The OnePlus Nord 3 is a bigger deal than its predecessor, literally, because that 6.74-inch AMOLED display towers over the older model’s 6.43-inch panel, but also figuratively in that this is the closest we’ve come to. Nord series mid-range flagship specifications.
Let’s stay with the screen for a moment: it has a resolution of 1,240 x 2,772 px, compared to FHD+ on the Nord 2, so the pixel density is about the same. It also runs at 120Hz (up to 90Hz) with 10-bit color.
The Dimension 9000 chipset was a flagship chip two years ago. It can’t compete with the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 inside the OnePlus 11R and 10T, but it keeps pace considering the price difference: the 10T used to cost €730 in France (now down to €580) for an 8/128 model GB, the Nord costs €500/₹34,000 with the same memory, or €550/₹38,000 if you want a 16/256GB drive.
The Dimensity is a 4nm chip with one Cortex-X2 (3.05GHz), three Cortex-A710 (2.85GHz), and four A510 (1.80GHz), plus a Mali-G710 MC10. This is comparable to the Tensor G2 in Pixel 7/7a phones (although the Dimensity is the clear winner in GPU benchmarks).
OnePlus also increased the battery capacity to 5,000mAh (up from 500mAh), which was enough to offset the higher power draw of the larger screen, and kept the endurance rating at just over 100 hours – check out the our review to find out more (we also have a video review). Charging takes place at 80W (like on the Nord 2T) and in our tests it reached 61% in 15 minutes and went up to 98% in 30 minutes.
The things that remain the same are the 50MP camera (1/1.56″ IMX890 sensor, 1.0µm pixels, f/1.9 lens with OIS) and 8MP 112° ultra wide angle. However, the selfie camera inexplicably drops to 16 MP.
OnePlus Nord 3
While the Nord 3 hasn’t been upgraded to a metal chassis, it does get an IP54 rating. And it has an alert slider on the side. Even better, OnePlus promises 3 OS updates, the same number as Google.
Okay, let’s look at some competitors. We have already mentioned OnePlus 10T and 11R. Both are quite similar with faster Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chips. The 10T has a 6.7-inch 1080p-class display, the 11R a 6.74-inch 1240p-class display, both 10-bit, 120Hz panels. The 10T has a 4,800mAh battery with charging wired 150W, while the 11R has a 5,000mAh battery with 100W charging. The cameras are basically the same as the Nord.
It’s important to note that the 10T is available in Europe, starting at €580 for an 8/128GB model, as we’ve already mentioned. The 11R can be found in India for ₹40,000 with the same memory configuration – both are more expensive than the Nord 3.
OnePlus 10T • OnePlus 11R
There is the Galaxy A54, but it is smaller with a 6.4″ display (FHD+ 120Hz) and the Exynos 1380 cannot compete with the Dimensity 9000. The 50MP 1/1.56″ camera with OIS is comparable , 12MP 123° ultra wide angle is better. The Samsung’s 5,000mAh battery may have the same capacity, but the 25W charge feels incredibly slow in comparison. An 8/128GB A54 can be purchased for €460 / ₹39,000.
There’s also the Pixel 7a with an even smaller 6.1″ display (a 90Hz OLED). The 64MP main and 13MP ultra-wide-angle cameras rely on Google Magic since the hardware isn’t too different , the 4,385mAh battery with 18W wired charging is smaller and slower, but it does have 7.5W wireless charging. , is ₹44,000 in India.Both the Galaxy and Pixel are IP67 rated and will receive 4 and 3 OS updates respectively.
Samsung Galaxy A54 • Google Pixel 7a
Then there is the Realme 11 Pro+ with a 6.7″ FHD+ 120Hz (10-bit) display. While the 8 MP and 112° ultra-wide-angle camera is quite simple, the main 200 MP (f/1.7, OIS) camera offers plenty of zoom without loss. The Dimensity 7050 lags far behind its flagship sibling, however, but the 5,000mAh battery with 100W charging is fast. The Pro+ can be found for just over €500 in Europe and that’s with generous 12/512GB configuration.In India, 8/256GB phone costs ₹28,000, 12/256GB ₹30,000.
The Poco F5 is slightly smaller with its 6.67″ FHD+ 120Hz (12-bit) display, but it’s powered by the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2. That chip beats the Dimensity 9000 in CPU benchmarks and is competitive in GPU tests The 64MP main camera (1/2-inch OIS) and 8MP 120° ultra-wide angle aren’t great, but the 5,000mAh 67W battery comes close. The F5 with 8/256GB memory costs around €430 in Europe, ₹31,000 in India.
There’s also the Poco F5 Pro with a 6.67-inch display, QHD+ panel this time and Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1. The camera is the same, but the 5,160mAh battery supports 67W wired charging and 60W wireless charging. 30W. The 12/256GB model costs $550 right now. Both Pocos are IP53 rated.
Realme 11 Pro+ • Xiaomi Poco F5 • Xiaomi Poco F5 Pro
Time to vote: Is the OnePlus Nord 3 the flagship killer we’ve been waiting for?
And while we’re here, let’s also talk about the OnePlus Nord CE 3 – it’s currently exclusive to India, so it’s not an option in most regions. However, an 8/128GB model costs ₹27,000, ₹7,000 cheaper than the regular Nord 3.
What we’re looking at here is a 6.7-inch FHD+ 120Hz AMOLED display with a Snapdragon 782G chipset and basically the same 50+8MP camera and 5,000mAh 80W battery. Would you choose this over the Nord 3?
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