Details are well captured, even in
lighter and darker areas, and colours
are well balanced. Shutter speed is
fast too, and we’d have no qualms
about using the OnePlus Nord as our
everyday camera – it hasn’t let us
down yet in the time we’ve been
testing it. The ultra-wide lens is
helpful for fitting more in a scene, and
you get an ultra-wide mode around
the front too, with the 32MP+8MP
front-facing selfie cam (OnePlus says
this should put an end to the selfie
stick, but we’re not so sure).
Admittedly photo quality isn’t
quite up to the very best phones on
the market at the moment, especially
at night, though it’s closer than you
might think. This is one area where
it’s still worth investing some extra
money on a flagship if you want the
very best pictures and video – there’s
no telephoto lens here either, for
example, so no optical zoom. For
social media and casual use though,
the OnePlus Nord can more than hold
its own at this price point, and even in
challenging lighting you’ll most often
come away with something usable.
The OnePlus OxygenOS is the
software on board, running on top of
Android 10, and it’s been one of ourfavourite Android variants for a while
now. The visual styling is eye-
catching without being showy, the
additional settings that OxygenOS
adds (like lock screen customisations)
are thoughtfully done, and bloatware
is kept to a minimum (all the
traditional Google apps are present
and correct). A mention too for the
traditional OnePlus mute switch
that’s on the side of the phone, a
feature we wish that more
manufacturers would decide to adopt.
Unfortunately we can’t tell you
much about battery life, as we’ve had
a limited period with the Nord at theONEPLUS BUDS
These buds will get your Apple-using friends
raging. Not only do they (and their case) offer
30 hours of battery life, noise cancelling and
Dolby Atmos, they’re also cheap as chips,
costing a third of the price of the AirPods Pro.
£79, oneplus.comANKER POWERCORE 10000 PD
Going out without backup power is a recipe
for anxiety. But this powerpack has you
covered: its 10,000mAh battery will charge
the Nord more than twice over and do so
quickly, thanks to its 18W fast charging.
£31.99, anker.comONEPLUS NORD CREATOR CASE
OnePlus devices are big on personality and
that’s why it would be a shame to hide the
Nord away in a bland old case. Fortunately,
the brand has teamed up with artists and tech
moguls to produce these artsy cases.
£26.99, oneplus.com62 T3 AUGUST 2020
Te s te d
PRO ADD-ONS
Photo quality isn’t
quite up to the
standard of the
very best phones,
but it’s not far offSTAYING POWER
With a healthy battery
capacity of 4,115mAh,
the phone should last
over a day. And thanks
to its Warp Charge 30T,
it can rejuice up to 70%
in just half an hour.SMOKIN’ SCREEN
Not only is the Nord’s AMOLED
display very bright and clear for
its price, it’s blisteringly fast: a
refresh rate of 90Hz makes it
satisfyingly smooth.