OnePlus Nord now supports Google AR Core

XDA

By Aamir Siddiqui

Published Sep 2, 2020

The OnePlus Nord now supports Google AR Core, enabling key AR functionality on the device with the blessings of both OnePlus and Google.

The OnePlus Nord was announced in July 2020 with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G SoC, 90Hz display, and a quad rear camera setup at an exciting starting price of ₹24,999/€399. The phone has made its way into the hands of reviewers and users alike, and the reception for the smartphone has largely been positive so far. OnePlus has also been updating the device frequently to improve upon the complaint points of early adopters. Now, the OnePlus Nord has gained support for Google AR Core.

Google Play Services for AR is automatically pushed to new devices once Google whitelists them. For the OnePlus Nord, Google has not yet whitelisted the device as an "ARCore Supported Device", but we reckon that this will happen shortly. Users report that they can now update the Google Play Services for AR app through the Play Store (the app already exists on the phone as a stub APK). We tried it out on our unit and can confirm that the app can be updated without an issue, and doing so enables normal AR functioning.

The whitelisting mechanism ensures that only devices with sensors that have properly calibrated by the OEM and Google for an optimal augmented reality experience can download and use ARCore-enabled apps. The OnePlus Nord hasn't been added to the list just yet, but it has been whitelisted -- so just the formality of adding it to the list remains.

OnePlus Nord Review: Great Performance at a Great Price XDA Forums

The OnePlus Nord already has a few key milestones under its belt. It’s a certified YouTube Signature Device, and is also expected to be Android Enterprise Recommended soon. Kernel sources for the phone are already available, which in turn has helped with third-party development efforts such as TWRP, Pixel Experience, and LineageOS 17.1. Of course, you can also easily root the phone with Magisk, and if you do end up with a brick somehow, unbricking and fixing your phone is fairly easy with the MSMDownloadTool. If you don’t have the phone yet and just want to use the static and live wallpapers on your existing device, we got you covered there as well. And now, you can use it with AR Core too.

Thanks to XDA Senior Member Some_Random_Username for the tip!