The original OnePlus Nord was the company's attempt at making the signature OnePlus experience available at a lower price to make it more accessible to the masses. As it turns out, people really liked the Nord. It became one of the most successful smartphones from OnePlus in several regions, in sharp contrast to the unlucky OnePlus X. It comes as no surprise then that OnePlus is now ready for round two. Meet the new OnePlus Nord 2 5G, the company's latest attempt at making the signature OnePlus experience more accessible, launched today alongside the OnePlus Buds Pro.

OnePlus Nord 2 XDA Forums

OnePlus Nord 2: Specifications

Region	Bands
India	GSM: 850, 900, 1800, 1900 WCDMA: B1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 19 LTE: B1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 34, 38, 40, 41 NR NSA: N41, 78, 40, 79 NR SA: N41, 78, 28A 1, 3, 79, 40
Europe	GSM: 850, 900, 1800, 1900 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, 3, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 41, 78 NR SA: N1, 3, 7, 20, 28, 78, 41, 8

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The OnePlus Nord 2 is the true successor to the original Nord and will co-exist alongside the recently launched OnePlus Nord CE 5G. The Nord CE had a bit of a confused placement alongside the original Nord, but now since the original Nord has given way to the Nord 2, OnePlus's mid-range lineup for 2021 is much clearer. In the regions where it is sold, the Nord CE starts off the OnePlus lineup followed by Nord 2, and then come the OnePlus 9R, OnePlus 9, and OnePlus 9 Pro. The introduction of the OnePlus Nord 2 does give some existential crisis to the OnePlus 9R and OnePlus 9, as it brings along several features that were key selling points of these two.

There are several highlights to the OnePlus Nord 2. The biggest is perhaps the shift to a MediaTek processor, marking it as the first device from the company to pack in an SoC other than one from Qualcomm. The MediaTek Dimensity 1200 is a flagship-grade SoC, and it slots in close to the Snapdragon 870 in terms of overall performance. This pushes the Nord 2 above the "mid-range" and into "flagship" territory.

OnePlus is also touting several AI-related optimizations on the Nord 2, done in close collaboration with MediaTek, allowing them to add "AI" branding to the Dimensity 1200 name. These features include AI Video Enhancement to improve brightness, color, and contrast of shot video content, AI Photo Enhancement for recognizing 22 different scenes and adjusting parameters accordingly, AI Color Boost that enhances the color and gradience of images and video content (on YouTube, VLC, MX Player Pro for now) and AI Resolution Boost which upscales low res content (on YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat for now) into HD resolution.

Another highlight is the use of the Sony IMX 766 sensor with OIS on the Nord 2. This 50MP sensor finds space on the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro as well in the ultra-wide camera with the freeform lens. OnePlus brings this sensor to the main camera on the Nord 2, minus the freeform ultrawide lens. The OnePlus 9 series was praised for offering a great ultra-wide camera experience, so the bar is set high for the OnePlus Nord 2 to deliver as well. On the back, there is also an 8MP ultrawide camera and a 2MP monochrome sensor. There's also a 32MP selfie camera, the highest MP count so far for the front camera on a OnePlus phone.

Continuing on the talking points, there's also 65W Warp Charge fast charging, promising a 0-100% charge in under 35 minutes for the 4500 mAh battery. We've experienced this on several devices so far, and it is mind-bogglingly quick to the point that charging your phone is no longer seen as a task. And thanks to software, the phone also adapts its charging routine at night to avoid spending too much time at 100% when overnight charging. You also get dual 5G SIM slots.

The build and display retain familiarity with the original Nord. The display is actually the same as the original Nord, meaning you get a 6.43" FHD+ AMOLED flat display with a 90Hz refresh rate. As for the build, you get a glass sandwich design with Gorilla Glass 5 on the front and back and a polycarbonate mid-frame. Much like the original, there's no headphone jack, nor is there any wireless charging. There is no IP rating either, but the device can withstand some light splashes.

The Nord 2 is pre-installed with OxygenOS 11.3. OxygenOS 11.3 features additional personalization, gestures, and gaming-friendly customizations such as the new OnePlus Games App. The OnePlus Nord 2 5G will receive two years of major Android updates and three years of security updates. Further, as we confirmed in our interaction with Oliver Zhang, the bootloader on the Nord 2 will be unlockable.

Pricing and Availability

The OnePlus Nord 2 5G will be available to pre-order starting today on OnePlus.com and Amazon, with shipments beginning on July 26. Open sales of the device begin on July 28.

Europe

Customers who pre-order from OnePlus.com can also get 10% off a Nord 2 phone case and screen protector as well as 50% off a pair of OnePlus Buds Z. Meanwhile, anyone who purchases OnePlus Nord 2 from OnePlus.com will also get access to a free Stadia Premiere Edition bundle, consisting of a Stadia Controller and a Google Chromecast Ultra. The phone will also be available to purchase from John Lewis, O2, and Three.

India

The OnePlus Nord 2 5G will be available for sale at OnePlus.in, Amazon.in, OnePlus Experience Stores,  Reliance Digital, Croma, Vijay Sales, Bajaj Electronics, Poorvika Mobiles, Sangeetha Mobiles, and other partner stores. The 8GB variant goes on sale for Red Cable Club members on July 26 via OnePlus.in. Users who purchase through OnePlus.in or the OnePlus store app will be eligible to receive the OnePlus Band or OnePlus Buds Z at ₹1,499 while the first 2000 to purchase on the OnePlus Store app will win a OnePlus handy fanny pack. Users can also avail ₹1,000 instant discount with HDFC credit cards.

The 8GB variant and the 12GB variants will go on open sale on July 28, 2021. However, the Green Woods variant and the 6GB variant will go on sale in August. OnePlus also mentions that the base 6GB variant will have limited stock.

Stay tuned for our review, currently in the works!

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