OnePlus Nord 3

Physical Attributes

Nord 3 is an ergonomically designed, mid-tier smartphone that fits the bill for a modern-day user in 2023. It measures 162 x 75.1 x 8.2 mm and weighs 193.5g. The minimalistic design helps establish the Nord 3 as a status phone with its unique, stately and elegant appearance that sets it apart from other competing brands. The body is made of a Glass front (Dragontrail Glass), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), and plastic frame.

The Dual SIM smartphone allows you to use more than 1 SIM card, with either one dedicated to 5G, depending on your preferences and the 5G network connectivity availability in your area. Important to note is the fact that Nord 3 is waterproof (IP54 rating, dust and water resistant), and the vast, immersive screen has Dragontrail Glass protection.

Display

It features 6.74 inches, 82.4 cm2 (~67.7% screen-to-body ratio) multi-touch screen, which is large and significant enough for great experiences when using the Nord 3. The Fluid AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1450 nits (peak) display oozes class and high performance, especially with 1240 x 2772 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~450 ppi density) high resolution and Dragontrail Glass screen protector. Overall, you are assured of an immersive, cinematic experience when you turn it on and get immersed in browsing, watching, and playing your favourite videos online.

High Performance

For a mid-tier smartphone, the OnePlus Nord 3 packs a punch. Running on the latest OS, Android 13, the OxygenOS 13.1 UI provides a basis for optimal user experience and personalization to what best suits your personality, taste and mood. Android 13 comes with the latest Apps, which help improve your productivity using your device. A decent, high-performance Mediatek MT6983 Dimensity 9000 (4 nm) chipset is installed on the Nord 3, enabling smooth operations, easy transitioning between applications and intelligent battery power management.

The chipset is supported by an Octa-core (1×3.05 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3×2.85 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4×1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) processor and Mali-G710 MC10 GPU, both of which are fundamental for multi-tasking on the smartphone and seamless playing of videos without lags and stuttering. Thanks to its powerful chipset and high-performance processing unit, you can comfortably open and work through 15+ apps simultaneously and play high-setting videos without the smartphone overheating or stuttering. Such a high-performance smartphone requires enough memory space to operate optimally. Nord 3 comes installed with 128GB 8GB RAM or 256GB 16GB RAM depending on the model that suits your need and budget. The higher the RAM and internal memory, the better the phone operates, and the more you enjoy the experience of using your smartphone.

Although Nord 3 does not support additional memory (lacks a dedicated or shared MicroSD slot). Optimizing the RAM and ROM is UFS 3.1 Technology on the Nord 3. To meet the needs of 5G devices such as the OnePlus Nord 3, UFS 3.1 offers write speeds up to 3x faster than the previous generation of Universal Flash Storage. At 1,200MB/s, this drive enhances high performance and helps prevent buffering when downloading files so you can enjoy the low-latency connectivity of 5G in an ever-connected world.

Camera Set-up

Selfie Camera

The Nord phone packs a Single 16MP (wide) camera featuring HDR and can record 1080p@30fps, with gyro-EIS for stabilization. You can capture awesome selfies alone or with family and friends and hold quality video chats and recordings with the front-facing camera.  The wide camera offers a wider field of view than traditional digital cameras. With the selfie lens, you can record 1080p videos, supported by gyro-EIS for image stabilization while recording.

Main Camera

The main camera installed at the rear of the smartphone is a triple set-up consisting of the following:

• 50 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 1/1.56″, 1.0µm, multi-directional PDAF, OIS
• 8 MP, f/2.2, 112˚ (ultrawide), 1/4″, 1.12µm
• 2 MP, f/2.4, (macro).

The ultra-wide lens lets you zoom for a much wider field of view up to 112˚. The macro lens is designed to take close-up shots of small subjects and capture tiny details. The primary camera features LED flash, HDR, and panorama, which are important options to consider in different situations or when optimising your pictures and videos. You can capture 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps, with gyro-EIS for stabilization The main camera set is excellent for fantastic photo shots and high-quality 4K videos with family and friends for memory’s sake.

Network and Connectivity

Nord 3 is 5G enabled and supports 2G, 3G and 4G bands. You will enjoy fast and reliable HSPA, LTE, 5G network speed which is great for uploading and downloading games and other heavy files, which could be difficult on lesser network speed. Use the latest Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct) connectivity to access the internet with minimized buffering as you browse the internet and stream videos on YouTube. The WI-FI is also great for downloading the latest apps and upgrading software.

Easily pair with your devices and other Bluetooth-enabled handsets (5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD). Use the Type C USB that supports OTG for fast and efficient data transfer. Also, you can use Infra-Red and NFC, which are supported for data transfer and making payments. If you are travelling or visiting a place you are unfamiliar with, use Google Maps and GPS, which enable you to mark locations accurately and have others track your position in case you need help.

Communication

For accessible communication, Nord 3 has stereo speakers for high-quality audio output. The handset does not support FM Radio and has no 3.5mm jack port. It would be best if you used the BT to pair your phone to your headset to listen to your MP3 hits, videos and other forms of entertainment.

Sensors

Installed on the handset are sensors that help you better handle the phone as the user. They include:

• Fingerprint (under display, optical) sensor for enhanced security, limiting unauthorized access
• Accelerometer sensor helps report the acceleration of the device along the three sensor axes. The measured acceleration includes the physical acceleration (change of velocity) and gravity.
• Gyroscope sensor is responsible for the autorotation of the screen and views the screen whenever a phone is rotated.
• Proximity: Phone position during a call
• Compass helps the phone to find the direction in the map/navigation apps. The sensor is also used to maintain and control the position of a smartphone

Powering System

Powering the OnePlus smartphone is a Li-Po 5000 mAh, a non-removable battery which can last up to 1 day of intensive use and still have some juice left for the following day. An 80W wired fast charger enables fast charging. It charges 1-60% of the battery in 15 minutes and 1-100% in 32 minutes. Never worry about low power with such a massive battery and fast charging capabilities.