While flagship OnePlus phones might hog all the limelight, its Nord-branded budget phones have also made a name for themselves. While OnePlus offers a more expansive range of Nord products in Asia and parts of Europe, the lineup is not entirely missing in the US. TheOnePlus Nord N20remains among ourfavorite budget Android phonesin the US almost a year after its unveiling. And now, the BBK-owned company has silently unveiled its successor: the Nord N30.
Despite arriving a year later, the Nord N30 packs essentially the same internals as its predecessor. There’s a Snapdragon 695 chip ticking inside, which is paired with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. For comparison, the Nord N20 shipped with 6GB RAM, so the additional memory should help with multitasking.
OnePlus Nord N30 5G
The OnePlus Nord N30 5G is a new take on one of our favorite budget phones of last year. It loses out on the refined design and AMOLED display that won us over in 2022, but keeps the same level of performance in an affordable package.
The main highlight is the bigger 6.72-inch FHD+ LCD panel with a 120Hz refresh rate. That’s a substantial jump from the 6.43-inch 60Hz display found on the Nord N20, though it was an OLED screen. Another upgrade includes a bigger 5,000mAh battery with 50W fast charging support, which can top up the cell in 30 minutes.
As for cameras, the Nord N30 features a 108MP primary Samsung shooter that can offer up to 6x digital zoom. This is paired with 2MP macro and depth cameras. Video recording tops out at Full HD 30fps, though. For selfies, the phone houses a 16MP shooter at the front.
Other specs include a 3.5mm headphone jack, microSD card slot, side-mounted fingerprint scanner, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.1. NFC support is missing, so you cannot use the Nord N30 for making in-store payments. Out of the box, the phone runs onAndroid 13-based OxygenOS 13.
Essentially, the Nord N30 is a re-branded version of theNord CE 3 Litethat launched in Asia and Europe in April 2023.
OnePlus is already accepting pre-orders for the Nord N30 for $300, with shipping starting from June 12. This is the same price as its predecessor, so at least you are not paying more for a minor specs bump. You can get the Nord N30 in Chromatic Grey, with the company not offering any other color options. As a launch offer, you can get theNord Buds 2for free with your pre-order and an additional year of Google One subscription.
