The long-awaited dream of getting a cheap OnePlus phone will end soon. On October 26, OnePlus announced that it will launch its cheapest Nord N100 smartphone in the middle of November. The internal story is that almost all specifications (except the refresh rate and selfie camera) are identical to the Oppo A53. Let’s start the review of the OnePlus Nord N100 smartphone.
Table of Contents
OnePlus Nord N100 Review
Highlights
- The tall, sharp 6.52 inches IPS LCD screen accommodating the punch hole camera offers an immersive viewing experience.
- The rugged, premium-looking plastic build quality and Gorilla Glass 3 based display will ignore the low-budget label.
- A Qualcomm Snapdragon 460 SoC with decent power and an Octa-core processor will pave the way for day-to-day tasks seamlessly.
- The triple camera setup at the rear and the 8 MP selfie camera are impressive.
- The 5000 mAh battery pack and 18W fast charging technology is the solution for power-hungry users.
Design and Display
The Midnight Frost color of the OnePlus Nord N100 smartphone comes with a high tone matte finish, and the stain resistance on the back. The fingerprint sensor on the back is fast, as expected. The settings are fine and the camera’s cut is very precise.
The phone handles the standard 720p IPS LCD display, with a refresh rate of 60Hz and a spectacular 20:9 aspect ratio. A Full HD resolution would be preferable, but the expected cost cut on this phone is visible. Still, Corning Gorilla Glass 3 offers durability to the display, check here the OnePlus Nord N10 detail review.
Memory and Internal
With some compromises made in the internal configuration of the accessible OnePlus Nord N100 phone, we should not expect high-level performance. Clean and uncomplicated OxygenOS 10.5 UI compiled with the latest Android 10 OS will provide a user-friendly experience along with performance optimization.
The phone comes equipped with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal memory, which seems to be a satisfactory deal, considering the price range. The decent Qualcomm Snapdragon 460 SoC combined with a powerful Octa-Core (Kryo) processor will provide a smooth experience. The outdated Adreno 610 graphics chipset will be a disappointment for people who want the best gaming experience. The dual sim phone can come with a hybrid slot to expand storage up to 512 GB.
Camera
The camera configuration on the Nord N100 is consists of a triple-camera configuration. A 13 MP primary camera with 2MP macro and 2MP depth sensors are present. The lack of an ultra-wide camera will be a weakness in the camera configuration. The LED flash is provided at the rear. Now, going to the front side, we have an 8 MP front camera to click on stunning selfies. Both the rear and front cameras have the ability to record full HD videos at 30 FPS.
Battery and Others
To make sure long battery life, the Nord N100 features a huge 5000 mAh battery that is powered by a fast charger of 18 Watt with support for a USB Type-C 2.0 cable. The long-lasting battery would be charged in about 2.5 hours. The battery is sufficient for one day’s use, and many high-end games and applications can be run by users for a desirable period of time.
Coming to the sensor division, the Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, and dual-band Wi-Fi package is provided on the phone. Other sensors include accelerometer, compass, proximity sensor, etc. In addition, the dual stereo speakers with a 3.5mm headphone jack are the main surprising elements in the sound department.
OnePlus Nord N100 Specifications Detail
Down below you can see the full specifications of the OnePlus Nord N100 smartphone.
| Specifications | OnePlus Nord N100 |
| Network | 2G, 3G, 4G |
| Announced | October 2020 |
| SIM | Dual Nano SIM |
| Dimensions | 6.49 x 2.96 x 0.33 inches |
| Build | Glass front with plastic frame |
| Weight | 188 g |
| Size | 6.52 inches |
| Display | IPS LCD touchscreen ~269 ppi density 20:9 ratio 60Hz |
| Resolution | 720 x 1600 pixels |
| Protection | Gorilla Glass 3 |
| OS | Android 10, OxygenOS 10.5 |
| Chipset | 11 nm – Qualcomm SM4250 Snapdragon 460 |
| CPU | Octa-core 4×1.8 GHz Kryo 240 4×1.6 GHz Kryo 240 |
| GPU | Adreno 610 |
| Card slot | Yes |
| RAM | 4 GB |
| Internal | 64 GB |
| Camera | 13MP, 2MP, 2MP |
| Selfie | 8 MP |
| Loudspeaker | Yes (Stereo speakers) |
| 3.5 mm jack | Yes |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot |
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| GPS | Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS |
| NFC | No |
| Radio | Yes |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, USB On-The-Go |
| Sensors | Rear mounted fingerprint, compass, accelerometer, gyro, proximity |
| Battery | Li-Po 5000 mAh battery Fast charging 18 W |
| Colors | Midnight Frost |
| Expected Price | $ 200 (14,999 INR) |
OnePlus Nord N100 Pros and Cons
Down below you can see the list of pros and cons (advantages and disadvantages) of the OnePlus Nord N100 smartphone.
Pros
- Most budget phones from OnePlus.
- Long battery life with fast charging.
- Tall screen with gorilla glass 3 protection.
- The latest OxygenOS 10.5 for a wonderful interface.
- 3.5 mm jack and stereo speakers.
- USB On-The-Go support
- Heating problems in heavy use.
Cons
- Beck design is very common
- Lack of sharpness and vividness on the screen due to a mere 720p display.
- Average performance.
- Ultra-wide feature in-camera is not present
- Single storage and color option to choose.
- Without NFC.
Conclusion
Finally, the OnePlus Nord N100 smartphone tried to enter the highly competitive budget segment. Although OnePlus want to spread their products to satisfy all types of customers, it can also backfire for them, since the legacy of the OnePlus “Premium-only” tag will end soon.
