Written by Mohit Singhania | Updated: July 9, 2025 | TechMasala.in
The OnePlus Nord 5 doesn’t just launch with hype. It walks in with something to prove.
In a year where mid-range phones are throwing punches at flagships, OnePlus responds with the most ambitious Nord yet. You get flagship-level speed, a buttery 144Hz display, two-day battery life, and AI features most brands still save for their ₹60,000+ phones.
But there’s a catch.
In chasing performance, the Nord 5 quietly ditches the iconic all-metal build of the Nord 4 and the beloved Alert Slider. The question is: are those trade-offs worth it?
Let’s unpack everything, piece by piece.
A New Look, but Did We Lose the Nord’s Soul?
OnePlus calls it “Techie Minimalism.” We call it a shift that may split the Nord fanbase.
Gone is the unibody metal build that gave the Nord 4 its cult status. In its place, the Nord 5 opts for a matte-textured plastic frame and a frosted glass back. It’s light in the hand, sleek at just 8.1mm thick, and well-balanced at 211 grams. It even comes with an IP65 rating for splash resistance. But let’s be honest, this design feels more like a blend of Samsung’s Galaxy S25 and Apple’s iPhone 16 than a bold OnePlus original.
Color choices like “Dry Ice,” “Marble Sands,” and “Phantom Grey” do give it personality. And the in-display fingerprint scanner works fast and flawlessly. But the bigger shift is functional: the iconic Alert Slider is gone.
In its place, OnePlus introduces the “Plus Key,” a customizable shortcut button that opens apps, toggles silent mode, or triggers the new AI Mind Space assistant. It’s smart and even useful. But it’s not tactile. For long-time OnePlus loyalists, it may take time to warm up to.
The Display Is So Smooth It Almost Feels Unfair
This is the first OnePlus phone with a 144Hz refresh rate. And boy, does it make a difference.
The 6.83-inch 1.5K Swift AMOLED panel on the Nord 5 is everything you’d want in a mid-range phone, and then some. It’s fluid, vivid, and massive, with minimal bezels that give it a truly immersive feel. You can scroll endlessly or dive into BGMI at max settings, and the panel just glides.
The peak brightness hits 1,800 nits, meaning even the harshest Indian summer won’t make you squint. The 3,840Hz PWM dimming also means your eyes won’t feel strained, even during late-night doomscrolling. Features like Aqua Touch 2.0 make wet-touch usability a breeze, useful for sweaty hands or rainy days.
However, the Gorilla Glass 7i isn’t perfect. It handles reflections poorly, making sunlight visibility tricky at certain angles. It’s a flagship screen overall, but with a minor compromise.
Performance Is Its Power Move, and It Shows
This is the first time a Nord phone gets a Snapdragon 8-series chip. And the 8s Gen 3 doesn’t disappoint.
With up to 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage, the Nord 5 flies through anything you throw at it. From video editing in CapCut to extended gaming sessions in Genshin Impact or Call of Duty Mobile, the phone remains cool and stutter-free thanks to its 7,300mm² vapor chamber cooling system.
OnePlus has also overhauled its antenna system, and it shows. Whether you’re in a basement or the back seat of a moving car, the Nord 5 holds on to cellular and Wi-Fi signals better than most competitors.
OxygenOS 15 Feels Lighter, Smarter, and More Capable
Running on Android 15 out of the box, OxygenOS 15 is a delight. It’s fast, clean, and customizable, with enough polish to feel premium.
The layout is clean, the animations are fluid, and there’s a whole layer of AI upgrades you didn’t expect at this price. AI Mind Space can summarize what’s on-screen with a swipe. AI Search understands what you’re looking for. VoiceScribe can transcribe your meetings and lectures in seconds.
Add tools like AI Eraser, Reframe, and Unblur for photos, and it’s clear OnePlus didn’t just throw in gimmicks. They’ve built a workflow-enhancing AI suite that actually delivers.
As a bonus, you also get Open Canvas multitasking, an IR blaster, dual stereo speakers, and the new programmable Plus Key. Together, these make this phone more productivity-friendly than most rivals.
The Battery Refuses to Die, Then Charges Like a Beast
Indian variants of the Nord 5 pack a monster 6,800mAh battery. It’s easily a two-day phone, even with mixed usage. If you’re a light user, you’ll squeeze into the third day without hitting the charger.
Even the global variant’s 5,200mAh silicon-carbon battery delivers strong screen-on time, outperforming most phones in this segment.
Charging is no slouch either. With 80W SuperVOOC support, you go from 0 to 100% in under 55 minutes. There’s no wireless charging, which is expected at this price, but you do get battery health management features and bypass charging during gaming. This reduces heat and protects longevity.
Camera Quality That Prioritizes Social Media Over Raw Power
The Nord 5 isn’t trying to beat the Pixel 8 in photography. But for Reels, Stories, and everyday moments, it nails it.
The 50MP Sony LYT-700 main sensor with OIS delivers vibrant, contrasty images with plenty of detail. HDR is impressive, borrowed straight from the OnePlus 13 series. Portraits come out sharp with great edge detection.
Low light shots are decent, clean with good shadow detail, though there’s sometimes a soft blurring across the frame. The 8MP ultrawide is the weakest link. It lacks autofocus and delivers soft images with inconsistent color balance.
Where the Nord 5 truly shines is selfies.
The 50MP front camera with autofocus is arguably the best on any OnePlus phone ever. It nails skin tones, dynamic range, and indoor performance. It’s social-media ready out of the box, and it supports 4K60 video on both front and rear cameras. That’s rare, even in flagships.
Video quality is great too, although the 4K EIS could use a bit more stability. There’s also an “Ultra Steady” mode, but it caps resolution at 1080p.
The Nord CE 5 Is Its Cheaper Cousin, and It Brings Value
Launched alongside the Nord 5, the OnePlus Nord CE 5 offers a 6.77-inch AMOLED screen, 50MP camera, and a MediaTek Dimensity 8350 chip. Its massive 7,100mAh battery is the largest OnePlus has ever put in a phone.
Starting at ₹24,999, it skips some AI features and the high refresh rate screen. Still, it’s a solid pick for budget-conscious buyers who want the OnePlus experience without paying flagship prices.
Final Thoughts: It’s Not Just Another Nord. It’s the Best One Yet
The OnePlus Nord 5 doesn’t just tick the usual Nord boxes. It redraws them. This is the most polished, powerful, and forward-thinking Nord ever built.
Yes, the cameras could be more versatile. And yes, the switch from metal to matte plastic may disappoint design loyalists. But what you get in return is pure substance: flagship-level speed, unbeatable selfie performance, all-day battery endurance, and a genuinely useful AI layer baked into daily use.
The Plus Key might not have the legacy charm of the Alert Slider, but it’s a practical evolution in a phone built for 2025. With fierce rivals like the Poco F7 trying to steal the crown, the Nord 5 still earns its spot as one of the smartest mid-range buys this year.
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