OnePlus Nord review: Midrange mobile packed with premium features

OnePlus makes an impressive return to the mid-range smartphone segment.

Brief review

The OnePlus Nord represents a cocktail of style, features and affordability that made the brand stand out from competition.

It offers an almost-flagship experience, at a comfortably lower price tag than the OnePlus 8 series, offering premium design, amazing performance and great cameras for great smartphone satisfaction.

This isn't the newest OnePlus phone, and it even has a few follow-ups. There's the Nord N10 5G, a cheaper version of the Nord, and the N100, a really low-cost iteration of the same idea. There's also the Nord CE and Nord 2, two 2021 smartphones that succeed the original device.

But if you're still interested in the phone that started the OnePlus Nord range, you're in the right place.

This OnePlus brand do not compete with Apple iPhones. The OnePlus Nord finds itself in a crowded mid-market filled with equally feature-rich devices, making it harder for the phone to stand out.

With rival devices such as the Google Pixel 4a, Poco F2 Pro, Realme X50 5G, Moto G 5G Plus and Mi Note 10 Lite, there's never been a better time to be in the market for an affordable flagship device - and it makes the Nord's job that much harder.

Though OnePlus Nord price is little heavy to the pockets, the handset offers plenty for your money. OnePlus says the Nord is "pretty much everything you could ask for", and it's got a point.

There's a sizable display offering a smooth user experience, enough power under the hood, and plenty of cameras, all wrapped up in a premium design. It looks good, it feels good in the hand, and it performs superbly.

With so many cameras – OnePlus has possibly gone a little over the top here – you get a wide range of photography options from portrait and macro to ultra-wide and nightscape modes, plus 4K video recording at 30fps with both the front and rear cameras. There's also up to a 10x zoom, plus slow-motion video recording at 1080p and 240fps.

The negative points on the OnePlus Nord are minor: there's no headphone jack, no IP rating for dust and water resistance, and no wireless charging on offer.

The battery life is average – it should see you through a day, but this is a phone you'll need to be charging every night – and there's not much room for notification icons across the top of the display, thanks to the dual selfie cameras.

The bigger point here is, where does the Nord leave the firm's top-tier handsets? If the OnePlus Nord really is "pretty much everything you could ask for", why should anyone (especially OnePlus' price-conscious fans) fork out considerably more cash for the OnePlus 8 or OnePlus 8 Pro? It'll be interesting to see how the Nord's arrival affects future sales of the brand's flagship devices.

Right now though, if you're in the market for an affordable smartphone that offers a near-flagship experience, the OnePlus Nord delivers... but so do plenty of others.

Our Verdict

OnePlus has made really impressive return to the mid-range market with the OnePlus Nord. It is an affordable smartphone that's packed with lot of features. There's a great screen, plenty of power, and a set of capable cameras, all wrapped up in a package for affordable price.