Like
- Truly fast charging
- Large 120Hz refresh rate screen
- NFC for contactless payments
Don’t like
- Mixed photography
- Short software update timeline
The OnePlus Nord N30 5G makes quite the first impression. OnePlus has stacked its $300 phone with features you simply don’t see at this price.
The phone’s 108-megapixel main camera is the headline feature as far as the spec list is concerned, but the real star is the phone’s included 50-watt SuperVooc charger. In multiple tests, I got the OnePlus Nord N30 5G to recharge its 5,000-mAh battery from near-zero to roughly 75% in 30 minutes. It’s ludicrously fast, and similarly priced phones that max out at 15-watt charging speeds don’t come close.
Despite the N30’s high megapixel count, the camera is what gives away that this is a cheaper phone. It falls prey to many of the same issues as other phones that cost $300 or less: Its photos look nice in daytime settings but they struggle with scenes that include lots of movement or low light.
The other issue isn’t with OnePlus so much as Google and its Pixel 6A, which has an excellent camera and consistently goes on sale for $300. But if photography isn’t a high priority for you in a cheaper phone, the OnePlus N30 has many perks to consider that the Pixel doesn’t. The N30 is only being sold in the US and Canada, but the $300 price roughly converts to £240, AU$440.
The OnePlus Nord N30 5G costs $300.
OnePlus Nord N30 5G design, specs
The OnePlus Nord N30 5G has an eye-catching design out of the box, accentuated by its two large camera bumps, its glossy back and a simple OnePlus logo. The result is flashy, and a bit of a fingerprint magnet. While the phone only comes in one color, phones at this price often sacrifice style, so it’s good to see OnePlus ignore that trend.
The OnePlus Nord N30 5G has a bright 6.72-inch, 120Hz refresh rate display with a 1080p resolution. The screen makes videos, games, apps and websites look great and animate smoothly. It runs on a midrange Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 processor which pairs up nicely with the phone’s 8GB of memory to run most apps and games while allowing for multitasking.
Geekbench 6 testing
OnePlus Nord N30 5G 893 2037Moto G Power 5G 878 2206
- Single-core
- Multicore
