OnePlus Nord 3 May Launch By June 2023, Specs Detailed In Fresh Leak
Until 2020, OnePlus was mostly known for its strategy of launching affordable flagships at eye-popping prices. This business strategy primarily involved the company offering high-end flagship-level features at a lower price than offerings from premium brands. The strategy paid off, and OnePlus was able to wean away a sizable number of consumers from premium brands. OnePlus' target consumers included people who wanted to enjoy the experience of a flagship phone — but did not want to pay the premium price tag attached to them. This strategy resulted in the company focusing only on affordable flagship devices in the first few years of its existence.
While this strategy worked well for a while, OnePlus was also quick to realize that it had to move beyond making just affordable flagships and widen its product portfolio. As a result, the company has been strengthening its mid-range portfolio for the past couple of years. The process started in 2020 with the launch of the OnePlus Nord series. The first device from the lineup was the OnePlus Nord, which offered high-end features at a more affordable price point than OnePlus's flagship devices of the time. In 2021, OnePlus announced a successor to the first generation Nord and called it the OnePlus Nord 2, and in 2022, the company announced the OnePlus Nord 2T.
Following the launch of the OnePlus 11 series a few weeks ago, we now have the first indications of the company readying the launch of the Nord 3. Noted leaker Steve Hemmerstoffer, in collaboration with Indian publication MySmartPrice recently revealed the expected specifications of the OnePlus Nord 3.
Larger display, better camera hardware likely
The physical footprint of the three OnePlus Nord devices launched until now has remained the same — with all of them featuring a 6.43-inch panel. This is likely to change with the OnePlus Nord 3, which is rumored to feature a larger 6.7-inch FHD+ AMOLED panel and a higher refresh rate (120Hz as opposed to 90Hz on the predecessors). The top-end Nord smartphones have historically used MediaTek chipsets, and this tradition is likely to continue with the OnePlus Nord 3. MySmartPrice claims that the Nord 3 will be powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 9000 chipset. The device will come in 8GB and 16GB RAM configurations and will also have 128GB and 256GB storage options on offer.
There will be no significant changes to the camera hardware on the Nord 3, with the device largely retaining the 50MP (main) +8MP (ultrawide) +2MP (macro) configuration this time around too. The company seems to be downgrading the resolution in the selfie camera from 32MP on the Nord 2T to 16MP on the Nord 3.
The larger size of the phone will let OnePlus cram a larger battery on the Nord 3, and the device is rumored to get a 5,000 mAh battery this time around — considerably larger than the 4500 mAh battery on its predecessor. In typical OnePlus fashion, expect the Nord 3 to support excellent charging speeds of up to 80W using the company's proprietary SuperVOOC charging standard. Another major change to the Nord 3 is the return of OnePlus' trademark alert slider.
MySmartPrice expects OnePlus to launch the Nord 3 by the second half of 2023, mostly between the months of June-July.