OnePlus Nord N200 Review: The cheapest 5G phone in Nepal

OnePlus Nord N200 5G is finally here in Nepal after two years of its global debut. Well,  'Better Late than Never', right? The device is launched here at the price tag of NPR 17,499 for the sole 4/64GB variant, making it the cheapest 5G phone in Nepal. The closest 5G phone to come near this one is the Poco M3 Pro 5G at NPR 23,999 (4/64GB). Powered by the Snapdragon 480 5G chipset, is this the best one in the price range? Let's find that out in our OnePlus Nord N200 5G review.

OnePlus Nord N200 5G Specifications:

• Dimension: 163.1 x 74.9 x 8.3mm, 189 grams
• Display: 6.49-inches IPS LCD panel, 90Hz refresh rate, 2.5D cover glass
• Resolution: FHD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels), 20:9 aspect ratio
• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 5G (8nm)
• Memory: 4GB RAM LPDDR4X, 64GB UFS 2.1 storage (expandable)
• Software & UI: Android 11 with OxygenOS (Android 12 update available)
• Rear Camera: Triple (13MP main, 2MP macro, 2MP monochrome)
• Front Camera: 16MP (punch-hole)
• Security: Side-mounted fingerprint scanner
• Connectivity: 5G, Dual Nano-SIM, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.1, GPS, USB Type-C, 3.5mm audio jack
• Battery: 5000mAh with 18W fast charging

Buy OnePlus Nord N200 5G here (9801100037)

OnePlus Nord N200 5G Review:

Design and Display

• Glass Front, Plastic Back, Plastic Frame
• 6.49-inches IPS LCD, 90Hz refresh rate
• 2400 x 1080 pixels, 20:9 aspect ratio

As usual, let me commence with the design first. Taking a glance at the phone, the Nord 200 5G looks beautiful. As a budget-centric phone, you get an all-plastic body with a glass front. But the frame and glossy rear panel don't feel cheap at all. While the rectangular camera module does seem a bit outdated in 2023. Still, for a phone of a budget caliber, this has to be one of the best-looking phones in the sub-20K price range. Getting to the front, you get a punch hole cutout on the left. It is an IPS LCD panel measuring 6.49 inches here. OnePlus has provided a 90Hz refresh rate here and on my usage time, I found it to be pretty good. Talking of the display quality, it is good and sharp for an LCD panel. The multimedia experience is on the decent side with the single speaker, producing fairly nice audio.

Performance

• Snapdragon 480 5G, 8nm mobile platform
• 2x Cortex-A76 (@2.0GHz), 6x Cortex-A55 (@1.8GHz)
• Adreno 619 GPU

The Nord N200 gets a 5G chipset, which is pretty rare in this price segment. Not only 5G connectivity, the Snapdragon 480 SoC also brings a capable performance. I ran the Geekbench benchmark test on this guy and it manages to bring a single-core score of 700 and a multi-core score of 1632, which is higher than the Helio G88 found in this range. So, how's the overall performance then? Well, on my usage time, the day-to-day tasks felt smooth. Switching between the apps, and scrolling on social media, does it without hiccups. I'm someone who loves playing games. Given that it's a budget midrange phone, I tried some light games alongside, some PUBG and CODM matches. The SD 480 catered a very good gaming performance on light titles like Subway Surfers, Clash Royale, Clash of Clans, etc. Meanwhile, you can dial up to 40fps and 60fps on PUBG and CODM respectively. But do expect some fps drops here and there. Overall, the phone can handle casual gaming but if you are a heavy gamer, it wouldn't cater fully to your needs.

Ad-Free OxygenOS Experience

The phone originally came with Android 11 which is now upgradeable up to Android 12. As OxyegnOS has been 'Oppofied' now, thankfully the OxygenOS12 on this phone still carries the good old OxyegnOS vibes. I know, Android 12 in 2023 doesn't sound too appealing but for day-to-day usage, you are getting a good OS experience with no Ads and bloatware.

Phones in this price range run annoying ads and come filled with bloatware. Well, this is not the case with the Nord N200 5G. One thing to note, the budget N series only receives one major software update. Hence, this guy won't get the Android 13 update, so you have to settle with Android 12 sadly.

Camera

• 13MP Main
• 2MP Macro + 2MP Monochrome

Let's get into the optics section. The phone does provide a triple camera setup (13MP + 2MP + 2MP) here, with no ultrawide unit.

Daylight Shots

As evident from the samples, the daylight imageries from the Nord N200 are just on the average side. I shouldn't be too nitpicking on a budget phone but have to say, it is quite poor at maintaining exposure. Overall, the phone is only good to go for casual users.

Portraits

Okay, moving to the portraits section, you get a decent result. The skin tone and dynamic range are not that good though. While the edge detection is okay for the price.  

Selfies

The selfie part is also not that great but I would call it decent anyways. You can tune into the background blur level and most of the time, your selfies are ready to go for your Snaps and Insta stories.

Night

When the sun goes down, outputs from the N200 5G are average. You do get a dedicated night mode here which apparently takes better images. But be sure to keep your hand steady.

Battery

Like every other midrange phone, the Nord N200 gets its fuel from a 5000mAH battery. You get a compatible 18W charger bundled in the box. And it takes around 2 hours for a full charge. Talking of its backup, the battery lasted for more than a day on medium usage. If you are a light user, do expect 2-day long battery life.

OnePlus Nord N200 5G Review : Conclusion

Time for the truth! The OnePlus Nord N200 brings a decent set of experiences to the table. You're getting a capable 5G chipset in the budget and a clean OS here. Although the camera is not on the appealing side, it does its job for casual users. The battery life is great with a 18W charger in the box. While on the updates part, you'll have to settle with Android 12. Overall, a worthy device in the sub 20k price bracket.

OnePlus Nord N200 5G Review: Pros and Cons

Pros

• Good Design
• Decent Performance from Snpadragon 480
• Ad and Bloatware Free Oxygen OS

Cons

• Stuck at Android 12
• 64GB storage on the base variant
• Single Speaker