Nord N100: Is the cheapest smartphone from OnePlus cheap enough?

If you spend less than 200 Euros (~$241) for your smartphone these days, you get quite a bit: Models with good color accuracy, a lot of storage, and a large battery are available at that price. You still have to live with a few limitations, but users whose demands aren't too high can get good smartphones for little money.

OnePlus has now stepped in with the Nord N100 to push the limits of what's feasible for 200 (~$241) Euros once again: The manufacturer offers stereo speakers, a 90 Hz display, and a decent camera in this smartphone. In addition, there's good positioning, fast storage, and long battery life.

All in all, this results in a good overall package, but the question of whether the OnePlus N100 is really a bargain arises primarily because it has a strong competition: The Xiaomi POCO X3, the Motorola Moto G9 Play or the realme 7 also offer a lot of features for a low price and are even better in some areas.

OnePlus also makes things easier for its rivals by choosing a rather slow SoC for the Nord N100: The Snapdragon 460 lags behind the processors of other smartphones in this price range. It's sufficient for everyday use, but those who really want the best performance for their money are better off with Xiaomi or Motorola.

Fans of the OnePlus brand will also have to accept a few downsides: For example, there will only be one major software update, and 5G is not on board, despite OnePlus having promised to only build smartphones with 5G some time ago. Buyers also have to do without NFC; this is annoying in view of the increasing spread of mobile payment services.

Therefore, the Nord N100 is not the best bargain at the manufacturer's price, but you can already get it for just over 160 Euros (~$193) on the Internet, which makes things look better again for OnePlus's most affordable smartphone at the moment: You can still save a few Euros compared to the competition here and still get a nicely equipped smartphone.

A detailed analysis of the OnePlus Nord N100 and our exact assessment can be found in our extensive review of the smartphone.