OnePlus Nord 3 5G Long-Term Review: From Obstacles to Solid Reliability

Among the different models in the OnePlus Nord lineup, the number series stands out, causing a lot of excitement. These smartphones not only have similar features to the company's flagship models, but they are also more affordable. Following this trend, OnePlus released the Nord 3 5G smartphone, which has identical photography capabilities and display quality to the OnePlus 11 5G. The gadget has the same battery capacity and quick charging rates as its flagship cousin, but it is powered by a MediaTek processor, which provides flagship-level performance instead of the conventional Snapdragon.

In this review, we'll look at the OnePlus Nord 3 5G to see how great it is overall and whether it justifies its pricing, making it an appealing option for new customers.

The OnePlus Nord 3 5G shines out in almost every way, with a fascinating display, smooth performance, competent cameras, long battery life, and fast charging capabilities. Although its design may lack the visual flare of some of its competitors, the gadget focuses ergonomics, resulting in a pleasant and engaging user experience.

OnePlus Nord 3 Specs and Price

OnePlus Nord 3
Brand	OnePlus
Display	6.74 inches
Display Type	Fluid AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1450 nits (peak)
Build	Glass front (Dragontrail Glass), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), plastic frame
OS	Android 13, OxygenOS 13.1
Processor	Mediatek Dimensity 9000 (4 nm)
Memory & RAM	128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 16GB RAM
Camera	Triple, 50 MP+8 MP+2 MP
Battery	5000mAh
Price	8GB+128GB: ₹29,999 16GB+256GB: ₹33,999

Display and Design

OnePlus has taken a simple approach to developing the Nord 3. Unlike other competitors, the phone has Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection on the back and flat edges, rather than a curved frame and leather back. This design decision helps to the device's luxurious and shiny appearance, but it also makes it fingerprint-prone. However, the smartphone comes with a high-quality rubber casing that protects not just the body but also the screen from scratches when placed face down.

The handset's flat sides offer a solid and pleasant grip. The gadget weighs 193.5g and is rather lightweight, making it more comfortable to carry than smartphones with glass backs. The phone has a plastic frame and four rings on the back: two for the cameras, one each for the LED flash and Phase Detection Auto Focus (PDAF) sensor. The phone also has an IP54 certification, which means it is water resistant.

The OnePlus Nord 3 5G has a 6.74-inch Super Fluid AMOLED display with a dynamic refresh rate of 40Hz-120Hz, 10-bit color depth, and HDR10+ compatibility. This combination provides an extraordinarily smooth and responsive viewing experience. The animations are smooth, adding to the fun of interactions, and scrolling seems effortless. The colors on the screen are vibrant and crisp, with excellent viewing angles.

The display's brightness level is impressive, ensuring visibility even in direct sunlight. The phone's razor-thin bezels, together with Widevine L1 certification and HDR10 compatibility, ensure a superior viewing experience in any setting. Furthermore, the handset's audio quality is remarkable, owing to its two speakers carefully tuned by Dolby Atmos, which provide an immersive listening experience.

The Nord 3 5G's design characteristics are identical to its predecessor, the OnePlus Nord 2T. The alert slider and power button may be found on the right spine, while the volume rocker is located on the left. A USB Type-C connector for charging and data transfer is located on the bottom, along with a SIM ejector tray and a speaker grille. The top edge has an IR blaster, which allows for wireless control of home appliances. The earpiece serves as the secondary speaker and is located at the top. The front of the phone features a fingerprint reader behind the display, allowing for quick and secure device unlocking.

The OnePlus Nord 3's outstanding feature is its gorgeous display, which has a dynamic refresh rate of 40Hz to 120Hz. The 6.74-inch Super Fluid AMOLED display supports 10-bit color depth and HDR10+, resulting in a viewing experience that outperforms rival phones in its price category. In a recent performance test comparing it against the iQOO Neo7 Pro, the colors on the iQOO phone's display were dull and washed out when compared to the Nord 3. Along with the beautiful display, the Nord 3 has twin Dolby Atmos speakers that provide excellent audio quality. For those who consume a lot of multimedia information, the Nord 3's combination of excellent display and notable audio quality may be a persuasive incentive to consider it.

Performance and Software

The OnePlus Nord 3 5G comes pre-installed with Oxygen OS 13.1 based on Android 13. While the most recent Oxygen OS iteration may not have big cosmetic changes, the firm has solved minor faults and implemented enhancements. Notably, Zen mode has been improved to reduce distractions from alerts. A new O-Relax app has been released, containing a selection of relaxing sounds, tranquil white noise, and mini-games to help you relax. For the first time on a Nord-series phone, the firm has promised three years of significant software changes and four years of security patches. Furthermore, the device is TÜV SÜD certified, guaranteeing quick and smooth operation for at least the first 48 months of use.

The OnePlus Nord 3 5G's powerhouse is the MediaTek Dimensity 9000 SoC, which represents a substantial improvement in performance over its predecessor. In synthetic benchmark testing, the device achieves a remarkable score of 10,39,075 points on AnTuTu, representing a 19% improvement over the Nord 2T's result. Furthermore, the Nord 3 5G dominates Geekbench, scoring 984 points in the single-core test and 3,284 points in the multi-core test. During the CPU Throttle test, the device experiences minimal throttling, keeping performance at 80 percent of its peak level when running 50 threads for half an hour.

The device's real-world performance is certainly astounding. There were no obvious slowdowns when I was multitasking or gaming. The OnePlus Nord 3 5G handled resource-intensive activities well, including playing BGMI with HD graphics at a fluid 90fps without any delays or frame drop problems. The gadget efficiently distributes heat thanks to its 4,129mm2 vapour chamber cooling technology. While completing hard work for a lengthy period of time, I noticed a little increase in the device's temperature, which was within acceptable limits.

In terms of memory, the smartphone supports up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 256GB of fast UFS 3.1 storage. While the storage cannot be expanded, it is possible to virtually increase the RAM by up to 12GB by utilizing a piece of the ROM.

The OnePlus Nord 3 5G's battery life is really outstanding. With a 5,000mAh battery, I was able to get a full 9 hours of screen time while using apps, using features like Always-on-display, navigating, participating in WhatsApp conversations, scrolling through social media, and even doing some light gaming. Furthermore, the phone displayed remarkable power economy, scoring 13 hours and 50 minutes on the PCMark 3.0 battery test.

The OnePlus Nord 3 5G also has impressive charging speeds. With support for 80W fast charging, the smartphone can reach a full charge from zero in around 50 minutes, demonstrating exceptional charging efficiency.

Camera

The OnePlus Nord 3 5G features a 50MP Sony IMX890 main camera with OIS, the same sensor as the OnePlus 11 5G. It is supplemented by an 8MP ultra-wide sensor, a 2MP macro unit, and a dependable autofocus (PDAF) sensor. Daytime photography with the primary camera produced remarkable results, with brilliant colors that, although somewhat oversaturated, maintained enough dynamic range and captured detailed details. This resulted in crisp, well-defined photos. In low-light situations, the Nord 3 5G automatically uses long exposure photographs to capture adequate details, but with considerable noise. While the colors may not be completely correct, the camera works well under such settings.

The 8MP ultra-wide camera has a broad 112-degree field-of-view (FoV), allowing it to record large subjects, especially in bright sunshine. While it may not equal the primary sensor in terms of resolution and color accuracy, this is a frequent feature seen in smartphones equipped with ultra-wide (UW) sensors. Nonetheless, the sensor exhibits negligible distortion or warping at the frame's edges, yielding crisp and precise wide-angle photos. However, even with the night mode turned on, the camera produces blurry photos in low light and interior settings. The performance of the 2MP macro sensor is modest, with the tiny sensor size making it difficult to generate clear photos.

For capturing selfies and engaging in video calls, the OnePlus Nord 3 5G is equipped with a 16MP front camera embedded in a punch-hole setup. This front-facing camera delivers commendable performance in both well-lit and low-light environments, producing pleasing images. While the camera tends to accurately reproduce skin tones, it applies some smoothing to facial details, resulting in a slightly softened appearance. OnePlus provides users with various filters and skin-retouching tools, allowing them to experiment and customize their selfies based on their preferences. Similar to the primary camera, the front snapper of the Nord 3 5G also supports portrait mode, although its edge detection capabilities may not be exceptional.

Conclusion

The OnePlus Nord 3 5G appears as a promising smartphone in a competitive sector, up against the Motorola Edge 40, POCO F5, and iQOO Neo 7. In contrast to the Nord 3 5G, the Motorola Edge 40 stands out for its excellent design, IP68 water and dust resistance, 15W wireless charging, and near-stock Android experience. However, occasional warmth and a possible shorter battery life should be considered.

While the POCO F5 has an amazing battery life, it is bloated with software that may have an influence on the overall user experience. The iQOO Neo 7 stands out, however, with its incredible 120W flash charging capacity, which allows for a complete charge in about 27 minutes. However, the lack of an ultra-wide sensor may be a disadvantage for some users.

The OnePlus Nord 3 5G has not just an ultra-wide lens, but also the greatest display in its class. Aside from that, the gadget can handle a wide range of activities without overheating, and its software is mainly devoid of clutter. The phone has a good battery life and can be fully charged in an hour with 80W fast charging. If you don't mind spending a little longer time charging, the OnePlus Nord 3 5G stands out as a dependable option, priced in India at Rs 33,999.