OnePlus Nord 2 5G debuted last week as the successor to the original OnePlus Nord. The new smartphone has several upgrades: a larger primary camera, larger battery, and faster charging than last year’s model. It is also the first phone from OnePlus to feature a MediaTek SoC over a Qualcomm phone. In addition to those hardware specifications, the OnePlus Nord 2 5G also has a new OxygenOS version. The smartphone generally has many features to attract people looking for a phone under Rs. 35,000.
This week, host Akhil Arora speaks with reviewer Aditya Shenoy and deputy review editor Roydon Cerejo on the Gadgets 360 podcast Orbital to talk about the OnePlus Nord 2 5G and take on the competition.
The OnePlus Nord 2 5G starts at Rs. 27,999 for the base 6GB RAM + 128GB storage variant. It also comes in 8GB + 128GB and 12GB + 256GB options that cost Rs. 29,999 and Rs. 34,999, respectively. The price is slightly higher compared to the OnePlus Nord. However, it joins the competition that includes the recently launched Poco F3 GT, which starts at Rs. 29,999 for the same 6GB+128GB configuration.
OnePlus Nord 2 5G First Impressions: Still Looking North
The OnePlus Nord 2 has a 50-megapixel Sony IMX766 primary camera sensor, a 4,500mAh battery, and Warp Charge 65 fast charging. These additions offer customers a significant upgrade over the original OnePlus Nord, which came with a 48MP Sony IMX586 main camera and a 4,115mAh battery with Warp Charge 30T support.
It also comes with an octa-core MediaTek Dimensity 1200-AI SoC, making it an entirely different phone in the OnePlus portfolio. The chipset is said to have been designed in conjunction with MediaTek to deliver a list of artificial intelligence (AI)-supported improvements. These include faster scene detection and the ability to increase sharpness and boost colors in select apps, including YouTube and MX Player. The improvements make the user experience on the OnePlus Nord 2 different from the Poco F3 GT, which has a vanilla variant of the MediaTek above Dimensity chipset.
OnePlus Nord 2 vs. Poco F3 GT: Battle of the Affordable Flagships
Unlike the Poco F3 GT, which runs on Xiaomi’s highly customized MIUI skin, the OnePlus Nord 2 has 5G OxygenOS 11.3, which offers a standard Android-like experience. However, some signs make the custom skin closer to Oppo’s ColorOS.
We talk about those signs and how the recent merger between OnePlus and Oppo streamlines the differences between OxygenOS and ColorOS. We also discuss the competition from the Nord 2 – mainly the Poco F3 GT – and who should choose OnePlus’ new phone.
You can hear more about the Nord 2 by hitting the play button on the Spotify player embedded above.
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