Evaluating the OnePlus Nord 5: A competent device with tolerable trade-offs in features

The OnePlus Nord 5, the latest mid-range offering from OnePlus, promises a perfect blend of power, design, and usability at a reasonable price. The device, developed primarily by OnePlus, has its manufacturing strongly linked to suppliers and manufacturers based in China's Guangdong province, particularly in Shenzhen, a key electronics hub. It is available globally through OnePlus's own distribution channels.

The OnePlus Nord 5 boasts a 6.83-inch OLED panel that supports up to a 144Hz refresh rate, providing smooth scrolling and vibrant colours. However, it's important to note that the full 144Hz refresh rate only works in select games, with the maximum everyday use being 120Hz.

One of the standout features of the Nord 5 is its support for HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, enhancing the video viewing experience. The device also comes with a 6800mAh battery, offering impressive battery life that lasts comfortably a full day and up to two days with moderate usage.

The Nord 5 is powered by the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chip, making it the first Nord phone to use a Snapdragon 8-series processor. The device has a lightweight frame, with a plastic build and a muted sand-ish finish, giving it a stylish appearance. The phone retains its comfortable hold despite its large 6.83-inch size due to its flat edges and above-average-sized hands.

In the photography department, the Nord 5 features a 50MP main camera, an 8MP ultrawide, and a 50MP selfie camera. The main camera delivers rich colours and good dynamic range, but performance fades in low light conditions. The selfie camera captures detailed and well-lit shots, even in darker settings, and supports 4K video recording at 60fps. The ultrawide selfie camera only supports 1080p at 30fps, and the 8MP ultrawide camera produces softer images with limited detail, especially in low light.

The OnePlus Nord 5 also offers some protection against dust and splashes, with an IP65 rating. It should be noted that the device does not have wireless charging, but it supports 80W SuperVOOC fast charging, taking less than an hour to fully charge.

The Nord 5 runs OxygenOS 15 on top of Android 15, offering a clean and responsive user interface. OnePlus promises four major OS updates and six years of security patches for the device.

The OnePlus Nord 5 was launched in Bangladesh with a price tag of Tk53,999 for the variant with 12GB RAM and 512GB of internal storage. With its high-end features, impressive battery life, and reasonable price, the OnePlus Nord 5 is a strong contender in the mid-range smartphone market.