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OnePlus Nord Review

By The Biz Team (Nicholas)


The OnePlus Nord is one of the most talked-about phones of 2020. It is due to be released in August and at a comfortable price tag compared to the other iterations. The OnePlus Nord also comes with smooth performance and good cameras for a good mix of smartphone satisfaction. The difference in the situation from 2014 to 2020 is the marker moved on, and OnePlus is not the challenger option to Apple. It is in a crowded market with feature-rich devices, so it is hard for the phone to stand out. The OnePlus Nord hopes to crack the barrier, though. The following are some of the characteristics to pay attention to the flagship product.


Design

Particular elements of the OnePlus Nord design have similarities with phones from the Oppo brand. The latest offering is still recognizable as part of the OnePlus family, considering it has the alert slider and one of the similar layouts for the ports and buttons. The build quality has been touted as being good for a phone that has a polycarbonate body. Gorilla glass covers the front and the back as a testament to its durability. The Nord unit features a typical Blue Marble color that makes it seem refreshingly new. The One Plus Nord is similar in size to the OnePlus 8, indicating that it can be used on the one hand. The dimensions are 158.3 x 73.3 x 8.2mm, and it tips the scale at 184 g, meaning it is shorter compared to the OnePlus 8 though it is slightly thicker, wider, and heavier. There is a slender raised plastic frame, which runs around the display between the glass and the frame. It is a minor point that breaks the seamless design, and it is a reminder that it is an affordable phone.


Display

The device features a 6.44 inch AMOLED display with a 20:9 aspect ratio, Full HD resolution, and a 90Hz refresh rating for fluid scrolling performance. There are minimal bezels at the front, and the thickest is at the bottom. There is a factory-fitted screen protector as well to protect against the potential abrasions. The display appears to be clear, though unlike the eight series displays, the Nord screen is flat. It does not have curved edges that spill to the sides of the phone. Without the curves to the edges of the handset, the Nord feels bulkier.

Software and processor

The OnePlus Nord comes available with an OxygenOS10.5 set on Android 10. The User Interface is quite clean when compared to others in the same pricing range. The processor is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G 5G that has an Adreno 620 GPU with three RAM and storage alternatives. These entail the 6G/64GB, 8GB/128 GB as well as, 12GB/256 GB options. Display fingerprint scanners are available for Face Unlock. Reports show the fingerprint scanner may not be the fastest, though. On the performance front, the device is a good performer when it comes to multitasking and gaming.

Camera

As expected, one of the main features of the OnePlus Nord is the camera. It has six cameras on hand, four of which are on the rear, while two are on the front. The main shooter is at the back. It is a 48 MP Sony IMX586 sensor, which combined with an f/1.57 lens. It also affords an option of a 2x zoom provided by an icon on the screen. When it is tapped, the user has a closer view of the subject with minimal loss to the overall image quality. One Plus has indicated their ultra-wide camera is better than the iPhone 11 with a lower amount of distortion around the edges. The ultra-wide shots may be problematic because of a fisheye effect with the edges of the image being stretched. There seem to be fewer distortions at the edges of the wider shots than the images of rival phones.

The Nightscape mode takes nine shots at different levels, and then it combines them into one image for a brighter result. The user will need to hold the handset during that time as the phone takes between 1 and 8 seconds to capture the levels. If the phone is moved too much at this time, the result may be a blurry picture.

Battery

The OnePlus Nord is backed by a 4115 mAh battery with fast charging though it does not have wireless support. The battery life lasts about 24 hours on average after a single charge, and Warp Charge 30T allows the user to charge the phone from 0 to 70% within 30 minutes. Even with general use, meaning five hours of streaming music, three hours of gaming, and regular use of social media and email, not to mention several calls, the battery managed 16 hours before getting below 20 percent.

Pricing

GearBest has listed the OnePlus Nord price at $446.99, while All-Express indicates that the pricing is at %535.99. Considering the pricing of the iPhone 12 and the Galaxy 20 is at least double that rate, it seems like the more economical option. The comforting thing is it values significant value for money.

Final thoughts

The price tag is the most jarring thing when it comes to the Nord unit. OnePlus Nord is one of the most economical flagships during this period. Its features offer a lot of value for the pricing considering the processor, camera, and overall aesthetics. Similarly, the battery is quite durable, considering the battery’s of other 5G rivals like the S20 only last 10 hours while the Nord is capable of 20 hours with light use. The OnePlus Nord is one of the most compelling choices in this market.


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