OnePlus Nord 5 review: bringing flagship-like features to the mid-range

The OnePlus Nord 5 is the most premium model in the Nord series. It has Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8s Gen 3, 144 Hz AMOLED display and 6,800 mAh battery. This combination pushes a mid-range phone into near-flagship territory. Priced at Rs. 34,999, it delivers on performance, battery life and software support but doesn’t enter premium pricing.

Design refined and practical

Nord 5 has a matte glass back with flat edges and minimal bezels which makes the phone look and feel clean and solid. It’s 8.2 mm thick and 211 g which gives it a premium feel without being too bulky. It has stereo speakers for multimedia and in-display fingerprint sensor for quick unlock. Unlike many mid-rangers, it does carry an official IP65 rating. This means it is dust tight and resistant to water splashes or light jets, but not designed for immersion like IP67 or IP68 phones.

Display: bright AMOLED with 144 Hz

The front of the Nord 5 is dominated by a 6.74" AMOLED panel with 1.5K resolution and HDR10+ support. 144 Hz adaptive refresh rate makes scrolling and animations smooth. You can also get up to 1,800 peak brightness for sunlight so the screen is visible in harsh sunlight. The deep colors and contrast will rival devices that cost more.

Performance: Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 with OxygenOS 15

Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 with up to 16 GB RAM and UFS 3.1 storage gives the Nord 5 a performance edge over the competition in its class. BGMI and Genshin Impact run smoothly at high settings and multitasking is seamless. Running OxygenOS 15 on Android 15 the UI is clean and responsive. OnePlus promises 4 years of Android updates and 5 years of security patches which adds to the long term value.

Cameras: 50 MP front and back

On the back it has a 50 MP Sony LYT-700 (IMX906) main sensor with OIS and 8 MP ultra-wide. Daylight shots are detailed and color accurate, low light shots are noisy and less sharp.

The 50 MP front camera is a highlight, produces sharp and detailed selfies for content creators and frequent video callers. Video recording up to 4K at 60 fps on both front and back, electronic stabilization keeps the footage steady in good light.

Battery: very large with 80W charging

With 6,800 mAh battery the Nord 5 easily lasts beyond a full day of heavy use and can stretch to two days of light use. The included 80W SuperVOOC charger charges the phone in around 26 minutes. Wireless charging is missing, a reminder it’s a mid-range phone.

Verdict: a flagship challenger in mid-range clothing

The OnePlus Nord 5 raises the bar for mid-range phones. It has a 144Hz AMOLED display, Snapdragon 8s Gen 3, OxygenOS 15, long updates and a best in class 6,800 mAh battery with fast charging. The compromises like no wireless charging, only IP65 protection and average low light cameras hold it back from being a true flagship.

For those who want flagship performance, solid battery life and strong software support at mid-range price, the Nord 5 is one of the most interesting phones of 2025.