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In 2015, fledgling brand OnePlus unveiled the OnePlus X, an affordable phone with mid-range specifications. It didn’t sell well.
Its fanatical and tech-savvy customers clamored for flagship specs, or at least that’s what OnePlus cofounder Carl Pei tells me. “I think back then, the OnePlus X didn’t really appeal to them,” he says. OnePlus hasn’t offered a phone with anything but the latest and most powerful processor since—the same chip you’ll find on competing flagship handsets. Until now.
The OnePlus Nord is the company’s newest smartphone. But it’s not just a flashy new name and a cool blue color; it’s the first OnePlus phone in half a decade that comes without the best Qualcomm processor of the year. Hot on the heels of its more expensive OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro phones, the company is selling a 399-euro phone (around $462) because it finally believes you can get all the power you need with a lower-tier chip.
Oh, and also because everyone is making cheaper phones. From Samsung and Google to even Apple. Who can afford a $1,000 device these days? This new emphasis on more affordable smartphones puts the Nord in a much better position to succeed than the original OnePlus X. It also helps that it’s a fantastic phone in almost every way.
The Omissions
First things first—the OnePlus Nord won’t be available in the US when it goes on sale starting August 4. Pei tells me a Nord-branded phone (not necessarily the same as this) is set to land on US shores later this year, so you don’t have to feel left out for too long.
The past two weeks with the Nord has further cemented the fact that most people shouldn’t really spend more than $500 on a phone. The Nord has almost everything you need. So let’s quickly get what’s missing out of the way.
First, there’s no headphone jack. That’s the most egregious offense, but it’s somewhat easy to work around with a cheap 3.5mm-to-USB-C adapter. Great wireless earbuds are also cheaper than ever, too. There’s also no MicroSD card slot, no wireless charging, and no IP-rated water resistance, though on the last point OnePlus says the phone can withstand spl