Take five...

The OnePlus Nord series has always been about bringing a slice of the premium OnePlus experience to a more palatable price point. With the Nord 5, OnePlus isn't just slicing; it's serving up a whole chuffing platter.

- Words Khumail Thakur

For the first time, a Nord is packing a Snapdragon 8-series chip, promising flagship-grade grunt without the flagship-grade groan from your wallet.

Paired with a buttery-smooth 144Hz OLED display and cameras pinched from its pricier siblings, the Nord 5 looks, on paper at least, like a proper contender. But we all know that specs sheets are about as reliable as a chocolate teapot. The real question is, does it deliver the goods in the real world?

Unbox the Nord 5, and the first thing that strikes you is its heft. This is no waif-like wonder; at 211g, it's a substantial slab of polycarbonate which feels astonishingly like metal and glass to the untrained eye. It feels premium, solid, and reassuringly expensive in your hand.