What: OnePlus Nord launch
When: 7 a.m. PT / 10 a.m. ET / 3 p.m. BST
Where: OnePlus Nord launch website or YouTube
Why: OnePlus Nord promises to deliver premium specs for under $500
The OnePlus Nord could be the perfect phone at the perfect time. Priced less than $500, the device boasts very impressive specs for the money, from a Snapdragon 765G processor and 6.4-inch 90Hz display to 6 cameras. And today is the day of the official OnePlus Nord launch event.
OnePlus has been teasing the design and features of the OnePlus Nord for weeks, so what don't we know at this point and how can you follow along with today's announcement? Here's everything we need to know about the OnePlus Nord unveiling, which gets underway at 7 a.m. PT / 10 a.m. ET / 3 p.m. BST.
OnePlus Nord first hands-on
- See our full OnePlus Nord hands-on review
- OnePlus Nord price and release date revealed
- OnePlus Buds review: Way cheaper than AirPods
OnePlus Nord live blog
10:52 am ET: We have published our OnePlus hands-on review and it looks to be a very strong competitor to both the iPhone SE and Google Pixel 4a.
10:27 am ET: Unbox Therapy is doing a live unboxing of the OnePus Nord. This is the blue marble color. He says the curve of the design makes it feel comfortable.
10:20 am ET: The OnePlus Nord will be priced at £379 or €399 and in India it will cost ₹24999. The release date is August 4.
10:18 am ET: OnePlus has also unveiled the OnePlus Buds. You can charge for 10 minutes and get 10 hours of battery life. This would give the OnePlus Buds an edge over the AirPods.
OnePlus also claims that the the OnePlus Buds have microphones that help cancel out noise, but it doesn't sound like active noise cancellation. You do get an IPX4 water resistance and a choice of three colors.
10:16 am ET: The Nord has 30W Warp Charging. This means you can go from empty to 70% in just 30 minutes.
10:15 am ET: The OnePlus Nord packs two front cameras, including a 32MP main camera and a wide camera with a 105-degree field of view.
10:14 am ET: OnePlus is showing off the cameras for the Nord. This includes a 48MP main, an 8MP ultrawide, a 5MP macro and 2MP portrait shooter. The samples look impressive, but we'll have to try it out ourselves.
10:09 am ET: The OnePlus Nord has a Snapdragon 765G processor, which means you should enjoy fast 5G speeds. There's also up to 12GB of RAM, which should enable better multitasking.
10:08 am ET: OnePlus is giving an augmented reality overview of the OnePlus Nord's design. The side of the Nord has the signature alert slider, and the phone has undergone durability testing to make sure it stays in tact.
10:06 am ET: OnePlus is showing off the OnePlus Nord with a launch video. You get two front cameras, a Snapdragon 765G processor, and 30W fast charging. There's also a 90Hz 6.44-inch display. These are all solid specs.
10:04 am ET: Carl Pei is highlighting the key feature of the OnePlus Nord, which he says is "pretty much everything you could ask for."
10:02 am ET: The OnePlus Nord launch event is live. Carl Pei is on a virtual stage, and it looks weird.
9:58 am ET: Here's your first look at the OnePlus Nord box, complete with the Nord branding.
9:48 am ET: Here's what the OnePlus Nord AR experience looks like; you can also try it yourself via the OnePlus Nord AR app.
9:42 am ET: The OnePlus event live stream has started on YouTube early with Unbox Therapy. We embedded the video above.
9:31 am ET: OnePlus just reminded everyone on Twiter that this is the "world's first smartphone launch in AR." The event gets underway at 10 am ET. You can also follow along on Twitter via the #OnePlusNord hashtag.
Watch the World's first AR Launch event here - https://t.co/zosZjBw9ROUnable to tune in to the #OnePlusNordAR Launch Event? We've got you covered with live tweets to make sure you don't miss everything that #OnePlusNord's got to offer. pic.twitter.com/U5psDtgQPZJuly 21, 2020
9:01 am ET: We know most of the specs but if you want to see them in one place check out this tweet that summarizes what the OnePlus Nord should include.
OnePlus Nord is around us. Just about to go live in a while.Here are the full specs.#OnePlusNord pic.twitter.com/gNZXDRH4wtJuly 21, 2020
8:59 am ET: We don't know if it's legit but we're seeing leaked European prices for the OnePlus Nord on Twitter. The 128GB version is said to be €399(~₹34,210) and 256GB - €499(~₹42,766).
8:24 am ET: You can watch the OnePlus Nord event along with Unbox Therapy on his YouTube channel.
7:53 am ET: OnePlus has posted a preview hype video for the OnePlus Nord launch on Instagram. Check it out here.
7:22 am ET: Just in time to spoil the OnePlus Nord launch party, a new leak reveals that a Google Pixel 4a 5G could be on the way. This is based on a carrier listing. However, we expect the initial Pixel 4a to be 4G-only. The OnePlus Nord will have 5G out of the gate.
7:12 am ET: Pre-orders of the OnePlus Nord may have sold out, but there’s still a very slim chance you might be able to win one. That’s because OnePlus has a launch event discussion going on in its forums, and if the thread reaches 10,000 replies then one lucky respondent will be picked at random to win a OnePlus Nord phone.
The discussion-come-competition will close at 10 a.m ET, which is when the OnePlus Nord launch takes place. Currently, there are 2,680 replies, so there’s still time to get involved in the discussion.
5:15 am ET: The price of the OnePlus Nord may have been leaked on Amazon in India, with a listing for the phone stating it will cost 19,999 Indian Rupees, which works out at £211 or $267. While that price is indeed below the $500 mark as promised by OnePlus, it does seem ridiculously cheap for a phone with what’s shaping up to be an impressive mid-range spec.
So we’re very much taking this price with a huge pinch of salt.
OnePlus Nord launch event: How to watch
You can watch the OnePlus Nord reveal event live on this OnPlus page at the time of the event. The live stream may also appear on YouTube and we will keep you posted if there's a link.
The OnePlus Nord event will also be presented in augmented reality. For that, you'll have to download the OnePlus Nord AR app, which is available on both the App Store for iOS and Google Play for Android. Our how to watch the Nord launch event article has more info.
OnePlus Nord: What we know already
The OnePlus Nord will feature a 6.4-inch display with a 90Hz refresh rate, which makes the 4.7-inch iPhone SE look puny. In addition, the Nord is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G processor, which is designed to offer solid mid-range performance along with 5G connectivity. OnePlus also says you'll get up to 12GB of RAM.
In terms of cameras, the OnePlus Nord comes close to overkill with four rear shooters, including a 48MP main camera, an 8MP ultra-wide camera, a 5MP depth sensor and a macro sensor. There's a 32MP selfie camera up front paired with another 8MP ultra wide lens with a 105-degree field of view.
The OnePlus Nord will also pack a fairly 4,115 mAh battery along with 30W Warp Charge technology to juice the phone back up quickly.
OnePlus Nord: What we don't know
OnePlus has already said that the price of the OnePlus Nord will be less than $500, but we don't know how affordable it's going to be. We expect to see a price in pounds once the Nord is officially unveiled, as it's going to be launched in Europe first, as well as India.
And that brings us to the second thing we don't know about the Nord. The phone won't come to the U.S. at first, but in an interview with Tom's Guide, OnePlus said that it will be studying how the device fares overseas before deciding on next steps. For now, we wouldn't expect the Nord in the U.S. soon. OnePlus has also not revealed the screen resolution on the Nord, but based on leaks it lookss to be 2400 x 1800 pixels.
