OnePlus’ Refreshing Summer Launch Event

OnePlus refreshed its product line with no less than five new devices which I feel must be a record for OnePlus. None of them were really a secret as they were all announced back in mid-June. However, we now have details and pricing on the devices, so let’s review what was launched and see what the picks are.

First, up there are two new phones, the Nord 5 and the Nord CE5. The Nord 5 runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 Mobile Platform, which provides plenty of processing power for the mid-range phone and a significant boost over the previous generation. The launch video make it pretty clear that they’re going after the gamers with the Nord 5: smooth graphics, fast RAM, big battery and built-in cooling.

Looking at the screen, the 6.83″ 144Hz Swift AMOLED display has a resolution of 2800 x 1272 pixels giving 450 ppi. The battery is a chunky 5200 mAh squeezed into a phone only 8.1 mm thick and the form is designed to feel good in the hand. The new Bypass Charging allows the phone to draw power directly from the charger when playing demanding games which relieves stress on the battery.

For the creators, the Nord 5 features 50 MP cameras front and back with an additional 8 MP ultra-wide lens on the rear. HDR and natural colour algorithms are lifted from the OnePlus 13 so the pictures are going to be good.
Pricing for the Nord is £399 (8+256GB) and £499 (12+512GB) though there are combinations of discounts, trade-ins and vouchers that can bring that price down.

Turning to the Nord CE5, it uses the MediaTek Dimensity 8350 Apex chipset powered by a similar 5200 mAh battery. The screen is slightly smaller at 6.77″ (but you’re unlikely notice the difference as it’s only a little over a millimetre in real units). The screen refreshes up 120 Hz and pixels come in at 2392 x 1080, so the pixel density is lower at 387 ppi.

On the camera front, the selfie cam is 16 MP, and round the back there’s a 50MP main lens along with an 8MP ultrawide. As with the 5, there’s similar photographic crossover from the 13 and if you need more storage, the CE5 can take a MicroSD card up to 1TB.
For the CE5 expect to pay £299 (8+128GB) and £349 (12+256GB) respectively, and as with the big brother 5, there are additional discounts, gifts and benefits.

Both phones come with OnePlus’ OxygenOS 15, based on Android 15 with the addition of Open Canvas, the multitasking windowing extensions that make the space more useful. Gemini features in both too, plus the Nord 5 comes with OnePlus’ new AI features like AI Plus Mind, which recognises on-screen content, storing it and morphing it into useful data such as calendar events.

Sticking with handheld devices, building on the successful launch of the Pad 3, OnePlus has launched the Pad Lite, an affordable, entry-level tablet. It’s £199 for the 6+128 GB Wi-Fi version and £229 for the 8+128 GB 5G one, which is competitive against similar devices. There are some additional savings and special offers for purchases through end of August. Although it’s not mentioned in the press release, I think we can expect the Lite to replace the Go in the OnePlus portfolio.

The Pad Lite has an 11″ 1920 x 1200 pixel display driven by MediaTek Helio G100. Powering everything is a a substantial 9,340 mAh battery which, while watching videos, should keep the Lite going for about 11 hours. There are cameras front and back but they’re nothing to write home about at only 5 MP: that’s still perfectly adequate for video calling or online meetings. Of course, the Lite comes with the Open Canvas Android extensions to take full advantage of the larger display.

Moving onto smaller devices, OnePlus has launched the Buds 2, which integrate well into the ecosystem with Google Fast Pair, Dual-Device connections and low latency game mode. Obviously there’s Active Noise Cancellation here, with the Adaptive ANC adjusting 800 times per second and intelligently switching between transparency and noise cancellation depending on the environment. The OnePlus Buds 4 are available in the colours Zen Green and Storm Gray and are priced at £119, though they’re down to £99 for early birds.

And finally, a new version of the Watch 3 coming in a 43 mm case size and priced at £269 with a £20 discount to £249. This is perhaps the one I’m most interested in as my Fitbit Sense 2 comes to EOL. A smaller version of the larger 46 mm Watch 3 in steel rather than titanium, it continues to use OnePlus’ Dual Engine architecture combining long battery life with Google’s WearOS. The Watch 3 offers 60 hours of wear in smart mode and up to 7 days when in power saving mode.

Speaking about the OnePlus Nord 5 series, Pete Lau, Founder of OnePlus, said: “OnePlus Nord series combines minimalist design with industry-leading flagship technology, earning the trust and love of users around the world. Driven by our Never Settle spirit, we continue to raise the bar across all price segments. By bringing flagship-grade performance and advanced OnePlus AI features to more users, we believe the OnePlus Nord 5 Series will become an essential companion in everyday life.”

There’s a somewhat quirky launch video which probably isn’t going to be to everyone’s taste, but you can find it here. Skip through to about four minutes in for the start.