Kellen
The OnePlus Nord N20 5G launched through T-Mobile today with a $282 price tag and a design language that OnePlus should adopt for all of their phones going forward. This new N20 phone is without a doubt the hottest OnePlus phone in years.
OnePlus sent me a review unit to play with, and while the performance and 60Hz display have been rough to deal with, holding this phone or taking pictures of it is quite the joy. Just look at this thing.
To recap, you’ve got a Snapdragon 695 processor, 6GB RAM, 128GB storage, and a 6.43″ FHD AMOLED display at 60Hz. There’s also an in-display fingerprint reader, 4500mAh battery with 33W fast charging, and a main 64MP camera. OnePlus also tossed in monochrome and macro lenses that I can’t imagine anyone will use. The story here is really the price and how sharply this phone is dressed.
The design is nothing like any recent OnePlus phones. Instead of its sunrise silhouette and curves everywhere, this phone is unapologetically flat. Well, outside of the slight bubble of the display up over the frame, this phone has some edges to hold onto. Not in an awful iPhone 13 way, where the phone is uncomfortable to hold, but in a pleasantly ergonomic way.
It has this metal frame that runs around the edge of the phone with beautifully chamfered edges and machined cutouts for ports and speakers and a headphone jack, as well as really clicky buttons. Then you have what I assumed is a plastic backside that looks metal, with this really fun sparkle texture that can be seen at off angles.
If there’s one thing I wish OnePlus would take from this Nord N20 to carryover to their flagship phones, it would be the design.
As for the rest of the phone, yeah there are some issues. Again, $282! However, it’s running Android 11…what? The display, even as an AMOLED, is 60Hz and a big eyesore for anyone who has spent the past 5 years on 90Hz and above. The vibration motor in this thing is bottom shelf, might-make-your-hand-vomit levels of bad. The single camera you would use isn’t great. But again – again, this is a $282 phone.
Should you buy this thing? It would be a tough phone to recommend, but just know that it’s pretty.
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