OnePlus Nord 2 Review After Using Some time My Opinion and Verdict.

OnePlus' new mid-range offering is here in the form of the Nord 2. This is the latest attempt by OnePlus to establish a strong foothold in the market, which was abandoned a while back to dominate the premium segment. . OnePlus Nord 2 This is the third iteration in the Nord series in India, and I believe it to be the most significant. OnePlus prides itself on providing a solid display experience for the price and this is the foundation on which its empire is slowly building.

ONEPLUS NORD 2 5G SMARTPHONE (6GB RAM + 128GB) FULL SPECIFICATIONS

OnePlus has employed the Dimensity 1200 5G flagship chipset as a harbinger of processing prowess. OnePlus Nord 2 Realme has done the same with the X7 Max, while iQOO and Xiaomi are taking the services of Qualcomm and its Snapdragon 870 chipset in this segment. The Nord 2 has some strong competition, but this time around OnePlus has put more emphasis on the phone's image-taking capabilities as well as tilting the odds in its favor. Launched at a starting price of Rs 27,999, here's a complete review of the OnePlus Nord 2 to see if it deserves your consideration.

Verdict

The OnePlus Nord 2 works on most aspects and is priced to capture a wider audience in the highly lucrative mid-range segment. OnePlus Nord 2 Emphasizing on-camera performance, OnePlus has redefined its legacy with its processing capabilities while packing in the punch of the OnePlus Nord 2.

Design and display

OnePlus Nord 2 Smartphone OnePlus has perfected the art of infusing premium-ness into the design language for all its phones. The OnePlus Nord 2 smartphone is definitely a work of art in terms of in-hand feel and overall build aesthetic. The glass sandwich construction sees a Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on the front and back which offers a certain measure of resistance to scratches but does nothing to prevent fingerprints.

From the outset, the Nord 2 is almost identical to the OnePlus 9 thanks to an overhaul to the former's camera layout during the previous iteration. One of the complaints I had with Nord CE Design was the omission of the alert slider, which is now thankfully taken care of. The headphone jack is gone, but it's something I can live with thanks to the influx of quality wireless audio products on the market.

Display

The triple-camera housing brings big circular rings and no Hasselblad branding around it like the OnePlus 9R. Overall, the OnePlus Nord 2 is fairly light in the hand, while the phone's build feels pretty solid. I love the Blue Haze color scheme that brings in the lighter elements of the Blue Marble gradient on the original Nord. OnePlus Nord 2 Smartphone The design doesn't get more premium than the Nord 2 in the mid-range segment.

Talking about the display, OnePlus has implemented the same 90Hz Super AMOLED display that it has been using on the previous Nord phones. It sports a single punch-hole display with FHD+ (1,080 x 2,400) resolution and 20:9 aspect ratio, while the original Nord has dual cutouts. I've generally been a fan of the viewing experience that OnePlus offers and the Nord 2 uses a number of major new elements to enhance it.

Design

AI Resolution Boost can boost resolution on low-quality videos while AI Color Boost enhances colors. OnePlus Nord 2 Smartphone OnePlus has said that the former is compatible with major apps like YouTube and Instagram. I tested it on a few videos with favorable results. There are general screen color temperature and profile options to fine-tune the display to your liking. Support for HDR10 and Widevine L1 allows Nord 2 to take advantage of HD quality video on the OTT platform for a more enjoyable experience.

While the AMOLED panel works as advertised in its ability to provide excellent viewing angles and deep blacks, I've found some complaints are slightly below acceptable brightness levels. Still, the 90Hz refresh rate works like a charm with a negligible stutter and makes the entire interface silky smooth. While 120Hz has become fairly common these days, users who shun 60Hz displays should be satisfied with the Nord 2's 90Hz screen capabilities.

Cameras

The 50MP Sony IMX 766 sensor found in the OnePlus 9 leads the Nord 2 in handling the primary photography on the device. The rest of the triple-camera layout includes an 8MP ultra-wide sensor and a 2MP mono lens for B&W photography. I didn't find the OnePlus 9's camera performance particularly pleasant, but it more than makes up for the device's price due to its photo-taking capability. On the Nord 2, image capturing is far superior in relation to its cost.

Daylight shooting is one of the Nord 2's biggest strengths and it shows just how well OnePlus' color science has fared over the years. With saturation kept to a minimum, the Nord 2 clicks realistic shots with clear white balance that combines with excellent dynamic range capabilities. Detailing is sharp and spread across the frame, unlike some other OEMs that keep the focus focused. While regular photos are pixel-bonded, you have the option of clicking detailed 50MP shots to further enhance your ability to zoom in on a single shot. However, this comes at the cost of taking up a lot of space on your phone.

Front Camera

I had a good experience with the phone's camera and the phone's display enhanced the final output. Focus speed is as fast as the phone's PDAF capabilities but I was longing for a faster shutter speed. The large size of the sensor created a shallow depth of field to provide a very natural bokeh in close-up shots. Edge detection is fine in normal portrait mode but activating it is a cumbersome task.

The Nord 2's ultra-wide camera falls below the main sensor in every aspect from detailing to dynamic range, but it manages a decent 119-degree field of view. OnePlus Nord 2 Smartphone Unlike the OnePlus 9, there are no macro capabilities on the sensor which would have been a nice addition. Instead, there's a monochrome lens that doesn't seem as useful in comparison. In fact, a B&W filter works even better on normal photos than the primary sensor.

Rear Camera

Night photography has been trending in OnePlus smartphones for some time now. This time the company has taken steps to rectify the situation. While shots in low light typically include a lot more detail and better exposure handling than I expected, without auxiliary lighting from a secondary source, the usual problems of noise and poor highlights creep in. Don't get me wrong, nighttime shots are pretty good sometimes, and AI computational algorithms already illuminate the viewfinder for a clear shot. Even so, the dedicated Night Mode can sometimes cause oversharpening and turn colors unnaturally high. OnePlus has on several occasions improved the low-light capability in its smartphones through software updates and I have no doubt that it will continue to improve on the Nord 2 as well.

The selfie camera on the front of the OnePlus Nord 2 houses a 32MP sensor and uses more sophisticated face detection and detail than the previous OnePlus devices. Clarify My Facial Features The new Dual View is a useful tool for video vloggers, allowing you to simultaneously record from the front and rear cameras. Night-time selfies are almost fine with AI enhancements, generally smoothing out a lot of the face. OnePlus Nord 2 Smartphone Portrait mode works quite well but only insufficient sunlight.

Performance and software

The Dimensity 1200 AI is the first time that OnePlus is separating from Qualcomm to use a MediaTek chipsetOnePlus Nord 2 Smartphone I can understand OnePlus' argument as the Taiwanese silicon maker usually offers more VFM options to its American counterpart. Already a part of the Realme X7 Max, the Dimension 1200 has been modified for the OnePlus Nord 2 with some AI enhancements. OnePlus Nord 2 Smartphone I compared the performance of the OnePlus Nord 2 to the X7 Max and Mi 11X and found that the benchmark numbers for the OnePlus Nord 2 are slightly lower than the X7 Max, even though the chipset used is almost identical.

OnePlus Nord 2 Smartphone However, benchmark numbers and real-life performance can sometimes differ. I found the Nord 2 to be an extremely capable device whether running heavy applications or intense Battlegrounds India (BGMI) gaming. It handles the stress quite well with multiple Chrome tabs and applications running in the background. There was never any instance of freezing or lag to disrupt performance. BGMI runs on the Extreme Frame Rate option with graphics capable of going up to UHD. There was a slight heating issue after about an hour of playing the game, but it didn't affect the frame rate in the slightest. The camera app works in conjunction with any other processor-internal function, with the kind of fluidity I've come to see in a premium OnePlus phone.

Software

In terms of storage options, the starting price of Rs 27,999 will get you 6GB LPDDR4X RAM and 128GB non-expandable UFS 3.1 internal storage, which I consider a fair deal. You can go up to 12GB + 256GB, but I think 8GB of RAM should be more than enough. There are other aspects of the device as well that are compelling. For example, the in-display fingerprint sensor never beats and offers lightning-fast authentication.

OnePlus has also included stereo speakers that sound good but aren't actually as loud and clear as the OnePlus 9. One less but really appreciable feature on the Nord 2 is the amazing haptic feedback which gives a more premium touch when interacting. with device. The OnePlus Nord 2 smartphone is, of course, part of the wave of devices that support 5G, although the current 4G capability on Jio's Noida network is pretty decent. The microphone and earpiece on the OnePlus Nord 2 smartphone device work as expected.

Extra

OnePlus Nord 2 Smartphone Let's also talking about the software for a moment as the Nord 2 is the first phone that has been launched after OnePlus announced a deep integration with Oppo's ColorOS.Nord 2 currently runs OxygenOS 11.3 UI which includes some elements of the ColorOS interface, most notably in the Camera app. Most of the UI elements are more or less the same as the previous OxygenOS versions and I sincerely hope that OnePlus will retain them for all future updates.

OxygenOS's minimalistic approach and theme customization are always appreciated, as is the lack of bloatware. The OnePlus Nord 2 smartphone OnePlus is extremely quick in providing software updates, so expect Android 12 to arrive on the Nord 2 Real soon. However, it remains to be seen to what extent ColorOS will be integrated on OnePlus devices going forward.

Battery

In terms of battery life, the 4,500mAh cell on the OnePlus Nord 2 covers most of my daily needs from a smartphone, which is about 20-25 percent left at the end of the day. OnePlus also has some neat battery-saving tricks in the Settings menu that take the usage even further. I got a BGMI of about 2-3 hours on max settings which reduced the battery to about 60 percent.

Still, the Warp Charge 65T technology accelerates the device from 0 to 100 in less than 30 minutes. The Nord 2 scored 13 hours and 38 minutes in PC Mark's Battery 3.0 test, which is the same for a phone with a 4,500mAh battery.

Final Verdict

I like that OnePlus is going ahead with the Nord 2. It's not just about getting a better software experience in the 5G or mid-range segment, which was a cornerstone of Nord earlier. This is a brief attempt to bring in better display, camera, and design elements to dominate the competition this time around.

The company has done a remarkable job in this regard and OnePlus fans are going to love the ease of use provided by the Nord 2. The competition for the device comes in the form of IQOO 7, Mi 11X, and X7 Max, each of which has something to offer. Or the second of them that outclasses Nord 2. However, in terms of overall functionality, I think the Nord 2 packs in more punch than each of its competitors.