OnePlus recently launched the OnePlus Nord 2, which is similar to its predecessor. Being a mid-range smartphone, it provides excellent features and specifications that are worthy of its price. Let’s have a look at what the OnePlus Nord 2 has to offer.
OnePlus Nord 2 Design
The Nord 2 possesses a single front camera and a rectangular rear block that has two main cameras. The Nord 2 possesses a generic design with an incredible selection of colors. The two colors available in the U.K. are the sophisticated Gray Sierra or the more playful Blue Haze, and both colors have excellent fingerprint resistance.
The Nord 2 is 6.4 inches and weighs about 6.7 ounces. Together with the curved back edges, the Nord 2 feels firm when held, and every part of the display can be easily reached. The phone’s back is plastic. OnePlus gave the Nord 2 a glass-like finish to make it look sophisticated. However, there isn’t any pretension about materials.
OnePlus stated that the Nord 2 is splash-proof, but the phone doesn’t have an official IP water/dust resistance rating. The Nord 2’s box is eco-friendly. Apart from the protective wrapping and the shrink-wrap around the charging brick, all the inserts have been transformed from plastic to paper, so recycling them is easy. However, Apple and Samsung do away with the included charging brick, a decision with some cons. It’s incredible that OnePlus still provides a charging brick by default.
OnePlus Nord 2 Display
The OnePlus Nord 2 runs a 90Hz AMOLED display on a 6.43-inch panel. It possesses a 20:9 aspect ratio, and the front screen is protected by Gorilla Glass 5, which prevents scratches. Also, you get a pre-applied screen protector out of the box, which we suggest that you leave it there for a while.
There are slim bezels on the sides and a thicker bezel on the top and the bottom. The camera cutout on the top left blends perfectly with the phone, which isn’t so obvious. It has excellent viewing angles, but the outdoor readability is on the average level.
It has a flat AMOLED screen that’s similar to the one on the Nord. OnePlus improved MediaTek’s open resource architecture (DORA) and added few AI-centric features like AI color boost, which adds more vibrant colors, and an AI resolution boost. The AI color boost works perfectly, and the difference can be seen while playing videos. Besides, OnePlus stated that it is compatible with Instagram, YouTube, and Snapchat.
The Nord 2 supports HDR playback and HD streaming on apps like Prime Video and Netflix. It has a smooth 90Hz screen refresh rate. Also, the phone comes with an average peak brightness. Currently, it doesn’t support HDR gaming, but it supports 90fps gaming on some titles. BGMI doesn’t support 90fps yet.
OnePlus Nord 2 Performance
The Nord 2 contains a MediaTek Dimensity 1200-AI chipset. The “AI” version of this Dimensity chip is special to OnePlus, and reportedly provides improved machine learning abilities to the phone’s photography and display compared to the vanilla chip. Concerning the storage, it’s either 8GB or 12GB of RAM, and either 128GB or 256GB of storage, OnePlus’ standard memory options for its latest phones.
The results from benchmarking apps for the 12GB OnePlus Nord 2 were incredible. On Geekbench 5, the Nord 2 scored 786 for the single-core test and 2,757 for the multi-core test. This result is more than that of Samsung Galaxy A52 5G (645 and 1,903) and Google Pixel 4a 5G (598 and 1,614) powered by Snapdragon 750G Snapdragon 765G, respectively.
Based on 3DMark’s WildLife Unlimited graphical performance test, the Nord 2 did well. The OnePlus’ results were a score of 4,185 and an average frame rate of 25.1 fps, while the Galaxy A52’s results of 1,106 and 6.6fps aren’t close. So changing from Snapdragon to Dimensity chips did the Nord 2 good.
The gameplay on the OnePlus Nord 2 is awesomely smooth in normal graphics mode, but it can’t work at a higher graphics setting without stuttering occasionally.
OnePlus Nord 2 Camera
The OnePlus Nord 2 sports a 50MP Sony IMX766 primary sensor(f/1.88) with optical image stabilization. A similar sensor on the OnePlus 9/9 Pro’s ultra-wide camera, an 8MP ultra-wide lens(f/2.25), and a 2MP mono lens(f/2.4). For selfies, it possesses a 32MP single camera which may seem like a downgrade from the dual selfie camera on the Nord. However, OnePlus used an enhanced sensor here, the Sony IMX615, and it’s superb.
The OnePlus Nord 2 abandons the typical OnePlus camera app for ColorOS’s camera application with several options on the screen. Regardless, it’s exciting that the OnePlus Nord 2 has a capable primary camera that doesn’t only shine during daylight. Still, the performance is incredible in low-light with Night mode too.
The primary camera can capture images without much noise and produces excellent colors. The saturation level, dynamic range, and white balance worked excellently. The HDR mode worked perfectly here, and we suggest that you take images with HDR so that you get images that are attractive and social media-worthy. The HDR modes don’t damage the color balance, which is incredible. The 50MP photos add more details to the images.
Now that the phone uses Oppo’s camera app, the color tuning is well-enhanced. Also, the app comes with several camera shooting modes. Under the “more” option in the camera app, you will discover a new dual-view video that simultaneously records video from the front and rear cameras. Asides from that, you’ll discover AI beautification, AI, filters, and HDR on the screen.
Moreover, the Nord 2 uses AI technology to automatically discover 22 different senses like indoor, food, etc. and modifies the color and contrast level to fit it. Also, you get AI video enhancement while video recording which adds more color and contrast to the video.
Even as the Nord 2’s daylight performance is fantastic and it’s a bit ahead in the segment, it takes a massive leap regarding low-light scenarios. When the night mode features are switched on, the Nord 2 takes incredible images without missing too much detail. Also, carrying colors and highlights and the images provides a bit of noise. It captures good images with 2x and 5x zoom, as it misses out on the macro sensor. The 5x zoom did capture some amazing close-ups.
The 8MP ultra-wide-angle camera provides a broader view, and it does an excellent job during the daytime but contends with details and color at night. The 2MP mono lens can capture black and white pictures, which are best done in the day.
Selfies are managed by a 32MP Sony IMX615, which is the most prominent front camera sensor on any OnePlus phone presently. The selfie results were quite good. The AI algorithm can identify about ten faces for selfies. Also, you can choose how much bokeh you need with the slier.
Concerning video shooting, the phone can go up to 4K 30fps, though the chipset can manage 4K 60fps. The phone did an excellent job regarding quality, and the OIS made the entire process smooth and pleasant.
Summarily, the OnePlus Nord 2 has a fantastic set of cameras that provides an excellent all-around performance (day, night, selfies, and videos). The OnePlus Nord is the best camera phone within that price range.
OnePlus Nord 2 Battery Life
The OnePlus Nord 2 possesses a 4,500mAh battery pack, an almost 10% jump from the Nord. Also, it comes with a 65W in-box charger (Type-A to Type-C). The battery life is a bit enhanced from the Nord but could be much better.
Concerning charging, the OnePlus Nord 2 will blow your mind with its insanely fast 65W fast charging, which charges the phone from 0 to 100% in just 30 minutes. We did run the test multiple times, and every single time the phone managed to charge in or under the 30 minutes mark. 50% of the charge happens in the first 10 minutes, which is mind-boggling for a phone.
OnePlus Nord 2 Specs
| Display | 6.43-inch AMOLED, FHD |
| Refresh rate | 90Hz/60Hz (fixed) |
| Rear cameras | 50MP main (f/1.88), 8MP ultrawide (f/2.25), 2MP mono (f/2.5) |
| Front camera | 32MP selfie (f2.45) |
| Chipset | MediaTek Dimensity 1200-AI |
| RAM | 8GB/12GB |
| Storage | 128GB/256GB |
| Battery | 4,500 mAh |
| Charging | 65W wired |
| Operating system | Android 11 with OxygenOS 11.3 |
| Size | 6.25 x 2.88 x 0.32 inches (158.9 x 73.2 x 8.25 mm) |
| Weight | 6.67 ounces (189g) |
| Water/dust resistance | “splash-proof” (no IP rating) |
OnePlus Nord 2 Price and Availability
The OnePlus Nord 2 was available for normal sales since July 28 in India, Europe and U.K. It can be purchased from OnePlus online stores, mobile carriers O2 and Three, John Lewis, and Amazon. You can choose from the two versions, either the £399 model with 8GB RAM and 128GB or a £469 model with 12GB and 256GB.
Unfortunately, the OnePlus Nord isn’t sold in the U.S. Instead, its present mid-range offerings are the cheaper OnePlus Nord N10 and OnePlus Nord N200. These are great devices for their cost, but as regard quality, they are no match for the Nord 2.
Conclusion
The OnePlus Nord 2 is a phone to go for if you’re keen on display quality and charging speed, but not the right choice if you want the best performance. If you’re into phone photography, the Nord 2 doesn’t have a top-notch image quality like its competitors (Google Pixel 4a 5G or an iPhone SE).
