The OnePlus Nord 3 5G has made its debut as the successor to the Nord 2T in India, boasting significant upgrades over its predecessor. Equipped with MediaTek's flagship-series SoC and a primary camera sensor borrowed from the OnePlus 11, this new flagship promises improved performance. Alongside SuperVOOC charging, a robust battery, and a 120Hz display, the Nord 3 5G is undoubtedly feature-packed. Here is our detailed review after using the smartphone for almost a month.
Display
The device boasts a 6.74-inch 'Super Fluid' AMOLED display which delivers a very vivid and vibrant viewing experience. It has HDR10+ support for streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, offering bright and clear colours along with deep blacks- making the viewer experience more engaging. The 10-bit AMOLED panel has 1.5K resolution which ensures a crisp content viewing experience.
With Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on the glass back and an IP54 rating for water and dust resistance, the Nord 3 5G portrays a premium look.
Speakers
The smartphone comes with dual speakers with Dolby Atmos enhancement which delivers rich sound, making it ideal for multimedia consumption. Watching OTT on a phone’s speaker or listening to music- the sound is decent enough for a room-playing experience.
Processor and OS
Running on the MediaTek Dimensity 9000 chipset, based on a 4nm fabrication process, the new Nord 3 5G is paired with up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage- making enough space to download your apps and games easily. The Nord 3 5G certainly delivers smooth performance and efficient multitasking. In terms of software, Oxygen OS 13.1 based on Android 13 powers the device, offering various personalisation options.
Gaming experience
The Nord 3 5G excels in gaming, loading apps quickly and delivering excellent gaming performance. I tried playing games like- BGMI, NFS, and some basic graphic games as well and everything, as per my experience worked flawlessly well. No heating issue, no lagging- indeed, a great device for a long gaming experience.
Networking and connectivity
It supports eight 5G bands and comes with Bluetooth 5.3, and Wi-Fi 6 connectivity- which certainly means that this smartphone is present and future-ready. The new smartphone has fast and smooth connectivity which works great to connect with Wi-Fi networks.
Battery and fast charging capabilities
The smartphone comes with a 5,000mAh battery and it offers a full day of usage (browsing, surfing, listening to music and more). The handset supports around 8-10 hours of screen time per day, as per the usage intensity.
Talking about the charging experience- the handset comes with 80W of fast charging and it is capable to charge the complete smartphone within a maximum of 40 minutes.
Camera and photography skills
This smartphone is all about performance and it comes with a 50-megapixel Sony IMX890 primary shooter, with optical image stabilization, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera, and a 2-megapixel macro camera on the rear panel. The primary camera works excellently in daylight conditions, capturing vibrant colours and good details. Even the video recording was impressive for a smartphone at this price tag, as the rear shooter supported up to 4K 60fps videos.
Talking about the selfie shooter, the handset comes with a 16-megapixel front shooter, which delivers good performance in daylight conditions. But when we click images in low light, the flash does the justice.
Price, availability and more
As the new Nord 3 5G smartphone is an upgrade, the device comes at a higher cost compared to the outgoing model.
Priced at Rs. 33,999 (by the time of writing) for the 8GB RAM and 128GB storage variant, and Rs. 37,999 (by the time of writing) for the 16GB RAM and 256GB storage variant, the OnePlus Nord 3 5G comes with a sleek design and Misty Green and Tempest Grey colour options.
Verdict
Overall, the OnePlus Nord 3 5G is certainly a strong contender for the smartphone standing under the budget of Rs. 40,000 in India. It offers a larger and superior display, flagship-grade performance and an appreciable camera setup, but still, it could improve photographic skills. But it certainly makes it a good choice for those who are looking forward to a smartphone without breaking the bank too much.
