This could be the most “flagship killer” phone OnePlus has released in a long time. Here’s everything you need to know!
OnePlus began as a “flagship killer” startup. However, over time, the company has placed less emphasis on the “killer” feature, instead of delivering premium flagships at premium rates. The Nord line and, in particular, the 2021 OnePlus Nord 2 sees the firm re-entering previously uncharted territory.
To be clear, the Nord 2 will not suffice as a substitute for the OnePlus 9 Pro. The specs, design, and features, on the other hand, should satisfy budget-conscious shoppers who don’t want to make too many spec sacrifices.
Everything we know about the OnePlus Nord 2 is listed here! Keep this page bookmarked because we will be updating it with fresh information as it becomes available.
OnePlus Nord 2 at a glance:
On July 22, 2021, OnePlus officially unveiled the OnePlus Nord 2. It was the third Nord-branded phone released in 2021, following the OnePlus Nord N200 and OnePlus Nord CE.
This is the first OnePlus phone without a Qualcomm processor. Instead, the phone is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 1200 processor. This will provide it more processing power than some mid-range Qualcomm SoCs without requiring a significant price hike.
The Nord 2, like the first Nord, will not be available in all of OnePlus’ typical markets. The phone will instead be offered solely in the United Kingdom, Europe, and India. For the time being, OnePlus fans in the United States will be without a premium mid-ranger. Buyers in that market will have to choose between the flagship OnePlus 9 and the entry-level Nord N200.
The Nord 2 will be available on OnePlus.com on July 28 for £399 ($543) in the United Kingdom and €419 ($494) in Europe. This is for the model with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. A more expensive 12/256GB version will set you back £469 ($639) or €519 ($611). The phone starts at Rs. 27,999 ($375) in India for an India-exclusive model with 6GB of RAM and 128GB storage. The 8/128GB option will set you back Rs. 29,999 ($402), while the top-of-the-line 12/256GB model will set you back Rs. 34,999 ($470).
Is the OnePlus Nord 2 worth buying?
The processor is the Nord 2’s main feature. The MediaTek Dimensity 1200 is a strong chip, comparable to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870. It features AI intelligence, great image capabilities, and will be useful for gaming. When pushed into performance mode, though, the chip heats up the phone considerably.
The remainder of the specifications is adequate for a phone in this price range. It boasts a good camera system, plenty of RAM and internal storage, Wi-Fi 6, a large battery, and a clear 90Hz AMOLED display. It also contains the standard OnePlus design components, as well as the popular Oxygen OS 11 skin.
ad spaceThe Nord 2 will, however, encounter stiff competition in its pricing range. Buyers who aren’t already committed to OnePlus will have a plethora of options that may provide comparable or even lower prices. More information can be found in our “Alternatives” section lower down.
OnePlus Nord 2 specs:
When it comes to a great phone, raw specs aren’t everything. They are, nonetheless, a critical aspect of the puzzle. The OnePlus Nord 2 specifications are listed below.
| Oneplus Nord 2 Specs | |
| Display | 6.43-inch Fluid AMOLED |
| 2,400 x 1,080 resolution at 410ppi | |
| 20:9 aspect ratio | |
| 90Hz display refresh rate | |
| Processor | MediaTek Dimensity 1200 AI |
| GPU | Arm G77 MC9 |
| RAM | 6GB (India only), 8GB, or 12GB |
| LPDDR4X | |
| Storage | 128GB or 256GB |
| UFS 3.1 | |
| Power | 4,500mAh battery |
| Warp Charge 65 (65W wired charging) | |
| No wireless charging | |
| Cameras | Rear: |
| – 50MP main (1.0µm, ƒ/1.88, OIS) | |
| – 8MP ultra-wide (119.7-degree FoV, ƒ/2.25, EIS) | |
| – 2MP monochrome (ƒ/2.5) | |
| Front: | |
| – 32MP single (0.8µm, ƒ/2.45, EIS) | |
| Video | 4K at 60FPS recording |
| 1080p at 30/60FPS recording | |
| 720p at 30/60FPS recording | |
| Slow-motion/time-lapse: 1080p/120FPS and 720p/240FPS | |
| Audio | Dual stereo speaker |
| No 3.5mm headphone port | |
| Bluetooth 5.2 | |
| Support for aptX & aptX HD & LDAC & AAC | |
| Connectivity (India) | Wi-Fi: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, 2.4G/5G, 2×2 MIMO |
| Bluetooth: 5.2 | |
| NFC: Supported | |
| LTE: 4×4 MIMO, support up to DL Cat 18/UL Cat 13 | |
| (1.2Gbps / 150Mbps), depending on carrier support | |
| GSM: GSM850, GSM900, DCS1800, PCS1900 | |
| WCDMA: B1/2/4/5/8/19 | |
| LTE-B: 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/17/18/19/20/26/34/38/39/40/41 | |
| NR NSA: N41, N78, N40, N79 | |
| NR SA: N41, N78, N28A, N1, N3, N79, N40 | |
| Connectivity (UK/Europe) | Wi-Fi: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, 2.4G/5G, 2×2 MIMO |
| Bluetooth: 5.2 | |
| NFC: Supported | |
| LTE: 4×4 MIMO, support up to DL Cat 18/UL Cat 13 | |
| (1.2Gbps / 150Mbps), depending on carrier support | |
| GSM: GSM850, GSM900, DCS1800, PCS1900 | |
| WCDMA: B1/2/4/5/8/19 | |
| LTE-FDD: B1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/17/18/19/20/26/28/38/32 | |
| /34/39/40/41/66 | |
| NR NSA: N1, N3, N7, N8, N20, N28, N38, N41, N78 | |
| NR SA: N1, N3, N7, N20, N28, N78, N41, N8 | |
| Ports | USB-C port (2.0) |
| Dual nano-SIM slot | |
| No 3.5mm headphone port | |
| No microSD card slot | |
| Software | Android 11 |
| Skinned with Oxygen OS 11 | |
| Dimensions and weight | 158.9 x 73.2 x 8.25mm |
| 189g | |
| Colors | Gray Sierra, Blue Haze, Green-Wood |
| In the box | – Phone |
| – Warp Charge 65 wall adapter | |
| – Warp USB-C cable | |
| – Phone case | |
| – Screen protector (pre-applied) | |
| – SIM tray ejector | |
| *France will also include earphones | |
| *India will also include a sticker and Red Cable Club card |
The primary imaging sensor is a Sony IMX766 with a resolution of 50MP. The same sensor can be found beneath the wide-angle lens of the OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro. This produces adequate images, albeit not as good as what we’ve seen in more expensive phones.
A monochrome sensor and an ultra-wide sensor flank the camera. The former allows you to capture more scenery without having to physically step backward, and the latter adds more detail to your images.
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On the front is a 32MP Sony IMX615 sensor. The original Nord featured two cameras in the front, so this may appear to be a downgrade, but this single sensor is far superior to either of those in the original Nord. Surprisingly, this is the largest selfie sensor ever found in a OnePlus handset.
Aside from hardware, there are a few noteworthy features. The back and front cameras both support Nightscape, so low-light performance should be adequate. The rear main sensor also supports optical image stabilization, which will be useful for video shooters.
How is the battery life and what are the power options?
The OnePlus Nord 2 is powered by a 4,500mAh battery. That has the same battery capacity as the more pricey OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro. During our time with the Nord 2, we saw that the battery life was adequate. However, we only noticed it when the high-performance option was turned off. With it turned on, the Dimensity 1200 devoured the battery with zeal. If you desire even a semblance of a battery life, you should avoid using the performance mode.
The OnePlus Nord 2 comes with a 65W charging brick, which is a welcome addition. That’s a fast charger that can charge your phone from empty to full in in over 30 minutes.
Unfortunately, the Nord 2 does not allow wireless charging. For that feature, you’ll need to upgrade to at least the OnePlus 9. In India, however, the OnePlus 9 Pro is the only variant that supports wireless charging.
How is the performance?
The MediaTek Dimensity 1200 processor found within the Nord 2 is not a stock model. OnePlus and MediaTek instead collaborated to include more AI capabilities inside the chipset. That is, it should be able to perform everything a D1200 is capable of, as well as more.
In our benchmark testing, we discovered that the Nord 2 easily outperformed the original Nord in terms of raw processing power:
OnePlus Nord 2 – Benchmarks
But keep in mind that processing power isn’t the be-all and end-all of smartphone features. The D1200, for example, is excellent at power efficiency, but when you activate the phone’s high-performance mode, battery life drops significantly. In other words, the CPU is capable of amazing accomplishments, but if you push it too hard, it won’t last long.
Furthermore, we discovered that the OnePlus Nord 2 gets extremely heated when executing processor-intensive tasks. This was especially noticeable when high-performance mode was enabled. With it turned on, the phone becomes hot enough to be uncomfortable to hold.
The final result is that while the phone has the potential to be a performance beast, its power is unsustainable in real-world applications.
ad spaceOnePlus Nord 2 software and updates:
When you pull the OnePlus Nord 2 out of the package, you’ll notice that it’s running Android 11. Of course, that OS is coated with Oxygen OS, OnePlus’ own Android platform.
Although OnePlus has not acknowledged this, previous statements strongly suggest that this phone is the first to use Oppo’s Color OS as a codebase. When Android 12 is released, this feature will be available on all current OnePlus phones. OnePlus claims that this will result in faster and more stable updates.
However, it does not appear like OnePlus’ upgrade pledge for this device has been jeopardized. The OnePlus Nord 2 will receive two years of Android upgrades (Android 12 and Android 13) as well as three years of security patches. This falls short of Samsung’s promise for its own mid-range devices.
Nord 2 vs the original Nord: What’s new?
The original OnePlus Nord and the OnePlus Nord 2 have some noticeable differences. However, the phones are still very similar in many aspects. With that in mind, OnePlus Nord owners may want to wait a little longer before updating.
Here are the main distinctions between the two phones. Please keep in mind that these are not all of the distinctions, but rather the highlights:
Aside from those items, the Nord from last year is pretty comparable to the Nord from this year. The phones are nearly identical in size, have similar displays, and have similar RAM/storage configurations. Even the Blue Marble hue shown above is quite similar to the Blue Haze color found on this year’s Nord 2.
What are some good alternatives to the Nord 2?
Below are a few OnePlus Nord 2 options you should think about.
Where to buy the OnePlus Nord 2:
The OnePlus Nord 2 is exclusively available in the United Kingdom, Europe, and India, as previously stated. In terms of supported bands, colors, and in-box goodies, the models in each nation may change slightly. More information can be found in the specifications sheet linked previously in this article.
Beginning July 28, you will be able to purchase the Nord 2 straight from OnePlus in the United Kingdom. Amazon and John Lewis will also have it available. Three and O2 in the United Kingdom will also carry the phone, but only in the 8/128GB option.
Customers in Europe will be best served by visiting the regional edition of OnePlus.com.
Please keep in mind that not all models will arrive in India at the same time. The India-exclusive model with only 6GB of RAM will be available in August 2021. It is only available in one colorway, Blue Haze. The Blue Haze and Gray Sierra models for the 8GB and 12GB variants will be available on July 28, however the Green Woods model (an India-exclusive hue) will be available only in the 12GB configuration in August.
The OnePlus Nord 2 is unlikely to be released in other countries, including the United States.
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