OnePlus Nord 2 5G launch date and availability announced

The OnePlus 9 is getting some unwanted attention over a performance throttling scandal, but it isn't the only OnePlus phone in the market this year. In fact, there might be even more OnePlus Nord phones available today, with the OnePlus Nord CE 5G and OnePlus Nord N200 5G debuting last month. There is one more coming, as OnePlus teased earlier this week, and now the company is putting a more exact date for the launch of the OnePlus Nord 2 5G.

The OnePlus Nord 2 5G is notable for at least one detail, even while the company keeps the rest of the specs under wraps. The company already revealed that the phone would be running on a MediaTek processor, a first for OnePlus. But more than just a Dimensity 1200, it is rebranding it as a MediaTek Dimensity 1200-AI.

Of course, AI has been the buzzword in mobile for more than a year now, so it's not exactly a surprise that OnePlus is jumping on that bandwagon, even if belatedly. Again, it remains coy on what this specialized chipset really is, only promising AI-enhanced photography and performance on the OnePlus Nord 2 5G.

OnePlus CEO Pete Lau also reveals another piece of the puzzle. The OnePlus Nord 2 5G will be launching on July 22, just after its pre-sales competition ends. It will be launching in Europe and India, as previously stated by the chief exec. Unsurprisingly, it is skipping the US yet again, just like the first OnePlus Nord.

North American markets will have to settle for the new OnePlus Nord N200 5G, which is a completely different beast from the OnePlus Nord 2. The former is positioned as an entry-level 5G phone rather than a mid-range flagship, and that may come as a disappointment to some OnePlus fans in the US. Even more disappointing, however, is the software update story for these budget OnePlus Nord phones, and there isn't any sign that OnePlus will be changing its tune anytime soon.