OnePlus continues to cement its “affordable and robust” reputation with the Nord N300 5G. It aims to improve on its predecessor but falters in some places.
When N200 launched again in July 2021We liked its massive 5,000mAh battery, which lasted two full days in our tests, and a decent, albeit somewhat limited, camera system. The N200 seems to have struck a chord in consumers, so launching a successor to it makes sense.
In a glance , The N300 is a bit of a mixed bag (Opens in a new tab) Because it is based on the older model, but it doesn’t raise the bar across the board. In fact, the phone actually sees some low-end features. However, this looks like a mid-range 5G phone at a great price; Not many can claim that.
Features
Starting with good, the N300 has the same 5,000mAh battery as the N200, plus it supports 33W fast charging thanks to the company’s SuperVOOC technology. OnePlus, unfortunately, hasn’t provided any details on exactly how fast the phone can charge. To give you an idea of what speeds they could be, the iPhone 14 Pro can go from empty battery to 50 percent charge (Opens in a new tab) In about half an hour with a 30W charger. But unlike Apple, OnePlus will include a 33W charging block with the N300.
OnePlus chose the MediaTek Dimensity 810 chipset instead of the Snapdragon 480 over the N200. The first has a “20 percent higher CPU clock speed” (2400 for the 810 vs 2000MHz for the 480), According to standard tests (Opens in a new tab). This results in faster processing, more efficient battery usage, and better performance games. You can also expect a fast connection Thanks to 5G support.
When it comes to the rest of the N300 package, it’s a bit like riding a roller coaster. The rear camera system, for example, was reduced to just two lenses (the N200 had three lenses). At least the main lens has received an upgrade. It’s now a 48MP lens for high-quality photos, while the N200 has a 13MP lens (the other rear lens and front camera are still 2MP and 16MP, respectively).
At 6.56 inches, the N300’s screen is slightly larger than that of the N200, and offers a 90Hz refresh rate for a smoother viewing experience. Resolution, however, declined in quality. It’s now HD Plus (1600 x 900 pixels) resolution instead of the N200’s Full HD Plus (2400 x 1080) resolution. Storage is still 64GB, but it can be upgraded to 1TB.
Limited availability
Our other issue with the N300 is its availability. It is somewhat limited. You can buy the phone (either Midnight Black or Jade Green) in the US for $228 starting November 3. There will only be one 4GB RAM model at launch. The N300 is also launching in Canada, but no date has been set. It’s also exclusive to T-Mobile and its prepaid service, Metro.
Don’t misunderstand: T-Mobile isn’t a bad carrier by any means; far from it. earlier this year, Report from Speedtest Show that T-Mobile has the best performing 5G network out of all the phone companies in the US. It was good to see the other options available. We reached out to OnePlus to ask if there are plans to include the N300 by other carriers and for details on the Canadian launch date. This story will be updated if we hear back.
If you are interested in other cheap smartphones, TechRadar just updated it Best American Budget Phones List of 2022.