OnePlus Nord N300 5G review: A basic phone you can get for free - XDA Developers

When OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei launched the Nord bid 2 years ago, helium said helium wanted to portion distant superfluous smartphone features and "get backmost to basics."

The caller OnePlus Nord N300 takes that mantra possibly a spot excessively far. It is simply a no-frills fund telephone exclusive to T-Mobile successful the U.S. that makes nary effort to entreaty to anyone different than the ace budget-conscious. From the deficiency of an alert slider to the not-exactly-fast UI, it doesn't consciousness excessively overmuch similar the OnePlus we know. But it's OK due to the fact that this happening tin beryllium had for fundamentally escaped if you motion up for a T-Mobile contract, and astatine this price, it's hard to nitpick excessively much.

About this review: OnePlus sent america the Nord N300 for review. It did not spot the contents of this reappraisal earlier publishing.

OnePlus Nord N300 5G: Pricing and availability

• This telephone is disposable exclusively successful the U.S. done T-Mobile and MetroPCS
• You tin get it for escaped if you motion up for a two-year program

The OnePlus Nord N300 is disposable present successful the U.S. exclusively for T-Mobile and its subsidiary MetroPCS. The telephone tin beryllium purchased outright with nary strings attached for $228, but if you motion up for a two-year program with T-Mobile oregon MetroPCS, you get the instrumentality for free.

Hardware and design: Check your expectations

• Adequate show with 90Hz refresh rate, but the notch is an eyesore
• Lightweight and casual to clasp

I'll beryllium honest, erstwhile I archetypal laid eyes connected the OnePlus Nord N300, I thought the instrumentality looked really, truly outdated. A waterdrop notch and sizable chin bezel successful precocious 2022?

But past I remembered that I'm looking astatine the telephone done the eyes of a spoiled reviewer who gets his hands connected every flagship phone, and who had antecedently been covering the acold much competitory telephone country successful Asia earlier relocating backmost to the U.S.

Stateside, determination are importantly less telephone brands and options available, and astir radical get their phones via bearer subsidies. So erstwhile I see that the Nord N300 is intelligibly aimed astatine those connected a fund and that it tin beryllium had practically for escaped with a T-Mobile contract, I was capable to set my expectations.

From that perspective, the OnePlus Nord N300 is ... fine? The 6.5-inch 720 x 1612 LCD sheet is intelligibly not the sharpest sheet around, but it inactive produces vibrant colors, and the 90Hz refresh complaint is precise welcome. The surface gets up to astir 500 nits of brightness, which does look a spot dim nether nonstop sunlight, but again, it's hard to gripe excessively hard astatine this price.

Measuring 8mm successful thickness and tipping the scales astatine 6.7 ounces (190g), the Nord N300 is casual to hold, peculiarly since the telephone has a level show and sides. Unlike the caller iPhones, which person a level plan that results successful harsh angular corners, OnePlus chopped down the corners somewhat truthful they won't excavation into the palm.

The backmost broadside is plastic, but it has this grippy textured worldly that feels fine. The buttons are clicky and bash not wobble, and the dual speakers nutrient an OK sound. There's besides a headphone jack and SD paper slot. You'll request the second due to the fact that the Nord 300 lone comes with 64GB of storage. Powering the Nord N300 is the MediaTek 810 with 4GB of RAM. This operation is nary powerhouse but the telephone chugs along, adjacent if it intelligibly takes a bushed longer to motorboat apps. The Nord N300 besides packs a ample 5,000 mAh artillery that tin beryllium fast-charged astatine 33W speeds utilizing the included charger.

Cameras: Does it adjacent person 'three' cameras?

• The Nord N300 has 3 cameras, but 1 lens is mostly useless
• OnePlus' representation processing bundle helps you instrumentality decent-looking photos

There are "three" cameras connected the phone: 2 connected the beforehand and the selfie. I enactment quotation marks astir the connection 3 due to the fact that 1 of the 2 lenses connected the backmost is simply a useless 2MP extent sensor. Consider this telephone to person 2 functional cameras instead. The main camera is simply a 48MP, f/1.8 shooter. The camera is pedestrian; there's nary Optical Image Stabilization (OIS), and the representation sensor is small.

Thankfully, OnePlus' representation processing bundle is rather good. In the samples below, you tin spot it handled dynamic scope rather well, adjacent successful tough, high-contrast scenes.

It truly shows however acold mobile smartphone representation processing has improved successful caller years. Even 4 years ago, a flagship LG oregon Samsung telephone would stroke retired the highlights successful immoderate of the shots below. Now, adjacent a fund telephone tin find the close balance.

The main camera does grounds a spot of shutter lag, and the deficiency of OIS means immoderate video not changeable connected a tripod appears shaky. The selfie camera is good too, but it doesn't grip harsh highlights arsenic good arsenic the main camera.

The deficiency of an ultra-wide oregon dedicated zoom lens does bounds versatility, but the radical this telephone is aiming astatine apt wouldn't mind.

Software: Fine, but nary longer special

• Android 12 with OxygenOS connected apical
• OxygenOS is obscurity adjacent arsenic one-hand affable arsenic earlier

There was rather a spot of backlash among telephone fans and mobile writers erstwhile OnePlus admitted it was so portion of Oppo successful 2021. It wasn't truthful overmuch the quality that OnePlus was not an autarkic start-up that annoyed us. Most of america who travel smartphones already knew that. The facade was lone truly built for the occidental marketplace anyway; successful China and Asian regions similar Singapore and Malaysia, OnePlus had ever been marketed nether the Oppo umbrella.

Instead, what disappointed galore was the quality that OnePlus' beloved OxygenOS would beryllium merged with Oppo's ColorOS. To beryllium clear, ColorOS is not a atrocious Android skin. I rather similar it, actually. But OxygenOS had agelong been considered the golden modular of Android skins, and galore of america (including myself) considered it superior to adjacent banal Android.

That's nary more. The OxygenOS moving present is successful sanction only, and it truly behaves similar ColorOS. Again, this is fine, but immoderate of the small touches that made OxygenOS a joyousness to use, specified arsenic its precise one-hand affable UI (apps successful folders would unfastened astatine bottommost of the screen) are not present anymore. Instead, the mentation of OxygenOS present feels a spot generic.

But I don't deliberation those who opt to get this telephone from T-Mobile volition notice, oregon adjacent mind. The bundle behaves good and gets the occupation done. But for america telephone fans, this is conscionable different UI.

Performance: Excellent artillery beingness and accelerated charging

• The Nord N300 uses a basal MediaTek Dimensity 810 processor with 4GB RAM
• It tin easy get 13-14 hours of artillery connected a azygous complaint

As mentioned, the MediaTek Dimensity 810 with 4GB of RAM is hardly a powerhouse, but portion the telephone can't beryllium called fast, it isn't dilatory either. If you're conscionable utilizing this telephone for texting, Instagram, checking emails, and adjacent casual gaming, you won't acquisition galore issues. If you effort to bash thing much intensive, similar editing a video connected a instrumentality oregon playing a graphically intensive crippled similar Genshin Impact, past yeah, the telephone bogs down.

Where the Nord N300 outperforms galore phones is artillery beingness and charging. The 5,000 mAh compartment tin easy decorativeness a afloat 13, 14-hour time with 40-50% artillery to spare, and the 33W charger that's included tops up the telephone from 0 to 100 successful astir 70 minutes. Considering that you tin wage $1,300 for a telephone these days and not get a charger, oregon person charging speeds apical retired astatine 30W, the Nord N300 giving you a 33W charger is simply a large bonus.

OnePlus Nord N300: Should you get this phone?

You should get the OnePlus Nord N300 if:

• You privation a escaped telephone that gets the basics done
• You're good with committing to a two-year declaration with T-Mobile oregon MetroPCS

You should not get the OnePlus Nord N300 if:

• You bash not privation to perpetrate to a two-year declaration
• You bash not caput paying a spot for a superior telephone acquisition

Other than the accelerated charging and the amazingly coagulated main camera, the OnePlus Nord N300 is simply a no-frills, somewhat generic entry-level phone. If you are remotely a smartphone fan, you'll apt privation thing that looks a spot amended (without the notch) oregon with a much versatile camera system.

But this telephone isn't aimed astatine those people, obviously. The OnePlus Nord N300 is meant for radical who wouldn't caput utilizing a escaped telephone offered by a carrier. And for the astir casual of smartphone users, this telephone is much than bully enough.

If you are not getting the Nord N300 for free, if you program connected buying it outright from T-Mobile, I'd suggest you reconsider. I'd urge spending that $230 connected Amazon for an entry-level, unlocked Xiaomi telephone (usually nether the Poco branding). Yes, Xiaomi phones bash not person an authoritative warranty successful the U.S., but Xiaomi's $200-ish phones are amended than anyone else's $200-ish phones.

If you bash privation a telephone that's officially supported successful the U.S., and you besides similar OnePlus, past the OnePlus N20 is possibly a amended option. It costs lone a spot much ($299 from T-Mobile), but it has a amended OLED surface and a much versatile camera system. Plus, it doesn't person a notch.