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Introduction
In 2020, OnePlus has turned a new magazine in the company’s history. With the recent departure of the company’s co-founder Carl Pei, a strategic shift is evident. OnePlus had suddenly expanded its portfolio with the announcement of the new Nord lineup. The original was quickly followed by a few other models, including the Nord N10 5G, which we have for review. It’s just one step below the North, and the N10 comes with a brand new Qualcomm chip – the Snapdragon 690 – it’s the first in the 600 series to support 5G.
However, the original North is not available in the United States. So there is a big price gap between the N10 5G and the OnePlus 8 5G in OnePlus’ North American portfolio. OnePlus is one of the only (somewhat) recognizable Chinese brands in the United States. A brand that already has a relationship with the two largest U.S. airlines. If the company can compete in the middle class, it may even be possible to make a mark in the budget telephone field in one of the world’s toughest smartphone markets.
OnePlus Nord N10 5G specifications:
- Body: 163 x 74.7 x 8.95 mm; 405 ppi; “Midnight Ice” iridescent plastic building
- Screen: 6.49 “IPS LCD screen; FHD + 1080 x 2400 px, 20: 9 aspect ratio; 405 ppi; 90Hz refresh rate; 16M colors sRGB; 2.5D Gorilla Glass 3
- Chipset: Qualcomm SM6350 Snapdragon 690; Octa-core (2×2.0 GHz Kryo 560 Gold & 6×1.7 GHz Kryo 560 Silver); X51 5G modem (sub-5GHz 5G network support); Adreno 619L
- Memory: 6 GB LPDDR4x RAM + 128 GB UFS 2.1 (can be expanded up to 512 GB via microSD card or 2nd SIM hybrid connector in EU variant)
- Rear cameras: 64MP (main) f / 1.7 aperture, 0.7 pixelsm pixels with AF + 8MP (ultra wide) f / 2.25 aperture, 119 degrees FOV + 2MP (macro) f / 2.4 aperture, 1.75 pixelsm pixels + 2MP (monochrome) f / 2.4 aperture, 1.75 pixelsm pixels; LED flash; support for RAW images with main camera
- Front camera: 16MP, f / 2.05 aperture, 1 pixelsm pixels
- Video recording: Bag: 4K @ 30fps, 1080p @ 120fps, 720p @ 240fps, 4K timelapse; In front of: 1080p @ 60 fps
- Battery and charging: 4300 mAh; supports OnePlus Warp Charge 30T (5V @ 6A)
- Various: Rear-mounted fingerprint scanner; NFC; Bluetooth 5.1; 3.5 mm headphone jack;
OnePlus also aims to release the Nord N10 5G in the US, and it will have to compete with Samsung, LG and Motorola’s budget phones – brands that dominate the prepaid segment. The company’s launch of N10 5G in European markets is confusing given the heavy competition from other Chinese brands. In contrast, high value / low price smartphones from Xiaomi, vivo and Oppo are not available in the US.
OnePlus’ phones have always had a surprise element or feature that really made it stand out from the competition, but the Nord N10 5G does not feel that way at all; it feels like a run of the factory smartphone that is meant to fill a gap in the company’s fast growing portfolio. It is the opposite of the “Never Settle” ethic that the company has been so proud of.
The N10 5G’s main story takes place in the US, where OnePlus pushes 5G access to the sub- $ 400 mark. The current entry-level 5G phones are priced at $ 399, so let’s see if OnePlus has what it takes to steal a market share from LG, Samsung and Motorola.
Unboxing
We always praise OnePlus for its high-quality packaging on its flagships, but you won’t find that with Nord phones. The North lineup’s packaging is black and blue, and inside the box are the phone itself, the Warp Charge 30T charger and a pink USB-A to USB-C charger cable.
There is also a SIM ejector tool and some documentation. There was no clear freebie case that usually comes with other OnePlus phones. We also got a little bummed out there, there were no OnePlus stickers in the box.
Let us then take a closer look at the design of the N10 5G.
