OnePlus Nord 2 5G — A Mid Ranger?

Nord 2 5G has a classy if unremarkable exterior with a satin-like effect. It’s fantastic at repelling fingerprints and perhaps a tad grippier than the usual glossy glass aesthetics that are so popular right now. Starting a trend that will carry on through the review, the Nord 2 5G doesn’t look or feel like the typical mid-range smartphone.

Nord 2 5G boasts a 90Hz AMOLED display which offers vibrant colors and is bright enough to be viewed outside in bright sunlight without needing to find a patch of shade. It’s still an FHD+ resolution but it is a very good quality display and great for everything from reading text to playing videos and games. 12GB of RAM, which combined with the power of the Dimensity 1200AI chipset results in an absolutely slick user experience without a stutter in sight.

You’ll get a full day’s usage out of the OnePlus Nord 2 5G with single-digit numbers left in the tank at bedtime without resorting to any energy-saving options such as dark mode or even the least intrusive power-saving mode.

Of course, the Nord 2 5G has yet another flagship feature and one that puts the Pixel 5a to shame — the 65W Warp Charge. This means that it takes just 30 minutes to recharge a flat battery back up to full, and OnePlus even includes a 65W wall charge in the box. Software is Android 11-based OxygenOS 11, which coincidentally now features that same code-base as OPPO’s ColorOS 11 which may be a big deal to some but in everyday usage.

The camera section is usually where mid-range smartphones fall down but OnePlus played it cleverly by using the same 50MP Sony IMX766 sensor from the OnePlus 9 series as the main camera on the Nord 2 5G. Naturally, it’s supported by an 8MP ultra-wide lens and for some reason, a 2MP dedicated monochrome camera.

The 8MP ultra-wide produces good if unremarkable photos and the less said about the 2MP monochrome sensor the better as OnePlus could have saved a pound by leaving it out. The star of the show is the previously mentioned 50MP snapper that boasts Optical-Image-Stabilization and quite simply elevates the Nord 2 5G to a level above its direct competitors.

There’s plenty of detail and colors are bright and vibrant without being over-saturated, although you can choose one of the built-in filters for added punch if you need to. Shutter speed is as quick as it should be and even the zoom is useful although it’s based on digital cropping as opposed to having an actual zoom lens.

OnePlus Nord 2 5G’s camera experience is a good one, and quite possibly as good as you’ll find for £400.

Powered by MediaTek’s Dimensity 1200 chipset, the OnePlus Nord 2 brings a ton of features to the mid-range table including some that a few flagship smartphones don’t match such as 65W Warp Charge, whilst the 50MP Sony IMX766 camera sensor, the same one featured in the OnePlus 9 series, works a treat as the main snapper. The original Nord didn’t lack power but switching to MediaTek’s premier Dimensity 1200AI chipset takes performance on the Nord 2 to a different level entirely. The 90Hz AMOLED display is bright and accurate, the in-display fingerprint sensor is very, very good, and you’ll struggle to figure out where the corners were cut to achieve such a reasonable price.