“The OnePlus Nord 5 is one of the most reliable mid-range smartphones out there.” It doesn’t want to be too bright or showy; instead, it wants to provide good performance, a long-lasting battery, a great display, and a surprisingly good camera experience.
“OnePlus has always been good at getting people excited about its Nord series. With each new version, the business finds a good balance between flagship features and price. But with the OnePlus Nord 5, it looks like the brand is getting closer to the top level.
How it looks
The OnePlus Nord 5 feels really sturdy right out of the box. It doesn’t go too far with bright colors or too many curves. The Marble Sands model has a matte coating that doesn’t show fingerprints and feels good in hand. The change in materials is one thing that stands out from the Nord 4. The Nord 4 has a metal frame, while the Nord 5 has a body that isn’t made of metal. It might look like a step down on paper, but in real life, it doesn’t take away from the phone’s high-end feel. The frame is still strong and well-made.
The back has a marble texture that creates a classy appearance, making it one of the best Nord designs recently. The marble texture adds a touch of interest without going overboard. It doesn’t scream for attention, but it does stand out next to other glossy backs.
The Nord 5 is a large phone. The screen is 6.83 inches broad, and the sides are flat, which can make it challenging to reach the buttons, especially if your hands are small. You often needed a second hand to accomplish things like alter the volume or take quick screenshots. However, its large size makes it difficult to fit into tight jeans or pockets. It never seems top-heavy since the weight is spread out evenly.
The custom button on the side is a small yet useful feature. You can assign it more than one job, such as opening apps or changing its role. The ability to quickly open the camera made it an excellent tool for spontaneous picture-taking. It’s one of those simple things that makes your life better without you ever knowing it.
The Audio-Visual Experience
The OnePlus Nord 5’s 6.83-inch Swift OLED display is definitely one of its best qualities. The display’s overall polish and quality, not just its amazing 1.5K resolution, set it apart. It has a refresh rate of 144 Hz, which makes everything look and feel very smooth and fluid without losing any color fidelity or sharpness. HDR content looks bright and colorful without being too much, so it doesn’t look too fake. The brightness can reach an astonishing 1400 nits, which makes it easy to see even in direct sunshine. The touch reaction is fast and accurate, and with Aqua Touch 2.0, the display stays sensitive even when it’s a little wet or humid. Everything seems clear and sharp, whether you’re looking at pictures or reading documents.
Audio and Connections
The stereo speakers on the OnePlus Nord 5 are powerful and clear, but the bass might be stronger. Still, the sound quality is good enough for watching videos and making calls. The call quality was clear, and the 5G connection stayed robust during all of the tests. The phone is ready for future wireless performance because it supports Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.4. It didn’t lose or slow down its connection when moving between multiple access sites, which was a pleasant surprise.
As expected, there is no headphone port, but OnePlus does offer a high-quality cover and a screen protector that is already on the phone. This is still a rare thing to find these days.
How it works
The Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset is the most powerful one ever used in a Nord, and it shows. This isn’t just a bump in the specs on paper. The phone feels speedy in all the right ways when you use it every day. Apps open right away, you can easily switch between tasks, and even demanding games like Genshin Impact and PUBG Mobile perform nicely on high settings. Geekbench gave it a score of 1976 for single-core and 4977 for multi-core. AnTuTu gave it a score of 1,456,641, which is just a little bit lower than the advertised peak.
But what truly counts is how well it works in the heat and how long it lasts. The method for cooling works nicely. The phone gets hot when you use it, but not too hot. It didn’t slow down or throttle even when the camera was used and games were played for a long time. This one doesn’t feel like it’s struggling to catch up like earlier Nord phones do. It leads.
OnePlus has always been excellent at making software, and OxygenOS 15, which is based on Android 15, is no different. It’s quick, tidy, and doesn’t have any extra stuff. The new AI functions aren’t very loud, but they’re there when you need them. VoiceScribe is excellent for recording and summarizing voice notes, and AI Search genuinely does help you identify files or hidden settings using natural language.
One thing that shocked you is Plus Mind, which quietly saves and organizes screenshots and other content, especially when you have to keep track of work notes and picture references at the same time. Open Canvas is unique in this price category since it has floating windows and a split screen that let you perform more than one thing at a time.
How long does the battery last?
The OnePlus Nord 5 has a huge 6800 mAh battery, and it’s not an exaggeration to suggest that it lasts for two days with moderate use. You never worried about the battery life, even when you used the camera a lot, had GPS running in the background, and spent a lot of time on the screen. That peace of mind is important.
Charging is just as spectacular. The 80W SUPERVOOC charger that comes with the phone can charge it from 0 to 100 in less than an hour. There is also a Bypass Charging mode that sends power directly to the system while you play.
How excellent are the cameras?
The OnePlus Nord 5 truly exceeded your expectations in this regard. The main camera has a 50MP Sony LYT-700 sensor that doesn’t only seem excellent on paper; it works well all the time. During the day, pictures are clear, with well-controlled highlights and a decent dynamic range. You can drive the Nord 5 right after it rains again. A vivid orange lily against thick green leaves really stood out in one picture. The tonal balance, the intricacy in the petals, and the short depth of field all worked together to make a lovely natural bokeh. These factors resulted in a clear picture without any artificial overprocessing.
The OnePlus Nord 5 did a fantastic job of capturing the subtle textures and water droplets in another close-up of white blossoms with dew on them hidden between blades of grass. The sensor works well in situations with a lot of detail and not much contrast, which speaks a lot about how well it is tuned. The triple-axis OIS keeps noise down and focus steady, even in low light.
The 8MP ultra-wide camera, on the other hand, seems a little behind. It works well for taking pictures of landscapes or groups, but the edges start to lose detail. The color consistency with the main sensor isn’t outstanding either. That said, it’s decent enough for casual shooting or posting on social media.
The 50MP selfie camera on the front is another excellent feature. Autofocus is a significant deal here. Even when there is backlighting or uneven indoor lighting, selfies come out nicely exposed and detailed. A camera that can record 4K at 60 frames per second is uncommon at this price range. This capability is ideal for vloggers or video conversations.
The AI modification tools that come with the program are useful but not obvious. Features like Detail Boost and Unblur helped make images that were a little fuzzy look better without changing how they looked in real life. The Reframe tool is also helpful because it lets you change the crop or angle a little after you’ve taken the picture. This feature came in handy when I took a picture of a large sculpture indoors and realized that the composition required a little work.
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