The Nord N10 5G is the latest device of the brand OnePlus. After the success of the phone Nord, the OnePlus team has decided to bring another mid-budget smartphone that is the Nord N10. This article will give you an idea about the phone and will tell you whether to buy it or not.
The release of a low-cost 5G phone such as the OnePlus Nord N10 5G is usually welcomed, particularly by the dedicated fan base of the company.
But the latest device did not get much anticipation like the other phones of the brand. The Nord N10 OnePlus finally returns to its roots of making mid-range smartphones.
The processor within the OnePlus Nord N10 5G is not as quick as the first OnePlus Nord, only one storage option is available, and the camera is pretty average.
PRICE REVIEW
In the UK, the Nord N10 5G was available on 14 Nov and the 6GB ram version cost about 329 euros. the version is available in North America from Jan 15 and it costs $299.
The Nord N10 5G is the cheapest 5G phone that is available on the market. Not only that there is a cheaper version available that is only $179 without 5G of course.
Though you can get better phones with high specifications in this range like Samsung A41, A71, Xiaomi Mi 10T 5G, and Realme X3 if you are a OnePlus fan and you are tight on budget and can’t afford the flagship devices of one plus then this device is for you.
DESIGN REVIEW
The OnePlus Nord N10 seems to be simple. If you keep it side-by-side with every other OnePlus device it won’t look the same and you can differentiate easily.
The Nord line is supposed to be reasonable, and the N10 makes the perception very clear. It’s not just a low-cost variant of OnePlus flagship phones.
At a glimpse, the N10 might look like it has a glass build-back panel, but it’s not anything like that. It has a Gorilla Glass 3 display, but the rear panel is made out of plastic. You could feel it when you pick up the phone straight away.
Given its components, the Nord N10 includes a high finish that looks like mirror glass. The Midnight Ice color looks exquisite.
The OnePlus Nord N10 is as big as the OnePlus 8 pro, but it is not uncomfortable to use, and it’s not that heavy as well. A power button also serves as a screen lock on the right side of the phone.
The signature alert slider is also missing. The volume bars are on the right side of the phone, and it has a plastic feel to them.
The best thing about this device is it has a headphone jack on the bottom and a USB- C port. You will also find a dual speaker at the bottom.
The rear panel is glossy and looks premium to some extent. It is curved and has a reflective finish to it. But the phone is a fingerprint magnet and gets dirty easily I would suggest you use a back cover with it.
The fingerprint sensor is just at the accurate position in the rear panel and it works quite smoothly. The camera panel at the back is quite big and it is placed in the upper left corner.
- Midnight Ice
- 188g
- Headphone jack
- Rear fingerprint sensor
- Gorilla Glass front
DISPLAY REVIEW
The display is an AMOLED display that is below par Oneplus standard but it has a high refresh rate of 90hz.
The size of the screen is 6.49 inches and it has a punch-hole at the top left corner. Nevertheless, it can be ignored as we are getting a full display. What we cannot ignore is the big chin it has on the bottom.
The screen is not as bright and sharp as the other devices you will find at this price point but still does your job.
The lack of an OLED display is evident on the device and the colors are not very vivid as well. The 90hz refresh rate will be the hero of this device’s display.
- 20:9 aspect ratio
- 90Hz
- Gorilla Glass 3
- 49-inch IPS LCD
- Full HD+ resolution
PROCESSOR REVIEW
The Snapdragon 690 is the best budget processor available. The system does not slow down or lag in multitasking. Games like Asphalt 9, and PUBG are running very smoothly.
The 90hz refresh rate plays a role in this gaming experience. As a budget device, it would have its flaws, there were a few frame drops when playing games, but they can be overlooked.
It would be impossible to believe the performance is going to be top-notch at this price point. The performance of the device is just perfect.
The device’s benchmark score is roughly 2816 (single-core) and 7413 (multi-core). For a mid-budget phone, the benchmark is just perfect.
BATTERY REVIEW
The OnePlus Nord N10 has a long battery life which is just enough power for the entire day. The phone will offer you 8 hours of screen time even if you use a lot of social media.
There is no wireless charging, but it supports fast charging. You will charge up to 50 percent of your battery in just 30 minutes.
The wall brick and the charging cable are included in the package. For a 100 percent charge, the phone will take 90 mins. All in all, we can say that the battery performance will not disappoint you.
SOFTWARE REVIEW
As most of the OnePlus phones come with the company’s Android user interface, that is the OxygenOS the Nord N10 is no different.
This version of Oxygen OS is mainly for Android 10. This is one of the drawbacks of the device. A phone in 2021 does need to have the latest version of Android to compete with other devices. Hope the Oneplus team will come up with an update soon.
But it’s to be predicted that the update will come in early 2021. Shockingly, the device can only receive one system update, and it’s just unfortunate at this point that it’s not acceptable at all.
A mid-budget phone like this must have at least 2-3 significant updates in all of its spans. So it is not acceptable at any point that the device will not receive more than one update.
The home screen is easy to set up as soon as you turn up the device. It comes with a few preinstalled apps, but you can uninstall them and add your apps/folders.
The left side of the screen is for the google discover feed which is unique and interesting. The phone will support easy customization and does have parental control with it.
The Nord N10 software runs one of the better Android versions on the market, except for the stock version used by Google itself. Although the phone comes with OxygenOS which we know is useful as well as powerful, the OnePlus has a lot of improvements to make.
- OxygenOs 10.5
- Android 10
CAMERA REVIEW
The OnePlus Nord N10 features a regular and ultra-wide camera, which is complemented by monochrome and macro cameras.
The monochrome camera assists with portraits and will help you to capture real black-and-white pictures. You’re not going to get a telephoto lens. Usually, the zoom is done with digital cropping.
The camera of the phone is very simple and efficient. The camera features are up to the mark. The zoom is on the right side and next to the viewfinder that is next to the shutter button.
The left side of its screen features tools like Flash, a macro camera, and a countdown. Different shooting modes are available like portrait, panorama photography, film, pro mode, timelapse, nightscape, and slow-motion.
The nightscape software is used to capture nighttime shots, like a cityscape, whereas the pro mode lets you take complete care of the shutter, white balance, and ISO. The pictures look bright and crisp, with on-the-spot lighting.
The colors are driven a little, but that’s expected. It is to be mentioned that there’s a touch of too much sharpening in the photo, but it can be overlooked.
The Grain shall be held low to get good pictures. The pictures taken with the ultra-wide camera and the main camera are pretty good.
To be honest the digital zoom of the device has its limitations. The camera takes good shots when the object is closer but when the object is a bit far it won’t give you a satisfactory shot.
The macro camera will help you to take close shots and it’s also suitable for food photography. The selfie camera is splendid it gives you well-balanced photos. The white balance and the edge detection were on point for the selfie camera.
Users will get several choices when it comes to filming the video, including 1080p and 4k at varying frame rates. The simple video of 4K at 30fps looks solid.
You will be especially delighted with the colors and transparency of the video. But it does struggle in the low light.
Back Camera
- 64 Mp main
- 2Mp macro
- 2Mp monochrome
- 8Mp ultra-wide
Front Camera
- 16Mp
Video
- 1080p @30/60fps
- 4k @30fps
SPECIFICATIONS
| Ram | 6GB |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 690 |
| Storage | 128 GB internal |
| Ports | microSD slot 3.5mm headphone jack |
| Power | 4300mAh battery |
| Camera | 64mp,8mp,2mp,2mp (back) 16mp (front) |
| Fingerprint sensor | available |
| Os | Android 10 Oxygen os 10.5 |
| Connectivity | 5g, 4g |
| Weight | 188gm |
| Dimension | 164.9 x 65.1×8.49 inch |
FINAL VERDICT
The OnePlus Nord N10 is not the best phone at this price point. The phone is a low-cost mid-range device with good looks but it lacks solidity.
In its support, the OnePlus Nord N10 has a respectable build, a fine screen, and an improved camera. The major issue with this device is going to be its one-time system update and that is not acceptable.
We can say that after a month or so the price will drop and come to a more affordable point then only it will do justice.
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