Jeramy Johnson is from the Central region.
I've been a fan of the OG OnePlus One since it was released. The idea of a plucky startup brand and the value of getting good hardware and clean software at an affordable price was immediately appealing. It's a legacy that has been developed over the years, even as its prices have gone up and down with each upgrade cycle.
Even though the company's flagship devices like the OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro have received critical praise over the past couple of years, opposing forces have been trying to pull the company back downmarket. Some of that comes from fans who have been with the company for a long time, but most of it comes from the company's leadership. The entry-level and mid-tier are where the real growth is. The time was right for the company to return to its roots with its budget-focused Nord brand. Recent statements from the company echo this sentiment.
Over the past year, we've reviewed many of the Nord phones, but only recently have they arrived in North America. I missed out on the chance to test the N10 and N 100 5G devices, but I was willing to write the review for the N200 5G device. I spent a week with the phone and here are my impressions.
It's easy to forget about the areas where it doesn't work because there is so much to like about the Nord 200 5G. The phone feels like a flagship, with a gorgeous 90Hz screen and a solid plastic Blue Quantum body. Its chip handles everyday tasks well, but its cameras are mediocre, and its long-term software support is not great. The phone will only get one major platform update, but it will get up to three years of security updates. It's frustrating for a device that could last you a long time.
It looks and feels more expensive than it is.
One of the cheapest phones you can buy.
The 90Hz Full HD+ display is welcome at this price point.
The side-mounted sensor is easy to reach.
The battery life is amazing.
Fast charging and a 3.5mm jack are welcome.
The cameras are not great.
There is no alert or mute switch.
N 100 has a lower storage option.
Only one platform update has been made.
There is no rating for the intellectual property.
There is no wireless charging.
The source is the OnePlus.
In the United States and Canada, you can purchase the OnePlus N200 5G on June 25, 2021. The Blue Quantum color is available for a price of $240 for a single configuration of the phone. It was a carrier exclusive to T-Moble and Metro by T-Mobile, but now you can pick up an unlocked version directly from Amazon, Best Buy or OnePlus. The cheapest 5G phone to date, the Nord N200 5G, is one of the most affordable 5G devices in the world.
There are comparisons between the Nord family and the N200 5G.
The N200 5G is the latest low-cost device from the expandingNord lineup which includes the originalNord, the N100, and the recently releasedNord N10 5G. Between the N 100 at $180 and the N10 5G at $300, it's between the two. It's specifications fall between those two devices at its price point.
The N 100 is from the OnePlus.
The N200 is a 5G network.
The N10 is a 5G network.
The operating system is used.
The operating system for cellphones is called Android 10.
Oxygen OS 10.
It is a version of the mobile operating system, known as Android 11.
Oxygen OS 11
The operating system for cellphones is called Android 10.
Oxygen OS 10.
There is a display.
The 6.52-inch 90Hz screen has aIPS.
1600x760 (20:9)
The 3rd Gorilla Glass.
The 6.49-inch 90HzIPSLCD is made of glass.
2200x1080 (20:9)
The 3rd Gorilla Glass.
The 6.49-inch 90HzIPSLCD is made of glass.
2200x1080 (20:9)
The 3rd Gorilla Glass.
The Chipset.
The processor is called the Snapdragon 460.
The processor is called the Snapdragon 480.
The scrutineer is called the scrutineer.
It's a graphics card.
The Adreno 610 is used.
The Adreno 619 is the most powerful.
The Adreno 619L is the most powerful.
There is RAM.
4 gigabytes.
4 gigabytes.
6 gigabytes.
There is storage.
64 gigabytes.
64 gigabytes.
128 gigabytes.
The slot is called the MicroSD.
Yes, up to 512GB.
Yes, up to a certain amount of storage.
Yes, up to 512GB.
The rear camera has a camera.
13MP
13MP
64MP f/1.8
The rear camera 2 has a camera.
2MP macro.
2MP macro.
8MP wide-angle.
The field-of-view is at a higher elevation.
Rear camera 3.
A 2MP portrait.
2MP, f/2.4.
2MP macro.
Rear camera 4.
A 2MP portrait.
The front camera has something on it.
16MP.
16MP.
16MP.
It's connected.
4G.
There is a wi-fi ac and a gps device.
5G, and the newer version of the technology, theLTE.
There is a wi-fi ac and a bose 5.1.
5G.
There is a wi-fi ac and a gps device.
There is a battery.
5000mAh.
It is non-removable.
5000mAh.
It is non-removable.
4300mAH.
It is non-removable.
There is a charge.
There is a new version of theusb-c.
The Warp Charge 30T is 5V/6A.
There is a new version of theusb-c.
18W fast charging.
There is a new version of theusb-c.
The Warp Charge 30T is 5V/6A.
Audio.
There is a device called ausb-c.
A speaker.
3.5mm jack for headphones.
There is a device called ausb-c.
The speakers are mono.
3.5mm jack for headphones.
There is a device called ausb-c.
A speaker.
3.5mm jack for headphones.
There is security.
There is a rear fingerprints.
Side fingerprints.
There is a rear fingerprints.
There are colors.
It was midnight.
The Blue Quantum is a type of quantum physics.
The ice is dark.
The N200 5G is the natural successor to the N 100. It has a better chip with 5G, but its memory expansion isn't as good as the cheaper device. The N200 5G has the same display as the N10 5G, but a lower-powered chipset and less storage.
The N200 5G's charging tech is a bit behind its siblings (18W fast charging compared to Warp Charge 30T), and the side-mounted fingerprint sensor is different. Not better or worse, but in a different place. It is odd that the N200 has a lower capacity for expansion than the N 100, but it is probably enough for most people. The N 100 and N10 5G have already been selling well, growing the company's sales by as much as 15% through some retailers and carriers.
What I liked was the N200 5G.
Jeramy Johnson is from the Central region.
You immediately feel like you're holding a flagship device when you unbox the N200 5G. It's taller and wider than my phone, and you can see the resemblance from the front and back. The N200 5G has a slightly larger selfie camera cutout than the 9 series, but they don't look different from the front.
The N200 5G feels solid and substantive even though it is lightweight. The back panel is plastic, but to me, it feels like it was made of glass, like the S20 FE I used last fall. Since it's plastic, I wasn't concerned about protecting it from smudges, scratches, or drops. I didn't feel like I was going to drop it when I was laying in bed scrolling through the news, or when I was out on the hot and humid trails.
The phone is only available in one color, but it is pretty. The Blue Quantum hue is reminiscent of the beautiful blues from the 7T and 7 Pro, with a lovely gradient that catches the light and changes the look depending on how and where you hold it. If I told my non-techy friends that this was a flagship phone and not a budget device, they would believe me.
Jeramy Johnson is from the Central region.
The phone has a "fast" 18W charging port on the bottom. This doesn't match up to the Warp Charge 30T option available on other recent phones, but it's in line or even ahead of many other phones at this price point. This phone has a 5,000 mAh battery that lasts forever, so you don't need to charge much. I couldn't kill it in a day, but I was blown away by the time left. It was able to hold onto a charge like my phone, which is impressive for a budget device.
I didn't notice any issues with my regular suite of social and productivity apps. The N 100's 460 was not a powerhouse chip for gaming or intense work, but it was able to handle my daily usage, which was an improvement over the 480. I think this will be the case for many others who buy the N200 5G. The display looks great. The screen was bright enough for outdoor use and the colors were sharp.
Jeramy Johnson is from the Central region.
The N200 5G has a fast and reliable fingerprint sensor, but it's not where you would expect it. The power button is mounted on the side of the phone rather than under the display. This isn't a new approach by any means, but it's one we haven't seen from the company before. The N200 5G can use the selfied camera. It's not as secure as the fingerprint sensor, but it's there if you want it. I really liked using the fingerprint sensor. It's placed right where my thumb rests when I pick up the phone, and I've never really been a fan of rear-mounted fingerprint sensors anyway. All of my coworkers already have called me crazy. Here's what the company had to say.
There is a 3.5mm jack on the bottom of the phone, a volume rocker on the left, and a mono speaker on the left. The N200 5G comes with 64GB of storage, but you can expand that up to a maximum of 128GB, which is probably enough for most people. It's huge to have 5G support. It should be a reliable device for several years to come, with the phone's build and battery.
I can't talk about a budget phone without mentioning the price. The cheapest 5G phone in the US right now is the N100, which is why it feels like it's priced just right at $240.
What did I think about the N200 5G?
Jeramy Johnson is the author of "Android CentralOnePlus" and "Op 9 right."
You can't expect a phone under $250 to be perfect. The N200 5G is no exception, as it falls short of more premium and expensive devices to hit that lower price point.
There are a few hardware omissions that kind of sucks me in, and I applaud OnePlus for making an attractive, durable, and long- lasting device. The alert slider is missing from the more recent budgetNord phones like the N 100, N10 5G, andNord CE. It's not an essential piece of equipment, and I suppose it makes sense that the company would try to cut costs by axing it.
The N200 5G only comes with one storage configuration, which is acceptable at this price point, since the phone offers multiple storage options. It is odd that you can only expand up to 512GB when the N10 and N 100 allow it. Most people still have enough space in the 512GB range.
The N200 5G's haptics feel budget-grade, even though the 9Pro and 9 have been pretty good, in my opinion. The first thing I did when I got the phone was turn it off. Trust me.
The lack of wireless charging and an official rating are worth pointing out. The battery should last you a long time, and the fast wired charging will get you topped off quickly, so hopefully, not having wireless charging will affect you that much. Even if the phones don't have an official rating, they still have a degree of water resistance.
Some people may say that the phone looks large, but I think they look fine, especially for a phone in this price range. I bring it up because I know people will comment on it, but it's not an issue.
The N200 5G has a triple camera setup on the back of the phone, but the results are mixed. In good light and outdoors, the main 13MP shooter performs admirably, though it does tend to blow out the highlights in the sky, and while colors are accurate, they're a bit muted for my tastes. I thought it did a decent job of fixing my shaky hands most of the time, and it features electronic image stabilization instead of optical image stabilization. You can shoot both 720p and1080p video at 30 frames per second, and it also has a time-lapse mode at 3 frames per second. Don't look for that Hasselblad Badge, that partnership hasn't been extended to theNord lineup yet.
The 13MP main sensor captured some of the better images.
Photos that were 2x were less reliable, with darker colors that almost seemed from a different camera, and shots at 5x were not usable. Here are the 2x shots.
I was impressed with the portrait mode on the main camera and the 16MP selfie shooter, as you can see from the images below.
The macro camera has its own sensor, but its controls are hidden in the camera settings menu.
Oxygen OS 11 was built on the same platform as the N200 5G, but it only promised to deliver one major platform update. It's safe to assume that the last big update for the phone will be the one for Android 12 later this year. Thankfully it will continue to receive security patches for up to three years, but at least two platform updates would have been better.
The N200 5G can be purchased unlocked from Best Buy, but T-Mobile is the only carrier carrying it. Carrier exclusives are nothing new, but they're not ideal for consumers either, as they've had a strong relationship with T-Mobile for several years.
The N200 5G is a competition.
Apoorva Bhardwaj is a source.
Over the past year or so, the competition among the best cheap phones has really started to heat up. It used to be that you couldn't get a great value under $300, but thanks to cheaper and more powerful chipsets, as well as display and camera tech innovations, that has changed.
The closest competitors to the N200 5G are the other entry level devices that the company introduced earlier this year. The N200 5G has the same specifications as the N 100, but it is only marginally better due to its poor display and lack of 5G. The N10 5G has the same display as the N200 5G, but it has a more powerful chipset, more storage, and better cameras. It costs $60 more.
When weighed against the N200 5G, the 2020's TCL 10L and the 2021's Nokia 5.4 have pros and cons. In the case of the TCL 10L, you get a larger and more vivid display, more memory and storage, and better cameras, but its battery is smaller. The larger display, dual-SIM support, and a cleaner software experience are all present in the Nokia 5.4, but it has a smaller battery. The phones are priced around $250, so they merit consideration.
The elephant in the room when it comes to phones is the one that is made by the South Korean company. The company's A-series of phones has helped redefine the budget and mid-range phone space, and its A32 5G is one that a lot of people will compare against the N200 5G. The A32 5G has a similar processor and camera setup as the A32 5G, but it has a less impressive display with a 720p resolution.
Should you buy the N200?
Jeramy Johnson is from the Central region.
You're on a tight budget and need a phone.
You like Oxygen OS.
You need a long- lasting battery.
Premium features like wireless charging or an official rating are what you really want.
You need a lot of storage.
You would like multiple platform updates.
The N200 5G is a good phone, but it's not a flagship. Spec-chasers will steer clear of this device, but those who have a tight budget should be happy with their purchase. Excellent build quality and design, a beautiful screen and software experience, and outstanding battery life can be found for under $250. The addition of 5G to such an affordable phone should open up new worlds of connection to those who have not had it before.
The cameras aren't the best, but you should be able to get some good shots under the right conditions. The N200 5G is only scheduled to get one major platform update, which is the biggest letdown. I don't expect miracles at this price point, but other manufacturers offer at least two years of updates. If that doesn't matter to you, you'll get a really nice device for the price.
If you're looking for an affordable device with good performance, good looks, an excellent display, and fantastic battery life, then you'll be happy with the Nord N200 5G. You should go into your purchase with realistic expectations.
The article was published in June of 2021.
The following changes were made in November 2021.
Pricing has been updated to reflect recent sales.
The price and availability section has been updated.
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