OnePlus Nord N30 Vs. OnePlus Nord N20: So What’s New?
OnePlus Nord N30 is here; let us look at what has changed in a year with the Nord N series upgrade!
OnePlus Nord N30
OnePlus has launched its latest budget smartphone in the US, OnePlus Nord N30. It offers one of the fastest charging in its price segment and decent specs and features.
Pros
- Good performance
- Super fast charging
- Headphone jack & micro SD card slot support
Cons
- No ultrawide camera
- No Alert slider
OnePlus Nord N20
It’s been a year since OnePlus Nord N20 was launched in the US market. It offers decent specs and features for the price.
Pros
- Good performance
- Fast charging
- AMOLED display
Cons
- No ultrawide camera
- No Alert slider
OnePlus Nord N30 Vs. OnePlus Nord N20: KEY TAKEAWAYS
- OnePlus Nord N30 and OnePlus Nord N20 look like they’re from different brands; they don’t follow the same design language.
- OnePlus Nord N20 is smaller with a 6.43-inch display, while the Nord N30 is notably bigger at 6.72 inches.
- OnePlus Nord N30 has an IPS LCD panel with a refresh rate 120Hz, while Nord N20 has an AMOLED panel with 60Hz. Both displays have a resolution of Full HD+.
- OnePlus Nord N30 and Nord N20 are powered by Snapdragon 695 SoC; OnePlus didn’t upgrade the chipset.
- OnePlus Nord N30 and Nord N20 have a triple camera setup, but they can be considered a single camera as the secondary cameras are just 2MP for depth and macro.
- OnePlus Nord N30 comes with 108MP primary camera, while Nord N20 comes with a 64MP primary.
- To the front, both phones feature 16MP selfie shooters.
- OnePlus Nord N30 has a 5000mAh battery and much faster 50W fast charging. Nord N20 has a smaller 4500mAh battery with slower 33W charging.
Design
OnePlus Nord N30 adopts a new design language for OnePlus phones. The dual camera circle camera island looks fresh and doesn’t look like any other OnePlus phone. It does look like Asus Zenfone 9, though!
We could also say the same about OnePlus Nord N20; it doesn’t look like any other OnePlus phone. It has a flat frame like the iPhones, unlike Nord N30.
Display
OnePlus Nord N30 has a 6.72-inch Full HD+ LCD panel with a refresh rate of 120Hz. OnePlus Nord N20 has a smaller display of 6.43 inches, but it is an AMOLED panel, better than the one in Nord N30. It has a resolution of Full HD+, but it has a refresh rate of just 60Hz.
Performance
The OnePlus Nord N30 and the Nord N20 are powered by the Snapdragon 695 SoC. It is a good mid-range chipset, which offers decent performance for both phones.
Camera
Both phones have a triple camera setup, but they can be essentially considered a single camera because they don’t come with an ultrawide or telephoto secondary camera. Instead, both phones come with a set of two 2MP sensors for macro and depth.
OnePlus Nord N30 has a 108MP primary camera, while the Nord N20 has a 64MP one. The front camera is the same in both phones, like most OnePlus phones, coming in at 16MP.
Take a look at the official camera samples from OnePlus Nord N30:
Battery
OnePlus Nord N30 is backed up by a 5,000mAh battery which is charged by a 50W fast charging. Nord N20 has a slightly smaller battery, at 4,500mAh, supported by a 33W fast charging. OnePlus Nord N30 has a clear advantage over its predecessor in battery and charging.
Software
OnePlus phones come with Oxygen OS custom skin. OnePlus Nord N20, being the older phone, ships with Oxygen OS 11 based on Android 11, which has been updated to Oxygen OS 12 based on Android 12. Nord N30, on the other hand, comes with the latest Oxygen OS 13 based on Android 13. A downside with Nord phones is that you only get a single Android update.
Specs Comparison Table
| Specification | OnePlus Nord N30 | OnePlus Nord N20 |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 165.5 x 76 x 8.3 mm | 159.9 x 73.2 x 7.5 mm |
| Weight | 195 g | 173 g |
| Build | Glass front, plastic frame, plastic back | Glass front, plastic frame, plastic back |
| SIM | Hybrid Dual SIM | Nano-SIM |
| IP rating | – | – |
| Display size | 6.72 inches | 6.43 inches |
| Display type | LCD | AMOLED |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels | 1080 x 2400 pixels |
| Refresh rate | 120Hz | 60Hz |
| Display Certifications | – | – |
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 | Schott Xensation Up |
| Processor | Snapdragon 695 | Snapdragon 695 |
| CPU | Octa-core (2×2.2 GHz Kryo 660 Gold & 6×1.7 GHz Kryo 660 Silver) | Octa-core (2×2.2 GHz Kryo 660 Gold & 6×1.7 GHz Kryo 660 Silver) |
| GPU | Adreno 619 | Adreno 619 |
| RAM | 8 GB | 6 GB |
| Storage | 128 GB | 128 GB |
| Main camera | 108 MP, f/1.7, 1/1.67″, 0.64µm | 64 MP, f/1.8, PDAF |
| Ultra-wide camera | – | – |
| Macro camera | 2 MP, f/2.4 | 2 MP, f/2.4 |
| Depth sensor | 2 MP, f/2.4 | 2 MP, f/2.4 |
| Selfie camera | 16 MP, f/2.4, 1.0µm | 16 MP, f/2.4 |
| Battery capacity | 5000 mAh | 4500 mAh |
| Charging speed | 50 W | 33 W |
| Wireless charging | – | – |
| Operating system | OxygenOS 13 based on Android 13 | OxygenOS 11 based on Android 11 |
| Price | $299 | $299 |
Price & Value For Money
OnePlus Nord N30 and Nord N20 are both priced at $299. Nord N30 is available in OnePlus Store, Amazon, and Best Buy. Nord N20 isn’t available currently on Amazon, but it’s available in OnePlus Store and Best Buy.
- Also Read: OnePlus Nord N30 Vs. Motorola G Power 5G
Conclusion
OnePlus Nord N30 and Nord N20 offer similar stuff: a decent chipset, cameras, and display. But Nord N20, being the older phone, comes with much older software which isn’t getting supported by the company for more years, which means the device isn’t getting Android 14. Nord N20 has a saving grace, its AMOLED display, even though it is a 60Hz panel.
Nord N30 is a better choice; it has the same chipset, a slightly better camera, and charges faster than most devices in this price range. It will also get an Android 14 update, unlike Nord N20. It has a 120Hz LCD panel, but it is still a good choice for this price.
Both phones are offered at the same price, which makes the Nord N30 an easy choice over the older Nord N20.
