OnePlus Nord N10 5G Smartphone Review - Cheap 5G smartphone with a 90-Hz screen and stereo speakers
The Nord N10 5G is another interesting addition to OnePlus’s mid-range line-up. The N10 5G has an MSRP of 349 Euros (~$421) and features the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 690, which comes with Qualcomm’s so-called X51 5G Modem-RF system.
The rest of the specifications are also quite impressive for a smartphone in this price range. Buyers of the OnePlus smartphone will get 6 GB of RAM, a quad-camera system, 128 GB of UFS storage and a 90-Hz 6.49-inch display. However, unlike the OnePlus Nord, which has an OLED panel, the N10 5G features a liquid-crystal display. Additionally, the N10 5G also supports Warp Charge, which is OnePlus’s proprietary fast-charging technology.
Comparison Devices
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Drive | Size | Resolution | Best Price |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
81.3 % | 12/2020 | OnePlus Nord N10 5G SD 690 5G, Adreno 619L | 190 g | 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | 6.49" | 2400x1080 | |
79.8 % | 10/2020 | Motorola Moto G9 Plus SD 730G, Adreno 618 | 223 g | 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | 6.81" | 2400x1080 | |
84 % | 08/2020 | Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G SD 765G, Adreno 620 | 192 g | 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | 6.57" | 2340x1080 | |
83.6 % | 07/2020 | OnePlus Nord SD 765G, Adreno 620 | 184 g | 256 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | 6.44" | 2440x1080 | |
83.6 % | 09/2020 | Google Pixel 4a SD 730G, Adreno 618 | 143 g | 128 GB UFS 2.0 Flash | 5.80" | 2340x1080 | |
81.1 % | 11/2020 | Realme 7 Pro SD 720G, Adreno 618 | 182 g | 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | 6.40" | 2400x1080 |
Case - OnePlus smartphone with a punch-hole selfie camera
The front of the Nord N10 5G is made of scratch-resistant 2.5-D Corning Gorilla Glass 3 with slightly rounded edges. While the back of the sibling model OnePlus Nord consists of Gorilla Glass 5, the back of the N10 5G is made of glass-like plastic.
The side bezels of the 6.49-inch screen are quite small. Nevertheless, the top and bottom bezels could have been smaller. The screen-to-body ratio of the N10 amounts to only 83.5 %, which is a below-average result in this price range.
The N10 5G is not IP-certified, but it is well-built. The hardware buttons do not wobble and offer a very clear actuation point. The N10 5G comes only in one colour scheme (Midnight Ice), which is quite unusual for a mid-range smartphone.
Connectivity - Nord N10 5G with a 3.5-mm audio jack
The Nord N10 5G has a fingerprint scanner on the back, a dual SIM card slot and a 3.5-mm headphone jack—we were not able to get Miracast to work in our review. The N10 5G does not support Always-on-Display functionality and does not have an LED indicator.
The 4300-mAh battery can be charged via the USB-C port on the bottom of the smartphone. The USB port supports OTG functionality, which is why external devices can be easily connected to the N10 5G. However, the port operates at only USB 2.0 speeds.
Our review device comes with 128 GB of UFS memory, of which only 100 GB is available to the user. The storage capacity of the Nord N10 5G can be expanded.
Software - OnePlus smartphone with Android 10
Straight out of the box, the N10 5G runs Android 10 with OnePlus’s proprietary launcher known as Oxygen OS (version 10.5). The N10 5G will not be updated beyond Android 11, according to OnePlus’s statements. The security patches of our review device are up to date (security patch level: November, 2020).
Oxygen OS is a well-optimised launcher, which offers many customisation options and does not include any bloatware. Users will not be able to stream video in HD quality with the N10 5G, because it only supports Widevine L3 DRM. However, the OnePlus smartphone supports various Google Play services such as Google Pay and Google Protect.
Communication and Geolocation - Nord N10 5G with Wi-Fi 5
The N10 5G comes with a dual SIM card slot, a Bluetooth 5.1 module and an NFC chip.
In addition to the LTE modem, as the name suggests, the N10 5G also features a 5G modem, which allows the smartphone to achieve very high download and upload speeds. The 5G modem supports Band C and Band n1. For a smartphone in this price range, the N10 supports a large number of LTE frequency bands (16 in total). All 4G bands relevant in Germany are supported.
Despite the fact that the N10 comes with a Wi-Fi 5 module, it is still able to achieve very good data transfer rates of over 600 Mb/s with our reference-grade router Netgear Nighthawk AX12. We did not experience any issues with connection stability in our testing.
In order to determine how accurate our review device is when it comes to geolocation, we take it with us on a bike ride. During this ride, we are also accompanied by the professional navigator Garmin Edge 520. The N10 5G proves to be quite accurate when compared to our reference-grade navigator. Howbeit, the route that we took was not mapped perfectly on the Android smartphone. Nevertheless, the N10 5G is good enough for daily navigation.
For geolocation, the N10 5G relies on the following global navigation satellite systems: GPS, GLONASS, Beidou and Galileo. Dual-band (L1+L5) GNSS is supported. Outdoors, the Android smartphone has a margin of error of 3 metres. Indoors, our review device acquires the user’s position quickly and reliably, but has a higher margin of error.
Telephony & Call Quality - OnePlus Nord N10 with VoLTE
Users can insert two Nano SIM cards into the N10 5G. WiFi Calling is supported. However, there does not appear to be a way to enable VoLTE functionality the settings menu.
The call quality of the N10 5G is on a good level. The voices on either end of the call sound clear and intelligible. Video calling also works well with the built-in microphones.
Cameras - OnePlus smartphone with a quad-camera module
We were somewhat disappointed with the rear carema system of the N10 5G. The 64-megapixel main image sensor does not come from Sony or Samsung. Instead, it comes from OmniVision. The main camera has an f/1.79 aperture, supports electronic image stabilisation and utilises pixel binning.
The 16-megapixel shots taken with the main camera appear somewhat blurry even in good lighting conditions. In direct sunlight, bright surfaces are not always properly exposed. In poor lighting conditions, the main shooter performs even worse. The images appear blurry and the colours look washed-out.
The same applies to the 8-megapixel ultra wide-angle lens, even in good lighting conditions. It is possible to get a good shot with this camera. However, the very wide field of view (119 °), excessive noise and blurriness limit the usefulness of the ultra wide-angle camera.
The 16-megapixel front-facing punch-hole camera performs rather well in good lighting conditions. Both the sharpness and the colour reproduction are on a good level. There are no major issues with exposure and the dynamic range is quite good.
When it comes to shooting video, the OnePlus smartphone does quite well. Users can switch between the ultra wide-angle and the wide-angle lens. 4K video can only be recorded at 30 FPS, though.
Image Comparison
Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.
Main cameraLow-light photographyMain cameraUltra wide-angle lensIn our lab, we take a closer look at the camera performance of the N10 5G. The colours in the photograph of the ColorChecker Passport appear slightly overbrightened. The colour accuracy is also very poor especially in the shot taken under good lighting conditions.
To assess the sharpness of the images, we photograph our test chart under controlled lighting conditions. The sharpness is very good in the centre of the image, but starts to decline at the edges.
Accessories & Warranty - Nord N10 5G comes without a protective case
The box of the Nord N10 5G contains a Warp Charge 30T power adapter, a USB cable from OnePlus and a SIM card removal tool. However, a protective case is not included in the box. Curiously enough, OnePlus offers protective cases for the Nord in its online store, but not for the Nord N10 5G.
The Nord N10 5G comes with a 24-month warranty.
Input Devices & Handling - OnePlus smartphone with a classical fingerprint reader
The 6.49-inch IPS screen of the N10 5G refreshes at 90 Hz instead of 60 Hz, which is why the smartphone feels more responsive. On the N10, the screen content refreshes 50 % faster than on a standard 60-Hz display.
The rear fingerprint sensor feels a little sluggish and does not work reliably all of the time. The FaceLock feature works better, at least in good lighting conditions. However, it uses simple 2D-based facial recognition technology, which is why it is not very secure.
Display - Nord N10 5G with a 90-Hz panel
The 6.49-inch IPS panel of the N10 5G has a resolution of 2400x1080 and a pixel density of over 400 PPI. This is why the screen appears sufficiently sharp in everyday use.
The maximum level of brightness is satisfactory. However, many competing devices offer brighter screens. The brightness distribution is not ideal for a smartphone in this price range. Moreover, the screen of the N10 5G suffers from backlight bleeding and there is some darkening around the camera hole.
With the ambient light sensor enabled, the screen brightness peaked at 450 cd/m² with a pure white background in auto mode. In the realistically oriented APL50 test, in which the screen displays a pattern of alternating black and white squares of equal size, we measured a brightness of only 408 cd/m².
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Brightness Distribution: 89 %
Center on Battery: 450 cd/m²
Contrast: 789:1 (Black: 0.57 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 2.67 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 2 | 0.57-98 Ø5.2
99.2% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.274
OnePlus Nord N10 5G IPS LCD, 2400x1080, 6.49 | Motorola Moto G9 Plus LTPS, 2400x1080, 6.81 | Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G AMOLED, 2340x1080, 6.57 | OnePlus Nord AMOLED, 2440x1080, 6.44 | Google Pixel 4a OLED, 2340x1080, 5.80 | Realme 7 Pro AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.40 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Screen | -23% | 34% | 17% | 51% | 20% | |
Brightness middle | 450 | 390 -13% | 584 30% | 529 18% | 705 57% | 507 13% |
Brightness | 422 | 377 -11% | 583 38% | 531 26% | 707 68% | 508 20% |
Brightness Distribution | 89 | 93 4% | 97 9% | 94 6% | 96 8% | 97 9% |
Black Level * | 0.57 | 0.66 -16% | ||||
Contrast | 789 | 591 -25% | ||||
Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 2.67 | 3.39 -27% | 1.17 56% | 2.53 5% | 0.9 66% | 1.88 30% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 6.76 | 5.22 23% | 2.95 56% | 4.52 33% | 1.9 72% | 3.63 46% |
Greyscale dE 2000 * | 2 | 4.3 -115% | 1.7 15% | 1.7 15% | 1.3 35% | 2 -0% |
Gamma | 2.274 97% | 2.506 88% | 2.231 99% | 2.249 98% | 2.26 97% | 2.338 94% |
CCT | 6859 95% | 6033 108% | 6341 103% | 6462 101% | 6576 99% | 6665 98% |
* ... smaller is better
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
Screen flickering / PWM not detected | |||
In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 17753 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. |
Because an LCD screen always has to use a backlight, it can never achieve the same deep blacks as an OLED display. The N10 5G has a rather poor black value of 0.57 cd/m². The contrast ratio of less than 1000:1 is also quite poor. We use a spectrometer with CalMAN software to measure the colour accuracy of the display. The deviations for both the mixed colours (2.7) and the grayscale (2) are well within the norm for a device in this price range. At about 6900 Kelvin, the colour temperature of the display can be described as good.
Those who are unhappy with the colour reproduction can adjust it in the settings menu.
Display Response Times
↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
---|---|---|
20 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 9 ms rise | |
↘ 11 ms fall | ||
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 38 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is similar to the average of all tested devices (21.4 ms). | ||
↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
36 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 19 ms rise | |
↘ 17 ms fall | ||
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 44 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is similar to the average of all tested devices (33.6 ms). |
Outdoors, the N10 5G leaves a rather mixed impression. The low contrast ratio and maximum brightness make the screen hard to read on sunny days. However, the display can be comfortably read in the shade or on cloudy days.
The viewing angles of the IPS panel are very stable. The brightness does not drop off and the colours do not become distorted when the screen is viewed at acute angles.
Performance - OnePlus smartphone with the Snapdragon 690
The N10 5G features the new 5G-capable Snapdragon 690. It is 20 % faster and more energy-efficient than its 4G-capable predecessor Snapdragon 675, because it is made using the 8-nm LPP manufacturing process.
The Snapdragon 690 in the OnePlus smartphone has two high-performance Cortex A77-based Kryo 560 cores that are clocked at 2 GHz and four high-efficiency Cortex A55-based cores. The Adreno 619L serves as the graphics unit. It is 60 % faster than the GPU in the Snapdragon 675.
The N10 5G achieves great results in our suite of benchmarks. All in all, the Snapdragon 690 provides the same level of performance as the Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G. However, the Snapdragon 765G in the Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G performs much better, especially in GPU-intensive applications. The OnePlus smartphone does surprisingly poorly in the browser benchmarks. Howbeit, in day-to-day use, the scrolling is smooth and webpages and media content load quickly. All in all, the N10 5G performs about as well as the rest of the mid-range competition.
Together with 6 GB of RAM, the mid-range CPU offers a solid level of system performance. The smartphone feels smooth most of the time. However, under high load, the system can become unresponsive.
AnTuTu v8 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
OnePlus Nord N10 5G | |
Motorola Moto G9 Plus | |
Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G | |
OnePlus Nord | |
Google Pixel 4a | |
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 690 5G (282385 - 291956, n=2) |
VRMark - Amber Room (sort by value) | |
OnePlus Nord N10 5G | |
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 690 5G (1817 - 1899, n=2) | |
Average of class Smartphone (2523 - 10071, n=9, last 2 years) |
Jetstream 2 - Total Score | |
Average of class Smartphone (13.8 - 351, n=164, last 2 years) | |
OnePlus Nord (Chrome 84) | |
Motorola Moto G9 Plus (Chrome 86) | |
Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G (Chrome83) | |
Google Pixel 4a (Chrome 85) | |
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 690 5G (16.4 - 45.4, n=2) | |
OnePlus Nord N10 5G (Chrome 87) |
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score | |
OnePlus Nord (Chrome 84) | |
Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G | |
Google Pixel 4a (Chrome 85) | |
Motorola Moto G9 Plus (Chrome 86) | |
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 690 5G (23.8 - 82.5, n=2) | |
OnePlus Nord N10 5G (Chrome 87) |
Speedometer 2.0 - Result | |
Average of class Smartphone (14.9 - 445, n=147, last 2 years) | |
OnePlus Nord (Chome 84) | |
Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G (Chrome83) | |
Google Pixel 4a (Chrome 85) | |
Motorola Moto G9 Plus (Chrome 86) | |
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 690 5G (13.3 - 41.2, n=2) | |
OnePlus Nord N10 5G (Chrome 87) |
WebXPRT 3 - Overall | |
Average of class Smartphone (39 - 304, n=111, last 2 years) | |
OnePlus Nord (Chrome 84) | |
Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G (Chrome83) | |
Google Pixel 4a (Chrome 85) | |
Motorola Moto G9 Plus (Chrome 86) | |
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 690 5G (29 - 74, n=2) | |
OnePlus Nord N10 5G (Chrome 87) |
Octane V2 - Total Score | |
Average of class Smartphone (2228 - 89112, n=207, last 2 years) | |
OnePlus Nord (Chrome 84) | |
Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G (Chrome83) | |
Google Pixel 4a (Chrome 85) | |
Motorola Moto G9 Plus (Chrome 86) | |
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 690 5G (4395 - 16866, n=2) | |
OnePlus Nord N10 5G (Chrome 87) |
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total | |
OnePlus Nord N10 5G (Chrome 87) | |
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 690 5G (2506 - 12192, n=2) | |
Google Pixel 4a (Chrome 85) | |
OnePlus Nord (Chrome 84) | |
Motorola Moto G9 Plus (Chrome 86) | |
Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G (Chrome83) | |
Average of class Smartphone (388 - 9999, n=163, last 2 years) |
* ... smaller is better
OnePlus Nord N10 5G | Motorola Moto G9 Plus | Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G | OnePlus Nord | Google Pixel 4a | Realme 7 Pro | Average 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | Average of class Smartphone | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AndroBench 3-5 | -9% | 53% | 39% | 22% | 1% | 11% | 210% | |
Sequential Read 256KB | 865 | 489.4 -43% | 980 13% | 956 11% | 502 -42% | 521 -40% | 760 ? -12% | 1544 ? 78% |
Sequential Write 256KB | 187.2 | 186.2 -1% | 476.9 155% | 473.1 153% | 246.8 32% | 198.1 6% | 297 ? 59% | 1157 ? 518% |
Random Read 4KB | 137 | 134.8 -2% | 156.4 14% | 126.7 -8% | 162.9 19% | 159.8 17% | 152.9 ? 12% | 251 ? 83% |
Random Write 4KB | 106 | 98.1 -7% | 138.5 31% | 104.5 -1% | 187.4 77% | 129.1 22% | 131.6 ? 24% | 275 ? 159% |
Sequential Read 256KB SDCard | 86.5 ? | 85.3 ? -1% | 86.7 ? 0% | 76 ? -12% | ||||
Sequential Write 256KB SDCard | 64.9 ? | 65.4 ? 1% | 64.9 ? 0% | 59.6 ? -8% |
Gaming - Nord N10 5G only supports 60 FPS
The N10 5G comes with the Adreno 619L, which can run even demanding 3D games from the Google Play Store. We use Gamebench to record frame rates for our gaming benchmarks.
The Android smartphone proves to be a capable gaming device. In PUBG and Asphalt 9 Legends, our review device is able to achieve a stable 30 FPS on high settings. On lower settings, the N10 5G can hit 40 FPS in PUBG most of the time.
Even in less demanding titles such as Real Racing 3, the Android smartphone is limited to 60 FPS, which is quite unfortunate, given the fact that the N10 5G has a 90-Hz screen.
PUBG mobile
Asphalt 9 Legends
Real Racing 3
Emissions - Nord N10 5G gets warm
Temperature
Under sustained load, the surface temperatures of the N10 5G exceed the 40-°C (104 °F) mark. However, in day-to-day use, the smartphone never gets hot.
We use a battery testing utility known as GFXBench to examine how well our review device performs under continuous load. The battery benchmark is run three times in a row, and both the frame rates and the battery level are recorded.
The OnePlus smartphone manages to maintain 99 % of its performance in the demanding Manhatten section of the GFXBench benchmark. This means that the Android smartphone should not throttle when gaming or performing other very demanding tasks.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 40 °C / 104 F, compared to the average of 35 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 56 °C for the class Smartphone.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 43.1 °C / 110 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 25 °C / 77 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.
Speakers
Unlike the OnePlus Nord, the N10 5G comes with stereo-speakers and a 3.5-mm headphone. The two speakers of the N10 5G provide a good maximum volume of over 83 dB(A).
The mids and the highs are overrepresented and the lows are mostly missing. However, the N10 5G offers a very linear sound reproduction.
Users can also connect wired headphones to the mid-range smartphone via the 3.5-mm audio jack, which provides a decent sound quality and a satisfactory volume. Wireless headphones can also be connected to the Android smartphone via Bluetooth 5.1. The N10 5G supports many various codecs such as AAC, aptX, aptX HD and LDAC.
OnePlus Nord N10 5G audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83.3 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 68.7% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(-) | nearly no mids - on average 68.7% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(-) | nearly no highs - on average 68.7% lower than median
(+) | highs are linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(-) | overall sound is not linear (117.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 85% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 7% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 96% of all tested devices were better, 2% similar, 2% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (81.5 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 66% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(-) | nearly no mids - on average 66% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(-) | nearly no highs - on average 66% lower than median
(+) | highs are linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(-) | overall sound is not linear (119.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 86% of all tested devices in this class were better, 10% similar, 4% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 96% of all tested devices were better, 3% similar, 1% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Battery Life - OnePlus smartphone with Warp Charge
Energy Consumption
The 4300-mAh battery of the N10 5G takes less than one hour to fully charge with the included Warp Charge power adapter. However, the OnePlus smartphone does not support wireless charging.
Off / Standby | 0.1 / 0.2 Watt |
Idle | 0.9 / 1.6 / 2.1 Watt |
Load |
6.2 / 7.8 Watt |
OnePlus Nord N10 5G 4300 mAh | Motorola Moto G9 Plus 5000 mAh | Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G 4160 mAh | OnePlus Nord 4115 mAh | Google Pixel 4a 3140 mAh | Realme 7 Pro 4500 mAh | Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 690 5G | Average of class Smartphone | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Power Consumption | 4% | -21% | -13% | 44% | 26% | 7% | ||
Idle Minimum * | 0.9 | 0.8 11% | 1.5 -67% | 1.8 -100% | 0.49 46% | 0.67 ? 26% | 0.898 ? -0% | |
Idle Average * | 1.6 | 1.7 -6% | 2.2 -38% | 2.1 -31% | 0.96 40% | 1.125 ? 30% | 1.439 ? 10% | |
Idle Maximum * | 2.1 | 2.2 -5% | 2.9 -38% | 2.3 -10% | 1 52% | 1.395 ? 34% | 1.611 ? 23% | |
Load Average * | 6.2 | 5.3 15% | 4.4 29% | 3.4 45% | 3.11 50% | 4.6 ? 26% | 5.67 ? 9% | |
Load Maximum * | 7.8 | 7.4 5% | 7.2 8% | 5.2 33% | 5.23 33% | 6.61 ? 15% | 8.48 ? -9% |
* ... smaller is better
Battery Life
In our practically oriented Wi-Fi test, in which we set the screen brightness to 150 cd/m², the Android smartphone lasted more than 16 hours. This is why even power users will not be able to drain the battery in a day. In our video test, which we conduct with the communications modules disabled, the N10 5G lasted three hours longer.
OnePlus Nord N10 5G 4300 mAh | Motorola Moto G9 Plus 5000 mAh | Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G 4160 mAh | OnePlus Nord 4115 mAh | Google Pixel 4a 3140 mAh | Realme 7 Pro 4500 mAh | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Battery Runtime | 5% | 10% | -12% | -18% | -4% | |
Reader / Idle | 2539 | 2732 8% | 1683 -34% | 2003 -21% | 2270 -11% | |
H.264 | 1154 | 1352 17% | 1403 22% | 1064 -8% | 1045 -9% | |
WiFi v1.3 | 974 | 968 -1% | 884 -9% | 869 -11% | 669 -31% | 931 -4% |
Load | 278 | 267 -4% | 448 61% | 261 -6% | 225 -19% |
Pros
Cons
Verdict for the OnePlus Nord N10 5G: Wasted Potential
The N10 5G has a number of positive aspects in common with the more expensive OnePlus Nord. The 350-Euro (~$424) mid-range smartphone features a 5G modem from Qualcomm, a fast Wi-Fi module, an accurate GNSS module and plenty of UFS storage. The housing of the N10 5G feels very solid, even though it is made of plastic. However, it falls behind the Nord in terms of performance. Nonetheless, the Snapdragon 690 still provides a good level of performance.
One of the biggest weaknesses of the N10 5G is its relatively dim, contrast-poor display, even though it is quite colour-accurate. The 90-Hz refresh rate is also a nice feature, which does improve the daily user experience. Howbeit, there are smartphones with better screens such as the Poco X3 NFC, which not only costs less but also has a brighter 120-Hz IPS screen. Moreover, there are similarly priced smartphones with OLED screens such as the Note 10 Lite and the Mi 10 Lite 5G as well. The Mi 10 Lite 5G also brings a very impressive OmniVision image sensor to the table unlike the N10 5G, which offers poor image processing in combination with poor camera hardware.
So to sum it up, the Chinese manufacturer got a lot of things right with its mid-range offering. However, when compared to the Nord, the 350-Euro (~$424) N10 5G appears to be a little overpriced.
The OnePlus Nord N10 5G has nailed a lot of things that make a smartphone good, but not all. This becomes especially apparent when it is compared to the competition. All in all, those who can live with a poor screen and a weak camera system should get the N10 5G, which is, otherwise, a good mid-range smartphone.
OnePlus Nord N10 5G
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11/30/2020 v7
Marcus Herbrich