Oneplus Nord

OnePlus is a high-end brand that produces Android-based smartphones. The OnePlus Nord is a stab at a somewhat cheaper option, it is still costly in Pakistan though. A smartphone that has a simple design, maximising one the display keeping the bezel to a minimal. OnePlus is known for keeping designs simple but functional, they have kept that theme with the Nord as well. The body is well built despite being a slightly cheaper offering from the brand. There is a metal frame that has Gorilla Glass on both sides, giving it a premium feel.

The brand is from the same family as BBK Electronics that is home to Oppo, Vivo and Realme as well.

OnePlus Nord Internals & OS

The main processor is a Snapdragon 765G that has an octa-core setup. There is one 2.4 GHz Kryo 475 Prime, another 2.2 GHz Kryo 475 Gold and six 1.8 GHz Kryo 475 Silver cores; this chipset is made using the 7nm process. For the GPU there is the integrated Adreno 620. These two are combined with various levels of RAM, one can find 4, 8 or 12GB and choose based on their budget. The varying RAM levels also have a storage difference. Storage options are between 64, 128 and 256GB. It does lack the ability to extend space with an SD card, so keep that in mind when choosing the device you want to purchase.

Based on Google's Android 10, OnePlus has given the Nord its own Oxygen OS 10.5 interface. The Android layer has Machine Learning abilities that make this smartphone faster with a bit of use as it optimises its running based on how the user interacts with it. OnePlus claims that it has also added over 300 optimisations in its own software as well. This makes the overall performance super slick, giving users a great experience.

Display

A notable feature is the 90Hz refresh rate, this makes scrolling and media super smooth. One can opt to reduce it to 60Hz as well in case they want to conserve battery. The display itself is a 6.44-inch one with AMOLED technology powering it. It is FullHD making this a good device for gaming as well given its good display, refresh rate and components.

The brand sends the Nord with a factory-fitted screen protection film so it saves your device from scratches. The display also has an embedded fingerprint reader.

Camera

There are a total of 6 cameras on this device, 4 on the rear and 2 on the front. The main sensor on the rear is the same as the OnePlus 8, which is 48MP and makes use of the Sony IMX586 sensor (with EIS and OIS image stabilization) combined with a lens of f/1.57. This lens is supported by a 5MP depth sensor, a 2MP macro shooter and an 8MP 119-degree ultra-wide shooter. The camera app provides a host of shooting modes, including night mode, portrait, landscape, super macro, pro and more. Video on this side is at 4K recording at 30fps and slow-motion at 240fps.

On the front, the main sensor is a 32MP one with an f/2.45 lens. This is accompanied by an 8MP ultra-wide camera. This side too has multiple shooting modes so one can choose the kind of image they want to shoot. The front camera is set into a capsule shape punch-hole in the display, which can seem a bit annoying but in working it is not as much of an issue.

Connectivity, Sensors and the Rest

One of the winning features with connectivity is that the OnePlus Nord supports 5G, so as soon as the service is available it will be ready to join a faster network. Aside from this, it features WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC and GPS. The Bluetooth supports the aptX standard for higher quality audio streaming. There is only one port, a USB-C that also features USB On-The-Go. The Nord does not have a headphone jack, so only wireless options can be used along with it.

To make the various apps work the feedback sensors include an accelerometer, a compass, a gyro and a proximity sensor.

You can also make use of a torch in case. The OnePlus Nord has a large battery that is at 4114mAh and is based on Li-Polymer cells. There is also fast charging capability so you can top up a lot quicker when you are in a rush. This can give on 70% battery in 30 minutes.

The OnePlus Nord is available in two colour options, one is the Gray Onyx and the other is Blue Marble. The first one is dark grey and the second is a sky blue shade. The brand claims this smartphone can survive 30cm of water for 30 minutes but that would not be a great test to run.

The price of this smartphone is towards the higher end for a Pakistani market. A choice device though.