OnePlus finally returning to affordable smartphones with ‘Nord’

Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus is finally returning to affordable handsets following years of consecutive price hikes. Well, kind of: it’s working on another mid-range device to go along with its assortment of flagships. The company took to social media to confirm the move several hours back, revealing that its next smartphone will launch as the OnePlus Nord.

Whereas the OnePlus 8 (pictured above) released in April with a starting price of $700, recent teasers from the manufacturer suggest the Nord will be in the ballpark of $550/€500. That’s a decent proposal for a device using the Snapdragon 765G, which is essentially the current golden standard for value in the Android smartphone space. As if a poetic return to its product roots is not enough, OnePlus is also resuming its second favorite activity after making money – making documentaries about making money. The first episode of its latest series originally titled “New Beginnings” is available for viewing down below.

OnePlus Nord launch scheduled for next week

The full-fledged unveiling of the OnePlus Nord is slated for next Friday, July 10th. OnePlus already confirmed the Nord isn’t exactly intended for the United States where it will only receive a “highly limited” beta release. It will instead primarily target Europe and India, though it remains to be seen how exactly will it perform given the fact Apple’s iPhone SE 2020 is well-positioned to give it a run for its money. Quite literary, at that, given how it’s €50 cheaper, not to mention already available for purchase.

It’s been nearly five years since the firm last released a budget-conscious device in the OnePlus X, with its resources being almost exclusively focused on competing with the likes of Samsung and Apple nowadays. Time will tell whether it’s been ignoring the mid-range segment for too long, but there’s more than a hint of irony to be observed in the fact OnePlus started as an iPhone killer and is now trying to break into the $500 crowd, whereas that very same crowd developed a massive crush on Apple while OnePlus wasn’t looking; probably because it was busy filming documentaries.