OnePlus makes some impressive flagship smartphones, but the company also has a growing presence in the budget market. The latest offering from the company is the OnePlus Nord N300 5G, which makes some interesting changes from its predecessor.
The Nord N300 5G is a budget smartphone meant to give consumers an affordable option for fast 5G speeds, and in doing so means making some compromises. This includes a new chipset (the first MediaTek-powered OnePlus phone in the US), curious changes to the display, and an updated camera array. But what made OnePlus Correct Settlement for this “advanced” smartphone?
OnePlus Nord N300 5G: Price and Availability
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OnePlus Nord N300 5G was announced on October 24 and went on sale on November 3. The device is available through T-Mobile and Metro T-Mobile, retailing for $228. Customers are able to buy the phone through monthly installments, and there are some deals available that can practically bring down the price of this already affordable smartphone.
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OnePlus Nord N300 5G: What I like
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Right off the bat, there are a few aspects of the design that I really like. The textured back panel makes the device surprisingly premium considering its plastic. It reminds me of the Glastic from back on the Galaxy S21, and it’s great for reducing fingerprints, even against the Dark Midnight Z colorway. This is contrasted well by the rear camera array, which is housed in a glossy housing (I’ll touch more on that later).
I am using a OnePlus smartphone for the first time, which means this is my first experience with OxygenOS. I’ve heard many people complain about how the software has evolved over the years, but my experience with OxygenOS 12 has been pretty positive.
The software is pretty solid, and the MediaTek 810 chipset seems capable of handling basic tasks, as navigating through menus feels fast, possibly due to the display’s 90Hz refresh rate. Plus, it has tons of customization options. I can resize app icons or icons on the Quick Settings menu, set UI colors, edit the status bar, and make selections via various gestures. It seems like there’s a lot to do on this phone, but it makes the experience enjoyable.
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| grade | OnePlus Nord N300 5G |
|---|---|
| Operating System | OxygenOS 12 (Android 12) |
| show | 6.56-inch, 90Hz IPS LCD, HD+ (1612×720) |
| Chipset | MediaTek Dimension 810 |
| to hit | 4GB |
| storage | 64GB |
| microSD slot | Yes, up to 1TB |
| rear camera 1 | 48MP wide, f/1.8 |
| rear camera 2 | 2MP depth, f/2.4 |
| front camera | 16MP wide, f/2.0 |
| connectivity | 5G, Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth 5.3 |
| battery | 5000mAh |
| charge | 33W fast charging, charger included |
| Audio | USB-C, dual speakers, 3.5mm headphone jack |
| Security | side fingerprint |
| Dimensions | 163.8 x 75.1 x 8mm |
| weight | 190g |
| colour’s | midnight jade |
There’s also Shelf, which is a separate pull-down menu with access to a set of widgets. I’m not quite sure how to feel about it, as it’s a bit redundant, but it helps to keep the main home screen clean, which I love. And it acts as a blown-up shortcut page for some of my favorite apps, similar to the other app shortcut options on Samsung and Motorola devices.
(Image credit: Derek Lee / Android Central)
In my daily use, the 5,000mAh battery manages to last me through the day. I start my day at 5 in the morning and don’t usually have to charge it until the end of the day, which is usually around 10. I can sometimes go the next morning without worrying about the phone dying during my morning workout.
Even better, the phone supports 33W fast charging with the charger in the box. That sentence alone is more than I can say about most Samsungs. Flagship, It’s a far cry from the 125W charging found on devices like the OnePlus 10T, but it’s pretty fast and gets the job done.
OnePlus Nord N300 5G: What I Don’t Like
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Unfortunately, the compromises made to keep the device affordable spoil the experience. For example, the HD+ display is a notable downgrade compared to the FHD+ display on last year’s OnePlus Nord N200 5G, and the lower resolution is quite noticeable in many instances. Not to mention the decision to place the front-facing camera within a V-shaped notch instead of a hole punch. This makes the phone look cheap – as opposed to the premium looking rear panel.
As far as the software is concerned, while I enjoy OxygenOS 12, I find the OnePlus Nord N300 5G a bit weak. 4GB of RAM really can’t keep up, and I’ve experienced a lot of app crashes and games that would freeze or take forever to load. The RAM extension or RAM boost features don’t help much, and the software seems pretty aggressive about background apps. For example, I will play a game and quickly switch to another app. Only seconds later, I’d switch back, only to find that the game had been reset, kicking me off whatever I was doing. The phone also constantly warned me about apps using too much power in the background.
Additionally, the 64GB of internal storage is a bit insulting, filling up almost completely as soon as I finished setting up the phone and rendering the RAM extension unusable.
Then there’s camera performance. OnePlus upgraded the primary sensor from 13MP to 48MP compared to the Nord N200, but the output isn’t very impressive, and it’s the only usable camera in the setup, as the other lens is just a depth sensor. Images look a little more sharp with vibrancy and colors. Low-light photos aren’t much better, and night-time shots capture a lot of light but lack much detail.
Don’t expect much from the selfie camera.
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Also, beware of bloatware. The device seems very persistent trying to let you download apps that no one wants. You don’t have to, but it sounds annoyingly invasive. Thanks, T-Mobile.
Lastly, the OnePlus Nord N300 5G runs Android 12, but will receive only one OS upgrade to OxygenOS 13 (Android 13) along with two years of software updates. This is standard for cheap Android phones, but it would be nice if OnePlus followed Samsung’s example with a multi-year OS upgrade.
OnePlus Nord N300 5G: Competition
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The Nord N300 5G is sold through T-Mobile, but the carrier also has its Revvl 6 Pro, which targets consumers looking for a budget 5G option. It has a similar design, though it looks a bit cheaper, especially from the back. It comes with double storage, more RAM and wireless charging. That said, wired charging is slow, and its software is quite sluggish.
Moto G 5G is a very good smartphone in this range. It brings impressive multi-day battery life that can easily last two days, and the “stock” Android experience is enhanced by Motorola’s helpful additions. However, camera performance is weak, there’s no NFC, and charging is very slow.
The Galaxy A23 5G is one of the most impressive smartphones at this price point. It is powered by a tried-and-true Snapdragon 695 chipset, features a 50MP quad-camera setup, a big battery, and multi-year software support. Charging is a bit slow at 25W, and the phone only has 4GB of RAM.
OnePlus Nord N300 5G: Should You Buy It?
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You should buy it if…
- You are looking for an affordable 5G smartphone.
- you need a phone with fast charging
- You need a phone with good battery life
You shouldn’t buy it if…
- you need a good camera
- you like to play games on your phone
- you need a lot of storage
The OnePlus Nord N300 5G is an interesting phone. It makes for curious trade-offs including a better camera but with fewer lenses, a better rear design but with a downgraded display, and faster charging but with a fairly mediocre MediaTek chipset. I am a little confused about the decisions that led to this call.
If you are looking for a phone that can at least do the job, then this phone is for you. OxygenOS has tons of features to help make this phone more interesting and playful, but the performance and tremendous image output of the chipset can hinder the experience. Luckily, battery life is good, and it charges fast, two things consumers look for in a phone, according to a recent OnePlus survey.
That said, I’m having a hard time recommending this phone to anyone. As someone who bought the Nord N200 5G for my little brother, I’m very tempted to only recommend it over it, even if it means missing out on Android 13.
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The OnePlus Nord N300 5G is a good smartphone for anyone looking for an affordable option. It has some great design aspects and the battery will easily last you through the day. Plus, 33W fast-charging will top you up in no time.
