Carl Pei, the co-founder of OnePlus, stated his intention to “go back to basics” when he introduced the Nord series of smartphones two years ago. He stated that he aimed to eliminate unnecessary smartphone functionality.
This slogan is taken perhaps to an extreme with the newly released OnePlus Nord N300. It is a no-frills cheap phone that is only available through T-Mobile in the United States. T-Mobile has made no effort to market this phone to anyone other than those who are extremely cost-conscious. From the absence of an alert slider to the user interface that isn’t exactly lightning-fast, it doesn’t feel very much like the OnePlus that we are familiar with. But, this is not a problem because you can get this item for very little money if you sign up for a service plan with T-Mobile, and when you consider the cost, it is difficult to criticize it too harshly.
OnePlus Nord N300 5G hardware and design
To tell you the truth, my initial impression of the OnePlus Nord N300 was that it appeared to be very, very antiquated when I saw it for the first time. A large chin bezel and a waterdrop-shaped notch in the latter half of 2022?
But then I recalled that I was looking at the phone through the eyes of a spoiled reviewer who gets his hands on every flagship phone, and who had previously been covering the significantly more competitive phone scene in Asia before moving back to the United States. This made me realize that my perspective on the phone might not be as objective as others.
There are a lot fewer phone brands and options accessible in the United States, and the majority of individuals receive their phones through subsidies offered by their carriers. My expectations were able to be adjusted when I took into account the fact that the Nord N300 is obviously designed with individuals on a tight budget in mind and that it can be obtained essentially for free with a contract from T-Mobile.
When viewed through this lens, the OnePlus North N300 is… satisfactory? The 6.5-inch LCD panel with a resolution of 720 by 1612 pixels is not the sharpest panel available, but it nevertheless generates bright colors, and the refresh rate of 90 hertz is very much appreciated. The screen has a maximum brightness of about 500 nits, which appears to be somewhat faint when viewed in direct sunlight; yet, considering the low cost of the device, it is difficult to complain too much about its performance.
The Nord N300 has a thickness of 8 millimeters, weighs 6.7 ounces (190 grams), and is very comfortable to grip because of the phone’s flat display and sides. Its dimensions are thickness: 8 millimeters; weight: 6.7 ounces (190 grams). Unlike the most recent iPhones, which feature a flat design that results in harsh angular corners, OnePlus rounded the corners just a little bit so they won’t scrape into the palm of your hand. This is in contrast to the design of the most recent iPhones.
The reverse side is made of plastic, however, it contains a substance with a gripping texture that is comfortable to the touch. The buttons have a satisfying click to them and are stable, and the sound produced by the dual speakers is satisfactory. In addition, there is a slot for SD cards and a port for headphones. The latter is necessary due to the fact that the storage capacity of the Nord 300 is only 64 GB. The MediaTek 810 and 4 gigabytes of RAM are what give the Nord N300 its power. Even though it takes noticeably longer to open apps with this configuration, the phone is still usable despite the fact that it is not a particularly powerful combo. In addition, the Nord N300 features a sizable battery that can be charged at speeds up to 33W using the charger that is included in the package. The battery has a capacity of 5,000 mAh.
OnePlus Nord N300 5G cameras
There are actually “three” cameras on the phone; two of them are located on the front, while the third is for taking selfies. I put quotation marks around the phrase three since one of the two lenses on the rear of the camera is a depth sensor with only 2 megapixels of resolution, which is completely worthless. Consider instead that this smartphone possesses not one but two fully-functional cameras. The primary camera has a resolution of 48 megapixels and a maximum aperture of 1.8. The camera is mediocre; it does not have Optical Image Stabilization (OIS), and the image sensor is on the small side.
The software that OnePlus uses for processing images is, thankfully, very good. Even in challenging, high-contrast scenarios, the dynamic range was handled fairly well, as can be seen in the samples that are provided below.
It’s a remarkable demonstration of how far image processing on mobile smartphones has come in the past few years. Even as recently as four years ago, a premium smartphone from LG or Samsung would have been able to blast out the highlights in some of the images below. Even inexpensive phones can now strike the ideal mix between price and performance.
The primary camera has a noticeable amount of shutter lag, and because it does not have OIS, any video that is not filmed with a tripod seems to be shaken. Although the front-facing camera does a good job overall, it is not as good as the primary camera in dealing with bright highlights.
The lack of an ultra-wide or specialized zoom lens may limit the versatility of the phone, but the demographic that this device is intended for is likely not going to miss any of those features.
OnePlus Nord N300 5G software
When OnePlus confirmed in 2021 that it was, in fact, a subsidiary of Oppo, there was a significant amount of pushback from people who were passionate about mobile phones and writers who cover the industry. The announcement that OnePlus was not an independent start-up was not the primary factor that irritated us. The vast majority of those who follow the smartphone industry were already aware of it. The facade was only ever intended for the western market to begin with; throughout China and other parts of Asia, including Singapore and Malaysia, OnePlus products have traditionally been marketed under the umbrella brand of Oppo.
Instead, the revelation that OnePlus’ cherished OxygenOS would be fused with Oppo’s ColorOS was the thing that many people found to be disappointing. Just so there is no confusion, ColorOS is not a terrible Android skin. I find that it appeals to me quite a bit. OxygenOS, on the other hand, was widely regarded as the benchmark for all Android skins for a very long time, and many of us, including myself, thought it to be superior to even stock Android.
No longer the case. Although it is referred to as OxygenOS, the operating system that is actually being used here is ColorOS. Again, this is not a problem; but, some of the small details that made using OxygenOS such a pleasure are no longer present. For example, the user interface is no longer designed to be used with one hand (apps that were stored in folders used to open at the bottom of the screen). Instead, this installation of OxygenOS has a somewhat unremarkable feel to it.
But I seriously doubt that anyone who decides to purchase this phone from T-Mobile will notice or even care about this issue. The software performs as expected and accomplishes what it set out to do. Nevertheless, those of us who are obsessed with mobile devices view this user interface as only another.
OnePlus Nord N300 5G performance
Even though it has 4 gigabytes of random access memory (RAM), the MediaTek Dimensity 810 is hardly a powerhouse. But, while the phone can’t be considered quick, it isn’t slow either. You probably won’t run into many problems if the only thing you use this phone for is texting, Instagram, reading emails, and maybe even some light gaming now and then. If you try to perform something more intensive, such as editing a video on a device or playing a graphically intensive game like Genshin Impact, then the phone will definitely begin to lag behind.
The battery life and recharge times of the Nord N300 are superior to those of many other smartphones. The 5,000 mAh battery can easily last through a full 13, 14-hour day with 40-50% of its power still available, and the 33W charger that is packaged with the phone can bring it from 0% to 100% in roughly 70 minutes. The fact that the Nord N300 comes with a 33W charger is a significant perk, especially when you consider that you may spend $1,300 on a phone these days and not receive a charger or that charging speeds can reach a maximum of 30W.
OnePlus Nord N300 5G price
The OnePlus Nord N300 is currently available in the United States solely for customers of T-Mobile and MetroPCS, which is a subsidiary of T-Mobile. The phone may be purchased outright for $228 with no additional fees, but if you sign up for a two-year plan with T-Mobile or MetroPCS, you get the handset for free. There are no further fees or strings tied to this offer.
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