The OnePlus Nord sets new standards for mid-range smartphones in 2020, but not for US consumers

The OnePlus Nord is the mid-range smartphone of choice in 2020. While Google continues to leave us waiting for the Pixel 4a, OnePlus has released a smartphone for £379 and €399 that features a high refresh rate display, a powerful chipset, along with plenty of RAM and storage. If 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage is not enough for you, then you could opt for the SKU with 4 GB additional RAM and double storage, which costs £90 or €100 more than the entry-level model.

That high refresh rate display is also an AMOLED panel, unlike the one that Xiaomi included in the Redmi K30 5G, for example. Incidentally, the Snapdragon 765G in the OnePlus Nord features 5G connectivity too, which could be attractive to some people.

OnePlus has not compromised in many areas, either. The Nord has a Warp Charge 30T capable 4,115 mAh battery and an in-display fingerprint scanner for biometric authentication. The OnePlus Nord has the same 48 MP primary rear-facing camera as the OnePlus 8 too, along with five other cameras.

We shall reserve judgement on the OnePlus Nord until we put it through our tests, but the device appears to be great value for money on paper. US consumers can forget all of the above for the time being though, as OnePlus only has plans for a "limited beta launch" in the US. Conversely, European and Indian consumers will get a chance to purchase the OnePlus Nord over the next few weeks.