OnePlus on Wednesday (July 5) unveiled a new generation of mid-range phone - the Nord 3 5G - along with the Nord Core Edition 3 and Nord Buds 2R.
Now, I have the opportunity to try out the Nord 3 at a time when OnePlus has turned into a very different company, a far cry from its OnePlus 7 series days. I put the OnePlus Nord 3 through its paces to see if the brand still has what it needs.
Design, build quality, and Display
The first distinctive change we noticed in the latest Nord 3 as compared to its predecessor is the design language. The latter, which is set to launch in 2021, is expected to feature a sleekly curved body. While the new generation model features a flat-edged design with a solid frame around the corners and a flush display.
On the back, the Nord 3 has two large camera module islands, on the top is the main 50MP sensor, and on the bottom, it houses two camera sensors. There are two vertically aligned LEDs to give flash support for taking good pictures at night (more details are given below in the photography section). The rest of the body is covered with glass and only the company logo is engraved in the middle.
Holding it in hand, you can immediately feel the solid build quality of the Nord 3. It is very sturdy and also provides good grip to hold the device.
Also, the device is well protected from the problems of daily wear and tear. On the front, the company has included a Dragontail glass shield, and on top of that, the company puts additional screen guard, which ensures full protection against scratches from small objects like coins or keys in the pocket.
At the back, the device is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5. Furthermore, the OnePlus Nord 3 comes with an IP54 rating, which means it can survive accidental splashes of water. Very few phones in this price segment have such protection.
The OnePlus Nord 3 retains the trademark alert slider on top of the power button on the right side. It also provides a handy shortcut to switch between Ringing, Silent and Vibrate modes.
On the left, you'll find the volume rocker and at the base, there's a mic, a SIM tray, a Type-C port, and a speaker, which delivers decent stereo audio output.
When the volume is maxed out it can really fill a room with loud and clear music with little distortion.
At the top, there's a mic and an IR (infrared) blaster, which lets owners use the OnePlus Nord 3 as a remote control and mic.
The back of the OnePlus Nord 3 Misty Green model has a glossy smooth texture: unfortunately, it doesn't do well in terms of repelling fingerprints: the advantage is that fingerprints and dust are not easily visible from a distance. You will be able to see them only if you look closely.
I recommend using the soft color-matching silicone cover that comes with the company's retail box: it not only protects the device from accidental drops, but also keeps the phone clean:
OnePlus also offers the Nord 3 in a most attractive gray color, and it says it looks good too: and it does a really good job of repelling fingerprint smudges:
As for the display, it features a 6.74-inch Super Fluid AMOLED display: It comes with 450 PPI pixel density (pixels per inch) and supports 40Hz-120Hz dynamic refresh rate to provide better viewing experience:
The bezels around the display are flat and thin, and the tiny camera at the top doesn't obstruct viewing of any multimedia content: it has a screen-to-body ratio of 93.5 percent:
The display quality is absolutely top notch: It's bright, and the colors of the movies are vibrant and rich, making content viewing a pleasure: You can truly feel the immersive experience of watching nature documentaries: It's HDR10+ format, HDR Supports Netflix and Amazon Prime Video applications:
It supports 1000Hz shock response speed, which helps in providing better gaming experience:
It comes with an in-screen fingerprint sensor and works well, as long as the fingerprint is dry and clean: it also supports passcode, fingerprint lock and face-based unlock functions, but it's exclusively for the iPhone. But there's no equivalent of FaceID in the darkness.
A gaming phone? Yes and no
If you spend time on tech Twitter, you must have seen some people commenting on MediaTek chips. I stayed away from the discussion as I have not used MediaTek phones till now. But now I do: The OnePlus Nord 3 has a Dimensity 9000 processor, which is MediaTek's top-of-the-line chip, even though it's already been overtaken by the newer Dimensity 9200. Still, the Dimensity 9000 is a beast on paper, scoring over 800,000 on AnTuTu. And it looks like in real life too, with silky smooth scrolling and transitions across apps.
However, gaming is a different story. Although the phone doesn't really heat up, I could tell that some of my favorite mobile titles like CoD Mobile, Grid Autosport and CarX Street weren't well optimized for it, which means these games didn't run at max graphics Walked, or worse. , display lag. It's a shame, because there's a lot of juice in the processor - when a game does a really good job with it, like Fortnite or PUBG Mobile, playing it on par with the latest Qualcomm flagships is a blast.
Everyday Usage
In general, I did not face any issues using the Nord 3 in everyday usage. The device smoothly transitions through animations, scrolls through social media apps, or switches to other tasks. The memory was also capable of keeping most apps open in the background. If you are a casual user, then you should not have any complaints about the performance of OnePlus Nord 3.
OnePlus Nord 3: Software Experience
Coming to the software, OnePlus Nord 3 5G ships with Oxygen OS 13.1 based on top of Android 13. This looks and feels similar to the ColorOS you would find on OPPO devices which I am not a fan of. But OxygenOS enthusiasts will still find many customization options in the UI, like the ability to change icons and edit their names.
Cemra
The OnePlus Nord 3 boasts 3 cameras (50MP+8MP+2MP) on its back, led by the Sony IMX890 sensor. I put this camera to the test and got mixed results.
As for the camera performance, the primary camera is impressive in all scenarios. The 50 MP lens, which is the same as the OnePlus 11 (review), captures good shots in well-lit or daylight situations and captures a decent level of detail. It handles exposure well enough in most shots.
However, the price is a bit picky. On one hand, you have phones like the Poco F5 and Moto Edge 40, which offer almost the same experience and performance for a few bucks less (Rs 30,000), but not quite the same. And on the other hand, you have an offering from the same manufacturer - the OnePlus 11R - an almost flagship beast with an arguably sleeker design that's selling for just Rs 5,000 more. Nevertheless, the OnePlus Nord 3 is still a great option for those who want a balanced phone that does everything well without breaking the bank.
Read also this