What do you really need from a smartphone?
That, probably, is the question you should be asking when on a hunt for a budget smartphone. If you want the best phone, then you want all the things. But if you don't want to spend an unreasonable amount of money, you'll need to do a little soul searching. Do you want a good camera? Long battery life? Large, beautiful display? Fast performance?
OnePlus' new budget device, the Nord 2 5G, doesn't excel in any particular area, but it's a pretty good mix, which may turn out to be exactly what you're looking for.
MediaTek processor, so what?
The biggest compromise on the Nord 2's list of specs is the MediaTek Dimensity 1200 5G processor, which is a cheaper alternative to Qualcomm's top Snapdragon chips. Guess what: It doesn't really matter. The Nord 2 is fast and responsive, partially due to the generous 12GB of RAM my unit had (which is 90 euros more expensive than the 8GB version). And as the name says, the Nord 2 supports fast 5G connectivity.
Another thing that helps the phone feel responsive: The 6.43-inch, 90Hz AMOLED display. Yes, 90Hz is practically the norm these days (unless you're Apple), but OnePlus still gets bonus points for including it on a cheaper device. It's not dynamic, though: You'll have to manually set the display to either 90Hz or 60Hz, with the former being the default.
Finally, the Nord 2 is running OnePlus' OxygenOS 11.3 atop Android 11, which is one of the better software combos you can find on an Android smartphone these days. OxygenOS is pretty close to stock Android, meaning that OnePlus phones will give you the closest experience you can get to a Pixel phone without actually owning a Pixel phone. If you're a tinkerer, OxygenOS also offers a ton of additional features, including iOS-like gesture navigation. One thing to note: OnePlus offers two years of Android updates for the Nord 2, plus an additional year of security updates.
The Nord 2 has a 4,500mAh battery with 65W fast charging, which is plenty for one and a half days of operation (one day if you're a heavy user). Some people don't care about fast charging; I do. The Nord 2 will charge from 0 to 80 percent in about 20 minutes, which means I don't even have to charge it at night. I just plug it in for a few minutes every now and then, and I'm set. Oh, and this is important: The charger comes in the box. Take that, iPhone 12.
Not in it for the looks
Design-wise, the OnePlus Nord 2 5G is, well, your standard Android smartphone. On the back, there's a fairly small (for today's standards) bump hosting the triple rear camera, as well as a OnePlus logo. There's Gorilla Glass 5 on both front and back, offering decent protection from scratches. Still, you'll want to protect both sides. Fortunately, the Nord 2 comes with a pre-applied screen protector, as well as a see-through case, meaning you'll be all set from the get go.
On the front, you'll find a small bezel at the bottom and a punch-hole hosting the 32-megapixel selfie camera in the top left.
Finally, the phone's frame is made of plastic, but it resembles metal, and I honestly thought it was metal until I checked the specs sheet. The whole package is pretty slippery; again, you'll definitely want a case.
I like the Nord 2's form factor. Many recent phones come with exceptionally large displays, making them hard to hold and operate with one hand. The Nord 2 is just a tad shorter and narrower than the OnePlus 9, and it sat well in my hand.
OnePlus offers the Nord 2 in two colors: Gray Sierra, and Blue Haze. My review unit was gray, and though it's a nice, slightly metallic color when you look at it closely, from afar it's not exactly eye-catching. OnePlus was kind enough to include some additional, funky cases, which made the whole package a lot livelier.
Camera: Not bad, but not the best
When I want to quickly assess a smartphone's camera, I snap a couple of quick photos in the evening. Most phones will take very good photos in the daylight, but very few will consistently produce great results in low-light conditions.
The OnePlus Nord 2 didn't fare too well in this test. Its night photos were bright but all sorts of artificial. Zoom into the sea waves in the photo above, and they'll look like a watercolor. Also, its low-light photos often had an unnaturally yellow tint.
In the daytime, the Nord 2 (unsurprisingly) did much better, thanks to its 50-megapixel main sensor which can capture a decent amount of detail. I still thought the photos were often a bit too bright, but it wasn't a serious issue.
The ultra-wide camera has an 8-megapixel sensor, and you'll notice the low megapixel count in the lack of details. The colors are far more washed out than on the vibrant photos taken with the main sensor.
As for zooming in, well, you can do it, but don't go past 5x, because the loss of detail will render the photos barely usable.
Finally, the Nord 2 has a 32-megapixel selfie camera, which takes fairly accurate photos once you turn off the beautification features.
What's there, and what's missing
The Nord 2 is a budget smartphone, and it would be unreasonable to expect it to have all the bells and whistles. But the list of things that are missing is fairly short. The Nord 2 doesn't have a water resistance rating, and it doesn't have a headphone jack, which is the norm these days, but some competitors do ship cheap phones with it. It also doesn't have wireless charging, a fairly typical omission for a budget phone.
The Nord 2 does have facial recognition. But given it relies on the selfie camera only (and not a depth sensor as on the iPhone), it won't perform very well in the dark. It has an under-display fingerprint scanner, too, but it (like literally every under-display fingerprint scanner I've tried) won't always work.
On the other hand, the Nord 2 has surprisingly loud stereo speakers. It's also worth reiterating that it comes with the 65W fast charger in the box, which is pretty great.
Conclusion
The OnePlus Nord 2 is a very good mid-range smartphone. It has a good mix of features, performs well, charges fast, and has decent battery life. The photos it produces are good if not great. The design won't floor anyone, but you can't expect this phone to beat far more expensive phones in every regard. Finally, OnePlus' OxygenOS software is among the best Android skins around.
Unfortunately, the Nord 2 isn't available in the U.S., which might be its biggest flaw. In Europe, it costs €399 ($466), which is a fair price for what you get.
Topics OnePlus
