“We believe that now is the right time to launch an affordable phone, especially seeing growth in Europe.” These were the words of Tuomas Lampen, head of strategy for OnePlus in Europe in our interview. This affordable phone is the OnePlus Nord, the Chinese company’s return to phones in mid-price ranges. Turning towards the premium mid-range and maintaining high-end close to 1,000 euros seems to be the company’s new strategy, and wondering what OnePlus now offers in these price ranges is the most normal thing.
Bet on the (almost) best of Qualcomm, premium materials and software by flag are some of the strengths of the OnePlus Nord, a mobile phone that conserves the DNA of the company point by point and that gives up very little to lower the price much. This striking proposal goes through our analysis.
OnePlus Nord datasheet
ONEPLUS NORD | |
---|---|
SCREEN | 6.44 inches Full HD + 20: 9 Aspect Ratio FluidAMOLED |
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT | 158.3 x 73.3 x 8.2 mm 184 g |
PROCESSOR | Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G Octa-core 7nm at 2.4Ghz |
RAM | 8GB 12GB |
STORAGE | 128GB 256GB |
REAR CAMERA | 48 MP Sony IMX586, f / 1.75 OIS 8 MP ultra-wide-angle f / 2.25 2 MP macro f / 2.4 5 MP depth f / 2.4 |
FRONT CAMERA | 32 MP Sony IMX616 f / 2.45 8 MP ultra-wide-angle f / 2.45 |
BATTERY | 4,115mAh Warp Charge 30T (30W) |
SOFTWARE | OxygenOS 10.5 based on Android 10 |
CONNECTIVITY | Dual-band WiFi 5G Bluetooth 5.1 Qualcomm aptX HD NFC |
OTHERS | Fingerprint sensor under the screen |
PRICE | From 399 euros |
Design: a great compaction exercise
There are few compact proposals with great power on the market and the OnePlus Nord, although it is not exactly in the high range, transmits the sensations that we ask of a compact flagship. The only cutout comes from the part of the edge that covers the terminal since it is plastic. However, it is covered in a paint that makes it look like metal and, having such a high-quality glass, the feeling is still premium. Our unit is a striking blue color, similar to what we saw in its older brother, the OnePlus 8 Pro. The feeling in hand is that of any other high-end terminal. The construction is solid, the keypad (which is metallic) does not dance in the least and, in fact, is identical to that of the OnePlus 8. Most importantly, it is very comfortable in the hand.
The company is still betting on the ‘Alert Slider’, an extra button that has three positions to leave the phone on sound, mute it or put it in vibration. This button has a rough feel and is somewhat hard, something that is appreciated given the solid feeling it offers.
Not being a large terminal it is easy enough to use with one hand, and the slight curvature of the back facilitates grip. The finish, in addition, helps that the tracks are not easily marked. It is not the cleanest mobile on the market, but it is not one of those that fill up with footprints in a few seconds.
At the back we find a vertical strip for the cameras. It may seem a trivial detail, but we appreciate that OnePlus has not joined the fashion of the huge modules. Of course, the module is quite prominent and will make the mobile dance if we rest it on some flat surface. The location of the upper OnePlus logo is the same as that of its older siblings, as well as the lower one, where the brand name is written in letters. It is a different OnePlus, but recognizable at first glance.
The lower part is also traced to that of the OnePlus 8: speaker, USB Type-C port and SIM card tray. The metallic edge that surrounds the device is very well integrated with the glass (without the need for it to be curved) and we did not find any type of jump or small imperfection that can scratch our hands.
If we put the Nord in context with some of the mobiles of the moment, it is one of the clear winners in terms of size and volume. It is a relatively small terminal, easy to carry in your pocket and not very heavy, something difficult to find in these times.
HEIGHT (MILLIMETERS) | WIDTH (MM) | THICKNESS (MILLIMETERS) | WEIGHT (GRAMS) | SCREEN (INCHES) | BATTERY | AREA (CM2) | VOLUME (CC) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ONEPLUS NORD | 158.3 | 73.3 | 8.2 | 184 | 6.57 | 4,160 | 115.96 | 95.09 |
REALME 6 PRO | 163.8 | 75.8 | 8.9 | 202 | 6.6 | 4,300 | 124.2 | 110.5 |
XIAOMI REDMI NOTE 9 PRO | 165.8 | 76.7 | 8.8 | 209 | 6.67 | 5,020 | 127.16 | 111.91 |
XIAOMI MI 10 LITE | 163.7 | 74.8 | 7.9 | 192 | 6.57 | 4,160 | 122.4 | 96.73 |
ONEPLUS 8 PRO | 165.3 | 74.35 | 8.5 | 199 | 6.78 | 4,510 | 122.9 | 104.47 |
HUAWEI P40 PRO | 158.2 | 72.6 | 8.95 | 209 | 6.58 | 4,200 | 114.85 | 102.79 |
SAMSUNG GALAXY S20 ULTRA | 166.9 | 76 | 8.8 | 220 | 6.9 | 5,000 | 126.84 | 111.62 |
IPHONE 11 PRO MAX | 158 | 77.8 | 8.1 | 226 | 6.5 | 3,969 | 122.92 | 99.57 |
PIXEL 4 XL | 160.4 | 75.1 | 8.2 | 193 | 6.3 | 3,700 | 120.46 | 98.78 |
LG V60 THINQ | 169.4 | 77.7 | 8.9 | 219 | 6.8 | 5,000 | 131.62 | 117.15 |
SONY XPERIA 1 II | 165.1 | 71.1 | 7.6 | 181.4 | 6.5 | 4,000 | 117.39 | 89.21 |
XIAOMI MI 10 PRO | 162.5 | 74.8 | 9 | 208 | 6.67 | 4,500 | 121.55 | 109.39 |
If we turn the phone around, we find good points and not so good. The bad news is that we found two fairly noticeable perforations on the front. This involves several things. The first of them is that we have a portion of the screen occupied by the double camera. The second is that, even when the phone is turned off, you can see the two lenses, since the glass is not at all opaque and even shines. The third, something that we will talk about when we touch the screen, is that this is going to give us problems at the interface level.
Assimilated the double hole on the screen it is necessary to talk about the frames of this device. The Nord is well used, with well-optimized top and side frames and a small lower chin. Within the mid-range, it is one of the terminals with the best use in terms of frames, with a figure of 86.7%, according to GSMarena.
In short, the OnePlus Nord is a very well-finished terminal since, despite being a mid-range, it drinks directly from the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro. It does not give at any time the feeling of being a cheap mobile and how compact it is in hand is a point to keep in mind.
Display: 90Hz for a panel that can be enjoyed in any circumstance
OnePlus has provided the Nord with a 6.44-inch AMOLED panel with Full HD + (2400×1080) resolution, giving a total of 409 dpi. This panel is accompanied by a refresh rate of 90Hz, less than the 120Hz of its older brothers, but it is enough to enjoy a fairly fluid experience. The 90Hz are quite appreciated, especially if we come from a panel with 60Hz. They are far from 120hz but, especially in the mid-range, it is appreciated to start seeing this refresh rate. Later we will talk about autonomy, but we already anticipated that it is worth always having this refresh rate active.
By default, the screen is well-calibrated, although somewhat warm and saturated. From the settings, we can configure both the color mode and the spectrum (sRGB, DCI-P3) , as well as the panel temperature itself. In the case of server, I have left the panel as it is, although I admit that in the natural color configuration, the most purist users with colorimetry may be somewhat more satisfied.
Just as we can configure these aspects, we can configure the refresh rate. We can leave it fixed at 60Hz or activate the dynamic frequency at 90Hz. In our tests we have noticed that 90Hz remains active in practically all applications, so we do not miss a way that forces them. We can also configure a black bar that hides the double hole on the screen. As we have indicated in the design, this will be of little use, since the lenses of the phone can be seen under any circumstance.
Another important aspect of this OnePlus Nord is the latency of the panel. It is more than correct, so we can write quickly without noticing any type of delay, a problem that luckily has been solved with respect to past generations. A level of brightness and viewing angles is where it is most noticeable that we are not at the top of the range. The panel of the OnePlus Nord looks great, but it does not reach the brightness levels of the high-end of the moment. The viewing angles are correct, without showing a rainbow effect, although they are not outstanding.
At the sharpness level, the panel is superfluous. We don’t have Quad HD resolution but the detail and contrast are very good. It is a panel that is notably above what we usually find in the mid-range. It has reminded us a lot of the panel of the top of the range of OnePlus in previous generations (OnePlus 7T). We very much appreciate that the panel is completely flat, without the curves of its brother the OnePlus 8 Pro.
Time to talk about the two holes in the screen, because here it seems that OnePlus has missed some detail. These are trifles that you have to look at going to the millimeter, but they are problems that are there. Firstly, the system bars themselves are not centered relative to the hole. That is, there is much more space above than below the double hole, which is quite rare at the interface level.
On the other hand, OnePlus has not focused the notifications and the hole, so its native icon of the time is not aligned with the rest of the system icons. I insist that this is a trifle, but they are details at the interface level that shock to see so neglected, especially in a ROM as exquisite as OxygenOS, which we will talk about later.
When we are playing or watching videos, the double camera is quite invasive. Not as much as a large notch, but it does bother a lot when it comes to viewing content. It’s a matter of getting used to it, but it is undoubtedly the worst both in terms of design and screen in this OnePlus Nord.
Performance: forgoes maximum power, but not a good performance
One of the reasons the OnePlus Nord doesn’t cost what its older siblings is because its processor is mid-range. We are talking about the more proven Snapdragon 765G from Qualcomm, the American mid-range 5G platform. In the case of our unit, the mobile comes with 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of internal memory, figures worthy of any top of the range. With this hardware configuration, the OnePlus Nord moves superlatively. Fluency is maximum under any circumstance, the heaviest games move smoothly and 12GB of RAM allows multitasking to move lightly. This particular unit, with 12 GB of RAM, has LPDDR5 technology (just like the OnePlus 8 Pro).
It goes without saying that there is no lag in the OnePlus Nord, no sudden closings or any kind of obstacle when it comes to squeezing the mobile to the maximum. It is striking that even at this very early stage of software (OnePlus usually launches the somewhat green terminals and polishes them in a few weeks) everything works perfectly. The temperature does not rise significantly either, so we can use the phone intensively without too much fear.
Regarding the benchmarks, these are the results that the OnePlus Nord has obtained. So we can see how it is compared to other rivals with the Snapdragon 765G, which are more and more.
ONEPLUS NORD | REALME 6 PRO | XIAOMI MI NOTE 10 | XIAOMI MI 10 LITE | SAMSUNG GALAXY A70 | MOTOROLA ONE VISION | LG VELVET | MOTOROLA EDGE | HUAWEI P SMART 2019 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PROCESSOR | Snapdragon 765G | Snapdragon 720G | Snapdragon 730G | Snapdragon 765G | Snapdragon 675 | Exynos 9609 | Snapdragon 765G | Snapdragon 765G | Kirin 710 |
RAM | 6 GB GB | 8 GB | 6 GB | 6 GB | 6 GB | 4GB | 6 GB | 6 GB | 4GB |
ANTUTU | 325,536 | 279,533 | 253,660 | 330,587 | 170,567 | 136,111 | 306,887 | 325,000 | 130,026 |
GEEKBENCH | 554 / 1,832 (5.0) | 568 / 1,676 (5.0) | 539 / 1,715 (5.0) | 554 / 1,832 (5.0) | 2,363 / 6,390 | 1,507 / 4,934 | 593 / 1,742 (5.0) | 505/1410 | 1,531 / 5,149 |
PC MARK WORK | 9,194 | 10,099 | 7,473 | 10,542 | 8,889 | 6,812 | 10,541 | 9,477 | 5,853 |
3D MARK (SLING SHOT) | 4,309 | 3,741 | – | .309 | 1,766 | 2,030 | 4,308 | – | 1,144 |
Sound: more than correct for a mid-range
The OnePlus Nord has a single speaker at its bottom. It sounds quite high, forceful and well above the usual mid-range. We miss, to put something down, a double speaker so that the audio output is in stereo. However, the audio, like other aspects of the phone, is closer to the high range than the mid-range. What we do not find in the Nord is a headphone jack, so we will have to use a wireless connection.
Software: OxygenOS falls in love with each of its corners
OnePlus has one of the best customization layers on Android. It is very relative to assert that it is “a clean ROM” in the sense that it comes heavily loaded with functions. The main point is that almost all of them are relevant and useful. In this case we find OxygenOS in its version 10.5, based on Android 10.
The only pre-installed applications are Facebook, Messenger, Instagram and Netflix, applications that can be completely removed (unlike other layers, which they only allow to be disabled), so there is no greater problem with this. Similarly, we find a good number of Google applications, which cannot be uninstalled, although they can be disabled.
OnePlus has taken care of both the appearance of the launcher and the settings. We have an overwhelming number of options, but everything is so well ordered that it is easy to find .
The thing that shines the most about OxygenOS is customization. The design lines set by Google are respected at all times. No shrillness, no Asian flair or anything like that. However, we can make the layer our own, practically changing the interface of the system point by point.
We can change the theme, create a custom one (if we don’t like the ones that come we can even create the color ourselves), the system icons, the icon packs (we can download them from the Play Store and apply them to the native launcher), the typography, the Always On Display mode, hide labels from desktop.
At the usability level, we have the native gesture control of Android 10, although we can use the classic keypad if we do not want to bet on these gestures. This navigation continues to have the conflict that the gesture of going backwards (lateral sliding) overlaps with the invocation of the lateral menu in many apps, badly endemic in Android.
Speaking of gestures, we have a section for quick gestures with which we can activate interesting options such as turning to silence, lifting to answer, capturing a screen with three fingers and more.
Biometrics: an outstanding section
The OnePlus Nord has the same fingerprint sensor as the OnePlus 8 Pro and a facial recognition system. The fingerprint reader is fast, accurate and well located, making it an excellent solution for unlocking the phone. Regarding facial recognition, it is not very safe when unlocked by camera, but it is very fast. In less than a second it recognizes and unlocks us.
One detail that we liked is that OnePlus does not allow the use of facial recognition in banking apps and others since it admits that it is not very secure. It is an exercise in honesty that not all manufacturers implement and that can allow you to save more than a scare when logging in to an important app.
Battery: a day and a half without problems
The OnePlus Nord has a 4,115mAh battery with Warp Charge 30T fast charge. We really liked its performance since, with the 90Hz active, we have managed to exceed seven hours of screen. In a normal day with very intense use (4G, photographs, heavy games), it is difficult to lose 6 hours of screen. If we are more benevolent, we can arrive at 8 hours. We have not noticed large differences going down to 60Hz, so we recommend leaving 90Hz active and not worrying about autonomy.
As for the charge, it is completed in just over an hour, so it is easy to give it a quick “chute” in case we need an extra battery. Also noteworthy is the OnePlus consumption at rest, which is just 1/2% for every 8-hour night with everything active, including Bluetooth.
Cameras: the soul of OnePlus 8 in the body of a mid-range
OnePlus has opted to provide the Nord with a camera experience very similar to that of the OnePlus 8. In this case, we have the same main 48-megapixel sensor, the Sony IMX58. The second sensor is an 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle, compared to 16 for its older brother. Finally, we have a sensor dedicated to a depth of field and another to macro. We miss that a terminal that aspires to be more than a mid-range incorporates a telephoto lens, but 2020 is being the year of macro and depth sensors, something that we will have to get used to.
The photographs with the OnePlus Nord are correct and the best when it comes to the main sensor in the mid-range. However, it has some problems to overcome. Before seeing the results, let’s review the camera application, which, luckily, is the same one found in the rest of the high-end members of OnePlus.
The OnePlus camera app is quite complete and, despite talking in this case of a mid-range, it works quite fast. We find practically everything we need at hand, including a professional mode that allows us to shoot in RAW mode, something unusual in a device in this price range. HDR cannot be forced manually, we either leave it active or turn it off. OnePlus calls it ‘UltraShot HDR’ and it is the default option, which we recommend leaving active.
You could not miss a portrait mode, night mode, panoramic, time-lapse and others. Similarly, we liked that it has a small button to activate Google Lens quickly, a very good integration with this Google technology.
Day photography
According to OnePlus, the Nord’s main camera is the same as the OnePlus 8, and what we have been able to prove tells us that it is. This means that, in daytime conditions, the OnePlus Nord is one step ahead of what we usually find in these price ranges. This is mostly noticeable when working with shadow detail and good overall image balance. OnePlus processing is somewhat artificial, the colors are not too precise and sometimes we miss one more step of exposure. However, it is not a mid-range camera to use, since it is closer (at least in the main sensor) to much more expensive proposals than cheap mobiles.
The Nord, despite the excess of contrast and the artificiality in the processing, performs very well in detail. HDR works very well, without overexposure of any kind, rather the opposite, as we have indicated. Again, in this photograph, we see problems with the tones. The orange tone of the building on the left, without going any further, is quite invented.
In working with the HDR backlit it is once again noted that we are facing a level camera. In this photograph, we have forced the terminal to correctly expose the sun and retrieve all possible information from the main subject. The result has been more than satisfactory and the image detail remains high, even in these aggressive conditions.
Ultra wide-angle
If we leave the main camera the distances are extended with the OnePlus 8 . Instead of its 16-megapixel ultra-wide-angle sensor, here we have an 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle that is struggling to offer detail. As we can see, especially in the corners, we have a complete watercolor, since neither the sensor is capable of taking out detail nor does the processing allow there to be any noise so that the image is not so washed out. It is a great camera for some photos, but we have to take into account that the detail is very low.
Macro
The same goes for the macro sensor, that wild card that manufacturers use in 2020. It is a 2-megapixel sensor with minimal detail. The differences with the main camera are such that it can even be more profitable to make a crop on the photo already taken instead of using this sensor. Inclusion is appreciated at the versatility level, but it is a sensor that we will easily forget.
Portrait mode
The OnePlus Nord uses a 5-megapixel sensor for depth-of-field information. Whether thanks to him or not, portraits come out pretty well at the crop level. Bokeh is a tad artificial, but the results are quite striking. We also liked the ease of the Nord to apply the portrait: it hardly causes problems with distances and detects people and objects in a matter of milliseconds.
Night photography
At night the OnePlus Nord maintains the type, although here it does begin to notice that we are dealing with a mid-range mobile. The detail is good, but quite inferior compared to what we found during the day. There are also certain problems with exposing highlights and some loss of sharpness in the corners. However, the results are very good for the price of the device.
Night mode
The night mode leaves us with mixed feelings. We have more luminosity and detail, which is asked mainly in this way. However, the white balance changes a lot and can offer us images that do not correspond to reality. Despite this, it is recommended to activate it in many cases, since the extra sharpness is much appreciated.
Selfie
The selfie is one of the weak points of the OnePlus Nord. We found halos in the HDR, little skin texture, some overexposure and little detail. It is a cheap terminal selfie, so it is not very in line with the results of the main camera. However, the results are not bad at all for a mid-range.
Portrait mode works quite well on the selfie camera as well, and HDR still works, something that can’t be said for all portrait modes of its mid-range competition. As with the main camera, the portrait detects the face very quickly and applies a somewhat artificial blur.
The reason the OnePlus Nord has two holes in the screen is that it has two selfie cameras. An ultra-wide-angle and a normal one. The ultra-wide-angle has worse detail and a more saturated color rendering. The main problem with it is that being very dim and of low quality, we will have to have a lot of pulse so that they do not come out blurred since there is no stabilization of any kind around here.
Regarding the video, the quality is average. HDR doesn’t work properly, leaving skies burned quite often. The detail is also not too high and the colors could be more realistic. What does work quite well is stabilization work, both in normal and super stabilized modes. In short, a mid-range video, what is expected on mobile in this price range.
OnePlus Nord, Xataka’s opinion
The OnePlus Nord is, in the opinion of the server, the best purchase in the brand’s catalog. The design is the best in its segment, the screen too, the main camera is practically the same as the OnePlus 8, the software is more than fluid. It is one of those phones that is difficult to hit, even more considering its price. He checks point by point and achieves something that is not easy to achieve today: give more than what is asked of him.
It is true that the camera is not superlative, but it is a mobile that starts below 400 euros. The front design is also not outstanding due to the double hole in the screen, although many users will prefer this to a notch. In short, the OnePlus Nord is both one of the best mid-high range of the moment and the most balanced option of the brand. The starting price is about 300 euros less compared to the OnePlus 8 (which has already dropped quite a price), with the processor and the ultra-wide-angle camera as tributes to pay for this discount. If we do not need maximum power, it is a mobile that is easy to fall in love with.
In favor
- OxygenOS is wonderful, both visually and in terms of performance and functions.
- Same main camera of the OnePlus 8.
- Having a 90Hz AMOLED panel in this price range is not very common
Against
- The double hole on the screen is not the best alternative.
- The frames could be aluminum instead of using plastic.
- Ultra wide-angle and macro have very little sharpness.