The new Nord N200 5G is out, but should you choose it over the Nord N10 5G?
OnePlus Nord N10 5G
Our pick
$300 at Amazon $250 at Best Buy $280 at Walmart
Pros
- 6.49-inch 90Hz IPS LCD
- 6GB / 128GB
- Decent cameras
- Expandable storage
- 3.5mm headphone jack
- Warp Charge 30T
Cons
- No IP rating
- Only 1 major update
- No slider
The OnePlus Nord N10 5G trades an OLED display and more yearly platform updates for great internals, surprisingly effective cameras, 5G, the magic of Warp Charge 30T, and two relics of the past: a microSD slot and a headphone jack. Don't worry. You still get snappy 90Hz transitions but nothing fancier like an IP rating or wireless charging.
OnePlus Nord N200 5G
The cheaper option
$240 at Amazon $240 at Best Buy
Pros
- 6.49-inch 90Hz IPS LCD
- Expandable storage
- 3.5mm headphone jack
- 18W fast charging
- Cheapest 5G phone
- Large 5,000mAh battery
Cons
- No IP rating
- Only 1 major update
- Poor cameras
- No slider
All budget phones have large batteries to compensate, which strikes true with the OnePlus Nord N200 5G. The newest member of the Nord family comes in an inexpensive plastic shell on the outside and underwhelming lower-end specs on the inside. OnePlus hoped to tip the scales by throwing in 5G, a 90Hz refresh rate, an audio port, expandable storage, and a low price, but is it enough?
OnePlus started as the flagship killer but strayed from its path a tad bit with its premium prices. The Nord series is about returning to the brand's core ideologies: cheaper Android phones with lightweight software and upper mid-range specs. Both the Nord N10 5G and Nord N200 5G are affordably priced and offer some amazing features for their budget pricing. The two are almost identical in many aspects except for a few key features. Let's see how the OnePlus phones fare against each other. May the best Nord win!
OnePlus Nord N10 5G vs. Nord N200 5G: Spec standoff
At first glance, it seems like there aren't many differences between the OnePlus Nord N10 5G and Nord N200 5G. Both phones have the same 6.49-inch 90Hz IPS LCDs, both come with headphone jacks and expandable storage via microSD, and they share the same 16MP selfie camera. They look pretty similar, too, with twinning designs, dark hues of blue and plastic bodies. Oh, and of course, both Nord models are 5G-enabled.
The OnePlus Nord N10 5G and Nord N200 5G share identical disadvantages too. OnePlus skipped its signature alert slider with both the Nord devices, which is such a shame. They don't have IP ratings or support wireless charging, and each OnePlus phone is scheduled to receive only one major platform update.
The OnePlus Nord N10 5G and the Nord N200 5G are priced very closely, set only a few tens of dollars apart. The Nord N10 5G is the more expensive sibling, but we need to take a closer look at the specs to judge whether it's the better phone as well.
| OnePlus Nord N10 5G | OnePlus Nord N200 5G | |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.49-inch 90Hz IPS LCD 2400x1080 (20:9) Gorilla Glass 3 |
6.49-inch 90Hz IPS LCD 2400x1080 (20:9) Gorilla Glass 3 |
| Chipset | Snapdragon 690 | Snapdragon 480 |
| GPU | Adreno 619L | Adreno 619 |
| Operating system | Android 10 Oxygen OS 10.5 |
Android 11 Oxygen OS 11 |
| RAM | 6GB | 4GB |
| Internal storage | 128GB | 64GB |
| MicroSD slot | Yes (Up to 512GB) | Yes (Up to 256GB) |
| Rear camera 1 | 64MP f/1.8 | 13MP f/2.2 |
| Rear camera 2 | 8MP wide-angle, f/2.25 119-degree field-of-view |
2MP macro, f/2.4 |
| Rear camera 3 | 2MP macro, f/2.4 | 2MP monochrome, f/2.4 |
| Rear camera 4 | 2MP portrait, f/2.4 | ❌ |
| Front camera | 16MP | 16MP |
| Battery | 4,300mAh Non-removable |
Battery | 5,000mAh Non-removable |
| Charging | USB-C 2.0 Warp Charge 30T (5V/6A) |
USB-C 2.0 18W fast charging (9V/2A) |
| Audio | 3.5mm headphone jack Stereo speaker |
3.5mm headphone jack Mono speaker |
| Connectivity | 5G Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth 5.1, NFC |
5G, LTE Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth 5.1, NFC |
| Security | Rear fingerprint Face unlock |
Side fingerprint Face unlock |
Those are many techy bits of info but don't worry. We'll make this easy for you. After pitting the specifications of the two OnePlus Nord devices against each other, let's analyze what they actually mean in real life.
OnePlus Nord N10 5G vs. Nord N200 5G: Key differences
First, let's get the most obvious facts out of the way. Clearly, the OnePlus Nord N10 5G has a better Snapdragon 690 processor and Adreno 619L GPU compared to the Nord N200 5G's Snapdragon 480 SoC and Adreno 619 graphics. Tie in the Nord N10 5G's larger 6GB RAM instead of the Nord N200 5G's 4GB RAM, and you know that performance-wise, the OnePlus Nord N10 5G wins the battle.
Performance-wise, the OnePlus Nord N10 5G wins the battle.
Noticeably, the Nord N10 5G also has more internal storage, touting 128GB of onboard storage, whereas the OnePlus Nord N200 5G offers 64GB internally. You can store more music, videos, photos, documents, and other files on the OnePlus Nord N10 5G. Fortunately, they both support expandable storage, up to 512GB for the Nord N10 5G and up to 256GB for the Nord N200 5G.
One of the saving graces of the Nord N200 5G is its generous 5,000mAh battery with 18W fast charging via USB Type-C that sweetens the deal. While the Nord N10 5G has a smaller 4,300mAh battery when you put it next to the Nord N200 5G, it still stands its ground on its own. 4,300mAh is enough to last you through the day for the most part. If you run out of charge, though, the OnePlus Nord N10 5G's brilliant Warp Charge 30T will power your phone back to 100% in no time at all.
One of the Nord N200 5G's saving graces is its generous 5,000mAh battery.
On paper, the Nord N10 5G has better quad cameras headlined by the main 64MP lens. This translates well in real life, but the N10 5G's photography suffers for the worse in low-light settings. The OnePlus Nord N200 5G, on the other hand, has a triple camera setup on the rear. That sounds good, too, but it might as well have had one or two good cameras in exchange for the three subpar ones it actually features. Even bright daylight won't help you much with those low-grade Nord N200 5G cameras.
OnePlus Nord N10 5G vs. Nord N200 5G: Which should you buy?
The techy trail of spec breadcrumbs leads us to conclude that the OnePlus Nord N10 5G is better than its cheaper (and newer) counterpart. We agree that the Nord N200 5G drives an excellent bargain, but the N10 5G offers a lot more for a little more money.
Cameras, performance, and memory specifications are like the holy trinity of all smartphones. A giant battery alone isn't the only ingredient in the recipe for an outstanding budget phone. Even with the 90Hz refresh rate of the OnePlus Nord N200 5G's display, a headphone jack, and a microSD slot, it needs more oomph to defeat the Nord N10 5G.
The OnePlus Nord N10 5G retains the good bits of the Nord N200 5G, such as the 90Hz display, audio port, and expandable storage. It then ups the ante with its comparatively superior cameras, excellent memory options, 30W fast charging, and a better Snapdragon 690 chipset under the hood. It isn't for naught that we consider the N10 5G one of the best OnePlus phones in 2021. The OnePlus Nord N10 5G is a beastly budget phone, and you should definitely buy one instead of the Nord N200 5G.
OnePlus Nord N10 5G
Our pick
$300 at Amazon $250 at Best Buy $280 at Walmart
More for less
OnePlus realized its budget Nord dreams with the OnePlus Nord N10 5G. This phone comes jam-packed with features that provide value for money!
OnePlus Nord N200 5G
The cheaper option
5G made affordable
$240 at Amazon $240 at Best Buy
The OnePlus Nord N200 5G is a good phone that makes 5G cheaper and more accessible than ever before, though it lacks in a few departments.
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