OnePlus Nord: Missing its target audience by a notch

OnePlus Nord gets our vote for one of the best teaser social media campaigns we have seen in recent times. The campaign gave out just the right amount of information to generate hype around the product and since it was confirmed to be priced in the mid-premium range (US$ 500 approx.) early on, there was a lot of user interest in the device.

OnePlus officially launched the phone today at a starting price of Rs 24,999, making it one of the cheapest smartphones from the brand in years. However, for the Indian market, it seems OnePlus might have done a miscalculation, which could have a significant impact on its sales.

To start with, here is a quick roundup of the OnePlus Nord. The smartphone has a 6.44-inch AMOLED display with 90Hz refresh rate and dual-punch hole selfie cameras on the left side of the screen. It is powered by the Snapdragon 765G processor and will be available in three variants – 6GB RAM + 64GB storage, 8GB RAM + 128GB storage and 12GB RAM + 256GB storage. The battery is 4,115mAh with support for 30W fast charging. For the primary camera, it has a quad setup that includes a 48MP primary lens with f1.75 aperture with optical image stabilization, 8MP ultra-wide lens, 5MP depth sensor and a 2MP macro lens. Other features include dual SIM slot, USB Type-C port, Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth 5.1, NFC, under-display fingerprint scanner and OxygenOS 10.0 based on Android 10.

Also Read: OnePlus Nord launched with Snapdragon 765G, six cameras, 90Hz AMOLED display, starting at Rs 24,999

Is this good enough for a mid-premium range phone? Going by the specifications alone, the phone does have enough power for gaming and similar high-performance tasks. The Snapdragon 765G processor has an integrated 5G modem which makes the device future-ready, irrespective of when 5G arrives in India. You get an excellent design with a fantastic display that matches the current flagship offerings – the OnePlus 8.

OnePlus has also kept the majority of the features that make the brand’s smartphone a hit among its users, including fast charge, connectivity suite and a great user interface that gets regular security and features updates.

However, it’s the pricing and availability where the issues arise.
OnePlus has priced the device at Rs 24,999 (6GB RAM) which would be available from September. As per IDC, the mid-range segment of USD 200-500 registered the strongest annual growth of 55.2% and in 2020, the trend is expected to continue. OnePlus has managed to price the smartphone in the right price range to capture the growing market, but there are other factors that it has miscalculated, in our opinion.

Note that the other two variants of OnePlus Nord (27,999 for 8GB and 29,999 for 12GB) will be available from August 4. From OnePlus side, this is a smart move to have early adopters to purchase the more expensive variants. However, from the customer’s side, this move makes the device priced steep compared to what was expected on launch. Majority of users on social media were expecting the Nord to be priced between Rs 20,000-Rs 23,000 for India. While Rs 24,999 is acceptable, the availability in September is a disappointment. The next alternative at Rs 27,999 pushes the Nord out of the Rs 25,000 price range for most mid-range customers, and this is where the OnePlus Nord misses its target audience.

Keep in mind that there are several other smartphones with Snapdragon 765 processor expected to launch within the next month. We hope brands like OPPO, Vivo, Realme and Xiaomi, among others to have phones in the sub-Rs 25,000 price segment with similar features and specifications, which would make OnePlus lose the first-mover advantage.

Sure, OnePlus has a dedicated fan following, but India still is a price-sensitive country. The decision to have the cheapest variant of the Nord to be available after a month’s delay is a step that makes OnePlus disappoint and miss a large portion of interested consumers that might move to competing brands instead of waiting for a month.

Karan Bajaj is a senior tech journalist based in New Delhi.