Uhm, OnePlus has not only launched OnePlus Nord CE 5G as a sequel to last year OnePlus North? Just cheaper, but with all the basic features in place?
No, you do not remember wrong. We tested it even dropped his chin because it was almost as good as the original OnePlus Nord, but at a significantly cheaper price.
But the Chinese manufacturer is not on the lazy side, so of course OnePlus Nord has also got a “real” successor, OnePlus Nord 2, which the company has just launched as a real “flagship killer”.
The idea is that the mobile will be able to compete with significantly more expensive models in terms of most key features such as camera, screen and performance. The price is the same as for last year’s OnePlus Nord, which gives us some questions that this test should try to answer:
Is there any reason to spend extra money on OnePlus Nord 2, now that the cheaper OnePlus Nord CE 5G is at least as good as its predecessor?
And: Is Oneplus Nord 2 better than its predecessor? And in that case, it is also better than other smartphones in the same price range as for example Motorola Moto G100?
The answers to these questions – and much much more – can be read below.
The special OnePlus button – a small slider that switches between sound, vibration and silent mode is back on the right side of OnePlus Nord 2. (Photo: Peter Gotschalk)
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Appearance and construction
Even if you have to wear sharp glasses to see the physical differences between OnePlus Nord and the affordable OnePlus Nord CE, OnePlus Nord 2 actually has a lot in common with the top model OnePlus 9 Pro.
The camera module is thus rectangular and is located at the top left as seen from behind when the mobile is lying with the screen down. The frame is exactly cut in hard space, just like on the 9 Pro, the on / off button and the special OnePlus button is a small slider that switches between sound, vibration and quiet mode on the right side. While adjusting the volume with the button on the opposite side.
The dedicated OnePlus button is loose with its absence on the OnePlus Nord CE 5G, so it’s nice to see it’s back now.
Otherwise, the mobile phone is of course both light and robust, in terms of design, they have also honed the details a bit. For example, the camera module seems large at first glance, but it still protrudes so little from the body that the phone practically does not tilt when lying on a table.
In terms of design, the OnePlus Nord 2 (left) has the most in common with the top model OnePlus 9 Pro (right). Not least the camera module, which on both models is rectangular and is located at the top left as seen from behind. (Photo: Peter Gotschalk)
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Screen and sound
Just like its predecessor (and OnePlus Nord CE 5G), OnePlus Nord 2 comes with AMOLED screen in FHD + resolution, and has both HDR10 + and the same 90 Hz refresh rate as last year’s flagship e.g. OnePlus 7 Pro.
The screen resolution is actually Full HD, but since the screen is designed in the somewhat special 20: 9 format, you get a little more pixels for the money. In general, you get one of the best and most comfortable screens on the market right now with OnePlus Nord 2. The brightness goes up to a full 1,110 nits, so at that point, OnePlus Nord 2 is clearly superior to its predecessor Motorola Moto G100, for which the screen’s weak brightness is its largest Achilles heel.
The phone also delivers excellent sound. The speech quality is okay and Nord 2 is by the way the first Nord model to have built-in stereo speakers, which makes the sound experience, if you play games or watch video without headphones, so much better. This is an almost in itself a reason to prefer Nord 2 over Nord C – as its predecessor from last year (and by the way also Motorola Moto G100) refrained from stereo sound.
OnePlus Nord 2 is available in two colors, namely Blue Haze and Gray Sierra. (Photo: OnePlus)
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Camera
OnePlus Nord 2 comes with a 50 Mp Sony IMX 766 camera sensor with optical image stabilization, in addition to 119.7 ° 8 Mp ultra-wide angle and a 2 Mp mono-lens, to create more sharpness in the images.
On the front of the phone we find a 32 Mp IMX 615 sensor, which is a special feature that supports autofocus on up to five faces. The dual front camera with extra widening angle that OnePlus introduced with the first Nord model, we have to say goodbye to.
OnePlus Nord 2 comes with a 50 Mp Sony IMX 766 camera sensor with optical image stabilization, in addition to 119.7 ° 8 Mp ultra-wide angle and a 2 Mp mono-lens. (Photo: Peter Gotschalk)
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Due to the current Covid recommendations, we have not tested the group selfie function. Although the front camera takes excellent selfies with a bokeh effect, it is a bit surprising that the dual front camera from the predecessor has been forced to go to the grave. It was a tailored feature for a young audience, for which TikTok and Snapchat are the most important apps in the mobile and therefore it came as a bit of a surprise that OnePlus has not kept the dual front camera now that OnePlus Nord 2 clearly wants to make itself popular with the slightly younger users.
Well, further, we do not have much negative to say about the camera. If we stop at the young and hip users for a moment, they will probably appreciate the feature called “Dual View Video” which allows you to record front and main camera video at once (see example below). It is perfect for the above mentioned in social media who increasingly place more emphasis on video than on photos.
As with most other camera features, the OnePlus Nord 2 lives up to its promise. The phone thus takes sharp and very dynamic images – not least thanks to the above-mentioned monolensis and the built-in optical image stabilization that Nord CE had to do without – which will be good regardless of whether you use the primary lens or ultra-wide angle.
The phone takes sharp and very dynamic pictures – not least thanks to the mono lens and the built-in optical image stabilization. And even with digital zoom, images stay sharp as long as you do not overdo it and stay below 5x zoom. (Photo: Peter Gotschalk)
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Even if you have to settle for digital zoom, the images stay sharp as long as you do not overdo it and stay below 5x zoom if you want to be close to the subject. And also the mobile’s night setting gives a good result. Summa summarum delivers the camera more than you would normally expect for the price.
However, it is a bit of a mystery to us why you can also choose ultra-wide-angle lenses in the dedicated night mode this year, as the function only works with the primary lens, while poorly lit ultra-wide-angle images remain dark as a carbon cellar. We pointed out the exact same thing in our test of the first OnePlus Nord, but apparently no one at the Chinese manufacturer has read it.
OnePlus Nord 2 can do without the predecessor’s dual front camera, but with good selfies with a bokeh effect, the phone can still deliver. (Photo: Peter Gotschalk)
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Performance and features
There was a special reason why we were happy to test the OnePlus Nord 2, and it’s below the screen. The mobile is OnePlus’ first without a Snapdragon processor from Qualcomm. Instead, the phone is equipped with the so-called Dimensity 1200-AI processor from the company MediaTek.
MediaTek originates from Taiwan, and the company’s processors are most often found in budget-class mobiles, e.g. Nokia 2.4 and Samsung Galaxy A32, both of which cost less than SEK 2,000.
In other words, it was a legitimate question whether the OnePlus Nord 2 could perform at the same level as other mobiles in the price range or for that matter its own predecessor that came with a Snapdragon 765G processor under the hood – because one could fear that OnePlus had primarily chosen collaboration with MediaTek to save money at the expense of the feature.
Fortunately, the MediaTek processor and OnePlus Nord 2 put all our doubts to shame. OnePlus itself has compared the Dimensity 1200-AI with the Snapdragon 870, which happens to be in the Motorola Moto G100, and this is very much in line with the results from our benchmark tests, where OnePlus Nord 2 is largely on a par with the Chinese competitor. And thus also significantly better than its predecessor and OnePlus Nord CE 5G.
Even in everyday use, we get to lift the hat for OnePlus Nord 2. Heavy apps run completely smoothly and without interruption, and the phone does not get hot or lose its breath along the way. Sure, the OnePlus Nord 2 does not have wireless charging, but the battery lasts for almost nine hours in our stress tests and at the same time the phone comes with the same super-fast 65W charging technology as the much more expensive OnePlus 9 Pro. This means that OnePlus Nord 2 can be charged from 0 to 100% in about 30 minutes, which is unusual for a mobile in this price range.
The mobile’s night setting gives a good result. However, the function only works with the primary lens while poorly lit images taken at ultra-wide angle remain dark as a carbon cellar. (Photo: Peter Gotschalk)
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Conclusion
Let’s end with the questions from the introduction: Yes, the OnePlus Nord 2 is better than its predecessor. It has higher performance, built-in stereo speakers, larger battery and very fast charging. The only downside is the lack of dual front camera. Well, you can not get everything in this world.
And yes, it is also worth the money compared to the OnePlus Nord CE 5G. The price difference is exactly SEK 1,000, and for that money you get significantly better performance, better camera, faster charging, stereo sound and the iconic OnePlus button that we missed when we tested the cheaper Nord CE model.
The question then is whether the Motorola Moto G100, which is even a few hundred kroner cheaper, is a better choice than the OnePlus Nord 2. And to this we must answer that it depends a bit on what you prioritize.
In terms of raw performance, Motorola is far ahead of OnePlus. Not least when it comes to the battery that the Moto G100 is a full 5000 mAh and thus lasts even longer than the battery on the OnePlus Nord 2. In addition, the Moto G100 comes with a Samsung DeX-like Ready For platform, which allows the user to connect their Motorola mobile to TV, computer screen or laptop and here Oneplus can not compete.
The cameras on the two mobiles are about the same level, but the OnePlus Nord 2 has a significantly better screen than Motorola’s mobile, and the same applies to the sound experience. Since the OnePlus Nord 2 comes with the fastest charge we’ve seen so far in the price range, the Moto G100’s large battery is no longer the big advantage you might initially think.
We have already given the Motorola Moto G100 our special recommendation, but if the choice is directly between it and the OnePlus Nord 2, we would prefer the OnePlus Nord 2. Because here, the manufacturer has not promised too much. This is truly a “flagship killer”.
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