OnePlus has just released its new smartphone with a mid-range chipset, the OnePlus Nord. Despite its mid-range category, it still comes with premium features, such as a high refresh rate AMOLED display, two front-facing cameras, fast charging, and 5G connectivity. As such, we found it fitting to compare it with its fellow 5G-capable premium mid-range competitors, the Realme X50 and Huawei Nova 7 SE, to know which device to get.
| OnePlus Nord | Realme X50 5G | Huawei Nova 7SE 5G |
|---|---|---|
| 6.44-inch FHD+ (2400 x 1080) 90Hz Fluid AMOLED display | 6.57-inch FHD+ (2400 x 1080) 120Hz IPS display | 6.5-inch FHD+ (2400 x 1080) LTPS IPS display, HDR 10 |
| Corning Gorilla Glass 5 | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 | - |
| Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G 2.4GHz octa-core CPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G 2.4GHz octa-core CPU | Huawei Kirin 820 5G 2.36GHz octa-core CPU |
| Adreno 620 GPU | Adreno 620 GPU | Mali-G57 GPU |
| 6GB, 8GB, 12GB RAM | 6GB, 8GB, 12GB RAM | 8GB RAM |
| 64GB, 128GB, 256GB UFS 2.1 | 128GB, 256GB UFS 2.1 | 128GB storage |
| - | - | Up to 256GB via NM Card |
| Quad-rear cameras: • 48MP F1.8, OIS (main) • 8MP F2.3 (ultrawide) • 5MP F2.4 (depth) • 2MP F2.4 (macro) | Quad-rear cameras: • 64MP main • 12MP telephoto • 8MP ultrawide • 2MP macro | Quad-rear cameras: • 64MP main • 8MP ultra-wide • 2MP depth • 2MP macro |
| Dual-front cameras: • 32MP F2.4 (main) • 8MP F2.5 (ultrawide) | Dual-front cameras: • 16MP main • 8MP ultrawide | 16MP front camera |
| Dual-SIM | Dual-SIM | Dual-SIM |
| 5G, 4G LTE | 5G, 4G LTE | 5G, 4G LTE |
| WiFi 802.11 ac | WiFi 802.11 ac | WiFi 802.11 ac |
| Bluetooth 5.1 | Bluetooth 5.0 | Bluetooth 5.1 |
| Dual-band GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, SBAS, NavIC | Dual-band GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS | GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, GALILEO, QZSS |
| NFC | NFC | - |
| USB Type-C | USB Type-C | USB Type-C |
| Fingerprint scanner (in-display) | Fingerprint scanner (Side-mounted) | Fingerprint scanner (Side-mounted) |
| Android 10 (Oxygen OS 10.5) | ColorOS 7 with custom Realme UI (Android 10) | EMUI 10.1 (Android 10) |
| 4,115mAh battery w/ 30W Warp Charge 30T | 4,200mAh battery with 30W VOOC flash charging | 4,000mAh battery w/ 40W SuperCharge |
| 158.3 x 73.3 x 8.2 mm | 163.8 x 8.9 x 75.8 mm | 162.31 x 75 x 8.58 mm |
| 184 g | 202g | 189g |
Table of Contents
Display
While all three devices have Full HD+ resolutions, they use different panels. The OnePlus Nord comes with a 90Hz AMOLED display, a 120Hz IPS display for the realme X50 5G, and a standard 60HZ IPS display for the Huawei Nova 7 SE.
Overall, the OnePlus Nord has the best display as it comes with an AMOLED panel capable of running at a faster 90Hz refresh rate. Second would be the realme X50 5G for its use of a higher 120Hz display, and last is Huawei’s Nova 7 SE, which uses a standard 60Hz IPS panel.
Chipset
Both the OnePlus Nord and realme X50 5G use Snapdragon’s 765G chipset, while the Huawei Nova 7 SE uses its own Kirin 820 chipset. Performance-wise, the two chipsets used are neck and neck, with the Kirin 820 outperforming the Snapdragon 765 in our AnTuTu v8 and 3DMark OpenGL tests, while the Snapdragon beats the Kirin 820 in our PCMark Work 2 and 3DMark Vulkan tests.
We’re giving all three devices a tie in this category as they would be able to provide users a lag-free experience when it comes to the typical day-to-day operation, even taxing games.
RAM
When it comes to RAM configuration, the OnePlus Nord and realme X50 5G offer the same 6GB, 8GB, and 12GB variants, although the official realme CN website only offers the 8GB option for the latter, meanwhile, the Huawei Nova 7 SE can only be purchased with 8GB of RAM.
While 8GB is more than enough for most users, having more choices is better, as it can suit different user’s needs and budgets. As such, we’re giving the OnePlus Nord the win.
Storage
As for storage, the OnePlus Nord offers the most choices for consumers, with 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB variants. The realme X50 5G, on the other hand, is offered initially with either 128GB or 256GB of storage, but the official site only lists the 128GB variant. Lastly, the Huawei Nova 7 SE can only be purchased with 128GB of storage, but users do have the option to add up to a 256GB Nano Memory card.
We’re giving both the OnePlus Nord and Huawei Nova 7 SE a tie here, due to the latter’s expandability.
Cameras
All three devices come with four rear cameras, but with varying setups. The OnePlus Nord comes with a 48MP primary accompanied by an 8MP ultra-wide, 5MP depth, and 2MP macro. Meanwhile, the realme X50 5G comes with a larger 64MP primary, 12MP telephoto, 8MP ultra-wide, and 2MP macro lens. Lastly, the Huawei Nova 7 SE is equipped with a 64MP primary, 8MP ultra-wide, 2MP depth, and 2MP macro shooter. When it comes to its rear cameras, the realme X50 has the advantage with its inclusion of a telephoto camera, capable of up to 2X optical zoom.
As for selfies, both the OnePlus Nord and realme X50 5G come with two front cameras: a 32MP primary with an 8MP ultrawide for the Nord, and a 16MP primary with an 8MP ultra-wide for the X50 5G. The Huawei Nova 7 SE, on the other hand, comes with a single 16MP front camera.
As per usual, camera resolution is not the sole indicator of a better camera, as software and image processing plays a huge role in picture quality. While we haven’t tested out the OnePlus Nord yet, check out our sample photos of the realme X50 5G and Huawei Nova 7 SE in our reviews.
We’ll be leaving this to the user to decide which phone produces the best photos for their taste.
Connectivity and Other Features
Connectivity-wise, these smartphones are similar, with support for Dual SIMs, 5G, WiFi 5, and Bluetooth 5.1, except for the X50, which has the older 5.0 standard. The OnePlus Nord and realme X50 5G, however, come with dual-band GPS and NFC for more accurate location tracking and wireless payments.
For security, the OnePlus Nord comes with an in-display fingerprint scanner, while the realme X50 5G and Huawei Nova 7 SE have side-mounted fingerprint scanners that also double as the power button.
We’re giving the OnePlus Nord and the realme X50 5G a tie in this category as they both feature dual-band GPS and NFC.
OS
All three devices run on Android 10, with their own skins on top: Oxygen OS 10.5 for the OnePlus Nord, Realme UI for the realme x50 5G, and EMUI 10.1 for the Huawei Nova 7 SE. Do note, however, that the Huawei Nova 7 SE does not come with Google Mobile Services and, by extension, the Google Play Store.
While Huawei’s App Gallery has become the third-largest app market place globally, it still lacks several apps that are already available in the Google Play Store. We’re also giving the OnePlus Nord and realme X50 5G a tie here.
Battery
Powering the OnePlus Nord is a 4,115mAh battery with 30W Warp Charge support. Meanwhile, powering the realme X50 5G and Huawei Nova 7 SE is a 4,200mAh battery with 30W VOOC flash charging and a 4,000mAh battery 40W SuperCharge support, respectively.
On paper, the realme X50 5G should have the longest battery life due to its larger 4,200mAh battery. However, do note that other factors affect battery life aside from the capacity.
Which phone is the better buy?
Since all three phones have comparable performance and battery life, your choice should boil down to the display, cameras, memory configuration, and the OS.
On paper, the realme X50 5G appears to be the best purchase out of the three, as it offers the best balance among the categories in this comparison. You get a smooth 120Hz display, enough memory for the everyday user, a high-resolution primary camera, two front-facing cameras, dual-band GPS and NFC, and the largest battery.
The OnePlus Nord, on the other hand, features the best display and highest selfie camera resolution out of the three devices, but come with a lower resolution primary camera compared to the realme X50 5G and Huawei Nova 7 SE. There are also three memory configurations starting with a 6GB+64GB variant, which may make this the most affordable phone out of the three on release.
Lastly, the Huawei Nova 7 SE 5G features an impressive camera system, expandable memory, and is readily available in the country. However, it has the least impressive display and does not support Google Mobile Services – which may be a deal-breaker for some consumers.
Comparing smartphones but no mention of price.
Kinda hard to compare prices of these phones when they don’t have PH pricing yet.