After weeks of teasing, OnePlus has finally officially introduced us to the OnePlus Nord 2 5G. The new smartphone from OnePlus features a lot of changes and improvements from its predecessor, including a new camera setup, a new display, and a powerful new processor. At the launch event, OnePlus also unveiled the premium OnePlus Buds Pro.
When will the OnePlus Nord 2 5G be available?
You can pre-order the OnePlus Nord 2 now, and it will be available from July 28th in Europe, including the UK, and July 26th in India. Unfortunately, the OnePlus Nord 2 5G will not be available for sale in North America.
How much will the OnePlus Nord 2 5G cost?
The OnePlus Nord 2 5G 8GB RAM and 128GB storage model will cost €399 in Europe and £399 in the United Kingdom. In the UK, you can buy it directly from OnePlus, or from Amazon UK.
UK: 8GB RAM and 128GB storage will cost £399
UK: 12GB RAM and 256GB storage will cost £469
EU: 8GB RAM and 128GB storage will cost €399
EU: 12GB RAM and 256GB storage will cost €499
Design
In Gray Sierra
In Blue Haze
In Green Woods (India exclusive)
The design of the Nord 2 5G looks very similar to the OnePlus 9 flagship series. It has a similar camera layout, a near bezel-less display, and an overall very similar design. The Nord 2 5G is currently available in two color options — Gray Sierra and Haze Blue in Europe and the UK. But India will receive an exclusive Green Woods variant.
The Nord 2’s dimensions are the following: H 159.12mm x W 73.31mm x T 8.25 and it weighs 189 grams.
The display is a massive 6.43-inch Fluid AMOLED panel that comes with 90Hz refresh rate and is HDR 10+ certified. Both the front and back of the device are protected by Gorilla Glass 5, so that’ll not only provide a more premium feel in the hand but also protect it from accidental scratches and scuffs.
One of the main downsides of choosing the OnePlus Nord 2 5G is the lack of IP certificates. Unfortunately, it costs way too much for companies to certify their devices and include such protections, so OnePlus has decided to avoid it this time as well.
Power & Connection
OnePlus has teased us with the chipset and configurations long before the Nord 2 was even released. The new midrange smartphone is powered by the powerful MediaTek Dimensity 1200 AI chipset and has RAM configurations of 6/8GB and 12GB. As for storage, there are 128GB and 256GB options available to choose from. It’s also great to see OnePlus include the faster UFC 3.1 storage option that provides faster transfer speeds than the previous 2.X versions.
The Nord 2 is the first OnePlus smartphone to feature a MediaTek chipset, which also supports 5G. There’s also WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, and NFC on-board, but wireless charging isn’t available. Speaking of charging, the Nord 2 include the 65W Warp Charge technology that’s also used in its flagship series, so charging the 4,500 mAh battery should only take 30 minutes, according to OnePlus. The phone also has a USB Type-C 2.0 port, with support for USB OTG. On paper, the Nord 2 should have an excellent battery life and it should last a full workday quite easily.
Camera
The camera setup on the Nord 2 series is very similar to what you can find on the OnePlus 9 flagship series, not just looks-wise, but also features-wise. It has a 50MP f/1.9 primary camera with PDAF and Optical Image Stabilization (OIS), an 8MP f/2.3 119-degree ultrawide sensor, and a 2MP f/2.4 macro camera. There is also a Dual-LED flash next to the cameras. The selfie camera on the front is a Sony IMX615 sensor that has 32MP. It has an EIS built-in and an f/2.45 aperture.
The cameras also feature a number of AI enhancements, which are powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 1200 AI chipset. The enhancements improve automatic photo calibration upon taking a picture, and the videos also get stability, brightness, contrast, and other improvements to ensure it stays well balanced, clear, and sharp.
Video can be recorded up to 4K resolution and 30fps. There’s also support for 1080p video content at 30/60/240fps and it also has gyro-electronic image stabilization to ensure the content is stabilized.
How long is the OnePlus Nord 2 5G supported with Android OS updates and Security patches?
The Nord 2 is released with Android 11 and OxygenOS 11.3. OnePlus has confirmed the Nord 2 5G will receive at least two Android OS updates and three years of security patches. This means the Nord 2 5G will be receiving the next two Android software updates, and receive security patches until 2024.
What’s in the OnePlus Nord 2 5G’s box?
According to OnePlus, the box includes the following for the European and UK models.
OnePlus Nord 2 5G
Warp Charge 65 power adapter
Warp Type-C cable (Support USB 2.0)
Phone case
Screen protector (pre-applied)
SIM tray ejector
Welcome letter
Quick start guide
Safety information and warranty card
Highest SAR value
Roland Udvarlaki
Roland is a technology enthusiast and software engineer based in United Kingdom. He is also a content creator and writer, and is best known under the name “Techusiast”.
Back in June, OnePlus has announced that it’ll merge with the Oppo teams together to “better streamline our operations and capitalize on additional shared resources”. There would’ve been no public change that would’ve affected users, however, OnePlus has later confirmed that it was “working on integrating the codebase of OxygenOS and ColorOS”.
OnePlus has described the following integration as a positive change since the developer team would be able to much more efficiently maintain the codebase, improve the software and implement new changes much quicker. It also meant that R&D costs would be cheaper and more streamlined, which would overall provide more benefits to both the users, and the company.
“This is a change that you will likely not even notice since it’s happening behind the scenes. We now have a larger and even more capable team of developers, more advanced R&D resources, and a more streamlined development process all coming together to improve the OxygenOS experience.”
OnePlus hasn’t shared whether the newly announced OnePlus Nord 2 5G runs the new Oppo’s ColorOS, however, Adam Conway has confirmed on Twitter that the press release confirms the integration (via 9to5Google).
Operating System: OxygenOS based on Android 11/Color OS 11.3
OnePlus seems to want to keep this hidden for now, and it also seems to want to steer away from any conversation about the ColorOS and OxygenOS integration. OnePlus has even told its employees not to address any questions regarding the ColorOS integration.
The new changes on the OnePlus Nord 2 5G are very minimal as it stands today. The easiest place to see the new changes is in the battery settings. Damien Wilde has explained earlier his findings.
(Image Credit: 9to5Google)
“OxygenOS 11.3 runs without a hitch, and while there a definite hints of Oppo’s ColorOS, none of this affects the experience in a detrimental way. The added customization options might actually be a big plus point for longtime fans of this third-party Android skin. Almost all of the tweaks and tricks that have been OxygenOS staples for as long as you can remember are present and correct.”
Roland Udvarlaki
Roland is a technology enthusiast and software engineer based in United Kingdom. He is also a content creator and writer, and is best known under the name “Techusiast”.
In a new blog post yesterday, OnePlus talked about how it uses AI-infused software to improve the camera performance on the upcoming OnePlus Nord 2 5G device. The Nord 2 will be equipped with flagship-like features, such as the MediaTek Dimensity 1200-AI chipset.
OnePlus explains that their main focus has always been to create “a great camera system that can empower the user to capture and create with ease”. It also says that the upcoming Nord 2 will have a Sony IMX766 sensor that’ll include an optical image stabilization (OIS), which can often only be found in premium flagship devices that cost much more.
OnePlus also highlights that while megapixels are important, the software nowadays often matters more, which can help further improve the quality and performance of the camera sensors. “Megapixels are great, but our focus is always on the end experience, which is why we also spent a lot of time on software enhancements, such as AI optimizations powered by Nord 2’s MediaTek Dimensity 1200-AI SoC.”
(Image Credit: OnePlus)
The company promises the OnePlus Nord 2 5G to have significant improvements to low-light photography and “an enhanced Nightscape mode that we call Nightscape Ultra, which helps you shoot better and brighter photos in dimly lit places with only 1 lux of illuminance — that’s equivalent to the amount of light emitted from a single candle. In addition, we also tweaked and adjusted our algorithm for a quicker response time and a feature called AI Photo Enhancement, which recognizes up to 22 different photo scenes and automatically adjusts camera settings to make the final image as crisp and colorful as reality.”
OnePlus seems very confident in the upgraded camera, so it compiled a blind test, which consists of the OnePlus Nord 2 5G, Apple iPhone 12, and Samsung Galaxy S21 flagship devices. If you are interested in the comparison, you can check it out here.
The new OnePlus Nord 2 5G will be officially revealed on July 22 alongside the upcoming OnePlus Buds Pro wireless earphones.
Roland Udvarlaki
Roland is a technology enthusiast and software engineer based in United Kingdom. He is also a content creator and writer, and is best known under the name “Techusiast”.
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