OnePlus Nord 3 5G, review: OnePlus has the recipe for perfect for the premium mid-range

OnePlus debuted as a brand with a unique (and mythical) terminal, excelling in the value for money, but over the years it had to adapt to market trends. The successive terminals to the original OnePlus One, were better than this, although the price was growing every generation. Right now, it is almost impossible to make an economic flagship, this is where the Nord range was born in order to return to the origins. A good OnePlus Nord gave way to the Nord 2, but there this range stopped if we leave aside the CE or Lite versions.

After a couple of years without a successor for the OnePlus Nord 2 5G, it was time for the Chinese manufacturer to launch a new generation. He has done it, moreover, breaking all our schemes. It will be a mid-range and will cost 500 euros, but it is the closest we have been to the original concept. We have squeezed this OnePlus Nord 3 to the maximum and we tell you the result after passing through our testing laboratory.

Specifications of the OnePlus Nord 3 5G

ONEPLUS NORD 3 5G

DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT

162 x 75.1 x 8.15 mm
193.5 grams

SCREEN

6.74-inch AMOLED
2772 x 1240 pixels (1.5K) resolution
120 Hz refresh rate

MEMOIRS

8/128GB or 16/256GB
LPDDR5X / UFS 3.1

PROCESSOR

Mediatek Dimensity 9000

REAR CAMERAS

Main: 50 megapixels
Wide angle: 8 megapixels
Macro: 2 megapixels

FRONT CAMERA

16 megapixels

BATTERY

5,000 mAh
80W fast charging

SOFTWARE

OxygenOS 13.1
Android 13

CONNECTIVITY

5G
WiFi 6
Bluetooth 5.3
NFC
GPS, Glonass, Galileo
Infrared sensor

OTHERS

In-display fingerprint sensor
Gorilla Glass 5 on the back
Dragontrail front glass

PRICE

From 449 euros

Continuous design, but elegant and sober

When analyzing a terminal, the first thing that jumps out at you is its design. This OnePlus Nord 3 does not offer anything differential with respect to the previous generation, but it does not need much either. It does not drink from its older brothers, like the OnePlus 11, because its cameras are not isolated in an exclusive module, but the solution for these has been quite effective and natural. In fact, it is a terminal with a certain personality, differentiating itself from the competition, in a few words: it is and looks like a OnePlus.

The analyzed unit has a rear one of a pretty nice blue tone, which will look like water green depending on the light it receives. This reverse is made of tempered glass, giving a good feeling in the hand. As it happens, we have a design that lets footprints through, everyone is invited. This means that every touch will be marked, giving us a constant feeling of dirt, although nothing that a cover can not alleviate. However, if we are one of those who carry the "naked" mobile, we must consider it.

Also its finish turns out to be excessively slippery, not being it in hand but yes when we support it on some smooth surface. We had to be careful when we left it on the table, because the circumferences that frame the cameras are somewhat thicker. The result? It does not have a perfect fulcrum, "dancing" always to the left side.

The sides allow a correct grip, otherwise it would slip very easily. These, by the way, are made in a polished matte metal that suits you perfectly. As for the dimensions and weight, nothing to highlight, neither for the good nor for the bad. We are talking about a rather large terminal, partly the fault of its 6.74-inch panel. Despite this, we have been able to use it with one hand at certain times, but it is advisable to use both to hold it more securely.

The button pad of this terminal has seemed very comfortable to us, because it changes the volume buttons from place to place. Instead of appearing next to the unlock button, they are located on the opposite side, avoiding erroneous presses. The right side is reserved for the usual unlock button, but it is not alone: the Alert Slider is a hallmark of the brand. On the other hand, the left side is shown clean except for the button holder mentioned above.

On the front, the panel that borders on 7 inches predominates, with the usual circular cutout to house the selfie camera. Again, good feelings with an almost symmetrical screen in relation to the bezels, although a slightly thinner chin is still missing to fully comply.

However, the evolution is more than clear if we compare it with that of the Nord 2. Continuing with the front part, it highlights how well concealed the speaker grille (or earphone) is, almost imperceptible. We don't have a 3.5mm jack so we forgot about our wired headphones.

In short, it is a well-built terminal, without major flaws and that knows how to maintain the essence of both the manufacturer and the family to which it belongs. It's not compact, but that doesn't mean it's uncomfortable. On the contrary, it is robust and elegant, and despite this, the ease with which the footprints are marked detracts something from the whole.

A perfect panel for this phone

Let's talk about one of the most important aspects of any phone, the screen. This OnePlus Nord 3 equips a 6.74-inch AMOLED panel with 1.5K resolution. High refresh rates have reached all ranges, and this time there will be no exception, with a screen that reaches 120 hertz. We are left with a density of 409 pixels per inch, a fairly widespread brand nowadays, but not negligible for that reason.

We're still talking about a mid-range... that responds to the thousand wonders. This screen provides good sharpness, vibrant colors and an almost unbeatable tactile response. We are not going to debate about the advantages or disadvantages of AMOLED panels, but we loved this one.

The viewing angles are more than correct, in fact, no matter how much we rotate the terminal, the screen is still visible without tints that worsen the experience. In addition, it is a totally flat panel, something that is greatly appreciated, because we all know the problems (phantom touches, more expensive repairs, etc.) of curved screens.

The default calibration is quite well balanced: good contrast, correct colorimetry, and adequate temperature. Although, if we are not convinced, we can always opt for the settings that the software allows. We can switch between four viewing modes: Intense, Natural or the professional modes (Cinematic and Bright).

At the same time, it allows you to vary the color temperature with a sliding bar, to leave it to our liking. Of course, the modes are well differentiated, and to our liking, the Bright mode saturates the colors too much, losing quite realism.

These are not the only modifiable options, as three settings that refer to the video enhancement engine appear. Here highlights the "Image Refiner", the "Color Enhancer for Video" and the brightness increase when we play HDR-compatible content. Our choice has been to keep them deactivated, because they lead to an increase in battery consumption and also do not provide a big difference.

As we have said before, the good viewing angles are always maintained, making it visible in any circumstances thanks also to the brightness. We have had no problems watching the content on the screen, neither outside nor inside the house. We also shouldn't bother adjusting the brightness level, because the adaptive brightness works really well, we don't notice sharp jumps when the ambient light changes.

Returning to the refresh rate, it has a maximum figure of 120 hertz although the software manages it optimally. Most of the time, the 120 hertz stays stable, offering a super smooth and effective scroll. However, there will be some occasions when it falls, and we will notice the change. If we do not like these swings, we can set it to the maximum, being aware that the battery will last us somewhat less.

The adaptive refresh rate allows us to "stretch" the battery a little more. But if we are nonconformists, we can block it at 120 hertz.

The 'Always On Display' mode helps us to find out about notifications, as well as providing useful information such as the time, the weather or the music we are listening to. When entering the settings in this way, we have a wide variety of options to customize: different styles of watch, possibility of adding personal texts, and we can even "print" our face using the Canvas style. It is worth praising the different combinations that can be generated, and OnePlus has seriously worked on this section.

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