The OnePlus Nord 5 is shaping up to be a strong contender in the mid-range phone market, building on the success of its predecessors in the Nord series.
While the exact release date and details of the Nord 5 remain unconfirmed, it seems likely it will be a rebranded OnePlus Ace 5V plus we can look at previous releases to estimate what improvements may be made.
When will the OnePlus Nord 5 be released?
Traditionally, OnePlus has released its Nord series models around mid-year, with the Nord 3 launching in July 2023 and the Nord 4 in August 2024.
Following this pattern, it’s anticipated that the OnePlus Nord 5 will also make its debut around mid-2025.
Importantly, OnePlus is preparing to expand its Ace 5 family, which currently includes the Ace 5 and Ace 5 Pro. The upcoming addition, the Ace 5V, will succeed the Ace 3V released in March 2024.
Chris Martin / Foundry
Notably, the Ace 3V was rebranded and modified for international markets as the OnePlus Nord 4. This trend suggests the Ace 5V might be launched globally under the Nord 5 branding.
Note there is no Ace 4V as the number four is unlucky in China.
How much will the OnePlus Nord 5 cost?
The OnePlus Nord 5 is expected to slot into the sub-£500/€500 category, making it an affordable mid-range alternative to flagship devices.
Based on the pricing of the Nord 4, it could start at around £429/€499, though prices may vary depending on regional markets.
What specs and features will the OnePlus Nord 5 have?
While there is no concrete information about the Nord 5’s specifications, examining the Nord 4’s features provides a solid foundation for speculation.
Design
The Nord 4 introduced a metal unibody design, offering a premium feel and improved durability compared to its predecessor.
It also featured an IP65 water and dust resistance rating, an alert slider, and a unique two-tone rear design.
Chris Martin / Foundry
For the Nord 5, we anticipate further refinement of this design. OnePlus might enhance the IP rating to IP67 or IP68 for better water resistance.
The rear design could become sleeker, potentially addressing the fingerprint smudge issue seen on the Nord 4.
We also expect OnePlus to retain the popular alert slider and O-Haptics feedback system.
Display
The Nord 4’s 6.74-inch Full HD+ OLED display was a standout feature, delivering vibrant colours and deep blacks. However, it lacked LTPO technology for variable refresh rates.
Chris Martin / Foundry
For the Nord 5, OnePlus could introduce LTPO to improve battery efficiency, along with a slight increase in maximum brightness for better visibility outdoors.
Going by rumoured Ace 5V specs, it will have a 1.5K resolution flat screen with a small bezel, though the size is unknown.
Performance
The Nord 4 was powered by the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 chipset, paired with up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage.
During our review, while it delivered strong performance, especially in everyday tasks, it showed limitations with intensive gaming.
It’s therefore safe to assume that the Nord 5 could be equipped with a Snapdragon 7+ Gen 4 or even the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3s.
Chris Martin / Foundry
However, the Ace 5V (believed to debut globally as the Nord 5 as mentioned earlier) is rumoured (via GSMArena) to feature MediaTek’s unannounced Dimensity 9350 chipset, described as an enhanced version of the Dimensity 9300.
According to prominent Weibo leaker Digital Chat Station, this chip is expected to directly compete with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8s Elite, the successor to the 8s Gen 3. The Dimensity 9350 promises slight performance improvements and reduced power consumption compared to its predecessor.
RAM and storage options might remain similar to the Nord 4, but we could see faster UFS 4.0 storage and LPDDR5X RAM for improved efficiency. Expandable storage could also be a welcome addition.
Cameras
The Nord 4’s cameras were a mixed bag, with a 50Mp main lens offering excellent results in good lighting, but the ultrawide and lack of a telephoto lens leaving room for improvement.
Chris Martin / Foundry
For the Nord 5, we might see an upgrade to a larger sensor for the main camera, improved ultrawide capabilities, and possibly a 2x telephoto lens for added versatility.
On the software side, AI enhancements like ‘AI Best Face’ could become more prominent for a better photography experience.
Battery & Charging
With a 5500mAh battery, the Nord 4 boasted excellent battery life. It supported 100W wired charging, though it lacked a charger in the box and offered no wireless charging.
Chris Martin / Foundry
The Nord 5 might push charging speeds further to 120W while addressing compatibility issues with third-party adapters. It may also push the battery capacity to a whopping 7000mAh based on the rumoured Ace 5V specs.
Wireless charging could also make its debut in the Nord series, though it might be limited to slower speeds to keep costs in check. Battery capacity is unlikely to change significantly.
Software
Running OxygenOS 14.1 based on Android 14, the Nord 4 offered a user-friendly experience with six years of security updates and four major OS updates.
The Nord 5 will likely ship with OxygenOS 15 based on Android 15, maintaining OnePlus’ strong commitment to software support.
Further AI integration could enhance usability, especially for photography, battery optimisation, and accessibility features.
We will update this article when we learn something new. In the meantime, be sure to check out what we know about the global launch of the OnePlus 13.
