OnePlus Nord 5 review: UI, performance highlight this solid mid-range phone

Business Standard

08-07-2025

The OnePlus Nord lineup has evolved from being the brand's budget-friendly offering to more of an alternative to expensive flagship devices. While the new Nord 5 sheds some of the premium design elements of its predecessor, it doubles down on performance, battery life, and AI-driven software. Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 and packed with a 6800mAh large capacity battery, the Nord 5 aims to strike a balance between flagship-grade power and accessible pricing. But how well does it deliver across the board?
Design
The OnePlus Nord 5 takes a more conventional design route compared to its predecessor. Gone is the unibody metal chassis and distinctive horizontal camera strip – replaced by flat plastic side rails and a vertically aligned dual-camera module. While this may feel like a step down in terms of premium feel, the soft-textured marble-like finish on the back does add a touch of uniqueness and helps the phone stand out a bit.
In-hand feel is comfortable, and the phone remains well balanced for extended use. The textured back also does a good job of resisting fingerprints and smudges. That said, the elevated rear camera module causes the phone to wobble when placed on a flat surface, though not as drastically as some other devices with similar camera placements.
The Nord 5 also features the new customisable 'Plus Key' on the left edge, a feature first introduced on the OnePlus 13s. However, given that the Nord 5 is taller and wider than the 13s, the placement of the Plus Key feels slightly awkward, especially during one-handed use.
Display and sound
The Nord 5 sports a large 6.83-inch panel with a 2800 x 1272 resolution and sleek, symmetrical bezels on all sides, giving the device a premium front-facing look. Visuals are sharp and vibrant, but you need to set the display to maximum supported resolution since it ships with a lower 2378 x 1080 resolution by default.
While it lacks some of the advanced display enhancements found on premium OnePlus devices, such as image sharpener and video color boost, the Nord 5 does offer a useful set of basics, including adaptive tone adjustment and pro screen colour customisation modes.
Outdoor visibility is good, though glare under direct sunlight can be noticeable. That said, it rarely hinders usability. Viewing angles are solid, with consistent colour tones across the panel.
The display supports up to 144Hz refresh rate, though in most cases, it defaults to 120Hz. This ensures smooth scrolling and a responsive UI. OxygenOS 15 also allows app-specific refresh rate control, letting you manually override defaults in certain apps. However, in my testing, the maximum refresh rate was still capped at 120Hz for all supported apps, even when forced.
For content, the display supports Widevine L1 certification, enabling high-definition streaming on platforms like Netflix. HDR10+ and Dolby Vision are also listed among supported formats, though Netflix doesn't appear to enable HDR playback yet. YouTube, on the other hand, does support HDR content on this device.
As for sound, the stereo speaker setup is fairly standard. It doesn't get particularly loud and lacks depth in the low-end frequencies, giving it a relatively flat sound profile. While it holds up for casual YouTube videos or quick media playback, I'd recommend pairing the Nord 5 with headphones or an external speaker for a more satisfying audio experience.
Camera
The OnePlus Nord 5's camera performance sits in the middle of the road – neither exceptional nor disappointing. It features a dual rear camera setup comprising a 50MP primary sensor and an 8MP ultra-wide lens. In good lighting conditions, the primary sensor captures detailed and well-exposed shots with minimal over-processing. Colours remain mostly natural, though I did notice some artificial enhancement in shadow areas, where the phone tends to lift vibrancy slightly more than needed. That said, the sensor holds up well under artificial lighting, maintaining consistency in tone and detail.
Low-light photography, however, reveals some limitations. There's a noticeable dip in sharpness and dynamic range, and images often exhibit a light haze or softness. Night mode helps in boosting brightness, but finer textures still get lost.
The 8MP ultra-wide camera is more basic. While it doesn't deliver the same level of detail as the main shooter, it retains colour consistency under well-lit conditions. As long as you're shooting in good lighting, it can produce decent, social media–ready images.
OnePlus also avoids the common pitfall of tying macro mode to the ultra-wide lens. Instead, the Nord 5 uses its high-resolution primary camera for close-up shots, resulting in noticeably better detail. However, nailing the focus can be a bit hit or miss.
Portrait mode uses a 2x digital crop from the main sensor, since there's no dedicated telephoto lens. Edge detection is fairly reliable, but the depth mapping isn't always accurate – particularly in artificial lighting – sometimes resulting in an unrealistic background blur.
The front-facing 50MP selfie camera is quite capable. Daylight selfies are sharp and maintain natural skin tones, while artificial lighting introduces only a slight drop in detail without overly aggressive processing. Portrait selfies are generally usable, though edge blur can be inconsistent, particularly around hair or glasses.
For video, the main and front cameras support up to 4K recording at 60FPS, while the ultra-wide lens tops out at 1080p 30FPS. There's also an Ultra Steady mode for stabilised footage, but it's limited to 1080p at 60FPS on the rear camera and 1080p at 30FPS on the front. While functional, the stabilisation doesn't match the level seen on OnePlus' higher-end flagships.
Performance and gaming
Performance is another clear strength of the OnePlus Nord 5. Powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset, the phone handles everyday tasks like browsing, multitasking, and media playback with ease. The interface feels consistently smooth, and app switching is snappy even with multiple apps running in the background.
What really stands out, though, is the Nord 5's gaming performance. Demanding titles like Genshin Impact ran at a stable 60FPS on the highest graphics settings, with no visible lag, stutter, or frame drops. The phone does get noticeably warm during extended play sessions, especially near the back panel, but this doesn't seem to impact real-world performance or cause throttling.
Beyond raw hardware capabilities, OnePlus adds value with several software-level gaming enhancements. The Game Control Center provides quick access to features like performance profiles, notifications control, and screen recording. You also get practical tools like bypass charging, which powers the phone directly without charging the battery, helpful for managing heat during long sessions.
More advanced features include Adaptive Frame Booster, which interpolates additional frames between native ones to make gameplay feel even smoother. While visually effective, keeping this feature enabled over long periods can lead to quicker heat buildup.
For enthusiasts, OnePlus offers granular GPU tuning options. You can manually tweak settings like MSAA (Multisample Anti-Aliasing), Anisotropic Filtering, and rendering optimisations – rare to see at this price point.
Software and AI
The OnePlus Nord 5 runs on OxygenOS 15, based on Android 15, and delivers a clean, responsive user experience. While the phone does come with a few pre-installed third-party apps like Netflix, Facebook, and Candy Crush, all of them can be easily uninstalled. There are no hidden ads or pushy system notifications, keeping the interface free of clutter.
OnePlus continues its AI push here, and the Nord 5 inherits several intelligent features introduced with the OnePlus 13s, including the AI Plus Mind, which works in tandem with the new customisable Plus Key. When mapped to this feature, a long press of the button brings up a glowing overlay that scans the current screen and generates AI-based summaries. These often include smart suggestions such as creating calendar events or setting reminders. The captured information is saved into a dedicated AI Mind Space app as visual notes. While the automation works well in most cases, the experience would benefit from a manual annotation option for finer control over saved content.
Another highlight is the AI Call Assistant, integrated directly into the dialer. It offers real-time voice and text translation, along with post-call summaries and transcripts – all of which are saved automatically to the Notes app. The feature supports multiple languages, including Hindi, and performs reliably during testing.
You also get a new Translate app that brings together visual, text, and live voice translation into a single interface. For editing, the Nord 5 includes a range of AI-powered photo tools like AI Recompose, AI Erase, AI Detail Boost, and AI Reflection Eraser.
Battery and charging
The OnePlus Nord 5 is powered by a 6800mAh battery, and OnePlus claims up to two days of battery life on typical use. While I didn't quite reach the full 48-hour mark, the phone consistently lasted well over a day and a half with mixed usage, including Instagram scrolling, video streaming, and light gaming, which is still impressive by any standard.
Backing up the strong endurance is support for 80W wired charging, with the included charger delivering standout performance. In testing, the phone charged from 15 per cent to 80 per cent in just about 30 minutes. That quick top-up alone is enough to comfortably power the phone through another full day.
Verdict
Price: Rs 29,999 onwards
The OnePlus Nord 5 isn't trying to be a full-blown flagship killer, but it gets surprisingly close in areas that matter. With a powerful Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chip, a sharp 144Hz display, and a massive 6800mAh battery, it delivers an experience that should easily satisfy power users. Whether it's gaming, multitasking, or battery endurance, the Nord 5 consistently holds its own.
It's also encouraging to see the flagship OnePlus AI suite trickle down to the Nord series. Features like AI Call Assistant, the new Translate app, and AI Plus Mind give the software experience a clear edge over most rivals in the segment. That said, the camera system still leaves room for refinement, particularly in low light and portrait processing. While it's not a dealbreaker, it's an area where competing mid-range phones have started pulling ahead.
Overall, if you are looking for a phone that prioritises performance and battery life over camera versatility or premium build materials, the OnePlus Nord 5 is a compelling pick for the price.