are high-end smartphones no longer necessary?

Last year, OnePlus surprised with the OnePlus Nord, now it’s time for a successor; the OnePlus Nord 2. With the Nord series, the company wants to offer the best, for a competitive price. Will this work with the Nord 2? We investigate that in the review.

OnePlus Nord 2 review

Last year there was the moment of a new series from OnePlus. We have now arrived at the fourth model from the Nord series; the OnePlus Nord 2. In June, the even cheaper OnePlus Nord CE was released, of which we have published the extensive OnePlus Nord CE 5G review. Now it’s time for the direct successor to the first generation Nord. It came out very positive in our test. Can the Nord 2 repeat this success?

Sales package

The regular sales package of the Nord 2 consists of the super-fast 65W charger, a sim needle, some paperwork and the device itself. A silicone cover is also included. If desired, you can also purchase some covers yourself, including from OnePlus itself. This includes a very cool special Nord cover, which is unfortunately not included. In any case, an extensive enough package as standard.

Design and interface

OnePlus has designed the Nord 2 as a real OnePlus smartphone. This means a distinctive design, and there’s nothing wrong with that. There is a 6.43-inch AMOLED screen with a Full HD+ resolution and a refresh rate of 120Hz. This means a great screen for an extended mid-ranger. A front camera can be found in the top left corner of the smartphone. The handy alert slider that we know from OnePlus devices is also present with the Nord 2. The volume key is placed on the left. At the bottom of the phone we see a USB-C connection and a speaker.

On the back of the OnePlus Nord 2 we see a triple camera; two large lenses and one smaller lens. In this camera module we also see the LED flash. The smartphone is pleasant to hold, but can be a bit on the larger side for some; something you can’t get out of these days anyway. I must say that such a format is still used. OnePlus has equipped the Nord 2 with two speakers for even better sound quality. We will come back to both the camera and the sound quality later in the review.

Interface

The OnePlus devices are equipped with the OxygenOS skin. This skin has been slightly improved and refined with the OnePlus Nord 2 in several respects, thanks to the presence of OxygenOS 11.3. We see this in more options of the Always On Display, the gestures, the Zen mode and a slight adjustment of the camera app. The interface is completely one with the device. Everything works smoothly and pleasantly and also very fast.

Thanks to the presence of OxygenOS, you can personalize many things in the software on your Nord 2. This means, for example, the accent colors that appear in different places, the shapes of icons and the font. You also have extensive options at your disposal to adjust the home screen with the settings to your own liking, such as the grid size.

Communication: calling, chatting and surfing the internet

You can of course use the OnePlus Nord 2 to make calls. Calling is done using the well-known Google Phone app. Messages are also sent via the standard app that Google has released for it. The call quality of the smartphone is fine; we have nothing to say about this. The volume can also be loud enough in noisy environments.

In terms of connectivity, the OnePlus is well equipped. You can get started on the WiFi network (both 2.4 and 5 GHz), but also via the 5G network. Of course there is support for Bluetooth and dual-SIM support. If you want to use NFC, this is also an option. Handy for mobile payments. We did notice several times that the screen for entering a pin code for mobile payments did not appear. It is not known whether this problem was caused by the ING app or by the device. We think it can be easily solved with an update of the app or device.

Multimedia: music and film

Unlike its predecessor, the OnePlus Nord 2 has dual stereo speakers. This should improve the sound quality. We have good news for music lovers. The audio quality of the speakers in the Nord 2 is above average. Sometimes they sound against the shriller, but in general the Nord 2 knows how to score well with its speakers. In addition, the volume can be loud enough for everyone to enjoy.

The 6.43 inch display is also of high quality for its price. Despite the fact that we have seen few summer days this year, you can also read the screen on a sunny day. In less lit environments, the brightness can be dimmed sufficiently, so that it is pleasant to read even under those circumstances.

Camera: photo and video

The fact that the OnePlus Nord 2 is a mid-end smartphone does not mean that you have to make concessions in many areas. We also see that with the camera. This triple camera has a 50 megapixel main sensor, which is the same lens as the high-end OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro. Only the Hasselblad techniques are not included. That doesn’t have to be a bad thing; because the lens is already of high quality. Furthermore, the module is filled with an 8 megapixel wide-angle lens and a 2 megapixel monochrome lens.

Compared to previously released OnePlus devices, the camera app has changed slightly, but otherwise looks understandable and responds very quickly. Settings are quickly adapted to the situation. The settings can be adjusted to the environment by means of the AI ​​button. I sometimes experience that the colors are a bit too much, so for me this function was mainly switched off.

How does the camera perform further from the OnePlus Nord 2? We are genuinely impressed with the photo quality. Often the smartphone can also compete well with a few devices from the more expensive class. Colors are captured realistically, photos contain many details. In addition, the camera can handle varying contrasts quite well and that adorns the device. Despite the lack of a telephoto lens, you can zoom in. The quality deteriorates slightly, but pictures are certainly usable with the Nord 2.

In the evenings, the Nord 2 also shoots acceptable photos, where the night mode (Nightscape) can also help you take better photos. On cloudy, rainy days, it is noticeable that the colors still come into their own. In such a situation, many smartphones tend to underexpose everything and make it an even gloomy setting. It is noticeable, however, that the HDR functionality occasionally breaks and does not make realistic images. With the wide-angle lens, the sharpness and the details could be a bit better. Hopefully this can be improved with a software update.

Below you can see two photos that we took with the OnePlus Nord 2. If you want to see more photos, you can visit the digital photo album that we have made for you.

Video camera

The video camera of the OnePlus Nord 2 also does its job well. The video quality settings are strangely hidden in a slide-out menu. Right where I expected them at the sprocket. So it was a lot of searching and quite illogical. You can film with the OnePlus Nord in 4K (30fps) or in Full-HD (60fps/30fps). Below you will find a video that we made with the device.

Other options

Despite its relatively modest price, the OnePlus Nord 2 is a well-equipped smartphone. In this chapter of the OnePlus Nord 2 review, we take out a few elements to better acquaint you with the device.

Fingerprint Scanner

The fingerprint scanner is integrated into the screen of the OnePlus Nord 2, so you don’t have to search on the side for this. The fingerprint scanner can compete well with the high-end models; fingers are quickly recognized, so you can quickly get back to work on your phone. You can add multiple fingers in the phone’s settings. You can also use facial recognition if you wish.

Update Policy

When the OnePlus Nord 2 was announced, the manufacturer was immediately clear about which updates we can expect for the device. That’s nice, so you know where you stand. The manufacturer will give the device security updates for three years. These will be rolled out approximately once every two months. Users of the OnePlus Nord 2 will also see two Android updates coming along; Android 12 and Android 13.

Performance: battery, speed and memory

On board the smartphone is a MediaTek Dimensity 1200 AI chipset, and this is the first time that a OnePlus smartphone is equipped with a MediaTek chipset. This used to be something to be ashamed of as a manufacturer, but MediaTek has already proven itself several times. It does the same with the Nord 2. In recent weeks we haven’t noticed any stutter or lag and everything is working at full speed. With the OnePlus Nord 2, you can choose 8GB of RAM or 12GB. With the first variant you have 128GB of internal storage space at your disposal; with the 12GB model this is 256GB.

The battery capacity of the device is 4500 mAh. Lightning-fast charging is no longer just for expensive devices. You can charge this OnePlus Nord 2 at lightning speed thanks to Warp Charge with a speed of 65W. That’s incredibly fast. But what about the endurance of the device? With medium to intensive use, we can easily reach the end of the day. We also have about thirty percent juice left. The screen-on-time is 4-5 hours, which is a decent score for intensive use. Significantly better than the battery performance of the OnePlus 9 Pro.

Rating

We ran with the OnePlus Nord 2 for several weeks. Only then can you make a good judgment about a smartphone. With the first generation OnePlus Nord, the manufacturer has already proven the power of the Nord series, with the Nord 2 this is proven once again. The OnePlus Nord 2 is an insanely good smartphone, which shows its best side in all areas. Even the undersigned, who always opts for a high-end smartphone, could easily switch to the Nord 2.

The OnePlus Nord 2 only seems to have advantages. The list of downsides is surprisingly short. And even those flaws could be fixed with a software update. Speaking of the updates, the update policy for the Nord 2 is also fine. The OnePlus Nord 2 is just a very good smartphone, and that for 400 euros. In my opinion an excellent alternative to an expensive high-end smartphone.

Are you as excited as we are about the OnePlus Nord 2? You can buy the device at: OnePlus, Coolblue, T-Mobile and Mobiel.