The OnePlus Nord N30 surges ahead of its budget competitors with its 50W wired charging, impressive primary camera, and sleek, minimalist design. However, its limited camera versatility, outdated hardware, and lackluster software support make it more suitable for the present rather than the future.
The OnePlus Nord N30 is the largest and most advanced device in the Nord family of budget Android phones. It features a spacious 6.72-inch Panda Glass display, a substantial 5,000mAh battery, and a crisp 108MP primary camera. Although it offers upgrades compared to its predecessor, the Nord N20, such as better memory management and improved hardware, both phones still share Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 695 chipset.
The price of the OnePlus Nord N30 is $299 when purchased unlocked in the US, but you can also get it for $264 from T-Mobile. It is available for purchase on the OnePlus website starting on June 15, 2023, as well as on Amazon, Best Buy, T-Mobile, and Metro by T-Mobile.
In our 10-day testing of the OnePlus Nord N30, we found that it is a worthwhile option for those seeking an affordable Android phone with fast wireless charging and a reliable primary camera. It offers excellent battery life and includes features like expandable storage and a headphone jack, making it a great value for the price. However, its weak software update commitment and underwhelming secondary cameras limit its long-term prospects.
The OnePlus Nord N30 aims to provide a condensed version of the premium OnePlus experience at a lower cost. It delivers the essentials of Oxygen OS, speedy SuperVOOC wired charging, and an impressive primary camera while making some compromises to keep the price affordable. Moreover, OnePlus has managed to maintain the Nord N30’s price at the same level as its predecessor, which is just under $300.
Unlike most budget phones that mimic the design of flagship models, the OnePlus Nord N30 has its own unique aesthetic. It features a glossy plastic back panel that attracts fingerprints, along with a matching matte frame. The phone boasts a large 6.72-inch Panda Glass display with a 120Hz refresh rate. Unlike previous OnePlus models, the Nord N30 opts for small circular cutouts to house its three lenses, providing a cleaner look. The power button and fingerprint reader are located on the right side, while the volume buttons are on the left edge. The Nord N30 also includes a headphone jack at the bottom and allows for expandable microSD storage in the SIM slot.
Out of the box, our OnePlus Nord N30 came with Android 13 and Oxygen OS 13.1. While Oxygen OS is no longer as lightweight as before, the latest version strikes a better balance between features and style. Bloatware is minimal, with only Netflix being pre-installed, but it can be easily uninstalled. However, OnePlus has added some unnecessary duplicates of apps. The phone’s update commitment is weak, with only one Android update and three years of security patches, falling behind Samsung’s policies for its budget phones.
Internally, the OnePlus Nord N30 shares certain components with its predecessor. It relies on the same Snapdragon 695 chipset, likely to save costs and allow for upgrades in other areas. While it offers decent performance for everyday tasks and light gaming, it would have been nice to see some improvements compared to the previous generation. The Nord N30 offers 128GB of storage, which can be expanded using a microSD card, a feature not commonly seen in 2023. It also supports Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.1, but unfortunately retains the weak haptics of its predecessor.
One of the Nord N30’s standout features is its new 108MP primary camera, which OnePlus hopes will compete with the best affordable camera phones on the market. It captures detailed images at its native 1x zoom, but the performance of the supporting macro and depth sensors is lacking. The shutter speed can be slow, resulting in delayed image processing. The macro focus is hidden in the More menu, indicating that OnePlus doesn’t expect users to utilize it often. OnePlus claims that the primary camera offers lossless zoom up to 3x, but the quality drops off significantly beyond that point. For sample images, please refer to the provided Google Drive link.
The color profile of the Nord N30 leans towards punchy, and post-processing enhances it even further. The processing speed is not the fastest, so tapping your gallery immediately after taking a photo will cause the color saturation to increase. Unfortunately, the video capabilities of the Nord N30 are not impressive, as it only supports 1080p resolution at 30fps for both front and rear cameras. If you’re looking for 4K quality or smoother frames, you will need to explore other options.
The main selling point of the OnePlus Nord N30 is its battery life and fast charging capabilities. The 5,000mAh battery paired with the Snapdragon 695 allows for a day and a half of usage on a single charge, even with intensive tasks such as camera usage and social media browsing. The Nord N30 charges fully in around 50 minutes with the included 50W charger, which is one of the fastest charging speeds available on budget phones in the US.
In conclusion, the OnePlus Nord N30 is a well-equipped budget phone with fast charging, a large display, a high-resolution camera, and a long-lasting battery. However, it does have some shortcomings, such as limited camera versatility and outdated hardware. If these factors are not a major concern for you, the Nord N30 could be a great choice. Alternatively, there are other phones to consider, such as the Google Pixel 6a and the Samsung Galaxy A14 5G, which offer different features and potentially better value for money.
Denial of responsibility! TechCodex is an automatic aggregator of the all world’s media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
Alex Smith is a writer and editor with over 10 years of experience. He has written extensively on a variety of topics, including technology, business, and personal finance. His work has been published in a number of magazines and newspapers, and he is also the author of two books. Alex is passionate about helping people learn and grow, and he believes that writing is a powerful tool for communication and understanding.
