Affordable in the right place

Review: Oneplus Nord 5 - Sufficient and good

Nord 5 is a phone that pushes the price but manages to deliver on most points.

Erik Mörner

Published 25 August 2025 - 11:54

Exactly in the price range where Oneplus has placed Nord 5, a thousand kronor can make a big difference. It's about what you get for your money. For a phone to be really useful, not to mention a joy to use, certain basic conditions must be met. It can be difficult to achieve, especially if the budget is too tight.

The Oneplus Nord series has mostly stayed on the right side of the line, prioritised the most important things, and delivered an experience that most can be satisfied with. We may not always need extreme zoom, the absolute fastest processor, or luxurious material choices. When I start testing the Oneplus Nord 5, I have just completed the test of the two thousand kronor cheaper Honor 200 Smart. It is mainly the contrast between these that reminds us of how much difference improvements make in this price range.

Saved in the right places

In all essentials, the Oneplus Nord 5 feels like a top model. You have a large OLED screen that updates quickly and does your photos and videos justice when displayed. You have an interface that runs smoothly, always on display so you see notifications and information even when the screen is in standby, you have fast performance and six years of promised updates. Simply put, most of what you might need. The difference from a much more expensive flagship phone is not noticeable.

Specifically, the cameras are of high quality, especially the main camera with a Sony sensor and the selfie camera, while the wide-angle on the back clearly has poorer colour reproduction and detail with its meagre 8 megapixels. The phone therefore lacks a separate telephoto lens, so the main camera is used for that purpose. It takes pictures that are 12 megapixels, and even though the zoom control in the camera app goes up to 20x, only images up to about 4-5 times magnification are usable. With more magnification, the detail is clearly compromised.

When I have taken pictures, I can edit them directly in the photo gallery, including with the help of various AI-driven tools. Here you can remove blur, reduce glare, and erase unwanted details in an image. Oneplus also has some other AI features such as translation between different languages in text, direct conversation, or from an image. The translation takes place in a special app and is really nothing that distinguishes Oneplus, especially since Swedish as a language is not supported.

Extra Button

Something that has been more unique for Oneplus is the silent mode slider that many phones have had. In this phone, Oneplus has replaced it with a regular push button called the Plus button. Here, Oneplus has clearly borrowed ideas from the iPhone, and the plus button can be used, for example, as a camera button, to turn on the flashlight, activate silent mode, or to start the AI function Mind Space. It is a function somewhat related to Google's Circle to Search. It takes a screenshot and interprets the information in it, and saves it in an easily accessible place. However, I don't find much actual use for it, because I notice that, for example, when I want to save an article, a recipe, or a test of a product, I only get the information that fits in a screenshot and not the rest of the article, which detracts from much of the usefulness.

In addition to the somewhat iPhone-inspired button on the side for customised actions, there is also a dynamic space on the screen around the selfie camera's hole used for short messages, such as when I connect the charger or when the AI function Mind Space is working.

In terms of shortcomings, one could complain that the phone lacks wireless charging, does not have IP68 but "only" IP65 so it is protected against splashes but not to be submerged in water. The frame of the phone is also plastic instead of metal, but none of this feels like a significant or serious shortcoming. OnePlus has simply managed to make an unusually affordable phone that can do most things.

Questions and Answers

How does it feel in the hand?

The most noticeable thing is the size, the Nord 5 is a bit larger than its predecessor so not always easy to grip comfortably. Despite the frame being plastic and not metal, the phone is also a bit heavy due to its size.

Can I customise the side button?

Yes, but you can only choose between eight preset modes. Or have no function at all. Take a screenshot, translate, voice recording, flashlight, camera, do not disturb, silent mode, or the AI mode Mind Space.

Charging and battery life?

What I notice most is that the phone often insists on stopping charging at 80 percent, but this can be turned off. Otherwise, the phone provides clearly acceptable battery life and charges quickly with the right charger.

An alternative

Motorola Edge 60 Pro and Nothing Phone 3a with a bit more attitude are both suitable alternatives in the price range.

Camera example

The cameras provide good pictures with fine colour reproduction, noticeably worse though in the wide-angle, and a telephoto lens is missing, which means you are unlikely to get closer than 3-4 times magnification without clear quality deterioration.