OnePlus’ Nord sequence has been nailing the midrange smartphone section since its debut with the unique Nord. The Nord 2 was arguably one of the vital profitable midrange gadgets of 2021. So I used to be wanting to see what OnePlus had in retailer for us this 12 months with the Nord 3. On first impressions, it doesn’t disappoint. But is it an enchancment over its predecessors, and the way does it examine to different smartphones within the midrange class? I’ll attempt to reply all this and extra alongside the professionals and cons on this OnePlus Nord 3 5G overview.
OnePlus Nord 3 Review
The OnePlus Nord 3, launched alongside the Nord Buds 2r (overview), is available in two configurations, i.e., 8 GB RAM paired with 128 GB storage, retailing at INR 33,999, and 16 GB RAM paired with 256 GB storage, retailing at INR 37,999 right here in India. There are two shade choices, Misty Green and Tempest Gray. The system I’ll overview on this article is the 16 GB RAM variant in Tempest Gray.
Box Contents
Before starting with the overview, let’s take a look at all the pieces you get contained in the field of the OnePlus Nord 3.
- OnePlus Nord 3 smartphone
- Rubber Phone Case
- Pre-applied display screen protector
- 80 Watt SUPERVOOC Charger
- USB-A to USB-C cable
- SIM ejector instrument
- Quick Guide
- Red Cable Club Membership card
- OnePlus Nord stickers
OnePlus Nord 3: Build and Design
To begin, allow us to go over the bodily attributes of the OnePlus Nord 3. The first apparent factor you’ll discover concerning the system is that it seems extra refined in comparison with its earlier iterations.
The cellphone itself is 8.15 mm thick, and it’s protected by the Dragontrail glass overlaying the entrance, whereas Gorilla Glass 5 protects the again. Depending on the colour variant, the again will likely be textured or shiny. Even although the cellphone weighs 193.5 grams, the distribution is finished so effectively that it doesn’t really feel heavy and is comfy to carry.
As for defense in opposition to mud and water, the Nord 3 has an IP54 score, which ought to be ample for mild rainfall.
At the highest of the cellphone, you could find the secondary speaker grill, an IR blaster, and a secondary mic. Since I exploit the IR blaster on my Xiaomi cellphone to manage gadgets round my home, having this function on a OnePlus cellphone was a nice shock.
The backside homes the first speaker grill, USB Type C charging port, the first mic, and the SIM tray. You can insert two SIM playing cards at a time, however there isn’t a room for SD card growth.
You get the ability button and alert slider on the cellphone’s proper aspect. With the aluminum development, each really feel nice to make use of. The quantity buttons are situated on the left aspect.
At the again, you could find the first 50 MP digicam on the highest, and the 8 MP ultra-wide and a couple of MP macro digicam encapsulated in a single module beneath it. Both modules are accompanied by flash and ambient mild sensors. The again is barely textured and elegantly curves into the flat sides of the cellphone.
I do have combined emotions concerning the construct and design of the Nord 3. On one hand, the cellphone feels dense once you maintain it, giving it a premium enchantment. Nothing flexes or bends or feels low-cost. The clicky energy button and the steel alert slider add to this aesthetic. And the rounded corners on all sides assist to maintain the cellphone manageable even with a big show.
On the opposite hand, I’m not a fan of the rear digicam module. It is identical design we noticed on the cheaper Nord CE 3 Lite. It looks like OnePlus is attempting to create a distinction between the Number sequence and the Nord sequence. Overall, Nord 3 has a superb design should you can look previous the digicam array.
OnePlus Nord 3: Display
The show of the OnePlus Nord 3 is considered one of its most engaging features. It is a flat 1.5k AMOLED show with a decision of 2772 x 1240 stretched throughout 6.74 inches. The bezels are saved to a minimal and are uniform from all sides. The display screen can be house to the in-display fingerprint scanner.
It seems like OnePlus heard its customers this time and went all out with the show, as these specs are an identical to the costlier OnePlus 11R (overview). Even the refresh price has obtained a bump of as much as 120Hz in comparison with the 90Hz on the Nord 2T. But there isn’t a DC dimming out there right here. On some apps, the refresh price routinely switches to 60Hz even when locked at 120Hz. Hopefully, this stuff get fastened quickly with software program updates.
The show additionally helps all the trendy requirements that one might ask for, like HDR 10+ assist in fashionable streaming providers and 10 Bit shade depth. It covers 100% DCI-P3 and sRGB Color Gamut. All this ends in a fantastic, vibrant, and detail-rich viewing expertise. No matter the kind of content material you’re viewing, you’ll totally get pleasure from it on this show.
I additionally didn’t face any points with the viewing angles of the cellphone. As for brightness, the Nord 3 can attain a peak brightness of 1400 nits. But how does that translate to real-world utilization? Even on scorching sunny days in Delhi, I had no points viewing the show outdoor.
OnePlus lastly managed to ship among the best shows we now have seen on the Nord sequence but. I couldn’t get sufficient of viewing my favourite exhibits and films on this system, even going again to observe some good previous colourful Bollywood motion pictures to see how good they give the impression of being on the show of this system.
Though I want to add that it’s best to use the cellphone in Brilliant or Natural mode if you don’t like saturated colours. The placement of the fingerprint scanner is also increased as it’s important to regulate the cellphone each time you wish to unlock it.
OnePlus Nord 3: Sound and Haptics
A cellphone’s show is one a part of the equation; the opposite is the sound, so let’s discuss concerning the audio high quality of the OnePlus Nord 3. It comes with twin stereo audio system, which has change into the norm for many smartphones.
They provide ample loudness, which ought to suffice most of your listening wants. I loved that no matter style of music I used to be listening to, I might crank up the amount to the max and never face any distortions. But bass-heavy songs should not its sturdy factors, as I missed that punchy, oomph feeling within the sound from the audio system.
The twin audio system of the Nord 3 are additionally Dirac-certified and include Dolby Atmos. So you possibly can choose between totally different sound profiles to get a extra immersive audio expertise.
You should join a Bluetooth headphone to benefit from that. Do word that there isn’t a headphone jack on this system. As for the haptics and vibrations, you get the O haptics that makes use of the X-axis linear vibration motor to supply tight, exact, and good vibration suggestions.
These vibrations are fairly properly built-in with the animations in Oxygen OS. I want extra manufacturers carried out haptics like this.
OnePlus Nord 3: Performance
The Mediatek Dimensity 9000 processor powers the OnePlus Nord 3. This is an octa-core processor with a most frequency of 3.05GHz. The chipset relies on a 4-nanometer structure, which can be fairly vitality environment friendly. It is coupled with 8 or 16 GB of the most recent LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 3.1 storage.
All of this jargon signifies that the efficiency of Nord 3 is top-notch and will sustain with no matter intensive job you resolve to throw at it. To study extra, allow us to take a look at how effectively it performs in benchmark and gaming.
Benchmarks
Benchmarks should not a great illustration of the system’s real-world efficiency, however they might help us perceive how effectively the system can carry out if pushed to its excessive. So listed here are the benchmark outcomes of the OnePlus Nord 3:
- CPU Throttling and Heating Results: The CPU throttling check helps to measure how a lot the CPU suffers in efficiency beneath steady stress. We ran the CPU throttling check twice on Nord 3, and efficiency did not dip beneath 80%. This exhibits the steadiness of the processor.
Though issues take a flip once you allow the High-Performance Mode from battery settings, turning it on boosts the system’s efficiency, and the steadiness goes right down to 60%.
- Geekbench: Geekbench measures the single-core and multi-core rating of the CPU. In Geekbench, the Dimensity 9000 gained a 1018 rating in Single core and 3200 in multi-core, which places it on par with Snapdragon 888+. It additionally scored a decent 5805 in GPU rating.
- Antutu 3D Benchmark: Antutu supplies an general efficiency rating measuring the CPU, GPU, RAM, and storage. In Antutu, Nord 3 scored 854855 in normal mode and 961698 with the High-Performance mode enabled. This is a large efficiency soar over the past 12 months’s Nord 2T.
Gaming Results
Regarding gaming, the OnePlus Nord 3 might simply deal with any sport on excessive settings with a excessive body price. The cellphone has a contact sampling price of 1000Hz, and OnePlus has additionally added improved haptic assist for PUBG, Fortnite, and League of Legends.
I attempted video games like PUBG: New State, the place you would crank the FPS as much as 90. However, the efficiency stayed between 85 to 89 FPS through the gameplay.
If you’re into BGMI, there isn’t a assist for 60FPS, however you possibly can benefit from the sport at 60FPS with HDR visible settings.
As for racing video games like Asphalt 9, the system helps the 60FPS possibility, and basically, the gameplay was easy. The cellphone didn’t stutter, even throughout extended classes.
Heavy video games like Genshin Impact had been additionally a breeze on the Nord 3. But you possibly can really feel the cellphone warmth after a brief interval, given how hectic the sport may be on the system. To battle the heating state of affairs, vapor chamber cooling prevents the cellphone from overheating.
Everyday Usage
I did not face any points utilizing the Nord 3 basically on a regular basis use. The system simply flies previous animations, scrolling by social media apps, or switching to different duties. The reminiscence was additionally in a position to hold most apps open within the background. If you’re a informal person, you should not have any complaints concerning the efficiency of the OnePlus Nord 3.
OnePlus Nord 3: Software Experience
Coming to the software program, OnePlus Nord 3 5G ships with Oxygen OS 13.1 primarily based on prime of Android 13. This seems and feels much like the ColorOS you’ll discover on OPPO gadgets which I’m not a fan of. But OxygenOS lovers will nonetheless discover many customization choices within the UI, like the flexibility to alter icons and edit their names.
The software program expertise is pleasant as all the pieces feels snappy, app opening occasions are quick, and animations give the interface a energetic contact. There can be no pointless bloatware and junk apps apart from a number of issues like a local web browser.
I observed new additions on this cellphone: the improved Zen Space and O Relax, which play stress-free sounds that can assist you… loosen up, in fact. Given OnePlus focuses on a youthful crowd, these options may be fairly helpful for them.
OnePlus has promised that this cellphone will obtain three main Android updates and as much as 4 years of safety patches. This signifies that this cellphone will go as much as Android 16. It has additionally obtained a TUV SUD A score, that means the cellphone ought to sustain with its fluid efficiency for not less than the following two years.
If you aren’t bothered by the UI pores and skin, it’s best to have a nice expertise with the Oxygen OS on the OnePlus Nord 3. Even if you don’t like the brand new look, I’d suggest attempting it, as you could come round and begin liking it.
OnePlus Nord 3: Camera Review
OnePlus Nord 3 boasts a triple digicam setup on the again. It consists of a major 50-megapixel digicam Sony IMX 890 sensor with Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS), an 8-megapixel ultra-wide lens, and a 2-megapixel macro lens. At the entrance, you can find a 16-megapixel selfie digicam. The major lens can report as much as 4k movies at 60fps, whereas the ultra-wide and selfie digicam can report as much as 1080p.
As for the digicam efficiency, the first digicam is spectacular in all eventualities. The 50 MP lens, which is identical because the OnePlus 11 (overview), captures good photographs in well-lit or daylight conditions and captures an honest stage of element. It handles publicity effectively sufficient in most photographs.
Even at 2x zoom, you possibly can spot good particulars within the footage. The digicam can zoom as much as 20x, however the photos come out grainy at that time, and particulars are virtually non-existent.
Meanwhile, low-light photographs are charming, to say the least. You can see within the photos beneath how effectively the IMX 890 sensor on the Nord 3 can seize the bustling streets of Connaught Place.
Though some photographs may be grainy at evening, the digicam handles itself effectively sufficient. However, I’d recommend taking part in round with publicity in nighttime conditions.
The AI mode generally is a hit or a miss, as it may possibly aid you get good photographs in sure eventualities, enhance the saturation, and muddle up the image in others.
Portrait mode photographs are additionally good; nevertheless, one concern I discovered was that the viewfinder would present a sure portion of the topic to be out of focus, however the post-processing appears to repair it. So the ultimate picture seems to look acceptable.
Coming to the 8 MP ultrawide, effectively… it’s acceptable, is what I can say about it. If supplied with sufficient mild, it takes some good photographs at evening. The post-processing once more jumps to repair the picture, so the picture seems good.
The 2 MP macro lens provides you with a tough time specializing in the topic. Taking a few of the photographs I’ve hooked up beneath took me some time.
I’d have most popular if OnePlus opted for a 13 MP ultrawide lens by utterly skipping on the macro. But I recommend utilizing the first lens in case you are into taking macro photographs.
The 16 MP selfie digicam can take good photographs through the day and at evening. It does apply some magnificence filters to easy out the face, so you’ll have to disable it to get natural-looking selfies.
The portrait photographs with the selfie digicam additionally come out wanting nice. Since the Nord 2, I’ve observed that OnePlus has upped their portrait sport, particularly with the selfie digicam, which can be obvious right here. But the viewfinder concern I discussed above can be current for the selfie digicam.
In the digicam division, the Nord 3 does accomplish rather a lot, particularly because of its major shooter. It is commendable that OnePlus selected this lens as an alternative of one other sensor. You will get pleasure from taking photographs with the OnePlus Nord 3 and should not have any points capturing some amazing-looking photographs.
OnePlus Nord 3: Connectivity
OnePlus Nord 3 is a 5G system that helps 8 5G bands. I used the cellphone with my Jio SIM, tried out connectivity, and confronted zero issues. I might obtain good 5G speeds upwards of 700 Mbps. The name high quality was additionally enough, and the opposite individual had no points listening to my voice.
The cellphone additionally helps the most recent WiFi 6/6E and Bluetooth 5.3 requirements. The offered port for charging helps USB 2.0 and the IR blaster that can be utilized to manage the TV, set-top field, soundbars, AC, and different gadgets.
OnePlus Nord 3: Battery and Charging
The 5000 mAh battery within the Nord 3 is a much-needed improve from the 4500 mAh battery we noticed in Nord 2. This, alongside the 4-nanometer Dimensity 8000 processor, provides a adequate battery life that ought to final you all through the day. As somebody who consumes a variety of on-line content material, continuously checks social media, and performs Asphalt 9, Nord 3 managed about 25% battery by the tip of my day.
And relating to charging, I might rapidly prime up the system with the offered 80 Watt SUPERVOOC charger. I might cost it as much as 50% in beneath 20 minutes, and it took 41 minutes to cost the cellphone to 100%.
OnePlus Nord 3: Pros and Cons
Now that we now have taken an entire overview of the system in numerous features allow us to talk about its execs and cons.
Reasons to Buy
- Eye-catching bezel-less 1.5k show
- Great Haptic suggestions
- Major efficiency enhance
- The 50 MP, Sony IMX890 sensor, makes it a worthy possibility for a digicam cellphone
- Supports all the most recent connectivity requirements
- 80W charger is quick at refilling the system
Reasons Not to Buy
- AI mode is a success or a miss relying on the state of affairs
- The viewfinder in Portrait mode fails to concentrate on the topic correctly
- The digicam array on the again doesn’t look good
- Throttling points in High-Performance mode
- The twin speaker output is flat
OnePlus Nord 3 Review: Final Verdict
As somebody who has used the OnePlus Nord 2 for the higher a part of a 12 months, I can say that the Nord 3 is a step in the precise path. You can see that OnePlus has listened to the followers and their complaints over the 12 months. Not solely I noticed a soar in efficiency, but in addition battery life, digicam, and show.
After utilizing the system, I can say that although it doesn’t appeal to me like Nord 2 did with its design, it impresses by way of different components. The mid-range smartphone class is getting fairly aggressive and, actually, cluttered. But I’m joyful that OnePlus Nord 3 stands out from the remaining.
Although it has shortcomings, it’s an allrounder system; you possibly can nonetheless respect the place the hassle went into it. My favourite issues concerning the Nord 3 are its show, digicam, and battery life, precisely in that order. Hopefully, we are going to see extra such telephones from OnePlus sooner or later when it refuses to settle.
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