OnePlus Nord 2 5G review: repetition of moves

Good things don’t need changes. That message seems to radiate the OnePlus Nord 2 5G in this review. With a touch of brutality.

Last year we were very enthusiastic about the OnePlus Nord. The reason was simple. You got a smartphone with a nice housing, good hardware and a competitive price. After that, the Nord emerged as a smartphone line. No other smartphone in this series managed to repeat that level. Reason to be afraid of the new OnePlus Nord 2?

A big fat no. The Nord 2 picks up where the Nord left off. The marketing campaign of the Chinese tech company can even be described as a bit brutal. They put the phone down as a flagship killer. Dangerous, because does this mean that you can also skip your own 9 Series? That’s not too bad. There is no question of cannibalism because the Nord still lacks a number of distinctive features that the 9 Series can offer you.

Specs

As always, we’re going to cover the specs first. What is immediately noticeable is that there is no Qualcomm chipset in this phone. OnePlus has opted for a MediaTek Dimensity 1200-AI chip. Don’t worry, they say at OnePlus. According to them, the power comes along with the most powerful chips from Qualcomm. In daily practice it is instinctively a fraction slower. Nothing more disturbing. So great fine.

With a weight of 189 grams, the Nord 2 is a sturdy smartphone. You have something in your hands shall we say. The display is 6.43-inch and is an AMOLED screen. You have a refresh rate of 90 Hz. Our review phone has 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage. You can also opt for 128 GB and 8 GB RAM. The battery has a capacity of 4,500mAh. Charging is via the cable and is fast with Warp Charge 65. Wireless charging is not possible.

On the back are three cameras and a flash. This is a 50MP primary camera + 8MP wide-angle lens and a 2MP monochrome lens. You can take selfies with the 32 MP lens.

The phone is available in Gray Sierra, Blue Haze and Groon Wood colors. The OnePlus Nord 2 5G for our review is made in Blue Haze.

Experiences

Time to talk about the experiences. In our opinion, based on this review, the OnePlus Nord 2 5G is a budget smartphone with a premium edge. This is mainly due to the chosen material and the AMOLED display. The front and back are made of glass, which gives a nice feeling in the hand. Don’t let it clatter out of your hands, because then it’s so broken. The 90 Hz refesh rate makes navigating OxygenOS and the apps very smooth. Because you have a camera island, the phone cannot lie completely flat on the table. Then it will wobble. Not very disturbing, but good to know. And if you’re hoping for a 3.5mm input for your headphones, there’s bad news. That is missing on this device.

A huge positive outlier is the camera. What OnePlus has achieved in this segment is quite impressive. Whether it’s light or dark outside, the camera always performs well enough.

It remains a budget smartphone and you will notice that as soon as you zoom in on photos taken. The images become grainy and they are not really full of detail. So great for sharing snaps on social media. This OnePlus does not provide a replacement for a real camera, as some flagship smartphones can give that feeling. Not one hundred percent a flagship killer. But it comes close.

You can shoot pictures with a viewing angle of 119 degrees with the wide-angle lens. Zooming is up to five times. If you have a stable hand, the result will not disappoint. The image remains quite sharp. Check out some photos that we took with the camera of the OnePlus Nord 2 5G for this review below.

Conclusion

Am I as blown away as I was a year ago? Not really. The surprise effect is a bit off, isn’t it? OnePlus has taken all the good stuff from the Nord and taken it to a new level with this successor. Improved hardware for the same competitive price. In that regard, they do it just fine.

Where the other Nord smartphones are what I’m concerned about anonymous phones in the saturated world of smartphones, the Nord 2 5G is one that sticks its head above the ground. Flagship killer is perhaps a bit over the top statement, but the latest OnePlus comes along very well. Let’s keep it at that.

In the segment of smartphones costing 399 euros, there is a wide range. If you are looking for a smartphone in a premium jacket, with fine software and good specifications, the OnePlus Nord 2 5G is a very good buy. If that premium aspect in particular and to a lesser extent the software is less important to you, you can shop with confidence at Samsung, Realme, Xiaomi, OPPO and more.

Pros

• Premium housing
• Good specs
• nice camera
• 65W fast charge

Negatives

• ‘Flagship killer’ a bit exaggerated
• Design is sleek, but not very refreshing
• No 3.5mm jack input

The OnePlus Nord 2 5G is available now. You can get the 8 GB RAM + 128 GB ROM variant for € 399. The 12 GB RAM + 256 GB ROM version costs € 499.