OnePlus has taken the wraps off the Nord N300 5G, its latest budget smartphone for North America. OnePlus's Nord series serves the entry-level and budget smartphone category. The Nord line is sold in various regions of the world, with select models exclusive to some markets. It is its answer to other budget mid-range smartphones, such as Xiaomi's Redmi Note line and Samsung's Galaxy A series.
Earlier this year, OnePlus expanded the Nord line beyond smartphones. It now sells earbuds and wired earphones under the Nord name, and just recently, it launched the Nord Watch, its second smartwatch after the OnePlus Watch, which launched in 2021. Unfortunately, the Nord Watch isn't sold in North America.
The Nord N300 5G is rocking a new design that some people may or may not like. OnePlus has ditched the punch-hole display of the Nord N200 5G for a V-shaped notch. The phone also has flat sides like the Nord N20 5G, while the back has a rectangular island that holds two cameras, unlike its predecessor, which has three rear cameras. OnePlus doesn't say if the phone has a waterproof rating, so it is best to keep it away from liquids. The Nord N300 will be available in a single colorway called Midnight Jade which is just a fancy name for dark gray.
A Mix Of Upgrades & Downgrades
OnePlus has bumped up the display of the Nord N300 5G. The 90Hz IPS LCD panel is now 6.56 inches but surprisingly has an HD+ resolution. For comparison, the Nord N200 has a 6.49-inch LCD with a Full HD+ (2400 ×1080) resolution and a 90Hz refresh rate. There is an 8MP rear camera inside the notch, which is a downgrade from the 16MP sensor of the Nord N200. However, the primary rear camera has been upgraded to a 48MP sensor, and a 2MP depth sensor accompanies it.
Powering the OnePlus Nord N300 is the Dimensity 810 processor, which makes it the first OnePlus phone sold in the U.S. with a MediaTek chipset. There is still 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, but a MicroSD card slot is present for users who wish to add more storage. There is a side-mounted fingerprint scanner and under the hood is a 5000mAh battery which now charges much faster at 33W. In addition, OnePlus also ships the phone with Android 13 with its OxygenOS skin on top.
The OnePlus Nord N300 5G will be available starting from Nov. 3 from T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile. It will cost $228, which is a bit less than the $240 launch price of the Nord N200 5G. It is also expected that the phone will eventually be available unlocked in the near future, just like the Nord N20 5G.
Source: The Verge