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OnePlus continues to make its mark and, following the release of its new flagship, the OnePlus 13, the brand revisits the highly competitive mid-range market with its latest Nord 5. OnePlus is well-versed in this segment, often standing out with smartphones featuring polished designs and balanced spec sheets. However, the 2025 iteration slightly alters the formula.
Opting for a less flashy appearance, the Nord 5 focuses more on elegant simplicity and an enhanced spec sheet, featuring an OLED display and a Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 processor, all at a controlled price point (489 euros for the 8GB RAM and 256GB storage variant). Does it have what it takes to shake up an already crowded market? Let’s find out…
OnePlus Nord 5Technical Specifications
| Model | OnePlus Nord 5 |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 77 mm x 163.4 mm x 8.1 mm |
| Manufacturer Interface | OxygenOS |
| Screen Size | 6.83 inches |
| Resolution | 2800 x 1272 pixels |
| Pixel Density | 450 ppi |
| Technology | AMOLED |
| SoC | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 |
| Graphic Chip | Qualcomm Adreno 735 |
| Internal Storage | 256, 512 GB |
| Rear Camera |
Sensor 1: 50 MP Sensor 2: 8 MP |
| Front Camera | 50 MP |
| Video Recording Resolution | 4K @ 60 fps |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6E |
| Bluetooth | 5.4 |
| 5G | Yes |
| NFC | Yes |
| Fingerprint Sensor | Under the screen |
| Connector Type | USB Type-C |
| Battery Capacity | 5200 mAh |
| Weight | 211 g |
| Product Sheet |
OnePlus Nord 5Design
Last year, the Nord 4 pleasantly surprised us with a beautifully crafted metal chassis that was worthy of a high-end model. For the new Nord 5, OnePlus opts for a return to simplicity. At the front, we have a stunning 6.83-inch screen that takes up 90% of the surface, with thin, well-balanced edges.
There’s no unsightly “chin” effect. Only the side borders are slightly thicker, but this does not detract from the aesthetic appeal. At the top, a centrally placed punch-hole houses the front camera.
The real changes are on the back and the sides. Gone is the metal, as OnePlus opts for plastic. Starting with the sides, which display a very well-reproduced aluminum effect. They are flat but slightly softened on the edges to make the grip more comfortable.
The back abandons volume play and metallic textures for a completely smooth, slightly matte surface with a subtle marbled effect that gently catches the light. Less eye-catching than the Nord 4, certainly, but just as contemporary, while being more understated.
The camera module stretches vertically, with two sensors and a flash. Black and rimmed with metal, it blends well with the rest of the back. It remains discreet in thickness, which limits imbalances when placed flat. Thus, interacting with the mobile remains comfortable as long as we stay on the lower half of the screen. Higher up, the mobile becomes too unstable.
With dimensions of 163.41 x 77 x 8.1 mm and weighing 211 g, the smartphone remains dense. In hand, it feels good for daily use. But on the ear, during prolonged calls, the weight begins to be noticeable. The power and volume buttons are grouped on the right. Well-placed for large hands, a bit too high for small ones. On the left, a Key Plus button replaces the brand’s iconic Alert Slider. A choice we regret, as the latter combined design and practicality. Moreover, here, this Key Plus — customizable — is placed too high to be used naturally, regardless of hand size. However, left-handers may find it more comfortable.
Regarding protection, the screen is covered with Gorilla Glass 7i. The chassis benefits from an IP65 certification, sufficient against splashes. But at this price, some competitors already offer real IP68 or IP69.
OnePlus Nord 5Screen
The 6.83-inch AMOLED panel offers a display of very fine quality with a resolution of 2800 x 1272 pixels and a pixel density of 450 ppi. Even though the panel is not LTPO, we have a refresh rate that can switch between 60, 90, 120, or 144 Hz!
We tested the Nord 5 with our probe and the CalMAN Ultimate software from Portrait Displays. Among the five display modes offered by the brand, Cinematic Pro performs the best with a Delta E of 2.55 against 3 for the reference value. Paired with a color temperature of 6666 K, and a color space occupancy rate measured at 149% of BT.709, 100% of DCI-P3, and 67% of BT.2020, we have a colorful display with beautiful nuances. On the white areas, there is a very slight drift towards blues, but nothing really significant.
The brightness is honest with 1153 nits measured in SDR, sufficient for most lighting environments, but you’ll need to squint on very sunny days. The gain measured in HDR is modest: we note 1221 nits, which allows enjoying compatible content in a dim environment at…
OnePlus Nord 5Performance
The OnePlus Nord 5 is built around a Snapdragon 8s Gen 3, previously seen on the Honor 200 Pro, for example, and is supported by 8 or 12 GB of LPDDR5X RAM, and UFS 3.1 storage offered in 256 or 512 GB depending on the version. Regarding the GPU, we have an Adreno 735. The benchmark results are solid, in the good average for this price segment.
In use, this setup performs marvelously on a daily basis. Android runs with exemplary fluidity, apps are very comfortable, even the most demanding ones, and slowdowns are extremely rare. You really have to push it to its limits to notice slight drops in performance, and even then… nothing lasting.
As for gaming, the performance is generally good. On Fortnite, the 120 FPS mode at low quality barely reaches 88-90 FPS at peak, but more often runs between 45 and 75 FPS depending on the situations. Switching to 60 FPS with Epic graphics quality, the framerate oscillates between 55 to 60 FPS. To achieve a really stable 60 FPS, it’s better to go down a notch in graphic quality.
The same observation applies to Genshin Impact: to maintain beautiful fluidity at 60 FPS, you must choose the medium graphics mode. However, on Call of Duty Mobile, nothing to report: the 120 FPS in medium mode is perfectly fluid, and knows how to exploit the 144 Hz of the screen. As for the 60 FPS in Ultra quality, it is simply flawless.
Thermal management is well-controlled. OnePlus has done a good job optimizing the SoC: throttling remains contained at 77% of maximum power, which allows maintaining high performance even over time.
The heating is perceptible but remains reasonable as long as you do not exceed 30 to 45 minutes of intense gaming. Beyond that, the heat becomes more present, although not really uncomfortable, unless you are very sensitive.
OnePlus Nord 5Software
The OnePlus Nord 5 runs on Android 15, dressed by OxygenOS 15, the latest version of the in-house overlay. For a detailed dive into its new features, feel free to check out the test of the OnePlus 13, which goes more in-depth into the changes brought by this version.
On a daily basis, the experience is enjoyable, with a smooth, neat, and pleasant to use interface. The customization possibilities are quite numerous.
On the AI side, OxygenOS integrates some writing assistance functions. Another novelty: Mindspace. This is a personal space where you can group screenshots, voice notes, annotations… The AI is supposed to extract key information, and even suggest reminders or appointments. In practice, the function still seems to be in testing: our tests have not confirmed its effectiveness.
Hardware-wise, OnePlus definitively buries the legendary Alert Slider, replaced by the Key Plus button. It strongly reminds of Apple’s Action button, up to the customization interface that borders on copying. It allows launching the camera, activating the flashlight, starting a voice recording or a translation, or even taking a screenshot. Once integrated into your habits, it proves to be practical.
Lastly, OnePlus does not improve its update policy, with here 4 years of Android updates and 6 years of security patches. This remains average, but we are far from what Google, Samsung, or Fairphone offer.
OnePlus Nord 5Photo
The photographic configuration is very classic, with:
- 50 MP wide-angle with an aperture of f/1.8;
- 8 MP ultra-wide-angle with an aperture of f/2.2.
A 50 MP selfie sensor with an aperture of f/2.0 completes the set.
We regret the absence of a telephoto lens doubly. Firstly, because it is always useful, and secondly, it would have brought an extra compared to the Nord CE5, which has the same photographic configuration, except for the selfie sensor which is 16 MP.
Wide-angle
The main sensor of the Nord 5 delivers very beautiful shots in good lighting conditions. The image has a nice sharpness, with a high level of detail, especially in the center. On the edges, the quality drops slightly, but you really have to zoom into the image for it to be noticeable. Micro-details are well treated despite slight smoothing, which remains controlled: materials, textures, or fibers retain their relief, even if it lacks a bit of precision.
The colorimetry is generally balanced. It can sometimes display slight variations or occasional chromatic aberrations, without always understanding the cause. Contrasts are well managed, with sometimes a bit of over-emphasis to highlight certain areas, at the risk of a slight loss of naturalness. However, this remains coherent and visually pleasing. The management of brightness performs very well. There is no marked tendency to overexposure. The shots remain readable, balanced, and generally pleasant to the eye.
However, night photography marks a step back. While the images remain usable, the level of detail noticeably decreases, smoothing becomes more aggressive, and colors are a bit warmer than they should be. The contrast, on the other hand, is less marked than during the day, reducing the level of precision of the image.
Micro-details also suffer from too aggressive smoothing, making textures less natural. This remains correct in this price range, but nothing remarkable.
Portrait
The portrait mode of the OnePlus Nord 5 performs admirably. The cutout is almost impeccable. You really have to push the system to its limits — animal fur, tangled long hair — for it to lose track. And even then, these cases are rare.
The level of detail is more than satisfactory. Micro-textures (beards, textile materials) undergo light, noticeable smoothing, but the relief is still there, and the overall rendering maintains a nice readability. The colorimetry remains faithful, with a slight saturation that adds pep without falling into artifice. As for the management of light and contrasts, it directly benefits from the qualities of the main sensor. The result is flattering, but without exaggeration.
Ultra wide-angle
Despite its mere 8 megapixels, the ultra-wide-angle sensor fares decently. The image has a nice sharpness in the center, with a correct
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Maya Singh is a senior editor covering tablets and hybrid devices. Her work explores how these tools reshape digital productivity and learning. She also contributes to feature editorials on emerging tech.