The OnePlus Nord 5, the company's latest mid-range smartphone, has arrived as the successor to the OnePlus Nord 4, which was introduced a year ago. This handset brings some notable improvements over its predecessor, including a more capable Snapdragon 8 series chipset and slightly better cameras. However, the mid-range segment is extremely competitive, especially around the Rs. 30,000 mark, with noteworthy rivals like the Poco F7, Motorola Edge 60 Pro, Samsung Galaxy A36 5G, iQOO Neo 10R, and the Nothing Phone 3a Pro.

Priced at Rs. 31,999 for the base model with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, the OnePlus Nord 5 is also available with 12GB of RAM in 256GB and 512GB storage variants, which cost Rs. 34,999 and Rs. 37,999, respectively. In this review, let's look at whether the handset is worth its asking price or whether it falls short of my expectations.

OnePlus Nord 5 Design: Goodbye Alert Slider, Hello Plus Key

• Dimensions - 163.4 x 77 x 8.1 mm
• Weight - 211g
• Colours - Dry Ice, Marble Sands (Featured in this review), Phantom Grey

The OnePlus 13s that arrived last month is no longer the only handset from the company to feature the new Plus Key. This new button, located on the left edge of the phone, replaces OnePlus' alert slider, and it has its own advantages and disadvantages. You can remap it to perform various functions, including launching the Plus Mind feature, which we covered in our OnePlus 13s review. However, it's also easy to invoke the Plus Key, if it's facing downwards while you're playing games.

The new Plus Key on the OnePlus Nord 5

While its predecessor featured an aluminium chassis (that we really liked), the OnePlus Nord 5 has a glass rear panel with plastic edges, and the Marble Sands finish that the company sent us for this review looks rather nice. It's a little slippery to hold, so I used the TPU cover that ships with the phone to keep it protected. The phone has a 6.83-inch screen, and it occasionally requires both hands to use (I have considerably large hands).

The OnePlus Nord 5 features a 6,800mAh battery, but you wouldn't be able to tell by looking at the phone, which doesn't feel too heavy. Both the power and volume rocker were easy to reach with my thumb, but the Plus Key is out of reach when using the phone with one hand. The top of the phone has an infrared transmitter that can control various appliances, while the bottom edge houses a speaker, the SIM tray, and a USB Type-C port.

OnePlus Nord 5 Software: Smooth, Includes Some AI Features

• Software - OxygenOS 15
• Version - Android 15
• Latest security patch - June 1, 2025

The OnePlus Nord 5 runs on OxygenOS 15, which is based on Android 15. This is the same software that runs on the company's flagship OnePlus 13, and it also offers support for some AI features that were unveiled alongside the OnePlus 13s. This phone is slated to receive four years of OS upgrades and six years of security updates, which means it is expected to receive an upgrade to Android 19.

OxygenOS 15 on the OnePlus Nord 5

I received the 12GB+256GB configuration of the OnePlus Nord 5, and it's very optimised when it comes to day-to-day usage. Animations are snappy, and the handset keeps apps and games in memory, even after you switch to four or five other apps, which is good to see. The handset prompted me to install some third-party apps during the setup process, including Amazon and Candy Crush: Saga, but it allowed me to deselect these apps.

The new Plus Key on the OnePlus Nord 5 can be used to launch the company's new OnePlus AI suite of features. This includes the new Plus Mind functionality, which saves contextual information from screenshots whenever the Plus Key is pressed. While it doesn't always detect actionable content, some suggestions are quite handy, such as adding calendar events when a date is detected.

AI features from the OnePlus 13s are also available on the Nord 5

Other OnePlus AI features, such as AI VoiceScribe, AI Call Assistant, and AI Translation, are also supported on the OnePlus Nord 5. I've covered these apps and how they work when I reviewed the OnePlus 13s, and these are the same features available on that handset. You can use it to store information from apps, translate web pages using a pop-up menu, and get summaries of your calls using the new VoiceScribe feature.

OnePlus states that it will utilise the company's Private Compute Cloud to safeguard user information provided to access AI features within a trusted and isolated framework. You also get support for Circle to Search with AI Overviews on Google and access to Google Gemini on the OnePlus Nord 5.

OnePlus Nord 5 Performance: Last-Gen, But Optimised

• Processor - Snapdragon 8s Gen 3
• Memory - Up to 12GB LPDDR5x
• Storage - Up to 512GB UFS 3.1

This is the first Nord-series smartphone from the company to be equipped with a Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset, and it is a notable upgrade over the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 that powered last year's Nord 4 model. It's an octa-core chip with up to 3GHz clock speed, and it is built using TSMC's 4nm process technology.

Left to right: AnTuTu v10, PCMark Work 3.0, Geekbench 6 (tap to expand)

OnePlus says that the company used a chip launched in 2024 on the Nord 5 after it worked with the company to support 144Hz OLED screens and support for faster framerates in specific games. While this might be the case, I suspect the real reason why this phone doesn't ship with the newer Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 SoC (like the Poco F7) is that it would offer faster performance than the more expensive OnePlus 13R, which runs on a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset.

The Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 on the OnePlus Nord 5 is no slouch, though. It can run any CPU and graphics intensive app or game, including editing and exporting 4K videos, or playing games like Wuthering Waves and Call of Duty: Mobile. OxgenOS feels optimised, and I didn't experience any stuttering or lag during the time I spent testing the phone.

Left to right: PCMark Work 3.0 Battery, GFXBench 5.1, 3DMark (tap to expand)

Here's a quick comparison of the OnePlus Nord 5 with other similarly priced handsets, to see how it performs in synthetic benchmark tests:

There's a 6.83-inch Full-HD+ (1,272×2,800 pixels) AMOLED screen with up to 144Hz refresh rate on the OnePlus Nord 5, which is a step up from last year's model. OnePlus says the display supports up to 1,800nits peak brightness, and visibility is good while outdoors. It also gets quite dim at night, without causing eye strain.

The 6.83-inch display on the OnePlus Nord 5 is smooth and reponsive 

I switch all the phones I use to a “standard” display colour mode, and the panel on the OnePlus Nord 5 delivers less vibrant (but more accurate) colours when using this mode, so you might want to select the Cinematic option instead. The handset's display also features Corning Gorilla Glass 7i protection, but I recommend using it with the included cover to prevent damage to the rear panel.

OnePlus Nord 5 Cameras: A Familiar Setup

• Main camera - 50-megapixel (f/1.8), OIS, up to 4K/ 60fps video
• Ultrawide camera - 8-megapixel (f/2.2), EIS, up to 1080p/ 30fps video
• Selfie camera - 50-megapixel (f/2.0), EIS, up to 4K/ 60fps video

I spent nearly a month testing the cameras on the OnePlus Nord 5, and the 50-megapixel primary camera is the most capable one on the handset. It allows you to click images at 1x and 2x (the latter is an in-sensor crop) zoom levels, and supports optical image stabilisation (OIS).

Top to bottom: Rear camera samples at 1x (primary), 2x (in-sensor crop) zoom (Tap to expand)

During the day, the OnePlus Nord 5 captures bright and detailed shots, and the colours are captured accurately. There's no noticeable delay when the capture button is pressed, and images are saved instantly. This is the same Sony LYT-700 primary sensor on the OnePlus 13s, and it offers the same level of sharpness at 2x zoom for subjects that are slightly further away.

In low-light scenarios, it captures decent shots as long as your subject stays still. There's a lot of detail, even when you zoom in. The built-in night mode captures images in just over a second, and it can be turned off for faster shots.

Top to bottom: Ultrawide camera samples, a selfie and a portrait shot (Tap to expand)

The ultrawide camera on the OnePlus Nord 5 also offers decent performance during the day, with minimal warping at the edges. Low light performance isn't as good as the primary camera, but these shots are still quite usable as long as your subject isn't moving.

For video recording, you may want to stick with the primary camera on the OnePlus Nord 5, which allows you to record at 4K/60fps. However, if you want to enable Ultra Steady mode, it drops to 1080p/30fps, which is also the maximum resolution supported by the ultrawide camera.

There's a 50-megapixel selfie camera on the Nord 5, with a Samsung ISOCELL JN5 sensor. It's excellent for capturing images and videos, and the face smoothening features are turned off by default. It also allows you to capture videos at 4K/60fps or 1080p/30fps, if you prefer to use the Ultra Steady mode.

OnePlus Nord 5 Battery: Welcome Upgrades

• Battery Capacity - 6,800mAh
• Wired Charging - 80W SuperVOOC (USB Type-C)

OnePlus has equipped the Nord 5 with a considerably large single-cell 6,800mAh battery, which is an upgrade over the 5,500mAh cell on its predecessor. Alongside the efficient Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chip, this battery can deliver up to a day and a half of usage. During the time that I spent using the smartphone, this included three hours of gaming, a lot of scrolling through social media, watching videos on YouTube, and texting on WhatsApp.

OnePlus Nord 5 delivers over a day and a half of battery life on a single charge

The handset lasted for 27 hours and 15 minutes during our HD video battery loop test, and for 14 hours and 26 minutes during the PCMark Work 3.0 battery life benchmark. This is a synthetic test, and real-world battery usage will vary based on your usage. The OnePlus Nord 5 takes about 58 minutes to 63 minutes for a full charge, when connected to the included 80W SuperVOOC charging adapter.

OnePlus Nord 5: Verdict

With meaningful upgrades over its predecessor, the OnePlus Nord 5 is one of the better options to pick from, if you're looking to spend around Rs. 30,000 on your next smartphone. It offers reliable CPU and camera performance, and long-lasting battery life, along with support for fast charging. I miss the all-metal design of the OnePlus Nord 4, but the newest model offers enough in terms of upgrades around the same price.

The OnePlus Nord 5offers decent value for a smartphone around the Rs. 30,000 mark

The Poco F7 is the biggest rival to the OnePlus Nord 5, and it is equipped with a more powerful Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chip and a larger 7,550mAh battery. However, I would recommend waiting for our review of the handset to see whether its camera performance is comparable to the Nord 5.

Other handsets worth considering in this price segment include the Motorola Edge 60 Pro, the iQOO Neo 10, the Vivo V50 (Review), and the Samsung Galaxy A36. You can also consider the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE, which frequently drops under the Rs. 35,000 mark.

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