Of the best products
While the world is buzzing over Samsung’s latest line of Galaxy smartphones, there’s one smartphone you’ve slept on: the OnePlus Nord N10 5G.
Most other budget phones skimp on achieving an affordable price, but there’s little to sacrifice with the N10 5G. The $ 300 device offers 5G connectivity, a large and fast refreshing screen, long battery life, and fast charging.
Main specifications
• 6.49-inch LCD screen with a resolution of 1080 by 2400 pixels; 406 ppi; Refresh rate of 90 Hz
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 690 5G chipset
• 6 GB RAM; 128 GB storage
• 64 MP main camera; Selfie camera from 16 MP
• 4,300 mAh battery with fast wired charging technology
• Stereo speakers, headphone jack
• Android 10
I’ve been using the OnePlus Nord N10 5G for a few weeks now and think you’ll have a hard time finding a smartphone that is better for its price. The device has some flaws (which we’ll get to shortly), but they’re forgivable, especially since most modern 5G phones are as expensive as $ 1,000.
Here’s why the N10 5G is the best cheap Android phone to buy:
It has a large screen, but it is easy to hold
Measuring 15cm long, 8cm wide and 0.35cm thick, the unit is not small in any way. It’s even bigger than an iPhone 11 Pro Max and has a 6.49-inch screen. However, the screen has a 20: 9 aspect ratio, which makes it much easier to grip with one hand. Coming from my iPhone 12 mini, the device appears to be larger, but it doesn’t feel cumbersome like other big screen devices I’ve tested before.
A large screen makes the phone much easier to work with. I was able to edit Google Docs and respond to emails, and I absolutely appreciated the extra pixels for watching videos during my downtime. Since the device has a 90Hz refresh rate, scrolling is also much smoother. Some diehard smartphone fans might scoff at the fact that it comes with an LCD screen instead of an AMOLED, but I assure you that most users wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.
Like most budget phones, this one has a plastic back. The dark blue (or black) glossy design looks polished and I found the phone easier to grip and less slick than glass-backed phones due to the phone’s rounded edges. However, I wish the back panel were less prone to smudges and fingerprints. The device feels a bit cheap, but at almost 7 grams, it has some weight, which I appreciate.
It brings back fans’ favorite features
If you’re still holding your wired earbuds like I do, you’ll be happy to know that the OnePlus Nord N10 5G has a 3.5 millimeter headphone jack on board. It is located on the bottom of the phone next to the fast charging USB-C port. So if you enjoy listening to music with your phone in your pocket, you can do that too. The device still has Bluetooth for wireless audio and also features stereo speakers for playing music and videos out loud.
The phone is configured with a MicroSD card slot to expand the rather generous 128 GB storage. Even Samsung has done away with expandable storage, so I welcome the reintroduction of the memory card slot. More storage means more space for videos, apps, games and your ever-expanding content library.
There is also a fingerprint sensor on the back of the smartphone. I’d rather scan my fingerprint than my face to unlock my phone, especially in the age of wearing a mask.
It delivers excellent battery life
I was quite impressed with the battery life of OnePlus’ cheap 5G smartphone. The smartphone has a 4300 mAh battery, which is 37% larger than Google’s Pixel 4a. You easily get a day and a half of moderate use before needing to recharge it.
While the N10 can’t be charged wirelessly, I was happy to see that OnePlus has included a 30-watt fast charger in the box, something buyers don’t get, even with phones three times the price. Using the included charger, I was able to get the N10’s 5% battery to 60% in less than half an hour.
Some minor flaws
The Nord N10 5G is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 690 processor, which isn’t quite as powerful as the Google Pixel 4a’s Snapdragon 765 processor or the iPhone SE’s A13 chip. Fortunately, the Nord has 6 GB of RAM, which helps make up for the difference a bit.
I am the worst at closing Chrome tabs but never noticed slow performance with this phone. If you plan on using your smartphone to edit video, I think you’d better spend more on the Pixel 4a because of its more powerful processor, but I honestly believe the 690 chip is more than suitable for most users.
Despite the fact that the N10 5G has four rear cameras – a 64MP main camera, an 8MP ultra wide angle camera, a 2MP macro camera, and a 2MP black and white camera – I was never impressed with their performance. That’s not to say the image quality was bad, but other smartphone cameras are better. Photographers will be happier with the Pixel 4a, which offers better low-light performance. The 16 MP selfie camera also worked fine.
Oddly, one of the things I disliked the most about my time with the Nord N10 was the lack of a ringer switch. I didn’t realize how much I relied on this underrated feature until it was gone. I would also have liked to see some degree of water resistance, but few phones this cheap are waterproof.
Complete
The Nord N10 5G is a shining example of why you do not has to spend $ 1,000 plus on a smartphone. For significantly less, you get a capable smartphone with 128 GB of storage, a reliable battery, a headphone jack, a microSD card slot, a large screen and decent cameras.
Is the OnePlus Nord N10 5G the best smartphone? Certainly not, but it is the best budget Android phone and well worth the $ 300 asking price. Sometimes the phone goes on sale for as little as $ 250, which is an absolute bargain.
SHOP ONEPLUS NORD N10 5G
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