OnePlus Nord 5 review: Flagship power in a mid-range body

The OnePlus Nord series has always aimed to strike the perfect balance between performance and price, and with the OnePlus Nord 5, the company has taken a massive generational leap. This isn’t just a mid-range phone with good specs, it’s a device that brushes shoulders with flagships while staying within reach of the average buyer. And this time, it’s not just the spec sheet doing the talking.

Design & Build: Clean but Familiar

At first glance, the Nord 5 doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel. It’s a polished, minimalist slab, but it doesn’t quite stand out in a crowd, unless you're using the Marble Sands variant. It's a striking finish with subtle shimmers on the back that seem to move as the sunlight hits it. 

The curved-edge glass back feels premium, and the phone is slim and comfortable to hold despite packing a giant battery. However, OnePlus has dropped the iconic alert slider, replacing it with a new "Plus Key" that you can remap for quick tasks or AI shortcuts. It’s practical, but longtime fans may still miss the tactile slider.

IP65 certification brings added dust and water resistance, a first for the Nord line, and there’s Gorilla Glass up front for peace of mind.

Performance: No Compromises

OnePlus has made a statement here. The Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chip, paired with up to 12GB LPDDR5X RAM, makes the Nord 5 a true performance beast. Day-to-day usage is seamless. Apps load instantly, multitasking is effortless, and the phone can handle high-end games like Genshin Impact, Pokémon Unite, and COD Mobile at high settings without breaking a sweat.

Thanks to an upgraded vapour chamber cooling system, thermal throttling is minimal, even after long sessions. This is a phone that can comfortably serve both power users and casual gamers alike.

Display: Bright, Smooth, Beautiful

The 6.83-inch AMOLED display is a joy to use. With an FHD+ resolution, a buttery-smooth 144Hz refresh rate, and a peak brightness of 1,800 nits, it’s one of the best panels you can find in this price range. Whether you’re streaming HDR content, doomscrolling, or playing games, everything looks crisp and fluid.

Cameras: A Surprising Contender

Let’s be honest, OnePlus phones have rarely been camera-first devices. Historically, the company has prioritised speed and battery life over photography. But this time, I was genuinely surprised by how well the Nord 5’s cameras performed, especially in low light.

The rear setup includes a 50MP Sony LYT-700 sensor with OIS and an 8MP ultra-wide lens. In good lighting, images are sharp and vibrant, with good colour balance. But it’s in low-light environments where the Nord 5 impressed me most. Night shots retain detail, and noise is well-controlled for a phone at this price.

Another impressive feat this time is the ability to record 4k60fps video on both the front and rear cameras. 

To view the images shot on OnePlus Nord 5, click here.

Battery & Charging: No Anxiety Here

The 6,800mAh battery is massive. It's enough to last comfortably 1.5 to 2 days on moderate use. With 100W SUPERVOOC charging, you can go from 0 to 100% in under 30 minutes. 

The battery optimisation on OxygenOS 15 is solid, and even heavy users will find it hard to kill this phone in a single day.

Software & AI: Smart in All the Right Places

Running OxygenOS 15 based on Android 15, the Nord 5 is as fast and clean as you’d expect from OnePlus. AI is baked in tastefully; features like AI Call Summary, Live Translate, and Plus Mind for note generation and memory tools are genuinely useful without feeling intrusive.

One of my favourite features is the AI Reframe tool. It analyses the frame and suggests alternative compositions, crop sizes, and filters that truly enhance the overall quality of the picture.

In terms of longevity, OnePlus promises 4 years of OS updates and 6 years of security patches.

Verdict: Should You Buy the OnePlus Nord 5?

The OnePlus Nord 5 is a class-defining mid-range phone. It doesn’t just chase specs, it delivers meaningful performance, battery life, display quality, as well as thoughtful AI-driven software improvements at an affordable price.