OnePlus Nord N30 5G

The OnePlus Nord N30 5G has made its way to Qatar, offering a compelling mix of features at an affordable price point. The OnePlus Nord N30 5G is priced at QAR 999 in Qatar.

This price positions it as a competitive option in the mid-range smartphone market, making 5G technology accessible to a wider audience.

OnePlus Nord N30 5G Specifications

Release Date and Availability

The OnePlus Nord N30 5G was officially released on June 6, 2023. It became available in Qatar shortly after its global launch, offering consumers in the country a chance to experience OnePlus’s latest mid-range offering. The device is available through various authorized retailers and online platforms in Qatar.

Design and Build Quality

The OnePlus Nord N30 5G boasts a sleek and modern design that belies its budget-friendly price tag. The phone features a plastic back with a glossy finish, giving it a premium look. The device is available in a single color option in Qatar: Chromatic Gray. This neutral color choice adds to the phone’s versatility and appeal.

On the front, you’ll find a large 6.72-inch display with minimal bezels and a small punch-hole camera in the top-left corner. The side-mounted fingerprint sensor doubles as the power button, providing quick and convenient access to the device. The volume rocker is located on the left side of the phone.

One notable feature that sets the Nord N30 5G apart from many modern smartphones is the inclusion of a 3.5mm headphone jack. This is a welcome addition for users who prefer wired audio or have existing headphones they’d like to use.

Display

The OnePlus Nord N30 5G features a spacious 6.72-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels (Full HD+). This results in a pixel density of about 391 pixels per inch, ensuring sharp and clear visuals for everyday use.

One of the standout features of this display is its 120Hz refresh rate. This high refresh rate allows for smoother scrolling and more fluid animations, enhancing the overall user experience. It’s particularly impressive to see this feature in a mid-range device, as it’s often reserved for more expensive models.

The display also boasts a 240Hz touch sampling rate, which improves touch responsiveness. This is especially beneficial for gaming, as it reduces input lag and provides a more immediate feel to your interactions.

While the IPS LCD technology may not offer the deep blacks and vibrant colors of OLED displays, it still provides good color reproduction and viewing angles. The display is also bright enough for comfortable outdoor use in most conditions.

Performance

At the heart of the OnePlus Nord N30 5G is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G processor. This mid-range chip offers a good balance of performance and energy efficiency, making it well-suited for everyday tasks and light to moderate gaming.

The octa-core CPU consists of two Kryo 660 Gold cores clocked at 2.2 GHz for high-performance tasks and six Kryo 660 Silver cores at 1.7 GHz for power-efficient operation. This configuration allows the phone to handle multiple apps and tasks smoothly while conserving battery life when possible.

The Adreno 619 GPU handles graphics processing, providing decent performance for casual gaming and media consumption. While it may struggle with the most demanding games at high settings, it’s more than capable of running popular titles at medium settings with smooth frame rates.

The Nord N30 5G comes with 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM, which is generous for a mid-range device. This amount of RAM allows for efficient multitasking and helps keep apps running in the background without frequent reloads.

Storage-wise, the phone offers 128GB of UFS 2.2 internal storage. While not the fastest storage technology available, it provides good read and write speeds for smooth app launches and file transfers. If you need more space, the Nord N30 5G also supports expandable storage via a microSD card slot, allowing you to add up to 1TB of additional storage.

Camera System

The camera system on the OnePlus Nord N30 5G is headlined by a 108MP main sensor. This high-resolution sensor uses pixel binning technology to combine multiple pixels into one, resulting in 12MP images with improved light sensitivity and reduced noise in low-light conditions.

Accompanying the main sensor are two 2MP cameras: one for depth sensing and another for macro photography. The depth sensor aids in creating a more natural bokeh effect in portrait mode shots, while the macro lens allows you to capture close-up details of small subjects.

On the front, you’ll find a 16MP selfie camera housed in the punch-hole cutout. This camera is capable of capturing detailed selfies and is also used for face unlock functionality.

The camera app offers a variety of modes and features, including Night mode for low-light photography, Portrait mode for bokeh effects, and a Pro mode for manual control over camera settings. Video recording capabilities include 1080p at 30 frames per second for both the rear and front cameras.

While the camera system may not compete with flagship devices, it offers versatile shooting options and good image quality for a mid-range smartphone. The high-resolution main sensor, in particular, allows for detailed shots and provides room for cropping without significant loss of quality.

Battery Life and Charging

The OnePlus Nord N30 5G is equipped with a large 5000mAh battery, which should provide ample power for a full day of use for most users. The energy-efficient Snapdragon 695 processor and the adaptive refresh rate display help in extending battery life.

One of the standout features of the Nord N30 5G is its fast charging capability. The phone supports 50W SUPERVOOC fast charging, which can rapidly replenish the battery. OnePlus claims that this technology can charge the phone from 0 to 50% in just 30 minutes, making it convenient for quick top-ups throughout the day.

It’s worth noting that while the phone supports fast wired charging, it does not offer wireless charging capabilities. This is a common omission in mid-range devices to keep costs down.

Software and User Experience

The OnePlus Nord N30 5G runs on OxygenOS 13.1, which is based on Android 13. OxygenOS is known for its clean, near-stock Android experience with useful additions and optimizations.Some notable features of OxygenOS include:

1. Customization options for icons, themes, and the Always-On Display
2. Game Space for optimizing gaming performance and reducing distractions
3. Zen Mode for digital wellbeing and focus
4. Dark Mode with customizable schedules
5. Parallel Apps for running multiple instances of the same app

OnePlus has committed to providing two years of Android version updates and three years of security patches for the Nord N30 5G. While this update policy is not as extensive as some flagship devices, it ensures that the phone will receive the latest features and security improvements for a reasonable period.

Connectivity and Additional Features

As its name suggests, the OnePlus Nord N30 5G supports 5G connectivity, allowing users to take advantage of high-speed mobile networks where available. This future-proofs the device and ensures faster download and upload speeds in areas with 5G coverage.

Other connectivity options include:

• Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)
• Bluetooth 5.1
• NFC for contactless payments
• GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo, and QZSS for location services

The phone also features a side-mounted fingerprint sensor for biometric authentication, which is generally fast and reliable. Face unlock is available as an additional security option, though it’s not as secure as the fingerprint sensor.

The inclusion of a 3.5mm headphone jack is a welcome feature for those who prefer wired audio or have existing headphones they’d like to use. The phone also supports USB-C audio and Bluetooth for wireless options.

Comparison with Other Devices

When comparing the OnePlus Nord N30 5G to other devices in its price range, it holds its own in several key areas:

Compared to the OnePlus Nord N20 SE, the N30 5G offers significant improvements in almost every aspect. The N30 5G has a larger, higher-resolution display with a 120Hz refresh rate, a more powerful processor, better cameras, and faster charging. The addition of 5G support also gives the N30 5G a significant edge in terms of future-proofing.

The OnePlus Nord N30 SE, while more recent, is positioned as a more budget-friendly option. The N30 5G offers a larger display, higher refresh rate, more powerful processor, and better camera system, justifying its higher price point.

In the Samsung lineup, the Galaxy A34 5G is a close competitor. While the Samsung device offers an AMOLED display and potentially better software support, the Nord N30 5G counters with faster charging and a higher-resolution main camera.

Apple’s iPhone SE (2022) is in a similar price range but offers a different proposition with its compact size, powerful A15 Bionic chip, and iOS ecosystem. However, the Nord N30 5G provides a much larger display, longer battery life, and faster charging.

The Google Pixel 6a, while slightly more expensive, offers a more compact design, better cameras, and longer software support. However, the Nord N30 5G has a larger display with a higher refresh rate and faster charging.

The Nothing Phone (1) stands out with its unique design and Glyph interface but is generally more expensive. The Nord N30 5G offers comparable performance at a lower price point.

When compared to other mid-range options like the Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro or the Realme 10 Pro+, the OnePlus Nord N30 5G holds its ground with its balance of features, clean software experience, and fast charging capabilities.

Pros and Cons

To summarize the OnePlus Nord N30 5G’s strengths and weaknesses:

Pros:

1. Large 6.72-inch display with 120Hz refresh rate
2. 5G connectivity
3. 108MP main camera
4. Fast 50W charging
5. Clean OxygenOS experience
6. Expandable storage
7. 3.5mm headphone jack

Cons:

1. IPS LCD display instead of OLED
2. No wireless charging
3. Limited software update commitment compared to flagships
4. Secondary cameras (2MP depth and macro) may have limited utility