OnePlus Nord N200-All T-Mobile 5G phones are expensive, but the OnePlus is the cheapest so far.
OnePlus has a new Nord 5G phone for the US, though it isn’t the same as their newest model CE that is coming to other countries. Chinese smartphone company announces low cost 5G phone that will retail for $240. Phone is T-Mobile and Metro exclusive and will launch on June 25th for CA$320 in Canada.
The Nord brand is the name OnePlus uses for its budget-focused phones, which are generally several hundred dollars cheaper than its flagship phones, while scaling back the high-end processors and cameras found on devices like its Pro series. With a retail price of $240, the latest Nord becomes the most affordable 5G phone in T-Mobile has a better lineup then OnePlus. They released the N10 5G on T-Mobile earlier this year, which surpasses even their more expensive $300 N1 5G.
Those looking to save even more can buy the phone directly from the carrier for $216, a $24 savings from OnePlus’ official price.
The low price, however, will require you to make a trade-off in specs. The N200 5G has a 6.49-inch full HD 90Hz display, but runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 480 chipset with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of built-in storage (though it is expandable via microSD). On the camera side of things, the N200 has three rear lenses with a 13-megapixel main sensor, while a 16-megapixel shooter sits on the front.
New Nord CE, by contrast, would cost roughly $420 in the US but has a beefier Snapdragon 750G processor, a 64-megapixel main lens for its rear triple camera setup and has a base model that ships with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.
The new N200 5G phone will be available at T-Mobile and Metro stores as well as at Best Buy, Amazon and B&H in the US.
The question of whether it’s worth buying a Nord N200 5G from OnePlus for $239 depends on who your wireless carrier is. If you’re on T-Mobile — and thanks to a generous trade-in offer and a carrier exclusive, you probably are if you’re considering the N200 — then this is a fine, basic device that will allow you to take advantage of their good 5G network, provided your phone has all the hardware for it. The N200 5G will only work on Verizon and AT&T’s 4G networks, however, so if you’re with either of those carriers, it’s not your best option.
Your carrier should have no immediate impact on your experience with the N200. It only comes as 4G-compatible, so you can use it on AT & amp;T or Verizon and still function well as they’re just not good enough yet. But they’ll start getting much better over the next couple of years thanks to some newly acquired spectrum, and when that happens, being stuck on LTE could become a real drawback.
ONEPLUS N200 5G SCREEN
As far as screens on budget devices go, the N200 5G has one of the nicest out there. It’s a big 6.5-inch LCD panel with 1080p resolution, which is an upgrade from 720p that’s more typical in this class. It also stands out with a faster 90Hz refresh rate, making scrolling and animations look just a little smoother than usual. The screen is usable even in very bright, direct sunlight.
The N200 has a very long battery life that can last two days before needing a recharge. It also supports charging at 18W with the included charger, which won’t charge as quickly as more expensive devices but still helps to quickly recharge when you would otherwise run out of battery. With moderate use I got two days out of the N200 before I dipped into low battery territory; a full day of heavy use should be no problem, and many will see it last well into the second day, if not longer.
BATTERY
There’s also a 5,000-mAh battery that can be quickly charged using this 18-watt fast charger. The N200 5G has a 5,000mAh battery – this is one of the best we’ve seen. It also offers a 6.5 inch display with faster refreshes. You will also get 3 years of updates. While not as long as the 4 or 5 years that is more common among premium phones that cost in the $400 – 700 range, it is an improvement from what you can often find on budget devices. The N200 takes an updated Snapdragon 480 chipset, which is a newer chip made for low-end 5G phones to match this one’s budget It’s coupled with 4GB of RAM and keeps up well in day-to-day use switching apps and scrolling social media. It doesn’t take a lot to push it outside of its comfort zone where you’ll notice slight hesitations and stuttering, especially with intensive tasks like zooming in and out of Google Maps and starting navigation. But considering the price, it feels appropriately equipped to provide usable daily performance over the next few years.
Even though the 64GB of on-board storage is more than enough for the vast majority of people, it’s still somewhat low and a significant chunk of it is taken up by system files Most people will need to add a MicroSD card for more space, so consider that extra $20 or so part of the overall cost of the phone unless you’re really frugal with your storage.
PERFORMANCE
It’s worth mentioning that 5G connectivity on the phone only works on T-Mobile networks. You can’t access mmWave which is far faster than sub-6GHz, but with T-Mobie not offering it as a service, it’s of little concern. One shortcoming of the Mi A3 is that it isn’t compatible with AT&T or Verizon’s 5G networks. This is less of an issue if you’re not on one of these networks, but it becomes more relevant when considering the phone’s performance. T-Mobile has been working on improving their speeds, and you have access to their 5G sub-6 network. It’s good, although not as high quality as other operators might be able to offer.
Android 11 is pre-installed on the N200 and OnePlus provide one more major Operating System update during the phone’s lifespan It will also get the aforementioned three years of security update support, which is a better-than-average policy for a budget Android phone. OnePlus’ implementation of Android is less fussy than most and is mercifully low on clutter and pre-downloaded apps. It’s a grown-up-looking interface that’s about as close as you’ll get to a “pure” Android experience outside of Google’s own Pixel phones.
ONEPLUS N200 5G CAMERA
The N200’s camera performance is adequate despite its price. There’s a 13-megapixel f/2.2 main camera and 2-megapixel supports for macro shots and depth effects, as well as a 2-megapixel sensor on the front for fine selfies.
That 13-megapixel main camera will do fine for snapshots in good lighting, but it quickly reaches its limits with high-contrast scenes, like landscapes with deep shadows and bright highlights. Noise starts to creep into shots taken in moderate lighting conditions, like interiors, and dark scenes show a lot of smeared details and noise. Night mode works well enough to preserve a little more detail, but it’s only suitable for scenes without moving subjects.
The N200’s mediocre camera is likely less of a disappointment considering that the higher-tier Nord 10 5G’s 64-megapixel camera from last year was surprisingly good. The N10 costs $60 more than the N200 (a full 25 percent higher) so it’s not a totally fair comparison, but I can’t help feeling that the N200 could have been a little better equipped. Pixel count isn’t everything, but in this case, a newer, higher-resolution sensor would probably have made a significant difference in detail retention and its handling of high-contrast scenes.
The N200 5G is a great device considering you are getting it at a good price. It doesn’t offer a lot in the way of nice extras and features, but you will get a good screen, long battery life, and a 5G device that should last a few years.
If you live in an area with poor T-Mobile 5G coverage, or you’re with another wireless carrier, then it’s likely that your service won’t be good. You could save some money and go with the $179 4G-only N100 which offers many of the same capabilities. You still get the same details on the screen (720p vs. 1080p) but there is only a 90Hz refresh rate vs. 120Hz on many other devices. Battery life is not bad though and the UI provides some nice extras to keep you organized and productive.
If you want to spend a little more for better features, the Samsung A32 5G is worth considering. The interface is less cluttered and the screen is nicer with a 720p resolution and a standard 60Hz refresh rate, but almost every other aspect of the device has been meaningfully upgraded from the camera to wider 5G compatibility to a stronger quad-core processor.