OnePlus Nord 5

 

43th best phone of 2025 (~$380)

GSMCritic Take: With its smooth 144 Hz display, solid performance, and excellent battery life, the phone delivers a fast and reliable everyday experience, though the older chipset and some hardware compromises make it feel like there is little real progress over its predecessor.

Reviews  

Overall phone rating and the reviews that impact it.

82

1st review by

80

6th review by

70

2nd review by

79

GSMCritic Score

84

5th review by

80

3rd review by

81

4th review by

* how the score is calculated?

Last update: 2026-05-04

Pros

Human Checked Mobile Phone Pros&Cons
Camera
Main Camera Quality: The main camera produces strong results in both photos and video.
Selfie Camera: The front camera delivers strong performance for both stills and video.
Overall Camera Competence: The camera system is considered decent or good for its class.
Performance
Performance: The phone delivers powerful and responsive performance with strong real-world capability and sustained operation.
Gaming Capability: The hardware is well-suited for gaming workloads with consistent performance.
Design
Fingerprint Sensor: The fingerprint sensor is responsive and reliable.
Design Appeal: The device has a clean and classy aesthetic in certain aspects.
Display
Display Quality: The device features a large and visually appealing 144 Hz AMOLED display described as attractive and even gorgeous.
Battery
Battery Life: The device offers very good to exceptional battery life, in some cases described as the best recorded.
Charging Speed: Wired charging is described as fast or reasonably quick.
Software
High Refresh Rate: The inclusion of a 144 Hz panel enables very smooth visuals in supported scenarios.
Software Optimization: The interface is clean, optimized, and streamlined for usability.
Software Features: The device includes programmable controls, in-house AI features, and additional software enhancements.
Update Support: The phone offers long-term support with up to six years of updates and multiple major OS upgrades.
Audio
Speakers: The phone provides good speaker performance.
Connectivity
Wi-Fi Support: The device supports fast Wi-Fi 6 connectivity.
Cons
Human Checked Mobile Phone Pros&Cons
Camera
Camera Competitiveness: The overall camera system is considered unimpressive compared to competitors.

Camera Upgrades: There are no meaningful upgrades to the rear camera system.

Ultrawide Camera: The ultrawide camera is described as underwhelming.

Performance
Thermal Behavior: The device can become noticeably warm during use.

Chipset Generation: The processor is effectively from a previous generation.

Design
Generic Design: The overall appearance is often described as generic or dull with less distinctive glass execution.

Build Material: The chassis uses plastic, which feels like a regression from more premium materials.

Weight and Bulk: The phone is comparatively heavy and bulkier than some competitors.

Display
PWM Flickering: The display exhibits PWM flickering at lower brightness levels.

Color Accuracy: The screen shows slightly exaggerated color reproduction.

Battery
Charging Limitations: Charging is limited to wired only with no wireless option.

Battery Competition: Some rival devices offer larger battery capacities.

Software
Refresh Rate Limitation: The 144 Hz refresh rate is not available in all scenarios and is restricted in certain use cases.

AI Features Maturity: Some AI-related features are still in early development stages.

Storage
Memory and Storage: The device has slower storage and reduced RAM compared to its predecessor.

Storage Expansion: There is no microSD card support.

Connectivity
USB Standard: The phone uses USB 2.0 instead of a faster standard.

eSIM Support: The device does not support eSIM functionality.

Availability
No Charger Included: Bundled charging accessories are absent in certain regions.

Other
Location Accuracy: Occasional inaccuracies in location tracking are reported.

Rankings


ranking-point The Best Phone Of 2025: #43


ranking-point The Largest Screen Size Of 2025: #15

ranking-point The Smallest Screen Size Of 2025: #48

ranking-point The Lightest Phone Of 2025: #41

ranking-point The Thinnest Phone Of 2025: #25

ranking-point The Fastest Charging Speed Of 2025: #25

ranking-point The Highest Screen To Body Ratio Of 2025: #25

ranking-point The Cheapest Phone Of 2025: #11