The year was 2020, a landmark year not just globally due to the COVID-19 pandemic but also significant for the smartphone industry. Many of us stayed indoors, finding solace in small pleasures like making dalgona coffee and binge-watching series such as “Scam 1992.” But for tech enthusiasts, 2020 also marked the unveiling of an iconic smartphone — the OG OnePlus Nord. This device was more than just a new release; it redefined how OnePlus approached the mid-range smartphone segment and essentially kickstarted the highly competitive under ₹30,000 smartphone category in India.
Fast forward to 2025, and the question that naturally arises is: Does the OnePlus Nord still hold its relevance and charm? We spent some time revisiting this phone to find out how it performs five years after its launch.
Design and Build Quality
Despite its age, the OG OnePlus Nord impresses with its build quality, even in 2025. The unit reviewed was used daily for five years by the person editing the video, giving it a real-world long-term test. The gray onyx color variant is particularly striking, more so than the more widely promoted blue marble version.
The Nord’s design feels more premium than many modern smartphones priced under ₹30,000. OnePlus used Gorilla Glass 5 for both the front and back, which helps it resist scratches and daily wear fairly well. Although the frame is plastic — which has accumulated some scratches and dings — the phone’s overall structural integrity remains intact.
Its curves all around the device make it comfortable and ergonomic to hold. At 184 grams and slim profile, it does not feel bulky or heavy, even by 2025 standards. An interesting detail is the alert slider — a nostalgic OnePlus feature missing from the newer Nord CE series — positioned uniquely on the right side above the power button. This also hints at OnePlus experimenting with design layouts during that era.
A small hardware issue noted was a broken power button, which the user didn’t bother to repair. Thanks to software features like double-tap to wake and software controls for powering off, this defect did not affect everyday usability significantly.
Display
The OG Nord’s display remains one of its biggest strengths. It features a 6.44-inch AMOLED screen with a 90 Hz refresh rate — a pioneering feature for mid-range phones back in 2020. This high refresh rate ensures smooth scrolling and general UI fluidity, which continues to feel responsive even in 2025.
The AMOLED panel is flat with a pill-shaped camera cutout at the top-left corner. The bezels around the display, while thicker than flagship phones today, are symmetrical and well-balanced except for the slightly larger chin at the bottom. Display brightness during high brightness mode reaches 1300 nits, making sunlight readability excellent. When viewing HDR content on platforms such as YouTube and Netflix, the peak brightness is about 1430 nits.
While HDR on the OG Nord looks a bit muted compared to modern flagship HDR displays, it is respectable for its time and price segment. However, the phone has only a mono speaker, which obviously lacks depth and richness in audio output. On the positive side, it supports advanced Bluetooth audio codecs like LDAC and LHDC, catering well to audiophiles who use wireless headphones.
The optical in-display fingerprint scanner works effectively though its placement is slightly lower than ideal. The phone’s haptic feedback is weak, as the advanced haptics technology we expect today had not yet been included at launch.
Camera Setup
The OnePlus Nord is notable for its six-camera array — a rare feature in mid-range phones at the time. The rear housed a quad-camera setup comprising:
- 48MP Sony IMX586 primary sensor
- 8MP ultra-wide lens
- 5MP depth sensor
- 2MP macro lens
For selfies, it featured two cameras:
- 32MP main selfie camera
- 8MP ultra-wide selfie camera
In 2025, the camera experience is mixed. The main sensor still captures decent daylight images with good detail but suffers from subpar HDR performance and color reproduction compared to newer phones that have had years of camera tuning improvements. Portrait mode segmentation is decent, though bokeh effects look artificial.
Low-light photography using the dedicated Nightscape mode takes significant processing time and results in noise overshadowing fine detail. The dual selfie cameras were innovative for their time, especially with 4K 60fps video recording capabilities, which remain rare at the sub-₹30,000 price point even today. Rear cameras shot 4K at 30fps with average stabilization.
Performance
Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G chipset, the OnePlus Nord was a leader in the ‘super mid-range’ segment in 2020. Even five years later, everyday performance for emails, social apps like WhatsApp, Twitter, Instagram, and general web browsing remains smooth and free of stutter. The strong RAM management, tested on the 8GB RAM and 256GB storage variant, keeps apps in the background efficiently even under gaming load.
Benchmark comparisons to today’s Snapdragon 695 show similar scores, though gaming performance with titles like Genshin Impact reveals thermal throttling and stuttering after 15-20 minutes. Light gaming remains viable on this device.
Battery and Charging
The OG Nord is equipped with a 4115mAh battery, large by the standards of 2020 but modest compared to modern 6000mAh or 7000mAh batteries. After five years, battery degradation is noticeable — a Geekbench 6 benchmark test drained approximately 11% battery.
OnePlus maintained their commitment to fast charging technology with 30W Warp Charge support, which was impressive at launch though less so now. The phone can fully charge from 10% to 100% in about 45 minutes using compatible chargers.
Software
Originally shipping with Oxygen OS 10 on Android 10, the OnePlus Nord received updates up to Oxygen OS 12 on Android 12. Users have fond memories of Oxygen OS 10 — the pure, bloat-free OnePlus experience — before it merged with a Color OS codebase in later versions, making some loyal fans feel alienated.
Even in 2025, after resetting for a fresh start, the Nord runs smoothly with no bloatware. Modding enthusiasts appreciated the unlockable bootloader, a feature no longer available on newer Nord models.
Legacy and Impact
The OnePlus Nord fundamentally shifted the smartphone market in India. It acted as a catalyst lifting the mid-range segment price bracket from ₹10,000-20,000 to ₹20,000-30,000. This rise in average selling price set a new market standard for quality and features expected in the segment.
Despite newer phones dominating the market, the OG OnePlus Nord remains a symbol of good hardware and software balance, a true legacy of OnePlus delivering premium experience at an affordable price. It will be remembered as a groundbreaking smartphone that shaped the mid-range market paradigm in India.