OnePlus Nord 5 review: Nails the essentials, minus the fuss

Nord 5

OnePlus has always known how to build buzz around its Nord series. With each iteration, the company tries to deliver just enough flagship DNA without losing grip on the value equation. But this time around, with the Nord 5, it feels like OnePlus is deliberately walking closer to the flagship line.And while that sounds promising, the real question is, does it hold up under real-world use?

I have spent a couple of weeks living with the OnePlus Nord 5 as my daily phone, taking it through everything from heavy multitasking to spontaneous photo sessions, casual gaming, late-night streaming, and even a bit of creative editing. What stood out, what fell short, and where does it land in the increasingly crowded mid-premium space? Let’s unpack it.

How it looks

Right out of the box, the Nord 5 feels extremely solid. It doesn’t try to wow you with flamboyant colours or excessive curves. The Marble Sands variant I’ve been using keeps things understated with a matte finish that resists smudges and feels nice to hold. One of the first things I noticed about the Nord 5 was the change in materials. Unlike the Nord 4, which used a metal frame, the Nord 5 opts for a non-metallic body. On paper, this might feel like a step back, but in practice, it doesn't take anything away from the phone’s premium feel. The frame still feels solid and well-machined.

OnePlus Nord 5

The version I’ve been using has a marble-textured back, and it’s easily one of the more stylish Nord phones in recent memory. It adds a bit of visual flair without being loud or gimmicky. It catches the light subtly and doesn’t scream for attention, but it will definitely stand out next to more generic glossy backs.

That said, the Nord 5 is a big phone. With a 6.83-inch screen and flat edges, it's slightly wide, and reaching the buttons can be a bit of a stretch—especially if you have smaller hands, like me. Tasks like adjusting volume or taking quick screenshots often needed a second hand. But despite the size, I didn’t struggle to slip it into tight jeans or pockets. The weight is well balanced and never feels top-heavy.

One small but useful addition is the custom button along the side. You can assign it to different tasks like opening apps or toggling functions and I found myself using it to summon the camera instantly, which proved especially handy during spontaneous photo moments. It’s one of those features that quietly improves your everyday experience without making a big fuss.

The audio-visual experience

The 6.83-inch Swift OLED panel on the Nord 5 is probably one of its strongest features. It’s not just the 1.5K resolution that makes it stand out, but the overall polish. At 144Hz, it feels incredibly fluid, and the panel doesn’t compromise on colour accuracy or sharpness. HDR content looks vibrant but controlled, never oversaturated. Brightness peaks around 1400 nits, and visibility in sunlight is surprisingly good. The touch response feels snappy, and Aqua Touch 2.0 does help in slightly wet or humid conditions. Scrolling through photos or documents, everything just looks cleaner and more precise.

Nord 5

Audio from the stereo speakers is loud and well-separated, though there’s not much low-end. It's good enough for videos and calls. Call quality is strong, and 5G connectivity was solid throughout testing. Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.4 are onboard, which means it's future-ready for wireless performance. I didn’t face any random drops or connection delays, even while moving between access points.

There’s no headphone jack, which won’t be a surprise at this point, but OnePlus includes a good-quality case and pre-applied screen protector in the box—something you still don’t see often.

How it performs

The Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset is the most powerful ever used in a Nord, and it shows. This isn’t just a spec bump on paper. In daily use, the phone feels fast in all the right ways. Apps open instantly, multitasking is seamless, and even demanding games like Genshin Impact and PUBG Mobile run well on high settings. I ran a few tests out of curiosity — Geekbench scores were 1976 for single-core and 4977 for multi-core, while AnTuTu landed at 1,456,641, just slightly under the claimed peak.

But numbers aside, what really matters is thermal performance and sustained usability. The cooling system does its job well. The phone gets warm under load, but not uncomfortably so. Even during longer sessions of gaming and camera use, it didn’t throttle or lag. And unlike older Nord phones, this one doesn’t feel like it’s trying to keep up, it leads.

Software has always been a strong point for OnePlus, and OxygenOS 15 based on Android 15 continues that trend. It’s fast, clean, and avoids unnecessary clutter. The new AI features don’t scream for attention, but they’re there when you need them. VoiceScribe is especially handy for recording and summarising voice notes, and AI Search really does make it easier to find files or buried settings using natural language.

One feature that surprised me was Plus Mind, which quietly collects and organises screenshots and saved content. It sounds minor, but I found myself using it more than expected, especially when juggling work notes and image references. Open Canvas, with its floating windows and split screen, also adds some multitasking flexibility that’s rare in this price range.

Battery Life 

The Nord 5 comes with a massive 6800mAh battery, and it’s no exaggeration to say it lasts comfortably across two days with moderate use. Even with heavy screen time, camera usage, and GPS running in the background, I never felt anxious about battery life. That peace of mind matters.

Charging is equally impressive. The 80W SUPERVOOC charger included in the box gets you from 0 to 100 in under an hour. There’s also a Bypass Charging mode that directs power straight to the system while gaming.

How good are the cameras?

This is where the Nord 5 pleasantly surprised me. The 50MP Sony LYT-700 sensor used in the main camera isn’t just a spec, it delivers consistently strong results. In daylight, shots come out crisp, with controlled highlights and decent dynamic range. I took the Nord 5 out right after a fresh spell of rain. In one image, a bright orange lily against lush green leaves really came alive. The tonal balance, detail in the petals, and the shallow depth of field created a pleasing natural bokeh. No artificial overprocessing, just a clean capture.

Nord 5

In another close-up of dewy white flowers tucked between blades of grass, the Nord 5 nailed the fine textures and water droplets. The sensor does well in such high-detail, low-contrast scenarios, which says a lot about its tuning. Even in dimmer light, noise is kept in check and focus remains stable, thanks to the triple-axis OIS.

Portraits also benefit from this stabilisation and sensor quality. One indoor shot I captured of my Shih Tzu resting on a red bedspread turned out beautifully. The fur texture, color contrast, and the subtle blur in the background gave it a DSLR-like quality, without any aggressive edge detection issues.

The 8MP ultra-wide camera, however, feels a step behind. It’s fine for capturing landscapes or group shots, but details start to fall apart at the edges. Color consistency with the main sensor isn’t perfect either. That said, for casual shooting or social media sharing, it’s usable.

On the front, the 50MP selfie camera is another strong point. Autofocus makes a big difference here. Selfies come out well exposed and detailed, even when there’s backlighting or inconsistent indoor lighting. The fact that it can shoot 4K at 60fps is rare at this price and genuinely useful for vloggers or video calls.

Nord 5

The built-in AI editing tools are subtle but practical. Features like Detail Boost and Unblur helped clean up slightly blurry shots without ruining the natural look. I used Reflection Eraser on a glass window shot with decent success again, not perfect, but better than expected for a phone edit. The Reframe feature is useful too, letting you tweak the crop or angle slightly post-shot, which came in handy when I snapped a tall sculpture indoors and realised the composition needed a little adjustment.

Check out the camera samples below:

Nord samples

Should you buy it?

The OnePlus Nord 5 is arguably one of the most bankable phones in the mid-range category. It’s not trying to be flashy or overambitious. It just delivers excellent performance, great battery life, a top-tier display, and a surprisingly capable camera experience. The AI tools are smartly integrated, the software is stable, and everything feels like it’s working together instead of fighting for attention.

If you’re looking for weaknesses, there are a few. The ultra-wide camera feels underpowered compared to the rest of the system. Wireless charging is missing, which would’ve completed the “flagship feel.” The phone is also slightly heavier than others in this range, and some of the AI features are dependent on regional updates or an internet connection. But none of these feel like show-stoppers, especially considering how much the Nord 5 gets right.

For anyone who wants reliable flagship-level performance and quality without paying flagship prices, the Nord 5 is easy to recommend. It may carry the Nord branding, but make no mistake, this is OnePlus at its most focused and refined in years.