OnePlus Nord N10 5G US-Edition: Solid Value, With Limitations

OnePlus officially launched North American versions of its
Nord N10 5G ($299) and Nord N100 ($179) today. The N10 5G is effectively the same affordable 5G phone we reviewed back in November, and the
N100 is a low-priced budget 4G handset. We just spent a few days testing the
US-bound N10 5G and wanted to give you an update. So what’s
changed versus the European variant? Does the aggressive US pricing
help better differentiate it in some way? Let’s find out…

OnePlus Nord N10 5G Hardware, Design, and Display

From a design and materials perspective, the Nord N10 5G for
North America is identical to its European sibling. It looks and
feels exactly the same, comes in the same fingerprint-prone Midnight Ice finish, shares the same massive chin and
cheap-feeling plastics, and also lacks OnePlus’ signature alert
slider. The only difference is that the NA model is a single-SIM
device (vs. dual SIM for Europe), so the SIM trays are slightly
different.

OnePlus Nord N10 5G 01
At least the US-bound Nord N10 5G inherits the European edition’s
beautiful screen. It’s the exact same 6.49-inch FHD+ IPS display
(2400 x 1080 pixels, 406ppi), with the same 20:9 aspect ratio and
a 90Hz refresh rate. We have no complaints here.

Check out this unboxing video for a quick tour before we continue…
 

OnePlus
Nord N10 5G
Specifications & Features
Processing
and 5G Platform
Qualcomm
Snapdragon 690
Display 6.49″ FHD+ IPS, 2400×1080
resolution, 90Hz
Memory 6GB
LPDDR4x
Storage 128GB UFS 2.1 + microSD
Rear-Facing
Cameras
64MP
f/1.8 Main PDAF – 8MP f/2.3 119º Ultra-Wide – 2MP f/2.4
Macro – 2MP f/2.4 Monochrome
Front-Facing Cameras 16MP f/2.1
Video
Recording
Up to
4K @ 30fps, 1080p @ 60fps, 1080p slow-mo
Battery 4300 mAh
OS Android
10 With OxygenOS 10.5
Dimensions 163 x 74.7 x 9mm
Weight 190
grams
Connectivity 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.1+LE,
NFC, USB-C, LTE, 5G
Colors Midnight
Ice
Pricing Find the OnePlus Nord N10 5G @ Amazon, Starting at $299

OnePlus Nord N10 5G Camera

On the camera front, the specs remain identical between both
phones. The North American Nord N10 5G packs the same 64MP f/1.8
0.7-micron main shooter (without OIS), 8MP f/2.3 1.12-micron
119-degree ultrawide, 2MP f/2.4 1.75-micron macro (without AF),
and 2MP f/2.4 1.75-micron monochrome lens. You’ll also find the
same 16MP f/2.1 1.0-micron selfie camera in front. Imaging
performance carries over as well.

OnePlus Nord N10 5G 25

We took a few pictures with the NA version — both in the daytime
and in low light — and quickly confirmed that OnePlus hasn’t
improved or changed the cameras vs. the Euro variant. This handset continues
to take decent photos in daylight, but still struggles in low
light.

OnePlus Nord N10 5G sample 35
OnePlus
Nord
N10 5G main camera

OnePlus Nord N10 5G Audio, Data, And Call Reception

The big difference with this Nord N10 5G is that it supports
several sub-6GHz 5G bands for North America. We tested it on
T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon’s sub-6GHz 5G networks in the Bay
Area, and we didn’t have any problems getting 5G on T-Mobile
(speeds tests below). Unfortunately, this phone doesn’t support 5G
on AT&T, Verizon, or any Canadian carriers. This was confirmed
by OnePlus, which is a bummer.

Nord N10 5G screenshot 02

Obviously, the Nord N10 5G connects just fine to T-Mobile, AT&T,
and Verizon’s 4G LTE networks. Audio performance is excellent, with
the NA handset featuring the same stereo speakers and headphone jack
as its European counterpart.

OnePlus Nord N10 5G Performance, Benchmarks, And Battery Life

In terms of its specifications the US-bound Nord N10 5G is also identical to its
European twin. It’s powered by the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 690 5G SoC, and includes the same 6GB of LPDDR4x RAM and 128GB of UFS 2.1
storage (plus microSD support up to 512GB). Performance feels
similar on both handsets, and a quick round of benchmarks
confirmed this (comparison below). Basically, it’s competently
fast, but not original Nord or OnePlus 8-series fast.

OnePlus Nord N10 5G US Version
 Benchmark Performance

North American
model

European Model
GeekBench 5
606
(Single-core)
1819 (Multi-core)
605
(Single-core)
1861 (Multi-core)
PCMark
Work 2.0
7767
8199
AnTuTu 8 276849
283946
3DMark
Slingshot Extreme Unlimited
2329
2332

geekbench nord 5g

As for battery life, the North American N10 5G comes with the same
4300mAh battery and 30W fast charging (Warp Charge 30T) as the
European model, which achieved a whopping 16 hours and 28 minutes
on our PC Mark test. While we didn’t repeat
this test with the US-bound device, we expect similar results.

OnePlus Nord N10 5G Software And User Experience

The Nord N10 5G for North America runs Oxygen OS 10.5.8 on top
of Android 10, just like its Euro sibling. And frankly, between
the almost stock build, the helpful customizations, and 90Hz
refresh rate, it provides the same delightful experience. OxygenOS
proves once again that clean and refined software makes a big
difference. The N10 5G is just a pleasure to use, despite the
rather generic hardware.

Pixel 5 24

OnePlus Nord N10 5G Pricing And Summary

As we said in our more in-depth, original review, the Nord N10 5G is a solid handset if you can look past
the plastic build, frumpy chin, and middling cameras. It delivers
a quality display, great audio performance, superb battery life,
and — most importantly — an outstanding user experience. In
Europe, €349 isn’t the best deal when the solid Realme 7 5G
exists for just €279. But here in the US, the $299 N10 5G is
priced right. This makes it a fantastic value —  if you’re
on T-Mobile.

  • Affordable
    5G
  • Nice
    90Hz display

  • Stereo
    speakers and headphone Jack

  • Impressive
    battery life and fast 30W charging

  • Delightful
    user experience

  • Almost
    stock Android

  • Less then premium feel

  • No
    alert slider

  • Middling
    cameras

  • Just
    OK performance