OnePlus Nord N10 5G US-Edition: A Solid Value With Limitations

OnePlus officially launched North American versions of its Nord N10 5G ($299) and Nord N100 ($179) today. The N10 5G is effectively the same affordable 5G phone we reviewed back in November, and the N100 is a low-priced budget 4G handset. We just spent a few days testing the US-bound N10 5G and wanted to give you an update. So what’s changed versus the European variant? Does the aggressive US pricing help better differentiate it in some way? Let’s find out...

From a design and materials perspective, the Nord N10 5G for North America is identical to its European sibling. It looks and feels exactly the same, comes in the same fingerprint-prone Midnight Ice finish, shares the same massive chin and cheap-feeling plastics, and also lacks OnePlus’ signature alert slider. The only difference is that the NA model is a single-SIM device (vs. dual SIM for Europe), so the SIM trays are slightly different.

At least the US-bound Nord N10 5G inherits the European edition’s beautiful screen. It’s the exact same 6.49-inch FHD+ IPS display (2400 x 1080 pixels, 406ppi), with the same 20:9 aspect ratio and a 90Hz refresh rate. We have no complaints here.

On the camera front, the specs remain identical between both phones. The North American Nord N10 5G packs the same 64MP f/1.8 0.7-micron main shooter (without OIS), 8MP f/2.3 1.12-micron 119-degree ultrawide, 2MP f/2.4 1.75-micron macro (without AF), and 2MP f/2.4 1.75-micron monochrome lens. You’ll also find the same 16MP f/2.1 1.0-micron selfie camera in front. Imaging performance carries over as well.

We took a few pictures with the NA version -- both in the daytime and in low light -- and quickly confirmed that OnePlus hasn’t improved or changed the cameras vs. the Euro variant. This handset continues to take decent photos in daylight, but still struggles in low light.

The big difference with this Nord N10 5G is that it supports several sub-6GHz 5G bands for North America. We tested it on T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon’s sub-6GHz 5G networks in the Bay Area, and we didn’t have any problems getting 5G on T-Mobile (speeds tests below). Unfortunately, this phone doesn’t support 5G on AT&T, Verizon, or any Canadian carriers. This was confirmed by OnePlus, which is a bummer.

In terms of its specifications the US-bound Nord N10 5G is also identical to its European twin. It’s powered by the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 690 5G SoC, and includes the same 6GB of LPDDR4x RAM and 128GB of UFS 2.1 storage (plus microSD support up to 512GB). Performance feels similar on both handsets, and a quick round of benchmarks confirmed this (comparison below). Basically, it’s competently fast, but not original Nord or OnePlus 8-series fast.



As for battery life, the North American N10 5G comes with the same 4300mAh battery and 30W fast charging (Warp Charge 30T) as the European model, which achieved a whopping 16 hours and 28 minutes on our PC Mark test. While we didn’t repeat this test with the US-bound device, we expect similar results.

The Nord N10 5G for North America runs Oxygen OS 10.5.8 on top of Android 10, just like its Euro sibling. And frankly, between the almost stock build, the helpful customizations, and 90Hz refresh rate, it provides the same delightful experience. OxygenOS proves once again that clean and refined software makes a big difference. The N10 5G is just a pleasure to use, despite the rather generic hardware.

In the US, the Nord N10 5G (Midnight Ice, 6GB/128GB) and Nord N100(Midnight Frost, 4GB/64GB) will be available directly from both OnePlus (unlocked) and T-Mobile for $299 and $179, respectively, on January 15, with pre-orders starting on January 8. Canadian pricing is $389 (N10 5G) and $239 (N100). This makes the $299 N10 5G the most affordable 5G phone currently sold in the US.

Find The OnePlus Nord N10 5G @ Amazon

As we said in our more in-depth, original review, the Nord N10 5G is a solid handset if you can look past the plastic build, frumpy chin, and middling cameras. It delivers a quality display, great audio performance, superb battery life, and -- most importantly -- an outstanding user experience. In Europe, €349 isn’t the best deal when the solid Realme 7 5G exists for just €279. But here in the US, the $299 N10 5G is priced right. This makes it a fantastic value --  if you’re on T-Mobile.