OnePlus Nord 2 5G review: A motley mix, but a step in the right direction

It is the Nord season for Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus. After introducing the OnePlus Nord CE (review), the core edition of its midrange smartphone, the company was quick to launch its successor too. Named the Nord 2, it is the first OnePlus smartphone powered by a MediaTek processor. It is also the first from OnePlus to come after the company’s integration with another Chinese smartphone maker OPPO. On paper, the Nord 2 5G seems to be a motley mix of OnePlus design and OPPO features. Is it a step forward in the right direction? Let’s find out:

Design

The Nord 2 looks similar to its predecessor but with a mix of OnePlus 9 series design elements for novelty. Therefore, the smartphone will look familiar and yet intriguing if you are upgrading from the Nord. Others are likely to appreciate the Nord 2 simply because the smartphone does not cut any corners with respect to design, build quality, and in-hand feel.

The Nord 2 comes in blue (review unit), grey and India-exclusive green colour variants. Like the OnePlus 9 series, OnePlus has treated each colour differently in terms of construction material and texture. The blue colour variant has glass cover with glossy finish on the back, while the grey variant has matte finish, and the green model has a textured PU leather coating. That said, the Nord 2 comes in limited colours but gives consumers a choice in the texture and material of the back cover.

In terms of build quality, the OnePlus Nord 2 uses a Gorilla Glass protection on the front and back which makes it sturdy for everyday abuses. Its plastic frame with a glossy metallic finish, however, seems to be weak when compared to peers with metallic chassis. The paint on the frame is likely to chip off in the long run, exposing a dull-looking plastic base. This is not something you experience on phones with metallic frames. As for ergonomics, the OnePlus Nord 2 is neither thick nor bulky. It has a lightweight build (189g) for a comfortable in-hand feel.

Display and audio

The Nord 2 has the same 6.43-inch fullHD+ AMOLED screen of 90Hz refresh rate that we saw in the other two Nord series smartphones. But here it is topped with couple of artificial intelligence (AI) enhancements (Color Boost and Resolution Boost), courtesy the integration of OnePlus’ OxygenOS (v11.3) and OPPO’s ColorOS (v11.3). Both these features use the on-chip artificial intelligence capability to deliver enhanced multimedia experience – boost colours and upscale content into HD resolution. However, there are only a few apps compatible with these features, and even the supported ones do not deliver the experience as advertised because the difference is barely noticeable. Overall, the Nord 2 does not have the best display you get for its price but it is still a capable one, supported by the smooth animations and transitions of the graphic user interface.

The display may not impress everyone, but the Nord 2’s stereo speakers will surely do. They are an impressive set of speakers with a loud but balanced output, supported by DTS audio. The Nord 2 boasts one of the best stereo-speaker set-up in the segment, good for a wide audio genre, including watching videos, listening to music and podcast, and gaming.

Camera

The Nord 2 has a triple-camera set-up on the back, featuring a segment-first 50-megapixel primary sensor (Sony IMX766) paired with an 8MP ultra-wide-angle and a 2MP monochrome. On the front, the phone has another of its segment-leading camera sensors (32MP Sony IMX615).

Details aside, the Nord 2’s imaging prowess is best reflected in the performance of its primary 50MP sensor and 32MP front camera. The primary sensor works well irrespective of light conditions. In daylight conditions, the sensor takes detailed shots with accurate colours, fine dynamic range, and smooth background blur. In low light, it works well in scenarios where the subject is static. Frames with moving subjects in low-light are tricky to capture but the sensor delivers results better than most other smartphones in the segment.

The ultra-wide-angle camera sensor is good but not the best in its class. It captures a good amount of details with a decent dynamic range but there is a marginal distortion on the edges, and like most other midrange phones, there is no colour symmetry in the frames clicked through the primary sensor and ultra-wide-angle sensor. Unlike the primary sensor, the ultra-wide-angle sensor struggles in low-light conditions. Its low-light performance, however, lifts marginally through the phone's built-in night mode.

As for the front camera, it works well for both regular shots and portraits. It tends to brighten the frame at times, resulting in a distorted dynamic range but a little adjustment in the frame solves the issue.

Coming to videos, the Nord 2 can do up to 4K at 30 fps from the primary sensor, 1080p at 60fps from ultra-wide-angle, and 1080p at 30fps from the front camera. The videos recorded by the primary sensor look good but the ultra-wide-sensor disappoints here as well. Videos recorded from the front camera look fine but the sensor’s narrow frame of view (FoV) makes it less suitable for anything other than recording self.

Important to point out here that the camera user interface is replicated from OPPO, and it brings with it most of the value-added features, too. For example, there are photo filters, video filters, dual-view video feature, ultra-resolution photo feature, etc. Surprisingly, the otherwise exclusive OPPO camera-centric features like the bokeh flare portrait filter for videos are available here too.

Performance

The Nord 2 is a performance powerhouse. It delivers a consistent performance both in regular day operations and otherwise. Performance throttling is not an issue here but the phone gets significantly warm at times, especially after extended heavy usage such as through extended playing of graphic-intensive games, multimedia editing, video recording in 4K, etc. Complementing the Nord 2’s performance is the Android 11 operating system-based OxygenOS 11.3. Despite its integration with OPPO ColorOS 11.3, the user interface is clean and looks familiar to the previous iteration of OxygenOS.

There is a 4,500mAh battery, supported by the company's USB-C-based 65W charger. So, the phone sails through a day on moderate usage and a quick 10-minute charge gives it enough additional power to go through a day for power-intensive tasks.

Verdict

Priced at Rs 29,999 (8GB+128GB), the Nord 2 is a wholesome upgrade over its predecessor. It is a smartphone packed with the best of OnePlus and OPPO. It is a step forward in the right direction, despite it being a motley mix of OnePlus design and OPPO features. It is one of the MediaTek Dimensity 1200 system-on-chip-powered smartphones with strength across areas, including gaming. That said, the Nord 2 is a smartphone with something in store for everyone. Its all-round utility justifies its price and makes it a better proposition when compared to other MediaTek Dimensity 1200 SoC-powered smartphones like the Realme X7 Max, OPPO Reno6 Pro.

OnePlus Nord 2 5G: Specifications

Brand	OnePlus
Model	Nord 2 5G
Operating System	Android 11 -- OxygenOS 11.3
Display	6.43-inch fullHD AMOLED, 90Hz
Speakers	Stereo
Rear camera	50MP OIS, 8MP ultra-wide, 2MP Mono
Front camera	32MP
Processor	MediaTek Dimesity 1200-AI
RAM	6GB, 8GB, 12GB
Storage	128GB and 256GB
Battery	4,500mAh
Charger	Warp Charge 65
Price	Starts at Rs 27,999