OnePlus Nord 5 review: All in on AI

Greatest Costs At present: OnePlus Nord 5

OnePlus is at the moment in its AI period. Alongside launching among the finest telephones and finest tablets in the marketplace, the corporate has spent most of 2025 constructing out its ecosystem’s AI capabilities.

Though the recently-released OnePlus 13s serves as a poster baby for this contemporary epoch of ‘OnePlus AI’, the telephone’s exclusivity to the Indian market has left followers of the model throughout Europe and past questioning after they would possibly get a brand new system of their very own toting these newest {hardware} and software program upgrades. And with the arrival of the brand new OnePlus Nord 5, that point is now.

The Nord 5 could have shirked its predecessor’s key design differentiator, however in change, it guarantees a extra premium consumer expertise, laced with OnePlus’ newest AI abilities, alongside a high-end chipset, and improved low gentle images – each front and back.

Tempted? Learn on to seek out out whether or not OnePlus’ newest and finest mid-range entry has what it takes to go all the way in which.

Design & Construct

• IP65-certified mud and water resistance
• Plus Key as an alternative of Alert Slider
• 211g

If it weren’t for the title, you wouldn’t know that the Nord 5 got here from the identical lineage as its predecessor.

The OnePlus Nord 4‘s massive hook was that it was the business’s first metal-bodied 5G smartphone. It sported a milled aluminium unibody that spanned the again and sides of the system, with a Pixel 3-esque visor on the prime, the place the telephone’s twin rear cameras sat horizontally (when the telephone was held in portrait).

With the Nord 5, the milled steel chassis has gone, changed by a polycarbonate body (with a digital camera encompass to match) and an impact-resistant glass again. I used to be fortunate sufficient to attain what’s arguably probably the most eye-catching of the telephone’s three refined finishes: Marble Sands.

It totes a pearlescent nacre-like impact which reacts in opposition to the sunshine, sporting a sandy tone that’s subtly contrasted by the colourway’s heat silver, lightly-textured encompass. The sunshine blue of Dry Ice is extra understated however enticing, whereas the matte qualities of the Phantom Gray model are good for many who pattern in direction of black telephones, however need slightly extra curiosity.

Though the overall type of the Nord 5 is extra generically on-trend than its standout predecessor, you possibly can’t fault OnePlus’ execution.

The telephone appears to be like and feels properly crafted, and reassuringly strong, bolstered by the identical IP65-rated because the earlier lead Nord. That’s not flagship-grade ingress safety, but it surely ought to cowl most individuals in day-to-day use in opposition to mud and water.

Foundry | Alex Walker-Todd

In reality, I needed to rewrite the above few paragraphs after fact-checking with OnePlus. Certain, the body is polycarbonate and never a extra premium steel, however I really struggled to inform. Even the texture and temperature had me pondering it was aluminium; it feels good and appears actually good.

OnePlus additionally claims to have labored with Corning on the Gorilla Glass 7i used to guard the show (it boasts the identical scratch resistance as Corning’s higher-end Victus 2 glass), however on prime of that, the Nord additionally comes with a pre-fitted (plastic) display protector, which itself hasn’t proven any noticeable put on, regardless of 2.5 weeks of use (on the time of evaluation).

Regardless of a slight improve in measurement year-on-year, the refined rounding on that body means the Nord 5 remains to be nice to carry, though smaller-handed customers would possibly battle with the sheer scale of this telephone. Regardless of that expansive show, it isn’t too heavy, however at 211g, it’s over the edge the place wrist ache can set in after extended use.

One different massive change is the lack of the model’s iconic three-stage bodily alert slider, and this time, I feel it is likely to be for good. Whereas the Nord 4 and the corporate’s present flagship – the OnePlus 13 – each retain the slider, the corporate’s renewed 2025 AI push has some {hardware} implications too.

First seen on the OnePlus 13s and now on the Nord 5, the place you’d look forward to finding that knurled toggle, you’ll now discover what OnePlus calls the Plus Key.

Foundry | Alex Walker-Todd

Shorter than the ability key on the opposing facet, and better up, the Plus Secret is most akin to the iPhone 16‘s Motion Button, in that it’s reconfigurable. Out the field, nonetheless, it prompts the important thing new OnePlus AI function that debuted on the 13s: Plus Thoughts. Extra on that later.

Will I and lots of different OnePlus followers lament the alert slider’s departure, sure. Is the Plus Key an appropriate substitute? Whereas not as novel to make use of, virtually talking, it’s much less more likely to undergo from mechanical failure, will higher uphold the telephone’s water resistance, and is functionally extra versatile. So begrudgingly, additionally sure.

Display screen & Audio system

• 6.83-inch 144Hz Swift AMOLED show
• 1400nits (Excessive Brightness Mode), 1800nits (peak)
• Optical in-display fingerprint sensor

That is the primary of OnePlus’ telephones I’ve dealt with to connect the brand new ‘Swift’ branding to its show. Why ‘Swift’? As a result of the Nord 5 boasts the quickest display on a OnePlus telephone so far, at 144Hz (up from 120Hz on the Nord 4), added with gaming in thoughts.

Till now, solely OnePlus’ tablets, just like the lately launched OnePlus Pad 3, have been as fast. There’s an issue, nonetheless.

As a refresh fee this excessive remains to be uncommon within the smartphone area, discovering apps and video games that really assist the function proved subsequent to inconceivable throughout evaluation; with the UI working at (a still-respectably clean) 120Hz, whereas video games like Asphalt Legends Unite capped at 90Hz.

Even when maxing out in-game body fee settings, enabling the telephone’s devoted efficiency mode and diving into the show settings to pressure the utmost out there refresh fee for a given app or sport, I used to be solely in a position to attain the Nord 5’s lofty 144Hz ceiling with Name of Obligation Cellular.

Foundry | Alex Walker-Todd

OnePlus particularly talked about to me that the highly-popular on-line FPS (first-person shooter) was one of many solely video games able to delivering on the show’s promise of a super-high refresh fee, however I didn’t realise it was inaccessible to different titles. Battle royale, Free Hearth can be reportedly supported, utilizing body interpolation to hit that lofty fps cap.

As extra units embrace the usual, maybe there’ll be extra software program experiences that’ll utilise the Nord 5’s show to the fullest, however proper now, between OnePlus and builders, extra work must be completed to make this a function value shouting about.

Foundry | Alex Walker-Todd

Regardless of its good match and end, as I mentioned earlier, it is a massive telephone. OnePlus has moved from a 6.74-inch to a 6.83-inch panel between generations; that’s solely a hair behind two of the largest-screened telephones in the marketplace: Apple’s iPhone 16 Professional Max and the Samsung Galaxy S25 Extremely, each of which sport huge 6.9-inch panels.

Supplied that’s not an issue (otherwise you’re used to utilizing Android’s native one-handed mode), you’re in any other case getting an important viewing expertise, particularly within the mid-range area. OnePlus has tweaked the side ratio and elevated the decision to make sure that the Nord 5’s display is simply as sharp because the Nord 4’s (round 450ppi), however this 12 months, you possibly can count on higher outside visibility with a panel-wide brightness ceiling of 1400nits (up from 1100nits).

Having the Nord 4 to match side-by-side, the development is refined, however simple, and progress is progress the place visibility is worried.

Foundry | Alex Walker-Todd

There’s an optical fingerprint sensor set simply above the underside bezel on the Nord 5’s show. Registering a number of fingerprints is a breeze and it proved constant and responsive, even with damp fingers (OnePlus AquaTouch tech can be on-hand to make sure appropriate contact enter, even when there are water droplets on the show).

I really like that you just don’t must wake the system earlier than urgent a thumb in opposition to it to unlock the Nord, however the reality it’s even nearer to the underside bezel and decrease down than the earlier entry’s sensor placement means it’s not probably the most comfy to make use of.

The telephone’s twin speaker setup splits audio between the earpiece and a down-firing speaker, with clear stereo separation. At most quantity ranges, the Nord 5 places out balanced mids and excessive frequencies, however bass is missing.

Most quantity is impressively loud, with acceptable readability, however you possibly can hear that the audio system are at their absolute restrict, with distortion setting in in opposition to greater frequencies.

Specs & Efficiency

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset
• As much as 12GB (LPDDR5X) RAM
• As much as 512GB (UFS 3.1) storage

Though the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 has simply dropped contained in the likes of the brand new Poco F7 and Nothing Cellphone (3), the earlier 8s Gen 3 chipset remains to be no slouch within the mid-range market. Seemingly a reduce above the 7-series Snapdragon chip inside its predecessor, this new Nord packs notably punchier silicon, which ought to higher future-proof the telephone over a few years of use.

In synthetic CPU benchmarking checks, it outpaced the Nord 4 in multi-core efficiency by 11%, pricier mid-range rival the Google Pixel 9a (which makes use of the identical chipset because the flagship-class Google Pixel 9 XL) by 12%, and its extra modest launch-sibling – the Dimensity-powered Nord CE 5 – by a whopping 57%.

AI efficiency (based mostly on Geekbench AI scores), locations it roughly 25% forward of its predecessor, which is necessary contemplating that new AI performance is among the many Nord 5’s key checklist of upgrades.

Foundry | Alex Walker-Todd

It’s at house with on a regular basis duties, with solely a momentary pause when opening apps (even high-load apps, just like the digital camera), and after I was testing gaming efficiency with the likes of Zenless Zone Zero, the telephone defaulted to ‘excessive’ graphical settings, whereas Name of Obligation Cellular at medium settings with that most body fee proved responsive even throughout prolonged play periods.

Warmth build-up was obvious over a 30-minutes value of matches, however to not any stage that gave trigger for concern; doubtless helped by the truth that the ‘Cryo-Velocity VC’ (quick for vapour chamber) cooling system inside this telephone is the biggest OnePlus has ever squeezed right into a Nord system (at 7300mm²).

OnePlus Nord 5 benchmarks

Whereas now not the quickest business commonplace (that’s now LPDDR5T, already in use by the likes of RedMagic), the Nord 5 boasts a lot (as much as 12GB) of fast LPDDR5X RAM, and serviceable UFS 3.1 storage.

OnePlus additionally permits for RAM growth, permitting you to repurpose storage as extra reminiscence, as much as the restrict of your specific Nord 5. Within the case of the 256GB storage unit used on this evaluation, that’s as much as 8GB additional on prime of the telephone’s inbuilt 8GB, whereas the 512GB storage mannequin comes with 12GB of RAM and permits for as much as an extra 12GB through RAM growth, to grease the wheels on the subject of multitasking and the like.

OnePlus’ Trinity Engine can be at play behind the scenes, optimising CPU, GPU and reminiscence efficiency, with a brand new, clearer dashboard that sheds slightly bit extra gentle on what it’s as much as and the way it’s optimising the telephone’s methods, whereas wi-fi reliability ought to show extra constant and dependable, due to a revised three-antenna design, which OnePlus claims has been optimised for portrait and panorama use.

Cameras

• 50Mp f/1.8 major with OIS
• 8Mp f/2.2 116º ultra-wide
• 50Mp f/2.0 entrance digital camera

Just like the OnePlus 13R, which sits above it, the Nord 5 strikes to a bigger 1/1.56 Sony LYT-700 sensor, paired to the identical picture processing algorithms utilized by the flagship OnePlus 13. It additionally makes use of the identical 50Mp Samsung JN5 as on the 13R, though right here it’s used as a considerably greater decision 50Mp selfie snapper to the Nord 4’s 16Mp providing, full with autofocus.

That major sensor is accompanied by an 8Mp ultra-wide, though it has a touch broader discipline of view than the equal digital camera on the Nord 4 (116º versus 112º).

Foundry | Alex Walker-Todd

This revised digital camera {hardware} is definitely a step up, and OnePlus’ UltraHDR algorithm helps grant pictures extra depth and dynamism than you would possibly count on from a mid-ranger. Elevated dynamic vary would have been good, however pictures are in any other case corresponding to rivals, just like the Samsung Galaxy A56.

Regardless of a digital camera array related in model to that of Samsung’s, although, the Nord 5 sports activities solely a pair of rear sensors, with zoom pictures relying solely on OnePlus’ picture processing to carry onto as a lot element as potential. It does this inconsistently, particularly as you strategy the telephone’s 20x (digital-only) zoom restrict and when out there gentle diminishes.

Nevertheless, in most environments, I used to be impressed by the Nord 5’s color replica; with correct white steadiness and a delightful diploma of vibrancy, with out being overbearing.

As for low-light taking pictures, though there are indicators of noise and grain creeping in, within the darkest areas of a scene, more often than not, such illnesses are stored in examine. Even with related publicity instances, it’s additionally value turning on the devoted Night time Mode, because it delivers sharper particulars than the usual Photograph Mode in dim environments.

Facet-by-side comparisons with low-light pictures from the Nord 4 present enormous positive aspects intimately retention; nonetheless, it’s surprisingly how a lot smaller that benefit turns into in brighter scenes.

Portrait mode is definitely the place I’d say probably the most work must be completed. Whereas having the ability to regulate the digital aperture (and thus the quantity of bokeh or background blur) each at and after seize, edge detection stumbles all too simply, leaving blocks round hair and related options unblurred when they need to be, and vice versa.

Nonetheless, the Nord 5 boasts one of many extra assured mid-range cameras at this value level.

Battery Life & Charging

• 5200mAh battery (as reviewed)
• 80W SuperVOOC / 33W PPS / 18W PD wired charging
• Now helps bypass charging

Regardless of its bigger bodily measurement, the Nord 5 really sports activities a smaller, slower-charging battery than its predecessor. OnePlus hasn’t spoken on why that is, but it surely’s a light disappointment. It’s value stating that the Indian variant does get a capability improve, however with out rationalization, this simply makes its worldwide discount all of the extra irritating.

Nonetheless, you’re nonetheless getting a sizeable 5200mAh cell (down from 5500mAh on the Nord 4), paired with pleasingly fast 80W SuperVOOC wired charging (down from 100W).

One of many lesser-known advantages of transferring from a 7-series to an 8-series Snapdragon chipset is added assist for the AV1 codec, which apps like YouTube favour. This implies higher energy effectivity throughout playback when watching supported content material inside supported apps like these.

It’s a small distinction, however one which additional justifies the most recent Nord’s alternative of silicon, particularly in the event you watch a variety of YouTube, Netflix or Amazon Prime Video on the go.

Foundry | Alex Walker-Todd

In testing, the 6.75 to 7 hours of screen-on time the Nord 5 averaged falls consistent with OnePlus’ promise of a day and a half of use per cost, though I hoped for slightly extra; with the Nord 4 in a position to meet or beat that determine by an additional half hour.

One battery improve I welcome, nonetheless, is the addition of bypass charging (typically known as ‘pass-through charging’). As soon as a trait unique to devoted gaming telephones, bypass charging allows you to preserve your telephone powered, with out really charging the battery.

“Why would you wish to do that?” you is likely to be questioning. It’s ideally suited for gaming, permitting for longer play periods with out unnecessarily power-cycling the battery (and thus lowering its lifespan) or inflicting extra warmth build-up. It’s a trait that each the Nord 5 and the brand new Nord CE 5 profit from, and I hope to see it on extra telephones going ahead.

There’s sadly no energy adapter within the field, so if you wish to get the perfect recharge speeds along with your Nord 5, you’ll must fork out for a suitable SuperVOOC charger from OnePlus or Oppo (OnePlus’ USB-A 80W SuperVOOC charger sells for £39.99 within the UK, on the time of writing). Save for its previous few flagship entries, no different OnePlus telephones assist wi-fi charging.

For those who don’t have a SuperVOOC charger however you do have a normal PD USB-C charger, speeds peak at 18W, whereas a PD charger with PPS assist can prime out at 33W.

Software program & Apps

• OxygenOS 15.02 atop Android 15 at launch
• AI upgrades, together with Plus Thoughts
• 4 years of OS updates + 6 years of safety

Maybe the most important driving pressure behind the Nord 5’s existence is as a strategy to carry the most recent OnePlus AI experiences right down to the mid-range market. The OnePlus 13s helped ring on this subsequent chapter of AI for the model, however the Nord 5 takes the included experiences worldwide.

By default, the Plus Secret is the quickest strategy to entry what’s ‘new’ inside OnePlus’ OxygenOS 15: Thoughts Area. Whereas I don’t love the title, Thoughts Area is a devoted space for the brand new Plus Thoughts AI function set.

For those who’ve used (or examine) the current Nothing Cellphone (3a) or newer, you’ll know of Important Area, Thoughts Area is an identical, however I’d argue, higher variation on a theme.

Foundry | Alex Walker-Todd

It’s a repository of screenshots (stored separate from typical screenshots you’d discover within the telephone’s native Images app) which can be analysed by OnePlus’ AI with a purpose to extract info. In some instances, it may well even provide additional actions, like scheduling calendar appointments with a single faucet, based mostly on an invitation message inside WhatsApp or the like.

Whereas I feel the overall idea of an AI-backed ‘second reminiscence’ like this has worth, there’s apparent room for enchancment on the subject of OnePlus’ specific strategy.

Foundry | Alex Walker-Todd

Recall, summarisation and context (you possibly can faucet on a captured screenshot to view it fullscreen once more) are all significant elements of the expertise, however an incapability to synchronise or switch captured Thoughts Area content material between units (doubtless pushed the added safety supplied by OnePlus’ new PCC – Non-public Computing Cloud layer) stifles its on a regular basis and long-term worth, in the intervening time.

Fortunately, I used to be already impressed by the implementation of AI elsewhere inside OxygenOS (having examined most of it when reviewing the OnePlus 13, earlier in 2025), with context-aware instruments dynamically surfacing themselves on the ever-present Good Sidebar – swiped out from the top-right of the display.

Additions like a devoted Translate app (which consolidates related instruments for widespread use instances) and the AI-backed common search are good extras too.

Foundry | Alex Walker-Todd

OxygenOS, because it seems on the Nord 5, is in any other case a delightful and chic augmentation of the inventory Android 15 expertise. Not everybody will use options like The Shelf (a devoted area for widgets), and there’s a level of app duplication (OnePlus and Google’s browsers each come pre-installed, for instance), in addition to pre-loaded bloat (comparable to AliExpress and Reserving.com), placing it in an identical group because the Poco F7.

That mentioned, the clear, customisable and useful consumer expertise OnePlus has cultivated makes for a well-balanced various to the extra stripped-back consumer expertise served up by Google’s Pixels, or the overburdened OneUI and HyperOS 2.0 situations on Samsung’s and Xiaomi’s equal smartphones.

The promise of 4 years of OS updates and 6 years of safety updates, is about middle-of-the-pack within the smartphone area, however ought to show ample for many Nord 5 homeowners, who wish to know that their units will really enhance over time, based mostly on regardless of the firm’s plans for OxygenOS 16 and past are.

Value & Availability

The OnePlus Nord 5 has launched internationally in two fashions: 8GB RAM paired to 256GB of storage for £399 within the UK (€449 in Europe), and a model with 12GB of RAM and twice the storage for £499 (€549 in Europe).

As ever, OnePlus’ US technique differs sufficient that the Nord 5 is unlikely to launch within the area, with the telephone serving the UK, Europe, India and APAC (excluding China) in the beginning.

For the value, the Nord 5 goes up in opposition to some powerful competitors, slotting in between the likes of the Nothing Cellphone (3a) and Nothing Cellphone (3a) Professional, undercutting the Google Pixel 9a and Galaxy A56 (though the latter is seeing some notable reductions on-line, on the time of writing).

On the similar time, it’s massively undercut by the aforementioned Poco F7, which boasts extra energy, sooner storage, a notably bigger battery and the identical 4+6 years of software program assist. You’d simply must be OK with Xiaomi’s middling HyperOS 2 expertise, over the superior magnificence of OxygenOS.

Within the UK, you should purchase the Nord 5 straight from OnePlus, in addition to prime retailers like Amazon.

Must you purchase the OnePlus Nord 5?

Design, enduring efficiency and improved low gentle images: these are the areas of focus the corporate was aiming at when producing the OnePlus Nord 5, and, for probably the most half, it hits its mark.

Whereas I really like the telephone’s aesthetics and premium really feel, I’d have preferred extra premium supplies in its building, particularly when the Nord 4 stood out on this space.

The battery life and quick charging, relative to the telephone’s efficiency, meet expectations, however don’t actually beat them, and images is incrementally however undeniably improved over the Nord 4, particularly in low gentle.

Why some markets obtain a tool with a smaller battery and slower charging than the earlier Nord is irritating and unclear, contemplating the leap in value, however efficiency in these areas remains to be respectable.

As a way of showcasing a brand new wave of AI performance inside OxygenOS, the Nord 5 is a superb demonstration, and the Plus Key, though unoriginal, does really feel like a extra helpful inclusion over the alert slider.

As touched on a number of instances all through this evaluation, this high-quality mid-ranger usually impresses, however with Xiaomi’s fresh-faced Poco F7 working in a lot of the similar markets and providing all that it does; matching the Nord 5 on software program assist and exhibiting strides in digital camera efficiency to slim the hole between these two, the place you set your cash really falls to the software program.

Each telephones serve up an AI-supported expertise, however OnePlus’ strategy is cleaner, extra elegant and higher implements its AI performance. For those who’re unfussed by such a distinction, the F7 is the higher purchase total.

After different options? Take a look at our rankings for the perfect mid-range telephones.

Specs

• OxygenOS 15 atop Android 15 (at launch)
• 6.83-inch 144Hz (1272 x 2800) LTPS Swift AMOLED
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset
• 8GB / 12GB RAM (LPDDR5X)
• 256GB / 512GB (UFS 3.1)
• Cameras:
  • 50Mp Sony LYT-700 1/1.56-inch f/1.5 major w/ OIS
  • 8Mp f/2.2 116º ultra-wide
  • 50Mp Samsung JN5 1/2.75 f/2.0 90º selfie
• Optical fingerprint sensor
• Stereo audio system
• Twin nano-SIM slot
• Wi-Fi 6 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax
• Bluetooth 5.4
• 5200mAh battery
• As much as 80W wired charging
• 163.4 x 77 x 8.1mm
• 211g
• IP65 licensed
• Colors: Marble Sands, Dry Ice, Phantom Gray