OnePlus Nord 3: Flagship steal

I’VE always wondered what the big deal was with OnePlus, with their catchy “Never Settle” philosophy and their ambition to be the Muji of the technology industry.

Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to get my hands on any of their phones. Thankfully, our friends sent us the OnePlus NORD 3, their latest mid-ranger which was just released this month.

Not sure if it’s because of their name, but the NORD 3 only comes in one color (Misty Green) and one spec variant 16GB+256GB). It retails for P29,990 and you can already order it from their official Shopee, Lazada and Tiktok Brand Stores as well as their kiosks and authorized partner stores.

You’ve probably grown tired of the term “flagship killer” being used by so many brands to create hype for their phones, but it’s actually OnePlus who coined that term. Established by Pete Lau and Carl Pei in December 2013, OnePlus’ mission was to create smartphones that would deliver a premium experience minus the exorbitant price tag.

They say you never forget your first, and my experience with the NORD 3 was definitely an exciting one, but does it have everything you could ask for?

■ DESIGN: Embracing a fresh design approach, the OnePlus Nord 3 features an understated yet very elegant profile. It is still a dual-glass smartphone with a plastic frame. The Misty Green colorway comes with a subtle and glossy celadon 2.8D silk glass finish. This green hue looks more like jade than emerald, which is different, though I would have preferred a darker tint. The screen is completely flat with Dragontrail glass protection while the back has Gorilla Glass 5 and holds an IP54 rating that offers a bit of protection from water splashes.

The slim 8.15mm design and flat edges make for a comfortable in-hand feel. But while the smartphone’s attractiveness is undeniable, that glass back is a fingerprint magnet and can also be quite bit slippery to hold. That’s why you’d need a protective case especially if you are either too clumsy or living a really active lifestyle.

Exploring the ports and buttons, the volume rocker is on the left, while on the right is the power button and the alert slider—a trademark of OnePlus phones. At first, I thought this slider was unnecessary, but after a couple of days, I now want it to be on all future devices. The bottom edge features a speaker grille, a Type-C port for charging, a microphone, and SIM tray, while at the top edge is a secondary microphone and an IR Blaster.

On the back are two prominent circular cutouts that house the main camera and two additional camera sensors. There’s also an LED flash and an ambient light sensor. The front of the phone has a flat screen with barely noticeable bezels while the punch-hole camera cutout occupies the top center of the display. ■ SMOOTH OPERATOR: The brand’s mantra of “Fast and Smooth” became synonymous with its products, emphasizing the seamless performance and fluid user interface offered by OnePlus smartphones. To ensure that it delivers on this promise, the Nord 3 5G is powered by an Octa-core MediaTek Dimensity 9000 chipset manufactured using a cuttingedge 4nm process. Compared to the Nord 2T’s chipset this upgrade offers 40 percent better CPU performance and 85 percent better GPU performance. that it delivers on this promise, edge 4nm process. Compared to the Nord better GPU performance.

It also comes with flagship 16GB RAM and 256GB of onboard storage. I seldom use review phones as my daily driver, but since I really wanted to test out this device, I had to put my main phone to rest—and because I was so satisfied with the Nord 3, it looks like it’s going on an extended break. The OnePlus Nord 3 is definitely reliable and can effortlessly handle all my various tasks and constant app switching.

Nord 3, it looks like it’s going on an extended break. The OnePlus Nord 3 is definitely reliable and can course photography for event coverages. OnePlus says the device can run up to 44 apps smoothly in the

I’ve used it for daily blog posting, socialmedia browsing and content creation, e-mail correspondence, video and music streaming, and of course photography for event coverages. OnePlus says the device can run up to 44 apps smoothly in the background.

I installed a few games like PUBG, Call of Duty, and Genshin Impact for my nephews to test out and I did notice smoother gameplay that is at par with those of more expensive phones.

They also did not complain of any noticeable lags or frame rate drops. For gamers, I’m sure you’ll appreciate the phone’s excellent graphics performance and its efficient vapor chamber cooling system that minimizes heating.

The OnePlus Nord 3 runs on OxygenOS 13 that is based on Android 13. It’s a familiar experience with ColorOS though I prefer this UI for its cleaner look and lack of annoying bloatware.

■ DISPLAY: The OnePlus Nord 3 makes for a great multimedia experience thanks to its impressive 6.74-inch Fluid AMOLED display. You get a 2772×1240 resolution and 120Hz refresh rate, and the screen delivers smooth and fluid visuals. Unlike other phones, you get the options to choose between automatic, high or standard refresh rates so whether you’re just scrolling through your social media feed or in a competitive match, the high refresh rate ensures a seamless experience. I also liked its peak brightness that allows clear visibility even in bright outdoor environments.

The OnePlus Nord 3 has HDR10 so whether you’re streaming your favorite movies/shows on Netflix or indulging in multimedia content, you enjoy an immersive visual journey. The same can be said for its audio, thanks to its stereo speaker setup. The sound is loud and crisp both when watching videos or listening to audio. It’s not the loudest, but I’d go for great sound over volume anytime.