A near-winner smartphone held back by two missteps

The OnePlus Nord 5 largely delivers, but a spec-sheet lagging behind rivals leaves room for improvement

- Sahil Bhalla

otherwise excellent device.

SAFE, BUT STILL PREMIUM While the Nord 5 loses the all-metal construction of the Nord 4, its new glass-back design doesn't feel any less premium. It comes with a matte finish and in-glass pattern in the Marble Sands colourway. If you prefer a cleaner look, there are also Dry Ice (Blue) and Phantom Grey (Black) options.

It's comfortable in the hand, but its 8.1mm thickness and 211g weight are noticeable—thanks to a massive 6,800mAh battery inside. Still, it fits well and feels like a performance-focused device. If you're coming from the OnePlus 13s, the size increase is apparent. But once again, OnePlus has ensured that "battery anxiety" is a thing of the past. Unless you're heavily gaming, the Nord 5 easily lasts through the next day.

A DISPLAY MADE FOR BINGEING The 6.83-inch flat 1.5K Swift AMOLED display (144Hz refresh rate, 1800 nits peak brightness) with slim bezels and Gorilla Glass 7i is perfect for content consumption. I watched Wimbledon, Tour de France, and several cricket matches, and the screen consistently delivered excellent colour reproduction and sharpness.