Not content to rest on its laurels after the OnePlus 10 Pro launch, OnePlus just announced another new phone for North America. The OnePlus Nord N20, a follow-up to the Nord N10 from 2020, is official. This new budget-friendly handset offers some features you typically see in flagships for a more affordable price.
So without further ado, here's everything you need to know about the OnePlus Nord N20.
OnePlus Nord N20: Price and release date
OnePlus has announced that T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile will be the exclusive carrier partners for the Nord N20. The phone is available for sale on April 28 from both carriers.
You will be able to buy the Nord N20 from retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and others at a later, undisclosed date. According to T-Mobile, you can pick up a Nord N20 for $11.75 a month for 24 months, which comes out to $282.
OnePlus Nord N20: Design and specs
The OnePlus Nord N20 looks quite striking with its two over-sized camera lenses. The blue color is stunning in photos and renders. The front of the phone looks quite modern, too, with a hole-punch front camera and a flat display. There is a sizable chin, but this is a budget phone after all.
As for specs, here's what you get with the Nord N20.
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | OnePlus Nord N20 |
| Display | 6.43-inch FHD+ AMOLED |
| CPU | Snapdragon 695 |
| RAM | 6GB |
| Storage / Expandable | 128GB / Yes |
| Rear cameras | 64MP main, monochrome, macro |
| Battery | 4,500 mAh |
| Charging | 33W |
A lot of people will be excited about the 6.43-inch AMOLED display, but one of the things we're most excited for is the fast 33W charging. Other affordable phones such as the iPhone SE (2022), Pixel 5a, and Galaxy A53 all charge at speeds less than the Nord N20 — the fastest is the A53 at 25W. The Nord N20 should top off its 4,500 mAh battery pretty quickly.
We haven't gotten a phone with the Snapdragon 695 in for testing yet, so we're definitely curious to see what this chip can do. This is an octa-core system-on-chip with a max frequency of 2.2GHz and a X51 5G modem, which supports sub-6GHz and mmWave. You don't get Wi-Fi 6 on this chip, so that's a connectivity standard still reserved for the more expensive phones.
The OnePlus Nord N20 also has an in-display fingerprint sensor, further adding to the clean look. This technology has vastly improved in recent years, but we're nonetheless curious to see how fast and accurate the Nord N20's sensor will be. There's also a 64MP main camera, monochrome lens, and macro lens; no OnePlus 10 Pro-style telephoto option here.
One concerning thing we noted is that OnePlus says that the Nord N20 will launch with Android 11. If true, that's a gross oversight. Android 12 is six months old, so we think it's pretty inexcusable for OnePlus to launch a phone this far into 2022 with a year-and-a-half old operating system.
OnePlus Nord N20: Outlook
The OnePlus Nord N20 looks pretty nice on paper and in photos, especially for $282. We're worried about the Android 11 thing, especially since the Nord N series doesn't get that many updates across its lifespan.
Still, it looks like the Nord N20 will offer a premium look and some decent specs. We're curious how the Nord N20 will sit compared to the $239 OnePlus Nord N200 from last year, of the Nord N20 is the budget OnePlus phone this year.
