OnePlus Nord 3 5G review: The ideal 5G mid-ranger for everyone

OnePlus recently updated its Nord series of smartphones by adding the OnePlus Nord 3 to its lineup in India. The newly launched OnePlus Nord 3 5G is the successor to the OnePlus Nord 2T that was launched in India last year at a starting price of Rs 28,999. This year’s Nord 3 5G brings major upgrades to its predecessor not just in terms of the display technology and processor upgrades but also in terms of improvements to the camera and the charging technology. But are these upgrades enough to help OnePlus continue its winning streak? We will try to answer that and more in the detailed review below. So, keep reading.

But before we dig deeper into the details, let’s take a quick look at the phone’s top specifications:

OnePlus Nord 3 5G: Specifications

Display: 6.74-inch AMOLED display with 120Hz screen refresh rate, 2772 x 1240 pixels resolution, HDR10+ support, 1,450 nits of peak brightness and Gorilla Glass 5
Processor: MediaTek Dimensity 9000
RAM: up to 16GB of LPDDR5X
Storage: up to 256GB of UFS 3.1
Operating System: OxygenOS 13.1 based on Android 13
Camera: 50MP with Sony IMX890 + 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens with Sony IMX 355 sensor + 2MP macro sensor at the back, 16MP selfie camera
Battery: 5,000mAh battery with 80W SuperVOOC fast charging support
Connectivity: 5G, WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.3
Colours: Misty Green and Tempest Gray
Price: Starts at Rs 33,999

Image: Shweta Ganjoo/Techlusive

OnePlus Nord 3 5G review: Design

The OnePlus Nord 3 5G features a design that on the first look will remind of last year’s OnePlus Nord 2T. But in reality, it couldn’t be farther away from it. Sure, it does feature the same flat-back design with plastic chassis as the OnePlus 2T, but that’s just it. Everything else has been refined to give it a more premium and classy appeal.

The OnePlus Nord 3 5G features a curved glass design at the back with curved edges. The phone has a triple rear camera setup that is neatly arranged vertically at the back with two LED modules, which is a stark departure from the camera module design that the company adopted in its successor. Towards the right you get the famous slider button that had been missing from the Nord devices for quite some time now.

The design of the phone is such that it resists much of the dirt and smudges that you might encounter during day-to-day usage. And it certainly helps that OnePlus ships a silicon cover inside the box, which is a bit of a boon for people like me who prefer keeping everything under cover to keep it clean and pristine. Add to that the IP54 dust and water resistant certification and you’ve got yourself a perfect mid-ranger.

Overall, the OnePlus Nord 3 5G is quite comfortable to use even during long hours. The design might seem a bit boring to some but in my opinion, it is classy, something that you will never get bored of.

OnePlus Nord 3 5G review: Display

Now, let’s talk about the display.

In the beginning, I had mentioned that OnePlus has made a bunch of changes to the screen of its latest Nord-branded mid-ranger this year giving it a bigger, brighter and faster display. For reference, the OnePlus Nord 2T comes with a 6.43-inch AMOLED display with a 2400×1080 resolution and a 90Hz screen refresh rate. In addition to that, OnePlus has also increased the screen to body ratio of the phone giving users more room to play around. The company says that the Nord 3 5G offers a 93.5 percent screen to body ratio as compared to the OnePlus Nord 2T’s 84.9 percent screen to body ratio. That screen. To add to the list of features, the company has also tapered the size of the bezels on all the four sides adding to the overall appeal and utility.

In experience, the OnePlus Nord 3 5G features a bright and vibrant display, one that doesn’t back down even under the piercing Delhi sun. The colours are always on-point, which comes in handy especially when you are watching shows on various OTT platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. I spent some time watching shows like the Warrior Nun and Dynasty on Netflix (you can judge me later) and I was genuinely amazed by the experience.

Aside from the viewing experience, the OnePlus Nord 3 5G comes with an in-display fingerprint sensor that is placed towards the bottom of the screen. While it does its job of unlocking the device perfectly well all the time, I do wish OnePlus had placed it a little higher somewhere in the middle of the screen to make it easier and more natural to reach. Maybe, next time. Aside from that I had no complaints from the screen at all.

Image: Shweta Ganjoo/Techlusive

OnePlus Nord 3 5G review: Camera

Next comes the camera.

The OnePlus Nord 3 5G offers an impressive camera performance especially in the daylight conditions. The colours are refreshingly bright with just the right degree of contrast. The rear camera also manages to capture the details and shadows accurately most of the time even in the indoor lighting conditions. What’s more, the macro sensor also does a decent if not exceptionally well job at capturing details. But the rear camera does have its moments of occasional misses. Take a look at the image of the flower for instance, the phone misses out on capturing defining details accurately. For all other times it works without a hitch.

What I like about the phone is the amount of details it manages to preserve in low light conditions. For reference, the colours and details in the sky are astounding and the phone manages to preserve them perfectly even when zooming in the image.

The front camera too does a decent job at preserving colour and capturing details. However, I did notice a pinkish hue when capturing faces consistently. Other than that, the camera of the OnePlus Nord 3 5G offers a smooth ride.

OnePlus Nord 3 5G review: Performance

The OnePlus Nord 3 5G offers quite an impressive performance. The Dimensity 9000 is one of MediaTek’s premium chipsets and it doesn’t disappoint in terms of performance at all. The apps load quickly without a lag each time and I didn’t face any difficulties while juggling between multiple apps simultaneously. My day-to-day work revolves around a lot of communication and conferencing and social media apps and occasionally OTT platform-based apps. I had a smooth ride during my time with the phone. Bonus points for OnePlus’ OxygenOS skin that is both fluid and fuss free. It also doesn’t overload you with apps that you will never need nor does it throw a nervous fit.

Coming to the battery, the OnePlus Nord 3 5G delivers what OnePlus promises. The fast-charging tech ensures that the phone charges completely between 30-40 minutes and it offers a run time of a little over a day.

Should you buy the OnePlus Nord 3 5G or not?

In one word, yes. The OnePlus Nord 3 5G delivers what it promises – a vibrant and faster display, a fluid performance, all day battery life with quick charge support and a camera setup that is adept at its job. Sure, there are some aspects that can use a bit of a fine tuning but nothing that would act as a dealbreaker. Overall, at a price of around 33K, the OnePlus Nord 3 5G is the perfect mid-range smartphone for all your daily needs.