OnePlus Nord 2 Review, Pros and Cons – Not long ago, Chinese tech giant OnePlus released its killer flagship phone to its worldwide fan base. For today’s review, we chose the OnePlus Nord 2 smartphone, the successor to the OnePlus Nord. Unlike the previous generation phone, there are some central and drastic aspects important in general.
On the other hand, you will notice few new things here and there. Fortunately, you can buy the Nord 2 phone in China, India, USA, UK, and many European countries. Speaking of release dates, the phone has just arrived on 22 July 2021 on the global market and catches the attention of fans. So let’s start the detailed review to see if it’s worth buying the OnePlus Nord 2 5G smartphone.
Table of Contents
OnePlus Nord 2 Review
Highlights
- The OnePlus Nord 2 arrives with a fascinating 6.43 inches Fluid AMOLED screen with a 90Hz refresh rate.
- In terms of performance, the hardware configuration brings the MediaTek Dimensity 1200 5G chipset.
- As for the software layering, you will get the smooth mix of Android 11 with OxygenOS 11.3 UI.
- The camera end provides a 50MP main camera setup alongside an enhanced 32MP selfie camera.
- The 65W fast charger supplies power to the 4500 mAh battery.
Design and Display
OnePlus devices are known for their unique and stylish constructions. Here, the OnePlus Nord 2 smartphone also proved that fact, it has a body coated with Gorilla glass 5. In some ways, the design resembles the OnePlus 9. Although the layout didn’t look very bright, instead, it adds a matte finishing touch. As for the tint option, you can choose this handset in three stylish color options. There are Gray Sierra, Blue Haze, and Green-Wood colors options are available for sale.
But unfortunately, if color variants are limited to some countries, you can only buy Gray Sierra and Blue Haze in India, while Green-Wood is currently exclusive to China. Furthermore, the slim build quality gives the Nord 2 phone an additional charm, which stands out from conventional mid-range phones. Although the IP rating is something the OnePlus Nord 2 doesn’t have.
On the other hand, the Fluid AMOLED panel offers better colors and contrast on the screen. You’ll experience a whole new world through a 6.4 inches screen. Furthermore, the slim bezel design gives a boost to the overall look. But the biggest offering would be the 90 Hz refresh rate which enhances the UI experience in several folds. In addition, the HDR 10+ features a sharp contrast effect same as the OnePlus Nord smartphone.
Memory and Internal
The performance section also takes it to new heights as you’re getting one of MediaTek’s best chipsets. Dimensity 1200 5G based on 6 nm architecture boosts overall processing power and provides subtle support in intense games. Surprisingly, core speeds reach up to 1x 3.0 GHz, which is very good for intense visuals.
Now, for visual graphic illustration, Mali-G77 MC9 works great in all scenarios. But are you aware of the news where OnePlus is now integrated with Oppo? Don’t worry, you’re getting the usual lightweight OxygenOS 11.3 UI based on Android 11 OS. Hopefully, the change will take place behind the scenes, so users don’t have to worry about it.
After that, you’ll get exceptional internal storage support on the OnePlus Nord 2 5G. Starting with the primary variant, you can have 128GB of space with 8GB of RAM, while the superior version equips 256GB of storage that matches 12GB of RAM. As expected, you are getting UFS 3.1 memory type support to improve data transfer and read speed. However, on the other hand, there is no space for secondary storage support.
Camera
You’ll get a fairly common mid-segment camera on the OnePlus Nord 2. Starting with the 50MP primary camera, it contains all the basic features needed to be called a mid-segment flagship phone. You’ll notice optical image stabilization features as the main highlights and offers 4K video recording. Furthermore, the photo quality is excellent in all situations, and you will have no problem capturing your precious moment in life.
There are several options and filters available to adjust in the native camera app. Moving forward with the secondary camera setup, the 8MP ultrawide camera steals the show when it comes to wide-angle shots. It’s a perfect treat when you want to take pictures of natural beauty. As for the last sensor, the 2 MP monochrome sensor adds additional depths in black and white.
In terms of low light photography, the AI software helps a bit to improve the quality to some extent. But if it doesn’t work well, you can still use third-party apps to improve this section. Now, on the front camera, you’re getting a pretty impressive 32 MP selfie port. Also, the front camera supports gyro-EIS as the rear camera, while you can record up to 4K and 1080p videos from rear and front cameras.
Battery and Others
Looking back at the performance section, the OnePlus Nord 2 smartphone is equipped with energy-hungry hardware that requires a constant power supply. Luckily, you’re getting a 65W fast charging block inside the box. Thus, the Li-Po 4500 mAh battery can remain active for the full day. Under normal conditions, you can easily get 7 hours of screen time.
The OnePlus Nord 2 smartphone’s hidden spaces would be its stereo speaker that improvises the overall sound output but removes the 3.5mm jack at the same time. Last but not least, the starting price of the OnePlus Nord 2 smartphone is around $410 (Rs 29,999) which is quite acceptable according to the specs. But for the same amount, there are several options available on the market as well.
OnePlus Nord 2 Specifications Detail
Down below you can see the full specifications of the OnePlus Nord 2 smartphone.
Specifications | OnePlus Nord 2 |
Network | 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G |
Announced | July 2020 |
SIM | Dual SIM |
Dimensions | 6.26 x 2.88 x 0.33 inches |
Weight | 189 g |
Size | 6.43 inches |
Display | Fluid AMOLED 90Hz HDR10+ 20:9 ratio ~409 PPI density |
Protection | Gorilla Glass 5 |
Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels |
OS | Android 11, OxygenOS 11.3 |
Chipset | 6nm – MediaTek Dimensity 1200 5G |
CPU | Octa-core 1×3.0 GHz Cortex-A78 3×2.6 GHz Cortex-A78 4×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55 |
GPU | Mali-G77 MC9 |
Card slot | No |
RAM | 8GB, 12GB |
Internal | 128GB, 256GB UFS 3.1 |
Camera | 50 MP (wide), PDAF, OIS 8 MP (119Ëš ultrawide) 2 MP (macro) Dual-LED flash, HDR, panorama, gyro-EIS Max – 4K@30fps |
Selfie | 32 MP (wide) Auto HDR, gyro-EIS Max – 1080p@30fps |
Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers |
3.5mm jack | No |
WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot |
Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD |
GPS | Yes, with dual-band A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, SBAS, NavIC |
NFC | Yes |
Infrared port | No |
Radio | No |
USB | USB Type-C 2.0, USB On-The-Go |
Sensors | under-display fingerprint, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass |
Battery | Li-Po 4500 mAh Fast charging 65W USB Power Delivery |
Colors | Gray Sierra, Blue Haze, Green-Wood |
Expected Price | $ 410 (Rs 29,999) approx. |
OnePlus Nord 2 Pros and Cons
Down below you can see the list of pros and cons (advantages and disadvantages) of the OnePlus Nord 2 smartphone.
Pros
- Long-lasting battery life.
- Robust processing power.
- Future-proof 5G technology.
- Decent camera performance.
- Fluid AMOLED display with 90Hz refresh rate.
- Gorilla Glass 5 Protection.
- Android 11 OS with OxygenOS 11.3 support.
- 32MP selfie camera with gyro-EIS support.
- Elegant design layout.
- Stereo speaker sound output experience.
- 65W fast charger.
Cons
- No secondary storage support.
- No wireless charging support.
- 3.5 mm connector missing
- Without water/dust resistance.
- Optical zoom camera is missing.
- Outdated USB Type-C 2.0 charging port.
Conclusion
In recent years, the OnePlus phone fan base has criticized the company for not producing a killer flagship phone for a long time, but that wave will end now. With the launch of the OnePlus Nord 2 5G smartphone, many people are excited, but at the same time, the main selling point would be the powerful performance and impressive camera technology. On the other hand, you’ll also get an aesthetic design with a premium AMOLED screen on the front.
In short, you’re getting tons of mind-blowing features and functions, while the price range covers all the gaps that are essential for a flagship phone. Meanwhile, if you’re looking for a cost-effective product, the Realme X7 Pro is worth the title as the alternative choice.