OnePlus makes some of the most value-oriented smartphones in the world. Their phones perfectly balance features and performance. Every new OnePlus device to date has been built around cutting-edge hardware. However, these phones have been pricier as years have passed. For example, the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro have the best features you can expect from a flagship, but the phone costs significantly higher than the OnePlus 3T which was priced Rs. 29,999 in 2016.
OnePlus is attempting to revive its flagship-killer image with the new OnePlus Nord. The Nord is one of the most anticipated phones of 2020, and it brings all good things from the past the present OnePlus devices. This phone has one of the fastest processors, and it comes with hardware that is nearly identical to the flagship OnePlus 8. It maintains all the OnePlus flagship standards that too, at a ridiculous price of Rs. 24,999. OnePlus claims the Nord has the feature-set to resurrect OnePlus’s flagship-killer image. Let’s take a look.
The OnePlus Nord has lots of premium design elements. The phone is constructed using an unibody glass design and it has an aluminum frame like flagship OnePlus devices. Both the rear and front glass feature Gorilla Glass 5 to protect the phone from scratches. The phone has a glossy back, but OnePlus bundles a clear case to keep fingerprints away. OnePlus has also introduced tons on new designer cases that promise to keep the phone protected. The device is available in two colours. The Gray Onyx has a two-tone mirror finish, which is very similar to the OnePlus 8. The Blue Marble color is exclusive to the OnePlus Nord, and it offers a much cleaner and premium look.
The OnePlus Nord adheres a slim design profile like most OnePlus phones, and it weighs 185 grams. It has a punch-hole display design, so it offers a widescreen experience without being too tall or wide. The phone also sports an in-display fingerprint reader that lets you unlock the device, purchase apps and make payments. It also features AI Face detection to unlock the device.
The OnePlus Nord has a 6.44-inch Fluid AMOLED display that runs a screen resolution of 1080 x 2400. AMOLED displays generate their own light, so they render excellent images with deep blacks and high contrast. The screen also has a 90Hz refresh rate like the flagship OnePlus 8 devices. It results in lesser motion blur and it makes scrolling through the app drawer, images and webpages a lot smoother. OnePlus has bumped the touch sampling rate to 180Hz to ensure every touch input gets an accurate and instant response. The screen has an 86.7 per cent screen-to-body ratio making it nearly edgeless.
The OnePlus Nord runs Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 765G processor. This upper, mid-range processor is used in many premium devices which costs twice as much as the OnePlus Nord. OnePlus claims, this processor is 10 per cent faster than the previous Snapdragon 730G. It delivers a solid performance that ensures the phone handles every app and game with ease. The phone comes with an Adreno 620 GPU, to run high-end games such as PlayersUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG: Mobile) with high-graphic settings. The device is available in three configurations. The entry-spec variant comes with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, the mid-spec model with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. There is also a high-spec variant that comes with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. All models sport UFS 2.1 storage, that enable high data transfer speeds.
OnePlus OxygenOS has always been popular for its stock Android look and clutter-free design. The Nord runs on Android 10 OS and it uses the latest Oxygen OS 10.5. OnePlus claims, the new OS includes over 280 UI optimizations, each designed to deliver a smooth user interface. The new Dark Theme is now compatible with a wide range of third-party apps, and it takes advantage of the AMOLED panel to prolong battery life and to reduce eye strain. The new Oxygen OS also includes a Smart SMS manager, that automatically categorises messages. The phone also supports Android 10 gestures that make navigating through apps and menus on this large screen phone easier.
The OnePlus Nord comes fitted with a diverse quad-camera setup. The primary camera is a 48MP unit using a Sony IMX586 sensor. This camera is like last year’s flagship, the OnePlus 7T, and it comes with a large f/1.7 aperture that lets you click great photos even in low light. The camera also has OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) to click steady photos and videos. The secondary 8MP camera comes with 119 degrees field-of-view. It covers a large area which is very helpful to click landscapes and architecture. The phone also has a 5MP depth unit for clicking DSLR-like bokeh images. The rear camera list ends with a 5MP macro unit, which can focus on subjects as close as 4 cm. The phone has a dual-tone flash for better colour balance and natural skin tones.
The Nord is the first OnePlus device with a dual front-facing camera. The primary front camera is a 32MP unit with EIS support. It records in 4K up to 60 fps which can be a great feature for live streaming and recording vlogs. The secondary camera is an 8MP offers 105 degrees field-of-view, so you can fit in more people and click wide-angle selfies. The camera app remains feature-rich like previous generations OnePlus devices. It includes a bunch of modes such as Live Photo, Nightscape and a Pro mode that lets you adjusts aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and exposure to click professional photos.
The OnePlus Nord is a 5G device, which means you can take advantage of next-generation network speeds when it arrives. The device comes with Wi-Fi 802.11ac for strong wireless connectivity and Bluetooth 5.1 for connecting peripherals. The Nord features a 4,115 mAh battery, that should easily last a day or more under moderate usage. The device also supports OnePlus’s Wrap Charge 30T, which claims to charge the phone from 0 to 70 per cent under 30 minutes.
The Nord is a new direction for OnePlus. It is a smartphone for everyone that maintains OnePlus’ flagship standards without making many compromises, all at an unbelievable price. The combination of hardware, feature and performance seem so right, you may never feel the need of a flagship device. For more information, go to your nearest Reliance Digital store.
