OnePlus Nord's first ten 5G phones will be free — here's how to get one

OnePlus Nord back
(Image credit: OnePlus)

You might be able to win a OnePlus Nord thanks to a competition that OnePlus is holding. Except it's not just any old Nord, it's one of the first ten that will ever be made.

OnePlus' official Twitter account announced this competition, which will net ten winners a Nord phone with an engraved number added to the bottom of the 5G phone's back telling you which of the first ten models you're now the lucky owner of.

To enter, you need to like and retweet OnePlus' post, as well as fill in an entry form that encourages you to follow the Nord Instagram account, and tag two friends in a comment on the competition announcement post. You also need to download the Nord AR launch app and share your customized avatar on Instagram or Twitter. Doing so will get you more entries into the draw for when the time comes to pick out names.

You can enter any time between now and 6pm CEST on July 20 (that's 5pm UK time, 12pm eastern or 5am Pacific), when the winners will be notified by email. Entrants have to be over 18, and you might have to pay for the delivery of your new Nord since OnePlus will not pay for "Expenses related to collection of the Prize".

You also run the risk of having your entry disqualified if you're not following OnePlus Nord on Instagram, meaning you can't just unfollow straight after getting your competition entry confirmed. OnePlus also gets control over any of the posts you make while trying to win entries into the competition, and reserves the right to reject any with questionable content, so think carefully before you tweet.

The contest is open to "all individuals residing in regions served by oneplus.net". That theoretically means US users can get their hands on a Nord, despite OnePlus not offering the phone for sale in the US at launch. 

If you want to pre-order the Nord normally, then your next chance will be tomorrow (July 15). This will be the third pre-order window OnePlus has offered, with the first and second opportunities, offering 100 and 900 phones total respectively, having sold out rapidly. 

But why would you want a Nord in the first place? OnePlus will likely do its best to convince you during the AR launch on July 21, but even just the specs have us excited. For under $500, you can get a 6.4-inch phone with dual front cameras, quad rear cameras, 5G connectivity and up to 12GB RAM and 256GB storage. Compared to other mid-range phones like the iPhone SE (2020) or Pixel 3a, this looks like a fantastic deal, so we're very keen to try the phone out for ourselves.

Richard Priday
Assistant Phones Editor

Richard is based in London, covering news, reviews and how-tos for phones, tablets, gaming, and whatever else people need advice on. Following on from his MA in Magazine Journalism at the University of Sheffield, he's also written for WIRED U.K., The Register and Creative Bloq. When not at work, he's likely thinking about how to brew the perfect cup of specialty coffee.