The OnePlus Nord 3 is official. The device keeps the promises of the Nord series and offers a premium experience at a reasonable price that is even better than the previous generations.

OnePlus officially introduced the Nord 3 today. The Nord series, which debuted in 2020, is now in its third generation (last year OnePlus released the Nord 2T). Nothing has changed in the range of Nord devices. OnePlus wants to offer specs previously reserved only for premium devices at a competitive price. The Nord 3 fully delivers on that promise on paper.

With a screen diagonal of 6.74 inches, the OnePlus Nord 3 is quite an oversized smartphone. The thin bezels of less than 2mm on the sides give the device a body-to-screen ratio of 93.5 percent. There can be no talk of a plastic housing, OnePlus relies on Gorilla Glass 5 to protect the smartphone. And for those who are wondering: the alarm slider is there.

High quality specifications

The AMOLED screen can offer nice specifications. The display hides 2772 x 1240 pixels with a density of 445 ppi. OnePlus claims to have reached a peak brightness of 1450 nits in its lab. The screen brightness can be adjusted dynamically between 40 and 120 Hz. The manufacturer also boasts a 10-bit color depth, a DCI-P3 range of one hundred percent and HDR10+. You decide for yourself how important all these numbers are to you.

OnePlus once again opts for a MediaTek processor, more precisely for the Dimensity 9000 (4 nm). In the budget and mid-range segment, MediaTek can call itself a counterpart to Qualcomm and there is no need to worry about the smartphone’s performance. OnePlus states that the processor performance is 43 percent higher for the CPU and 58 percent higher for the GPU than the 2T.

You can choose between 8 GB and 16 GB of RAM, which allows you to keep up to forty applications open at the same time. Storage is up to 265GB, not expandable. The battery has a capacity of 5000 mAh. The 80W charger is a step up from the Nord 2. OnePlus also borrows Oppo’s Battery Health Engine technology to extend battery life.

The camera steals the show

OnePlus is most proud of the Nord 3’s main camera. It features the Sony IMX890 sensor (50 MP, 1/1.56), which we also find in OnePlus’ top devices. Due to its size, the sensor lets in more light, which should lead to better results both during the day and at night. We also have an 8 MP wide-angle lens (112°) and a previously superfluous 2 MP macro sensor.

Finally, OnePlus is expanding its update policy for budget devices and the Nord 3 can expect three major software updates and four years of security updates. The smartphone comes with ColorOS 13.1, the manufacturer’s Android 13 shell.

price and availability

The OnePlus Nord 3 will be available in two color variants from July 12: the usual grey-black and a bluish color which OnePlus says is green. You pay 449 euros for the 8 GB/128 GB configuration and 549 euros for the 16 GB/256 GB version (until 31 July 499 euros, prices include VAT).