The OnePlus Nord was announced Tuesday as the Chinese brand returns to its budget model roots. One Plus has been experimenting with more premium specs and features on its flagships in recent years. This has caused prices to creep up significantly, with the early-year OnePlus 8 Pro starting at $899. In comparison, the OnePlus Nord will start at just EUR399 (lb379) or 24,999 INR in its respective home markets of Europe and India. The device is currently available for preorder and will go on sale August 4.

Before its available, here’s a rundown of what OnePlus has done to make the Nord so cost-effective.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G chip

The OnePlus Nord features the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G which enables 5G on the device. Qualcomm introduced its new 700-series mid-range chips in December 2019, as an option for devices that would be considered just below flagship quality.

We have seen this chip in devices including the Motorola Edge and the LG Velvet, among many others. Several devices with this processor top the Nord for price by at least $200; however, they include many feature tweaks that OnePlus purposefully bypassed to keep costs low on this model.

Qualcomm has since announced the Snapdragon 768G, which makes the 765G a slightly dated component, even though many smartphone makers, including OnePlus, have been itching to use it in devices.

48-megapixel Sony IMX586 sensor

The OnePlus Nord features an elaborate camera system, which includes a quad-camera rear set up and a dual-camera front set up. The star of the show is the 48-megapixel Sony IMX586 main lens, which was used first on the OnePlus 8. Now that the component is a little older, it is likely also cheaper amid the production of the OnePlus Nord. Still, it will rival the brand’s current flagship for photography quality, with features, including OIS, Nightscape mode, and 4K video at 30fps.

The device’s other rear cameras include an 8-megapixel wide-angle lens, a 5-megapixel portrait lens, and a 2-megapixel macro module. Its front cameras include a 32-megapixel main lens and an 8-megapixel wide-angle lens with a 105-degree field-of-view.

Design

The OnePlus Nord is looking pretty snazzy design-wise, with interesting Blue Marble and Grey Onyx color options. However, the fact that the device is made out of primarily plastic and glass has likely contributed to its cost-effective price. The smartphone features a plastic frame with metal buttons to maintain a snazzier look, but its Gorilla Glass 5 front and back panels are about two-years-old at this point.

In comparison, device makers often use metal frames and buttons and the latest version of Gorilla Glass to keep the prices of its premium smartphones high. Glass maker Corning recently announced its latest panel version, Gorilla Glass Victus, which will likely debut on expensive smartphones in 2021.

Display

As one of the priciest components on a smartphone, the OnePlus Nord offsets a hefty cost with a 6.44-inch FHD+ display. Despite still being an AMOLED display, its 2400 x 1080 resolution serves as what has become the industry standard for higher-quality mid-range devices. While many flagships now sport gaming computer level refresh rates between 120Hz and 144Hz, the OnePlus Nord is doing pretty well with 90Hz. Its display panel is also flat, as opposed to curved at the edges screens, as has been seen on many of OnePlus’ recent premium devices. This has likely also helped to bring down its price. Though the rear panel is still curved.

No water resistance sealing

OnePlus is known for not including an IP water and dust resistance rating on its devices and the OnePlus Nord is no different. However, the brand does however say the handset can likely survive a 30-second dip in under 30cm of water. OnePlus CEO, Carl Pei recently detailed that while an IP rating itself is not that expensive, the effort needed to adequately seal a device to meet the rating standard can quickly drive up prices.

Other OnePlus Nord tweaks and special features

The OnePlus Nord has a few other features that likely help to ensure the device isn’t too pricey for consumers. While having a design inspired by the premium OnePlus 8 series, the Nord has a single speaker design, as opposed to the dual speaker set up on the current premium devices.

Featuring a 4,115mAh battery the OnePlus Nord supports Warp Charge 30T, which allows it to add up to 70 percent power in 30 mins with a 30W charger. However, the device does not include wireless charging like the OnePlus 8 series.

The OnePlus Nord also runs Android 10 with the OxygenOS 10.5 overlay. OnePlus has ensured two years of platform updates and three years of security updates for the OnePlus Nord, ensuring it can have a long user life. This support matches the standards set for the OnePlus 8 series.

OnePlus Nord price and release date details

• The OnePlus Nord 8GB RAM and 128GB internal storage model will sell for EUR399 in Europe, lb379 in the U.K., and 27,999 in India in Blue Marble, Grey Onyx color options starting August 4.
• The OnePlus Nord 12GB RAM and 256GB internal storage model will sell for EUR499 in Europe, lb469 in the U.K., and 29,999 in India in Blue Marble, Grey Onyx color options starting August 4.
• The OnePlus Nord 6GB RAM and 64GB internal storage model will sell for 24,999 exclusively in India in Grey Onyx starting in early September.

* Updated July 23 to add details about Gorilla Glass Victus.