OnePlus Nord 5 review: A solid mid-range phone held back by two missteps
The OnePlus Nord 5 largely delivers, but a design change and a spec-sheet that lags behind rivals leaves room for improvement
I’d like to rephrase the famous phrase “two steps forward, one step back" to “many steps forward, two crucial steps back." That sums up OnePlus’ latest mid-range beast, the Nord 5 ( ₹29,999). OnePlus has had a remarkable few years, launching powerful flagships like the OnePlus 12 and 13 series. Meanwhile, the Nord lineup has built a reputation for delivering solid value—often challenging even OnePlus’ own cut-down flagships like the 13R.
The Nord 2, 3 and 4 were all standout mid-range phones. With the Nord 4, OnePlus introduced a bold new all-metal design. With the Nord 5, however, they’ve reversed course—ditching the unique design and ceding some ground on specs to rivals like the Poco F7. These are the two crucial steps back that slightly mar an otherwise excellent device.
Design: Safe, but still premium
While the Nord 5 loses the all-metal construction of the Nord 4, its new glass-back design doesn’t feel any less premium. It comes with a matte finish and in-glass pattern in the Marble Sands colourway. If you prefer a cleaner look, there are also Dry Ice (Blue) and Phantom Grey (Black) options.
It’s comfortable in the hand, but its 8.1mm thickness and 211g weight are noticeable—thanks to a massive 6,800mAh battery inside. Still, it fits well and feels like a performance-focused device. If you’re coming from the OnePlus 13s, the size increase is apparent. But once again, OnePlus has ensured that “battery anxiety" is a thing of the past. Unless you’re heavily gaming, the Nord 5 easily lasts through the next day.
A display made for bingeing
The 6.83-inch flat 1.5K Swift AMOLED display (144Hz refresh rate, 1800 nits peak brightness) with slim bezels and Gorilla Glass 7i is perfect for content consumption. I watched Wimbledon, Tour de France, and several cricket matches, and the screen consistently delivered excellent colour reproduction and sharpness. Gaming benefits from the added real estate and 120fps support in titles like BGMI and Call of Duty: Mobile.
The stereo speakers (with a down-firing main driver) get decently loud with minimal distortion—great for casual YouTube viewing, though not immersive enough for movie nights.
New to the Nord 5 is the Plus Key—OnePlus’ answer to Apple’s Action Button—which adds a layer of customisation. However, I do miss the classic alert slider. OnePlus also adds its AI Mind Space (note-taking, screenshot search, and more), which feels more like a filler feature than a must-have.
Biometrics—under-display fingerprint and face unlock—work quickly and reliably.
Camera performance
The Nord 5 sports a dual-camera setup: a 50MP Sony LYT-700 primary sensor and a basic 8MP ultra-wide, alongside a 50MP Samsung JN5 selfie shooter. The primary sensor (same as on the OnePlus 13R) is excellent in daylight, offering vivid, detailed images with accurate skin tones. It competes well with devices like the Nothing Phone 3(a) Pro and the Motorola Edge 60 Pro.
Unfortunately, the ultra-wide camera is a letdown. It lacks detail, especially in dynamic range, and doesn’t complement the primary sensor well. Surprisingly, the 50MP selfie shooter is the real standout. With mechanical autofocus and a physically larger sensor than most in this price range, it shines even in low-light conditions.
Nord 5 vs Nord CE 5
The Nord CE 5, in contrast, feels like a compromise. I’ve never understood OnePlus’ CE lineup—it cuts too many corners for the savings it offers. Let’s look at a few comparisons:
• Display: The Nord 5 offers a 6.83-inch AMOLED (144Hz) vs. the Nord CE 5’s 6.77-inch AMOLED (120Hz).
• Chipset: The Nord 5 has the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, a flagship-grade chip. The CE 5 settles for the MediaTek Dimensity 8350 Apex—capable, but clearly inferior.
• Storage: Nord 5 goes up to 512GB UFS 3.1; CE 5 caps at 256GB.
• Camera: Nord 5’s main and selfie cameras outperform the CE 5’s 50MP LYT-600 and 16MP selfie shooter, which produced flat, unimpressive photos.
• Battery: The CE 5 does pull ahead slightly with a 7,100mAh cell versus Nord 5’s 6,800mAh—but both perform admirably in real-world use.
Verdict
The Nord 5 may have lost its iconic all-metal identity and trails behind some rivals on raw specs, but it still leads the pack in software experience, battery life, camera performance (barring ultra-wide), and display quality. Yes, the Poco F7 is catching up—especially for gaming—but the Nord 5 is still one of the easiest smartphones to recommend in the ₹30K price range. Just make sure to get the 12GB/512GB variant.
Avoid the CE 5 unless your budget is truly inflexible and you’re committed to staying within the OnePlus ecosystem.
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