In 2024, AG4Tech named the OnePlus Nord 4 the best mid-range smartphone of the year. However, due to the rapid growth of the mid-range phone industry, it has already been surpassed in 2025, including by Google’s current Pixel 9a.
Will OnePlus be able to reclaim its title in 2025? The new OnePlus Nord 5 is anticipated soon, and it could have numerous enhancements. Here’s what we know so far.
When will the OnePlus Nord 5 be released?
In summary
- Chinese version set to launch on 27 May
- Global launch could follow in June
- US availability unlikely
Based on recent models, a new version of the OnePlus Nord is expected to be released soon. However, while the Nord 3 was introduced in July 2023 and the Nord 4 in July 2024, the Nord 5 may arrive sooner.
According to one report, a global launch could occur in June, while another stated in early May that “an announcement is in the near future”.
So far, the only evidence we have is the appearance of a gadget known only as ‘CPH2079’ in the database of TUV Rheinland, a German corporation recognized for product testing. While not verified, several sites believe this could be the impending Nord 5.
If so, a presence in the database would imply a launch in the near future, but this may simply be delayed.
Notably, the Ace 3V was renamed and customized for overseas markets under the name OnePlus Nord 4. With no Ace 4V (the number 4 is considered unlucky in China), this tendency suggests that the Ace 5V will be released globally under the Nord 5 name.
However, there is a chance it will be the Ace 5 Racing, which is set to arrive on May 27. The inclusion of the same alleged chipset as the Nord 5 means that the devices are compatible.
But, unlike the 13 and 13R, a global launch is unlikely to include the United States. While all prior phones in the main Nord series were available in the UK, OnePlus tends to avoid the US with its mid-range offerings.
Sources: PhoneArena | Mint | The Tech Outlook | GSMArena | Sparrows News on YouTube
How much will the OnePlus Nord 5 cost?
Based on past models, we estimate the OnePlus Nord 5 will be priced below £500/€500.
There may be some minor price increases compared to the Nord 4’s £429/€499, but OnePlus likely want it to remain competitive with the £499/$499 Google Pixel 9a.
However, there are no actual leaks or rumours about pricing at this time.
What specs and features will the OnePlus Nord 5 have?
Design
The Nord 4 featured a metal unibody design, which provided a premium feel and increased durability over its predecessor. It also had an IP65 water and dust resistance rating, an alert slider, and a distinctive two-tone rear appearance.
The only concrete rumour we have so far is that the phone will have a glass back and a plastic frame. That would be a downgrade from the Nord 4, which has a metal frame.
The Chinese phone known as the OnePlus Ace 5 Racing Edition, on which the Nord 5 could be based, has a vertical array of cameras that resembles the Galaxy S25 series phones.
It’s also unlikely that the Nord 5 will lose the popular Alert Slider, which OnePlus has announced will be removed. It’s unclear what the firm plans to replace it with.
Display
The Nord 4’s 6.74-inch Full HD+ 120Hz OLED display is one of its most notable features, producing bright colors and deep blacks.
So far, reports indicate that the Nord 5 (and maybe the Ace 5 Racing) will feature a Full HD+ OLED display with a refresh rate of 120Hz. As such, any potential upgrades have yet to be unveiled.
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 the review, while it delivered strong performance, especially in everyday tasks, it showed limitations with intensive gaming.
However, the Nord 5 is anticipated to switch to MediaTek, notably the Dimensity 9400e, which has just been released. It’s a slightly less powerful version of the flagship Dimensity 9400, but good performance is still expected.
Nothing has been divulged about RAM or internal storage, so we can only guess that OnePlus will stay with the Nord 4’s 12+256GB and 16+512GB variants.
Cameras
The Nord 4’s cameras were a mixed bag, with a 50Mp main lens producing amazing pictures in favorable lighting but a mediocre ultrawide and no telephoto lens, leaving potential for development.
Sadly, it does not appear that these will be addressed, at least on the hardware side. The Nord 5 will apparently stay with the 50Mp main lens and 8Mp, while also matching the Nord 4 with a 16Mp selfie camera.
Its replacement will supposedly have the same 50Mp sensor, but there is no hint of a telephoto lens on the back.
On the software side, AI advancements such as ‘AI Best Face’ may gain prominence for a better shooting experience.
Battery & Charging
With a 5500mAh battery, the Nord 4 has an outstanding battery life. It supports 100W wired charging, however no charger is included in the box.
While charging speeds are expected to remain the same, we could be in for a big battery capacity boost. Reports suggest we could be in for a 7000mAh or even 7500mAh cell, though it’s not clear if this is achieved using newer silicon-carbon battery tech.
Nothing has been revealed regarding wireless charging, which is one of the notable omissions on the Nord 4.
Software
Running OxygenOS 14.1 based on Android 14, the Nord 4 offers a user-friendly experience with six years of security updates and four major OS updates.
The Nord 5 will presumably launch with OxygenOS 15 based on Android 15, while the Android 16 equivalent hopefully won’t be too far away. Hopefully, we can see further improvements to the software update commitment, although there are no rumours suggesting that’ll be the case.
It’s unclear whether we’ll see any new AI features. Some of the ones on the OnePlus 13 may be rolled out.
