Last year, OnePlus introduced its new upper mid-range series Nord series in India starting with the OnePlus Nord, and now the company has unveiled its second-generation Nord series smartphone, the OnePlus Nord 2 5G with 5G capabilities and numerous improvements over its predecessor including the faster processor Dimensity 1200, 65W charging, new cameras, and more. Here’s our OnePlus Nord review.
OnePlus Nord 2 5G Specifications
- Display: 6.43-inch Fluid AMOLED display, 90 Hz refresh rate, Full HD+ resolution (2400 x 1080 pixels, 441 ppi), 20:9 aspect ratio, sRGB, DCI-P3, Corning Gorilla Glass 5.
- Software: OxygenOS 11.3, Android 11
- CPU: 6nm MediaTek Dimensity 1200 5G octa-core CPU up to 3.0 GHz frequency
- GPU: Mali-G77 MC9 (9-core) Graphics
- Memory: 8 GB OR 12 GB RAM
- Storage: 128 GB OR 256 GB UFS 3.1 on-board, no microSD card support
- Main Camera: Triple Cameras (50 MP f/1.9 primary Sony IMX766 + 8 MP ultra-wide-angle + 2 MP monochrome), dual-tone LED flash
- Selfie Camera: 32 MP
- Connectivity: USB Type-C, 3.5 mm port (via adapter), Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, GPS
- Security: In-display fingerprint scanner, Face unlock
- Cellular: 5G network, dual nano SIMs, no microSD card slot
- Battery: 4,500 mAh
- Charging: 65W WarpCharge 65 fast charging (10V, 6.5A), 100% charge in 30 minutes
- Price: ₹29,999 (8 GB RAM & 128 GB Storage), ₹34,999 (12 GB RAM & 256 GB Storage)
- Availability: 28th July 2021 onwards, Amazon, OnePlus.in, and offline stores
Design, Display, & Build
At first glance, the OnePlus Nord 2 5G has some improvements over its predecessor, a larger battery, faster charging, and Stereo speakers, and a processor which is close to a flagship performance.
As far as the design goes, the OnePlus Nord 2 5G has upgraded its design and is much more inspired by the OnePlus 9 5G. The back has a leathery finishing with a pine-tree look offering a good grip when you hold the phone in your hands. This is OnePlus Nord 2 in Green Woods color while the rest two color variants – Gray Sierra, and Blue Haze come with a glass back protected by the Corning Gorilla Glass 5.
You will see two large camera housing on the back which actually comes in a triple camera setup, and a bright OnePlus logo at the center. The sides are made of plastic, not metallic which describes minor tradeoffs in the material of the frame. Plus, there’s no IP certification, you can’t take it underwater or take it to the shower. The competition already offers dust and water resistance in this segment.
Once you flip the phone, you will see a gorgeous 6.43-inch Fluid AMOLED display with a 90 Hz refresh rate, Full HD+ resolution (2400 x 1080 pixels, 441 ppi), 20:9 aspect ratio, and supports sRGB and DCI-P3 color profiles. The screen is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5 and offers an in-display fingerprint scanner.
The bottom side has a USB Type-C port which doubles as the audio output, you won’t find a 3.5 mm jack for earphones, you will most likely end up with a Type-C to 3.5mm converter or wireless headsets. The bottom side also holds a 5G SIM tray that carries dual SIM slots with dual standby, a microphone, and loudspeakers, no slot for a microSD card in the tray.
The top side has another microphone while the right side has a power key and alert slider whereas the left side has two separate volume keys. The phone has NFC, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.2 onboard as well as comes with Stereo speakers, one at the bottom and one at the earpiece.
Software & User Interface
The OnePlus Nord 2 5G runs on its own customized Android operating system, the OxygenOS with version 11.3 based on the Android 11 with security patch 5th June 2021. The OxygenOS 11.3 has an independent design and some additional features on top of Android 11.
The user interface is clean and lag-free, the experience is super smooth, thanks to the 90 Hz display and the OxygenOS optimizations. For pre-installed apps, you will find only one app that is Netflix that can be removed, no other third-party apps are found in the interface.
The interface seems ad-free as far as we have used it and does not hamper the user experience. A DRM-L1 certification is available enabling users to enjoy streaming content in High Definition. Also, the stereo speakers experience will be an added benefit.
For updates, the company ensures two years of new Android operating system versions and three years of security updates.
Hardware, Performance, & Gaming
OnePlus, this time picks the MediaTek’s chip instead of a Qualcomm SoC, the OnePlus Nord 2 5G equips a 6nm MediaTek Dimensity 1200 5G flagship CPU clocked at 3.0 GHz. The CPU is another major highlight of the phone.
The CPU is coupled with as much as 12 GB RAM and 256 GB UFS 3.1 onboard storage. The base variant starts at 8 GB RAM and 128 GB storage; the storage cannot be extended via a microSD, as no dedicated slot is provided on the phone.
The Mediatek Dimensity 1200 is a high-end SoC with 5G support consisting of 1+3+4 core configurations, one high-performance ARM Cortex-A78 core clocked at 3.0 GHz, three performance ARM Cortex-A78 cores clocked at 2.6 GHz, and four power-efficient Cortex-A55 cores clocked at 2.0 GHz. Furthermore, the chip integrates a 9-core ARM Mali-G77 MC9 GPU for graphics applications and GPU-intensive tasks.
The new SoC delivers 18% reduced transistor density and 8% reduced power consumption as compared to the Dimensity 1000+. In addition to that, it now comes with faster storage, and dual-channel UFS 3.1 resulting in a 50% increased read/write speed as compared to a single-channel UFS.
Our benchmarks suggest that the performance of the Dimensity 1200 is close to that of the Snapdragon 865 which is a flagship chip as we know. The Dimensity 1200 is recommended for a multitasker and heavy gamer. Gaming can be entertaining, the Mali-G77 MC9 (9-core graphics) is used for gaming, you will be able to play almost all games in high graphics without any visible lags.
Cameras
On the camera’s front, the OnePlus Nord 2 5G packs a triple camera setup on the backside with two big camera housing and one small with a dual-tone LED flash. Compared to the predecessor, it sounds like a degrade in the camera department, no fourth camera is found on the back, and it’s the macro camera. The front has a 32 MP selfie camera for selfie and video calling needs.
One of the main highlights of the phone is its camera, the 50MP (Sony IMX766 sensor) is the primary camera with f/1.9 aperture, 1.0µm, and OIS support. This is great since you don’t often find an optical image stabilizer in this segment. The rest two cameras are an 8 MP wide-angle and 2 MP monochrome. No dedicated telephoto lens and macro lens are available on the phone.
The 50 MP camera has a slightly higher resolution when compared to the 48 MP camera on its predecessor, but the big change here is the stabilizer, the camera has now an optical image stabilizer which adds to its camera features, the OIS is rare in this range and usually found in the flagship-grade cameras.
Moving to the camera interface, there’s a bunch of features to play with, Portrait, Night, Dual Video, Slow-Mo, Expert, Movie, Ultra Resolution, and a few more. The image quality, when clicked with the primary sensor, looks quite detailed, the reproduction is exceptional in the bright daylight and good in low light.
The wide-angle camera is solid, takes great wide-angle shots, and also performs better than others in this segment. Selfies turn out to be fair and decent from its 32 MP selfie camera. For its video capabilities, it can record up to 4K at 30 fps; for 60 fps, it records in 1080p mode. You can also record wide-angle videos.
OnePlus Nord 2 5G Camera Samples
Battery Runtime & Charging
The OnePlus Nord 2 5G has a dual-cell 4,500 mAh battery which appears to be a bit smaller as compared to the rivalry which usually offers ~5,000 mAh, however, due to the slim design, the battery seems smaller, a slimmer design of the phone will eventually compromise the battery size. Although, it’s still better as compared to its rival, the realme GT Master Edition (4,300 mAh) in terms of battery capacity.
The OnePlus Nord 2 5G offers good battery performance, it can last up to 1.5 days or 2 days depending upon the usage, the phone can easily survive the next day on moderate use. That’s not all, the charging speeds are incredible, with its WarpCharge 65 fast charging, the phone is capable of charging at 65W speed.
The charging speed is one of the major highlights of the phone, the WarpCharge 65 can charge the OnePlus Nord 2 5G in ~30 minutes from 0% to 100% which is by far one of the fastest charging currently available in its class.
Verdict
OnePlus Nord 2 5G has so far impressed us with its design, performance, cameras, and fast charging capabilities. The smartphone has improved from its predecessor, the 5G support, a faster processor, better cameras with OIS support, stereo speakers, incredible charging speeds, and so on. The OnePlus Nord 2 5G can be greatly considered for people who are into multi-tasking and gaming under Rs 30,000 budget.
Strength
- 90 Hz Fluid AMOLED display
- Fast 6nm Dimensity 1200 SoC | Good gaming performance
- Fast storage performance (UFS 3.1)
- Mind-boggling 65W charging | 100% in ~30 minutes
- Impressive 50 MP camera
- Stereo Speakers
- 5G SIM Support
- Good battery performance
Weakness
- No IP Certification
