image stabilization (now, that's something you don't see on a midranger!), an 8 MP ultra-wide-angle one, a 2 MP macro camera, and a 5 MP depth sensor for faux bokeh portrait shots.
The OnePlus Nord 5G has two selfie snappers— a 32 MP main camera and an 8 MP ultra-wide-angle selfie camera. On the back, there's a quad setup — a 48 MP main camera with optical image stabilization (now, that's something you don't see on a midranger!), an 8 MP ultra-wide-angle one, a 2 MP macro camera, and a 5 MP depth sensor for faux bokeh portrait shots.
OnePlus Nord 5G design and display
The OnePlus Nord 5G has a sleek, modern look and a shiny finish — the back is actually glass, though the frame on the side is plastic. The camera module is pretty standard — all 4 sensors are in line on a vertical slit. As for the front, the dual selfie cameras will be nested in a cutout on the display, in the top-left corner.
The phone is escorted by a slew of cases at launch — colorful and fun, they are sure to catch the eye.
There was no skimping on screen quality, too. The OnePlus Nord has a Fluid AMOLED display — a 6.44-inch panel with a 1080 x 2400 pixel resolution (20:9 ratio), and a 90 Hz refresh rate screen, which is quite wild for a "budget" smartphone.
The OnePlus Nord will not have IP certification, but that doesn't mean it won't be water-resistant. As per Carl Pei's words, it'll have sealing around its ports to protect its components. However, to cut down on cost, the company will not be running the OnePlus Nord phones through IP certified testing. We've seen this on OnePlus phones before — the handsets could survive spills just fine, they just lacked the official certification.
Not done with the color options
Matte finishes are pretty popular nowadays — instead of the glossy glass on the back, which collects fingerprint grease, the soft matte remains pristine and doesn't smudge up. Rumor has it, we might get a new matte model of the OnePlus Nord soon.
OnePlus Nord 5G hardware
- Display: AMOLED, 6.4", 1080 x 2400 pixels
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G
- RAM: 8 GB / 12 GB LPDDR4
- Storage: 128 GB / 256 GB
- Cameras: 48 MP main, 8 MP ultra-wide, 2 MP macro, 5 MP depth; 32 MP front camera
- Battery: 4,115 mAh
The OnePlus Nord 5G is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G processor — an upper-midrange silicon capable of 5G connectivity and pretty adequate performance. Qualcomm proudly tweeted about the partnership, too, suggesting the companies are in pretty good standing.
As for memory, the OnePlus Nord 5G starts off with a minimum of 128 GB of storage and 8 GB of RAM, but there will be an upgrade tier with 256 GB of storage and 12 GB of RAM.
The lights are kept on by a 4,115 mAh battery — not the largest, sure, but a pretty respectable juicebox none the less. It will also support OnePlus' proprietary Warp Charge 30 technology, which means it should charge up quite fast.
OnePlus Nord vs Google Pixel 4a
Google's Pixel 4a surfaced as the Nord's toughest competitor. Coming straight from Google, it has the purest iteration of Android with guaranteed instant software updates whenever they are ready for prime time. Of course, the Pixel has a superb camera as well and even comes cheaper than the Nord, at $350.
Display
Size
Technology
OLED
AMOLED
Refresh rate
60Hz
90Hz
Screen-to-body
82.53 %
86.20 %
Features
HDR support, Scratch-resistant glass, Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor
HDR support, Scratch-resistant glass, Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor
Hardware
System chip
Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G SM7150-AA (8 nm)
Snapdragon 765G SM7250-AB (7 nm)
Processor
GPU
Adreno 618
Adreno 620
RAM
Internal storage
128GB, not expandable
128GB, not expandable
OS
Android (12, 11, 10)
Android (10)
Battery
Capacity
3140 mAh
4115 mAh
Charging
USB Power Delivery
OnePlus Warp Charge
Camera
Rear
Single camera
Quad camera
Main camera
Specifications
Aperture size: F1.7; Focal length: 27 mm; Sensor size: 1/2.55"; Pixel size: 1.4 μm
Aperture size: F1.8; Focal length: 26 mm; Sensor size: 1/2"; Pixel size: 0.8 μm
Second camera
8 MP (Ultra-wide)
Specifications
Aperture size: F2.2
Third camera
2 MP (Macro)
Specifications
Aperture size: F2.4
Fourth camera
5 MP (Depth information)
Specifications
Aperture size: F2.4
Video recording
3840x2160 (4K UHD) (30 fps), 1920x1080 (Full HD) (120 fps), 1280x720 (HD) (240 fps)
3840x2160 (4K UHD) (30 fps), 1920x1080 (Full HD) (240 fps)
Features
EIS
Time-lapse video, EIS
Front
8 MP
32 MP
Video capture
1920x1080 (Full HD) (30 fps)
3840x2160 (4K UHD) (30 fps)
Design
Dimensions
Weight
the average is 5.9 oz (169 g)
the average is 5.9 oz (169 g)
Materials
Back: Plastic; Frame: Plastic
Back: Glass (Corning Gorilla Glass 5); Frame: Plastic
Biometrics
Fingerprint (touch)
2D Face unlock, In-screen fingerprint
Cellular
5G
n1, n3, n7, n28, n78, SA, NSA
Buyers information
Price
$ 349
€ 399
See the full Google Pixel 4a vs OnePlus Nord specs comparison or compare them to other phones using our Phone Comparison Tool.
Teardown case by dbrand and JerryRigEverything
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