The Nord N200 from OnePlus had a simple hook: pack 5G and a large battery into a low-cost phone. However, there were a few problems, which the firm is addressing in part with the recently launched Nord N300 5G. The Snapdragon 480 is replaced with a faster (but not precisely blazing) MediaTek Dimensity 810. A 48MP primary camera replaces the N200’s 13MP one, as does a slightly bigger 6.56-inch 90Hz display and quicker 33W charging (up from 18W). Yes, the required charger is included in the package.
Other elements, for better or worse, will sound quite familiar. The 5,000mAh battery remains large for the class, and the combination of a 3.5mm headphone connection and a microSD card (now allowing up to 1TB) may be intriguing if you don’t want to use wireless earbuds or pay extra for storage. However, there are only 64GB of internal storage, and the 2MP depth camera isn’t very exciting. There is also a drawback: the display resolution is just 1,612 x 720, as opposed to the N200’s 2,400 x 1,080.
At the very least, the pricing is appealing. The Nord N300 5G will be available for $228 upfront on November 3rd as an exclusive for T-Mobile and its prepaid Metro brand. That lack of options is bad, but there’s a strong possibility your monthly installment payments will be negligible.
OnePlus has a tremendous motive to release the Nord N300, regardless of whether it represents a significant increase. In North America, the Nord series is a moderately popular seller, with 1.5 million N200s predicted to be sold by 2022. While the statistic is unlikely to give Apple or Samsung pause, it is an impressive achievement for a low-cost handset that is primarily available on one carrier in the United States. The new model has the potential to sustain that momentum.
