OnePlus’ next Nord phone might not pack the chip we were rooting for

Now, I think it is a bit of a letdown that OnePlus didn’t go with MediaTek’s chip this time. Looking at the benchmarks and specs, the MediaTek Dimensity 9400e clearly pulls ahead in raw CPU and GPU power, plus it is more efficient overall. That said, the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 still packs plenty of punch and should deliver a good experience for most users, but it would have been nice to see more power inside the Nord 5. As for the rest of the specs, the Nord 5 is rumored to pack a 1.5K OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and an in-display fingerprint sensor. The camera setup is expected to include a 50 MP main sensor and an 8 MP ultra-wide, with a 16 MP selfie camera on the front.

Battery life could be a major win here, too. The Nord 5 is said to have a huge 7,000mAh battery and support 100W fast charging.

The Nord CE 5, on the other hand, could be sticking with MediaTek. It is expected to feature a Dimensity 8350 chip, 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage. Like its sibling, it may also come with a 120Hz OLED screen (6.7 inches), the same dual-camera system, and a 16MP selfie cam.

 
And while it is positioned as the more affordable model, its rumored 7,100mAh battery with 80W charging might actually top the Nord 5 in capacity.That is a big jump compared to other budget phones out now. Devices like the Galaxy A36 5G and Nothing Phone (2a) typically offer 5,000mAh batteries, so OnePlus could be giving users a serious edge here in terms of battery life.

And the Nord 5 is shaping up to be a solid pick if you are shopping in the mid-range space. It looks like it could go toe-to-toe with options like the Motorola Edge 60 Fusion – and might even come out ahead in areas like performance, battery life and long-term software support.

It also sounds like a great alternative if you are looking to move away from Samsung and try something different than a Galaxy phone without spending a fortune. Compared to the Galaxy A56, for example, the Nord 5 could offer better battery life and faster charging – at least if the current leaks are on point.

That said, don’t count on both phones being widely available. The Nord CE 5 is likely to remain an India-only release, just like the previous version. The Nord 5 should see a broader rollout, though, with availability expected in the UK and Europe – but probably not the US.

Pricing is still unconfirmed, but it could land close to the last generation, meaning around $300 for the CE model and about $450 for the Nord 5, depending on the configuration. We’ll know for sure once the launch rolls around next month.