As OnePlus’ pricing slowly inched higher and higher to rival other premium smartphone manufacturers, the company’s response was to launch the OnePlus Nord series. It’s a “return to its roots” scenario, where OnePlus aims to offer “killer specs” at a more affordable price point.
The new OnePlus Nord 2 5G feels like a stripped-down version of the latest OnePlus flagship series, focusing on the “core essentials,” similar to the recently launched OnePlus Nord CE 5G. We’re expecting a vibrant screen with a high refresh rate, decent battery life with lightning-fast charging, and a relatively uncluttered Android interface with this phone.
The OnePlus Nord 2 has a slightly smaller 6.43-inch display when compared to the OnePlus 9’s 6.55-inch screen with a hole-punch for the selfie camera. It’s a 1080p OLED screen with a 90Hz refresh rate, which fits into that midrange segment this phone belongs to. There’s an in-display fingerprint sensor for added security.
Thankfully, OnePlus decides to offer stereo speakers on this phone, which wasn’t available in the original Nord. While it doesn’t have a headphone jack, OnePlus Nord 2 still retains the physical slider to switch between silent, vibrant, and ring. There’s Gorilla Glass protection on the front and back of the phone, but there’s no official IP rating for water and dust resistance.
OnePlus arms the Nord 2 with a MediaTek Dimensity 1200-AI processor, which The Verge‘s Jon Porter had a generally good experience with on this phone. It’s the first OnePlus phone to run OxygenOS 11.3 out of the box, which integrates with OPPO’s ColorOS. OnePlus promises two years of Android updates and three years of security updates for this handset. It is a 5G-ready phone (sub-6GHz only) and comes with dual-SIM support.
As for its battery, the Nord 2 has a 4,500mAh battery with support for OnePlus’ speedy Warp Charge 65-watt charging. Unsurprisingly, you don’t get wireless charging here.
The camera bump on the Nord 2 is similar to the OnePlus 9; but its hardware includes a 50-megapixel Sony IMX766 sensor (which the company has used on ultrawide cameras of the OnePlus 9 series), an 8-megapixel ultrawide, and a 2-megapixel monochrome sensor. OnePlus drops the ultrawide camera in front; instead, you’ll only get a 32-megapixel selfie camera.
There are two configurations for the OnePlus Nord 2:
- 8GB RAM + 128GB storage – EUR 399 (around USD 470, PHP 23,510)
- 12GB RAM + 256GB storage – EUR 499 (around USD 587, PHP 29,402)
It’s initially available in Europe and India, with pre-orders kicking off at launch, followed by a general sale on July 28. Those in Europe can get it in blue or gray, while India gets an additional green shade.
Now, if you’re more interested in new wireless buds, the OnePlus Buds Pro are here and dubbed as the company’s “most advanced listening device” yet.
The OnePlus Buds Pro feature “smart adaptive noise cancelation” that automatically adjust how much noise cancelation is applied depending on where you are. Each earbud can actively filter out noise levels of up to 40dB with the help of a three-mic setup, promising a more “comfortable and tailored listening experience.”
These buds also support Dolby Atmos, Bluetooth 5.2 connection, and low-latency gaming mode we’ve seen on OnePlus’ older buds.
They come in traditional white or matte black colors, but OnePlus adds a chrome touch to the stems, making them stand out a bit more. We’re digging this new look.
OnePlus touts the Buds Pro’s long-lasting battery life, capable of providing 38 hours of listening time with case recharges involved. The buds can run for five hours with ANC enabled or seven hours without it. Those times are typical of what we’ve seen in its competitors.
The OnePlus Buds Pro support its Warp Charge wired charging, promising 10 hours of use with a 10-minute recharge. These also support Qi wireless charging.
The OnePlus Buds Pro will go on sale in the US and Canada on September 1 for USD 149.99 (around PHP 7,509).