Starting the journey in 2013, One Plus Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd., gained the attention of Smartphone industry with their 'flagship killer' phones. After a while, the flagship-killer-maker OnePlus is back in the game with their latest innovation OnePlus Nord. This Smartphone has been launched on August 04, 2020, in India. It is also available in Bangladesh unofficially. Read this article to know whether it does offer the value for money.

Design

Though built with a plastic frame, OnePlus Nord gives a premium solid feel. The front and backside are made of glass, protected by Gorilla Glass 5. The shiny plastic rails offer a cool metallic sheen. And the thin bezels make this Smartphone look elegant. However, in the top-left corner, the dual punch-hole design cuts some portion of its display.

You can find the volume rocker on its left edge, and the power button with a ringer switch on its right side. Noise-canceling microphone lies on the top. The dual-SIM card tray, USB 2.0 Type-C port, and a speaker are sitting on the bottom edge. In the top left of the backside, you get the quad-camera module. Unfortunately, it has no 3.5mm audio jack.

With a trendy slender shape (6.31 x 2.87 x 0.31 in), Nord bears a lightweight body (180g), which is a plus point. However, Nord doesn't come with any official IP rating, so beware of taking this gadget near water. Some users have complained about the lack of a dust protector mechanism in the rear-side camera platform. The OnePlus Nord comes in two amazing colors: Gray Onyx and Blue Marble.

Display

If you are looking for a Smartphone that can provide high-contrast ratio, inky black screen with vivid colors, don't miss OnePlus Nord! Its 6.44-inch screen is blessed with a Fluid AMOLED panel. Turning to refresh rate, this Smartphone is blessed with a 90Hz display, which would offer speedier and smoother user experience. The in-display fingerprint scanner responds quickly.

OnePlus Nord features standard resolutions (1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio with ~408 ppi density), which we have also found in competitor phones. Its HDR10+ display enriches the viewing experience. What is more? Nord shook the mid-range Smartphone industry with its 1000 nit brightness. Not to mention, this Smartphone offers superb visibility in both low-light as well as direct sunlight.

Performance

OnePlus Nord is available in two variants: 128GB/8GB RAM and 256GB/12GB RAM. Turning to the CPU, Nord is equipped with an octa-core Kryo 585 processor (one core at 2.84 GHz, 3 cores at 2.42 GHz, and 4 cores at 1.8 GHz clock speed) carrying Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G chipset. Its graphic unit has Adreno 650 GPU. Though not a flagship-level configuration, Nord delivers reliable performance for regular application.

Carrying a sub-flagship chipset, Nord can't support like a heavy-gaming Smartphone. But thanks to OnePlus for providing NORD with a dedicated 'gaming mode' that facilitates its gaming performance. With this Smartphone, you can smoothly play popular games like PUBG Mobile, Asphalt 9, COD (Call of Duty), Free Fire, etc at HD graphics without much lagging. Its 90Hz touch-screen display will alleviate your gaming experience. Furthermore, Nord gets you rid of the heating issue, which is another blessing for the gamers.

Battery

Nord's battery (4115mAh) power makes OnePlus cross their benchmark of 4,000mAh battery. But still, it falls behind many low-priced competitors' battery performance like Galaxy M31 (6000mAh battery). Do not worry! OnePlus can still provide adequate SOT by virtue of its power-efficient processor (Snapdragon 765G).

The provided 30W fast charging takes only 57 minutes to charge fully. The company boasts that 70% of charging takes only 30-minutes. On moderate use, you can use this Smartphone for more than a day. Like the flagship counterparts, Nord inherits the exclusive Warp Charge 30T technology which makes this Smartphone a real flagship killer.

During the long hours of gaming, the battery may drain fast. To get longer battery support, you can downgrade the refresh rate from 90HZ to 60Hz. In this phone, you can enjoy dual-band, hotspot Wi-Fi connectivity, 5.1 Bluetooth, GPS, NFC, etc.

Camera

In daylight, Nord's main 48MP (f/1.8, 1/2.0", 0.8µm and 26mm wide) camera takes commendable photos with excellent sharpness, dynamic range, and highlighting details. Though color-contrast is a bit more vibrant than real-life, it was close to natural. In nightscape mode, the color saturation is enhanced but the quality is not so impressive.

The images captured by its 8MP (f/2.3, 119-degree) ultra-wide camera are less sharp than its primary sensor's photos. The noise reduction performance may seem unreasonable in some captures. But compared with the other 8MP ultra-wide sensors available in the contemporary phones OnePlus Nord does a better job in preserving dynamic range and detailing.

The Nord's 2MP (f/2.4) Macro shooter can capture standard micro photos with accurate edge detection. Some people have claimed that Nord's 5MP (f/2.4) Depth camera is not so functional. But its 'portrait mode' can take good selfies even if its depth sensor is turned off.

OnePlus Nord steals the show with its front camera section. Surpassing the flagship counterpart OnePlus 8, Nord comes with two selfie cameras: 32MP (f/2.5, 1/2.8", 0.8µm) wide sensor and 8MP (f/2.5, 105˚, 1/4.0", 1.12µm) ultra-wide sensor.

The front sensor can take fascinating selfies. Its low-light captures are also acceptable. However, the selfies come with a skin-smoothing effect despite turning off the editing features. The ultra-wide sensor (front) is a windfall for those who love to take groupies.

With rear main camera (48MP) you can shoot 4K videos at 30fps, or 1080p at 30/60/240fps. Nord is compatible with the gyro-EIS application. Though NORD can't shoot 4K videos at 60fps, its 30fps recording looks fine due to smart exposure-detection, clear focus, and smooth stabilization. Nord's rear ultra-wide sensor (8MP) is capable of shooting wide-angle videos. What is more? The "cine" mode feature presents a cinema-style aspect ratio, which is a gift for the Vloggers and YouTubers.

Its front cameras can capture videos at 4K resolution at 30/60fps, or 1080p at 30/60fps. Front-facing footage may feel a little shaky with less dynamic range, but the color-contrast and sharpness are not bad.

OS and Software

OnePlus Nord can challenge many flagships with its elite operating system OxygenOS 10.5 version. You may know that OxygenOS is one of the most popular Android OS in 2020. This OS got huge popularity for its resourceful but cleaner UI (user-interface). Pairing with a 90Hz screen refresh rate, Nord's OxygenOS delivers a butter-smooth navigation experience.

Running on top of Android 10, OxygenOS is enriched with a bunch of apps. For example, it is programmed with about seven un-installable non-Google "bloat" applications. In this phone, you get the exciting "Quick gestures" feature that allows customizable off-screen shortcuts. For instance, drawing "O", you open an app, or a "V" to access the camera on the spur of a moment.

OnePlus Nord Price in Bangladesh

OnePlus Nord's basic variant (8GB/128GB) is unofficially available at BDT 39000 in Bangladesh. The price may vary depending upon circumstances.

Verdict

Considering the price range, Nord's plastic frame body seems unreasonable. Lack of notification light is a small but noticeable issue. Through Nord has some fascinating features like superb display, fast charging, and a decent camera, it makes the winning deal by the OxygenOS. Nord is also good for moderate gaming. The price seems a bit exorbitant considering its configuration.