OnePlus Nord 2 5G will be powered by a flagship processor, to launch on 22 July

It’s been almost a year since the first OnePlus Nord smartphone was launched. Now the company has revealed that it’s launching the OnePlus Nord 2 5G on the 22nd July 2021. Unlike its predecessor that runs on a mid-range Snapdragon unit, the new Nord 2 5G will run on a flagship-class processor from MediaTek.

According to OnePlus CEO Pete Lau, the Nord was one of their successful products ever and the device offered its signature fluid and smooth experience at a more accessible price point. For the upcoming Nord 2 5G, the device will be powered by MediaTek’s top-of-the-line 6nm Dimensity 1200 AI chip, which is similar to the one that’s powering Xiaomi’s Redmi K40 Gaming Edition phones.

Pete Lau also said the Nord 2 5G will offer a comprehensive upgrade from the first Nord, from the camera to performance to charging. The new device is expected to launch in Europe and India first, before being released in other markets including Malaysia.

The first Nord model was released in Malaysia in August last year with a starting price of RM1,799 for the base 8GB RAM + 128GB storage model. It came with a 6.44″ Full HD+ display with 90Hz refresh rate and it runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G processor.

In terms of cameras, it has a quad-camera setup at the rear featuring a 48MP main shooter, 8MP ultra-wide-angle camera, a 5MP depth sensor and a 2MP macro shooter. For selfies, it gets a dual-camera punch-hole with a 32MP main and 8MP ultra-wide-angle camera.

The original Nord gets a modest 4,115mAh battery which supports 30W fast charging via USB-C. While the OnePlus Nord offers a fluid and smooth flagship experience at an affordable price point, many fans weren’t that happy as you could get better spec phones for the same price range. It faced tough competition from the likes of Poco F2 Pro and the Xiaomi Mi 10 that are powered by a higher-class Snapdragon 865 processor.

In case you missed it, OnePlus has merged or at least integrated most of its crucial operations with Oppo. According to Pete, the move will allow OnePlus to be more efficient and they could offer better and faster software updates for OnePlus devices. The company has recently pledged to offer 3 major Android updates and 4 years of security updates for its flagship series. For OnePlus Nord and Nord CE users, you can look forward to 2 major Android updates and 3 years of security updates.

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