Although the OnePlus Nord 2 is the company’s latest entry into its low-cost Nord lineup, should you buy it first?
The OnePlus Nord 2 is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 1200-AI SoC. It has a 90Hz refresh rate AMOLED screen. The 4500mAh battery is quickly recharged with the included 65W Warp charger.
The OnePlus Nord 2 is the device that replaces the OnePlus Nord. The OnePlus Nord was an important device for OnePlus since it offered customers a low-cost alternative. As of now, the Nord 2 is more expensive than the original Nord (Rs 24,999), but it is now more expensive than the even more affordable Nord CE 5G (Rs 7,999). Stereo speakers, a more powerful SoC, and higher-resolution cameras are all included.
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Price
The OnePlus Nord 2 5G is available in India for a starting price of Rs. 27,999. It has 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage. The lowest-priced model has 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, while the most expensive one has 12GB of RAM and 256GB of space. Three colours are available for the OnePlus Nord 2, including the limited edition Green Wood colour in India only: Blue Haze, Gray Sierra, and Green Wood.
The OnePlus Nord 2 5G’s design
The OnePlus Nord 2 5G has the same look and feel of the OnePlus 9-series phones. It features a huge 6.43-inch screen and a hole-punch camera on the upper left side of the device. The panel’s bezels are the same thickness as the phone’s chin. The glass back on the OnePlus Nord 2 gives it a premium appearance and feel. Corning Gorilla Glass 5 shields you from the front and back. The device is easy to hold because the back glass slopes to the sides where it connects the frame. Despite the fact that the mid-frame is made of plastic, it doesn’t seem or feel that way. The power button is located on the right side of the frame, while the volume buttons are located on the left. These buttons are easy to press with one hand while holding the device. As with most OnePlus smartphones, the alert slider is situated to the right of the power button, just above it. You can instantly switch between ringer modes using it.
The Nord 2’s front-facing camera has a resolution of 32 megapixels. A 3.5mm headphone jack is absent from the Nord 2, as is the case with the more expensive OnePlus Nord CE 5G. While the lack of a headphone jack may upset some, the two speakers on the Nord 2 5G make up for it. The device’s bottom houses the USB Type-C port, which is beside to the dual-SIM slot. Besides the additional microphone, there’s nothing else up there. The OnePlus Nord 2 doesn’t have an IP rating like the Samsung Galaxy A52 (Review) and the Poco F3 GT, which are both similarly priced. Three sensors make up the camera module, which is positioned in the device’s upper left corner. Like the OnePlus 9R, two of them have much larger lenses. Because of the tiny protrusion from a flat surface, the smartphone will wobble when using this module. There’s a 4,500mAh battery inside the OnePlus Nord 2 and it’s 189 grammes thick. The battery comes with a Warp Charge 65W charger for quick charging. My review item had a Haze Blue coating, which effectively concealed fingerprints. A protective case is also included in the box as a bonus from OnePlus.
OnePlus Nord 2 5G Specifications
The OnePlus Nord 2 5G’s full-HD+ AMOLED screen boasts a 90Hz refresh rate and is compatible with HDR10+. It also has an in-display fingerprint scanner that is conveniently located and easy to use. OnePlus’ MediaTek Dimensity 1200 processor powers the Nord 2. The Dimensity 1200-AI processor was created in partnership with MediaTek to enhance AI capabilities. With the OnePlus Nord 2, you can choose between LPDDR4X RAM and UFS 3.1 storage of 128GB or 256GB. My test device was the top of the line model with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, so that’s what I utilised. There is no way to increase the storage on the Nord 2. It is possible to use dual 5G, VoLTE, Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi 6, NFC, and five different satellite navigation systems at the same time. The OnePlus Nord 2 is a dual-SIM phone because it includes two Nano-SIM slots on the left and right sides.
OxygenOS is installed on top of Android 11 on the Nord 2. OnePlus has built a name for itself as a manufacturer of premium smartphones with cutting-edge OxygenOS software. In the future, OxygenOS and Oppo’s ColourOS will merge to share a common codebase, according to a statement from OnePlus. OxygenOS 11.3 sits atop Android 11 on the OnePlus Nord 2, and the UI has already benefited from the union. The Settings and Camera apps, in particular, have been impacted by the ColorOS operating system. Don’t be alarmed; the UI hasn’t seen any major changes and still has the OxygenOS feel. Google apps, OnePlus apps, and Netflix are all pre-installed on the device. OnePlus guarantees three years of security patches and two years of software upgrades with the smartphone, so it should last a long time.
OnePlus Nord 2’s performance
A good user experience is provided by the OnePlus Nord 2. Because the display is set to 90Hz by default, you’ll notice no lag when scrolling. The display’s colour profile can be customised to your liking. Video enhancements powered by artificial intelligence (AI) are enabled in the phone’s settings. Increasing the contrast and sharpness of videos is one example of how to do it using compatible apps. The tablet’s in-display fingerprint scanner worked flawlessly the first time I used it. Face recognition also functioned as expected. To test the new Dimensity 1200-AI on the OnePlus Nord 2, I conducted some benchmarks. AnTuTu rated the OnePlus Nord 2 at 5,82,748 out of a possible 10 million points. PCMark Work 3.0 gave it a score of 8,323 points. Geekbench 5’s single-core and multi-core tests yielded results of 819 and 2,749 points. Graphics tests revealed that the Nord 2 had a strong showing as well. GFXBench’s T-Rex and Car Chase tests yielded frame rates of 74fps and 34fps, respectively.
The Nord 2’s body is built of plastic, but the front and back are protected by Gorilla Glass 5. I played Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) on the OnePlus Nord 2, which uses HD images and a fast frame rate by default. These settings produced no noticeable latency or stuttering during gameplay. After playing for 20 minutes, I observed a 4% drop in battery life. The phone became slightly warm to the touch. The Nord 2’s battery capacity is 4,500mAh, which means it can go for around a day and a half between charges. The OnePlus Nord 2 lasted 19 hours, 46 minutes in our HD movie loop test with the screen refresh rate set to 90Hz. The battery can be charged from 0% to 58% in 15 minutes with the bundled 65W Warp Charger, and from 0% to 98% in 30 minutes.
The OnePlus Nord 2’s cameras
The OnePlus Nord 2 5G’s triple camera setup contains a Sony IMX766 sensor with a resolution of 50 megapixels, which is also present on the OnePlus 9. With an f/1.88 aperture and optical picture stabilisation, the primary camera captures sharp images. A 2-megapixel monochrome camera and an 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera with a 119.7-degree field of view are also included. However, I had no problems using the camera app even if the user interface is slightly different from prior OnePlus phones. The OnePlus Nord 2 5G was lightning-fast when it came to focusing and recognising scenes with AI. Natural light photographs contain excellent detail and accurate colour. Even faraway things could be distinguished in the photos because they were so lifelike. Despite the wider field of vision provided by an ultra-wide-angle camera, the resulting image quality is subpar.
Verdict
For some reason, I’m reminded of the original Nord 2 when I use the OnePlus Nord 2. With the OnePlus flagship series getting more expensive every year, the Nord 2 will be a nice alternative for anyone who don’t want to spend as much money. In keeping with the company’s core beliefs, it offers good value in terms of performance and camera quality. The OxygenOS/ColorOS merger has so far been a pleasant experience, and I hope it will remain so after the two operating systems are combined. For those who are simply concerned with performance and gaming, the Poco F3 GT is a viable option. If you’re looking for a good all-arounder at this price point, the OnePlus Nord 2 is a good option.