In July of a year ago OnePlus launched the first smartphone of the Nord series. The introduction of the new mid-range brand marked a profound change in the market philosophy of the Shenzhen-based company, which has always been characterized by a small and highly selected range of high-end smartphones. The expansion of the offer and the opening to lower market segments changed the face of the company, but it turned out to be an appropriate commercial choice, confirmed by the numbers. In the first quarter of 2021, in full pandemic, OnePlus recorded a + 380% in sales in Europe and equally satisfactory numbers in other markets.
It is with these foundations that OnePlus today brings to the market the second version of its OnePlus Nord, 5G smartphone successor of the first lucky model of 2020. We tried it in preview in view of the launch, discovering an Android device that can have its say in a range increasingly crowded with excellent proposals.
OnePlus Nord 2 5G, design and specifications
The design of the OnePlus Nord 2 does not mark a sharp discontinuity with the typical lines of the company, but inherits some elements of style from the top of the range OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro. This is particularly noticeable in the arrangement of the rear cameras, set in a metal insert. The device is not very light, but the weight is adequate for the size and does not affect handling in any way. Promoted the display, which fortunately continues to have flat edges: it is a 6.43 “AMOLED with a refresh rate of 90Hz and excellent color rendering. The result, according to what OnePlus says, of the implementation of the best resolution and colors based on artificial intelligence, made possible by the MediaTek Affinity 1200-AI processor.
The chip is one of the main differences from last year’s Nord model, which integrated the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G. OnePlus has collaborated with Mediatek to develop this Affinity 1200-AI, which is in fact a company exclusive: based on TSMC’s 6nm process, the chip has been optimized to improve all features related to artificial intelligence, as suggested by the first name. More generally, the Mediatek chip offers superior performance compared to the Qualcomm counterpart of the previous Nord model: + 65% speed for the CPU, + 128% in the case of the GPU. However, it is difficult to notice abysmal differences between the two devices, but more than anything else because the OnePlus Nord of 2020 was already an excellent device, fast and with excellent performance. Overall, the generational leap seems to be more noticeable in the finishes, in the choice of colors, in the quality of the screen and in the overall design of the product.
Finally, the 4500mAh battery life is also very good, which supports the Warp Charge 65, that is the same fast recharge of the brand’s flagship models. With the included charger, you can go from 0 to 100% battery in 30 minutes. That’s enough not to miss wireless charging.
OnePlus Nord 2, cameras
The photographic sector is the other element on which OnePlus has focused its attention. The OnePlus Nord 2 5G inherits the same main sensor as the OnePlus 9 Pro model, namely the 50MP Sony IMX 766. It is a great component, guaranteeing sharp images and letting more light through, for an improved night shooting mode. The large emphasis on using artificial intelligence to enhance photos, however, isn’t easy to link to the results we got in our tests.
The photos are very good for a device in this price range, but in our opinion something more could be done in the image processing phase. In many cases we have noticed a tendency to over-saturation of colors and an emphasis on processing details. The photos are good, mind you, but a greater continuity with the quality of the flagship models of OnePlus would have been desirable. On the 9 and 9 pro smartphones, however, the same Sony sensor has been calibrated according to Hasselblad’s indications, and the difference is visible.
Next to the main 50MP camera we find an 8MP wide angle, in our opinion more and more useful than a telephoto lens (so good, excellent choice) and a third 2MP monochrome sensor (useful for improving black and white and highlighting details) .
Also noteworthy is the presence of optical stabilization. It is a feature that is far from obvious on devices in this range and contributes to the quality of videos shot by hand. The OnePlus Nord 2 5G can also record movies with resolution up to 4K, but only at 30p.
What we liked
OnePlus Nord 2 5G is a very successful device, which in our opinion perfectly interprets the role and characteristics of a mid-range smartphone. In particular we liked:
The quality of the finishes and the color of the rear body
The 90Hz AMOLED display (and flat edges)
Battery life and fast charging
Oxygen OS 11.3: the Android version of OnePlus is confirmed as one of the best customizations on the market. The company also guarantees two years of Android updates and three years of security updates
The new haptic engine, which returns more precise and effective vibrations and tactile feedback
What can be improved
The photographic equipment is good, but the qualitative leap between the main and the secondary sensor is a bit too clear
We expected something more from image processing: the colors are a little too saturated and sometimes unrealistic. This is a feature that OnePlus could optimize with a software update, however
Price, availability
In conclusion, the OnePlus Nord 2 5G is an honest device, which perfectly interprets its role and its place on the market. We undoubtedly recommend taking it into consideration for anyone looking for a good phone in the € 400 to € 500 price range.
The base model, with 128GB of storage and 8GB of RAM costs 399 €, and that’s what we recommend buying. Those who want more memory can opt for the version with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage space, which costs € 499 instead.
The devices will be available starting July 28, 2021 in three colors: Gray Sierra, Blue Haze and Green Wood.
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