OnePlus Nord N20: Full Review – Is It the Mid-Range King?
One of the most prominent devices currently available in the mid-range smartphone market, OnePlus Nord N20 is for users who are trying to find a balance between affordability and high-end features. It has an attractive design with an excellent display, strong performance, and powerful battery life, so it will come very close to budget-savvy consumers without offering compromises on basic functionalities. In this review, we are going into the smallest details of the OnePlus Nord N20 from build to design, camera setup, battery life, and all the way down to performance. If you’re wondering whether this smartphone is worth all the hype, read ahead to find out.
OnePlus Nord N20 Summary
Launched under the series of the successful Nord, the OnePlus Nord N20 continues on the company’s quest to bring quality technology into more pockets at a better price. The phone finds its place among people seeking balanced performance between battery life and build quality. The device comes full of competitive specs that OnePlus has put into this piece of technology, which can suffice light gamers, social media enthusiasts, and smartphone enthusiasts at large.
Table of Contents
Key Specifications
- Display: 6.43-inch FHD+ AMOLED
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 695
- RAM: 6GB
- Storage: 128GB, expandable up to 1TB
- Rear Camera: 64MP primary sensor, 2MP macro camera, 2MP depth sensor
- Front Camera: 16MP
- Battery: 4500mAh, with 33W fast charging
- Operating System: Android 11 with OxygenOS 11
Design and Build Quality
The OnePlus Nord N20 assumes a minimalist, modern look. It is slim-profiled, lightweight, ergonomic, and aesthetically pleasing to handle. It’s a polycarbonate back finish with a matte appearance; it has a very serious look and feel. Glass and metal builds make for a more premium product.
The OnePlus Nord N20, at the back, has a 6.43-inch FHD+ AMOLED screen with high-resolution graphics for sharp images and vivid colors. For a mid-range product, this is an absolute feature because of the panel it sports, that of an AMOLED and its resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels. This means the pixel density stands at 409, thus resulting in excellent contrast with deeper blacks and punchier colors for streaming, gaming, and browsing.
Optimization in OxygenOS 11 based on Android 11 was done such that there will be smooth functioning with easy, responsive and very interactive interface.
Oxygen OS 11 has most customization, along with smoother and slick animations, minimizing most of the bloats as well.
Performance and Battery Life
Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 chipset on Nord N20, multitasking and most apps aren’t a problem with 6GB of RAM. Much less powerful than flagship processors, but efficient and capable in daily use.
Battery Performance
The 4500mAh battery is one of the most prominent features of the OnePlus Nord N20. You can use it for the whole day with a single charge, even with moderate to heavy usage. On top of that, you get 33W fast charging, which means the battery can be topped up quickly without much downtime and allows for extended connectivity.
Gaming Performance
The OnePlus Nord N20 comes with the Snapdragon 695 and Adreno 619 GPU, so it can handle light to moderate gaming. For games like PUBG Mobile or Call of Duty: Mobile, it can offer smooth gameplay at medium settings. However, it may struggle with graphic-intensive games at high settings, which is expected for a device in this range.
Camera Quality
OnePlus Nord N20 is backed with a triple-lens setup at the back with a 64MP main sensor. The camera capability of this is as follows:
- 64MP Main Camera: It makes clear, high-vibrancy photos mostly in bright lights. There are high-resolution shots with nice color accuracy through the capture of the same.
- 2MP Macro Lens: Captures close-up images but it isn’t as sharp and richly detailed as with higher-end macro cameras.
- 2MP Depth Sensor: Collaborates with the main camera to produce more realistic portrait photography.
Front Camera
16MP is what the front camera of Nord N20 boasts of. Selfies captured using this front camera have extremely good image quality with very balanced color tones along with good detail. More than good enough for video calls, social media posts, and other common applications.
Software and Updates
OnePlus Nord N20 Operating System OnePlus Nord N20 launches with OxygenOS 11, which is based on Android 11. Now, it may not boast the latest version of the Android operating system, but OnePlus has committed to stable updates, trying to serve up a feel that remains modern and snappy to the user.
Notable Software Features
- Dark Mode: Excellent for saving AMOLED display battery.
- Gaming Mode: Tunes your device to offer uninterrupted time playing games.
- Zen Mode: Temporarily limits accessibility to distracting apps to focus on digital well-being.
Storage and Expandability
The OnePlus Nord N20 will have 128GB of internal storage along with options for expandable storage that can go as high as 1TB with a microSD card. In this way, you would be able to save so many photos and videos with apps. You can get the most of the activities that are highly based on media.
Connectivity and 5G Support
The OnePlus Nord N20 is 5G-ready, which makes it future-proof for high-speed connectivity. This means that the user will enjoy faster download and upload speeds, smooth video streaming, and much more. It also supports dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.1, and NFC for mobile payments.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Affordable Price Point: Offers value for money with premium features.
- AMOLED Display: Crisp visuals and vibrant colors.
- Solid Battery Life: Reliable performance with fast charging.
- 5G Connectivity: Ready for high-speed networks.
Cons
- No Android 12 Out of the Box: Comes with Android 11, which is now a bit outdated.
- Gaming Capabilities Not So Good: More of a casual gaming device and not really made for graphic-heavy work.
- Plastic Construction: Doesn’t have the feel of glass or metal.
How Does the OnePlus Nord N20 Compare to Competition?
The OnePlus Nord N20 falls in the same category as the Samsung Galaxy A52 and Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro.
- The display size of Samsung Galaxy A52 is slightly larger than that of Nord N20 and comes with a higher refresh rate as well. That all costs more though.
- This specific Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro comes with a more powerful chipset, and also fits the refresh rate than that of the Nord N20, offering a slightly better color depth for their contrast with their AMOLED panel.
Conclusion: Is the OnePlus Nord N20 Worth It?
The OnePlus Nord N20 shines in many different ways, from its stunning AMOLED display to reliable battery life and a clean user experience. It will be an excellent option for anyone looking for an affordable 5G smartphone with all the basics. It is not going to pack a punch as a hardcore gaming or photography powerhouse, but it works perfectly for general users.
The OnePlus Nord N20 offers a budget-friendly 5G phone with good performance and quality screen. It continues to be competitive within its segment and delivers the reliable OnePlus experience that the brand is known for.
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