OnePlus’ upcoming mid-range phone is called OnePlus Nord, and we now have more information on a few key features. In an interview with TechRadar, OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei revealed that the phone is powered by a Snapdragon 765G chipset. Even though the Snapdragon 765G isn’t a flagship-tier chipset, it has 5G connectivity.
Another differentiating factor could be the camera, with the Nord said to offer a “flagship-level” camera in the mid-range segment:
We’ve seen that (the) camera is probably the most used feature of a smartphone. It’s the number one use case, so if we wanted to create a great product, the camera had to be great.
With the OnePlus Nord we’re bringing a flagship-level camera to the mid-range price range, which I think consumers are going to be really excited by.
Of course, the Pixel 3a series is the phone to beat when it comes to mid-range cameras, and with the Pixel 4a on the horizon, it will be interesting to see if OnePlus is able to measure up to Google’s phones in this key regard. OnePlus made a lot of strides when it comes to the cameras this year, but the final image quality is still not on par with the best that Google and Samsung have to offer.
In that context, it will be interesting to see if OnePlus measures up in this area. The latest leaks point to the OnePlus Nord featuring a 64MP sensor at the back, so the comment about the flagship-level camera could just be in relation to the camera hardware itself. As we’ve seen over the years, it takes more than just a high-resolution sensor to deliver great photos, and we’ll have to wait and see how the OnePlus Nord fares against Google’s mid-range phones.
Pei also highlighted OxygenOS and attention to detail on the design front as being a differentiator for the OnePlus Nord. As for how much the OnePlus Nord will cost, OnePlus founder and CEO Pete Lau confirmed to the publication that the phone will debut at €500 ($560) in Europe. The phone is limited to Europe and India, and although OnePlus is kicking off a “highly limited” beta in North America, this particular model will not be debuting in the country.
The €500 figure is interesting, because that would put the OnePlus Nord above the iPhone SE 2020 (which sells for €450 in the region) and the upcoming Pixel 4a, which according to the latest leaks will come in at $350. That figure translates to ₹42,350 in India, which is more than what the base variant of the OnePlus 8 retails for in the country.
We should have more details on the OnePlus Nord shortly, but in the meantime, what do you think of the pricing?
