OnePlus Nord 5: Outstanding smartphone overshadowed by another model from the same company
Designing a successor to a very successful smartphone can be quite difficult. Especially in times when cost-cutting measures are becoming the norm. This is also evident in a smartphone we recently reviewed in detail, namely the OnePlus Nord 5.
Premium feel for little money
For under $500, it delivers a premium feel: a bright 144 Hz AMOLED, significantly improved SoC performance compared to the Nord 4, good cameras, and powerful speakers in a solid housing. The promise of up to six years of updates increases its long-term value.
However, there are also noticeable cost savings in the Nord 5 compared to its predecessor: the EU model has a smaller battery, the UFS 3.1 memory is slower than its predecessor, there is less RAM, and the OnePlus-iconic notification slider is now gone. Instead, there's the plus button, which can be more or less freely assigned
Cost-cutting measures evident
The cost-cutting measures are most evident in the housing. In 2025, the chassis is now made of plastic, whereas the Nord 4 had a heavily-advertised metal unibody. Yes, the housing of the OnePlus Nord 5 is also quite sturdy and looks nice, but it doesn't quite convey the high-quality feel of its predecessor. At least there are some minor updates to the cameras.
More detailed information and an alternative
If you are considering purchasing the OnePlus Nord 5, we recommend reading our detailed review. There you will find the strengths and weaknesses of the smartphone, as well as discussion about the aspect of PWM on the Nord 5.
As an alternative, you should consider last year's OnePlus Nord 4, which impresses with its metal housing, faster memory and additional RAM.
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