Is OnePlus Nord 2 5G Your Next Phone? Complete Review

What is special with OnePlus Nord 2 5G? How good is its performance? Will it suit you? All these questions are going to be answered. Also everything about the phone and related to it will be discussed in the article.

I have used the OnePlus Nord 2 for a couple of weeks as my primary phone now. Sharing my experience with Nord 2 5G felt important and this post will be very useful for those who are planning to buy a top-end Android smartphone. OnePlus has always been a tough competitor in the market and when anyone filters down their smartphone options an OnePlus model will probably be in the list.

Nord 2, the successor of the OnePlus Nord, is also affordable but just that will not convince the intelligent customers. Every nuance that this OnePlus model brings, when compared with the earlier ones, are important. Read this article fully and you will surely get to know everything there is to know about OnePlus Nord 2 5G.

Before you get into the details, Here is a well-rounded review of Samsung Galaxy A8+.

What’s in the box?

First things first, these are all the items that come with the OnePlus Nord 2 5G smartphone (inside the box).

• OnePlus Nord 2 Blue Haze/ Gray Sierra color
• Red USB Type-C cable
• 2-pin 65W Warp Charger 65
• Silicone protective case
• SIM ejector tool
• Quick Start Guide and other document

Design and Display.

Nord 2 looks and feels similar to the previous Nord model. This is because there may be a good level of upgrade with respect to the software but hardware is quite similar. Anyways, the finish is great and the phone weighs 1.89g with the camera hardware looking different from Nord. Again, Nord 2 also does not have any headphone jack, I think we should forget it in future.

When it comes to color variety, there are two options. One is Blue Haze and the other is Gray Sierra. Both look premium but my favorite is Blue Haze.

The phone has a A 6.43 inch display with a selfie camera placed on the top left corner. The screen is protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 (front/back) so frequent phone droppers don’t need to worry. The Full-HD + AMOLED Display (2400 x 1080) is vivid and brightness is great indoors but under bright sun it is just decent. The refresh rate is at 90Hz which should satisfy rough users too. The embedded fingerprint on the touchscreen is amazing. My sweaty hand is not a problem while unlocking the phone anymore.

Chipset and Operating System.

OnePlus has used the MediaTek processor for the first time in their smartphones. It is named MediaTek Dimensity 1200-AI chipset. This is a huge deal as it improves the overall performance of the phone.

The software of the phone has also got a major update with the regular OxygenOS replaced by the ColorOs. Wait a minute! Oppo is no more a distant brother to OnePlus, this OS update brings both of them very close. With that being said, these 2 weeks the phone has behaved very smoothly causing no loading troubles to my daily routines.

Capacity.

There are two options in the market now. The 8GB RAM + 128 GB storage and a 12GB RAM + 256 GB storage variant.

Although OnePlus fans are expecting the third variant with a 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage. This strategy to release only two of the three variants first feels like OnePlus is playing tricks with their fans. Let’s hope this does not end badly as this has a direct impact on the price of the phone.

The 5G factor.

Be it any brand, all of them call their newly released phones as 5G phones nowadays to participate in the race. But are they really 5G? When OnePlus is considered, with just two 5G bands the customers were made to believe  the previous models truly 5G. OnePlus Nord 2 5G has Six 5G Bands and this is a main feature to note.

Other Connectivity features are working fine and do not bring up any issues while using. Data speed is good, Wi-Fi calls are flawless and clear so this department has no big disadvantages.

Camera quality and performance.

If you want me to describe the OnePlus Nord 2 5G camera in one word, It is Stunning! I say this because this camera cannot disappoint any buyer in any way. In the rear the phone has a triple camera setup. The 50 megapixel primary camera with f/1.88 aperture and OIS, 8 megapixel ultra-wide with 119.7-degree field of view camera, and a 2 megapixel mono camera together give us brilliant shots both in daylight and dark surroundings. The Sony IMX766 sensor is also a notable plus in the camera department.

The camera’s performance in dark mode is incomparable as the colors of the objects in dark is captured beautifully.  The accurate colors in photographs, quick scene detection, and focus locking work very well to take videos also. Although, there is the expected quality drop while using the ultra-wide camera. The Dual-view video option is also a plus which allows you to capture video using both your front and rear camera at the same time.

For video calls and selfies the 32 megapixel front cam (F/2.5) is very much enough and its quality is parallel to the ones on the other top-end Android phones. The Camera app UI is a little different from the early versions but it’s not a big issue.

Battery.

Reducing the camera count from four to three on Nord 2, OnePlus has increased the battery capacity. OnePlus Nord 2 5G has a battery capacity of 4500mAh and this upgrade just adds 5 grams to the weight of the phone. Using the 65W charger that comes with the phone, you can charge from 0 to 100% in just 30 minutes. And half an hour of charging keeps the phone up for a whole busy day. I tested it with all heavy apps, games, and so on and the life is really good.

Speakers.

The speakers are loud and good so it is satisfying when indoors. While on the move the speakers sound above average and that is all most of us want. The Stereo speakers are a great addition so the sound department is well and the dual speakers are placed at the bottom left portion of the set. When used for phone calls the speakers are clear.

Gaming

Games are smooth and friendly on Nord 2 and this is where the AI chipset plays an important role. Optimizing the GPU Network and CPU performance the games are made to suck lesser amount of battery. Only negative is the heat issue which is still lingering.

Verdict

People looking for an affordable Android phone that possesses top-class smartphone features can definitely consider buying OnePlus Nord 2 5G. With a great camera, battery life, user-friendly interface and many other positives this phone can easily perform great in the hands of any owner. Fast charging, 5G with six bands, and a finish with Corning Gorilla Glass on both sides are some great pluses in this phone. The only concern that I  have while using the phone is its heating quality which can be improved in the future updates.

Overall, OnePlus Nord 2 5G is a Good Choice!