Smartphones

OnePlus Nord N100: test / review

Published on: 06-04-2021 / Modified: 07-10-2022
I have never tested OnePlus phones before buying this OnePlus Nord N100 because OnePlus mainly produces high end phones which are quite expensive. With the arrival of the "North" range, OnePlus decided to attack the entry level, so I had no more excuses, I had to test this new model.

OnePlus is mainly positioned in a premium segment and declining a phone for the entry level is an exercise that will force OnePlus to make sacrifices while keeping a philosophy close to their other products. With a price around 150 €, the OnePlus Nord N100 will have to face phones like the Redmi Note 10 or the Poco X3 which on paper seem to exceed the OnePlus on many points. It is not therefore a given but at the end of this test, you will be able to judge yourself if this phone is made for you.

Manufacturer web site:
https://www.oneplus.com/
Site where I have bought the OnePlus Nord N100: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_AFhjH4

Structure of my tests

I test the phones according to a pre-established structure (see below) to provide you with as much information as possible. Unfortunately, this takes a long time. Some tests like network performance tests take several days and for photo tests I sometimes have to wait until the weather is suitable to take pictures in good conditions. I am therefore obliged to publish the tests step by step, so I invite you to come back if the test is not complete at the time of your visit.

Price OnePlus Nord N100

The list below shows the prices for the OnePlus Nord N100 from more than 50 sites around the world. If you are not satisfied with any price, you can subscribe to a price alert to be the first to be notified when the price drops.

The above links are affiliate links from companies such as Amazon, Gearbest, Aliexpress,... If you appreciate my work, I would be grateful if you could purchase these products through these links. It costs you absolutely nothing but I get a small commission that allows me to buy the material I test. Thank you very much!

Timeline

April 1, 2021: Order of the OnePlus Nord N100 on Aliexpress
April 6, 2021: I received the OnePlus, the delivery was fast, I can start the test

Why this phone?

The price is an essential criterion of choice in the phones that I test, the usual price of OnePlus is well above the phones that I usually buy but with its 128 €, this OnePlus N100 almost automatically became a target for a test. The price is obviously not the only motivation, my curiosity also plays a role and I always take a look at the technical specifications.

On paper this OnePlus Nord N100 is not a benchmark in terms of performance and I could not find any information on the photo sensor used. The level of finish on the other hand seems rather good, the screen uses a frequency of 90hz occupying 90% of the available space, the phone has two speakers for sound in stereo and the battery capacity is above the average.

Unpacking

I received the OnePlus Nord N100 in its black packaging and a small red bag containing a European charger because oddly the version with a European charger was more expensive while the phone is exactly the same. The choice of black for the box gives a more premium effect despite the price of the phone, the packaging is fairly standard but consistent with the brand.

The box contains the phone, a manual (safety instructions!), A charger and a USB cable. The box therefore contains the strict minimum as is also the case for Xiaomi in this price range.

First configuration

The configuration of the OnePlus Nord N100 is slightly different from what I have seen on other Android phones, you must first accept the terms and conditions of OnePlus before recovering your files from a previous phone (Android or iOS) and go through the usual steps. OnePlus has inserted a screen to get you to sign up for the program for its Improvement Program, this is the first time I've seen this at such a high level in a phone setup. Apart from this screen, there are no other forced services like a cloud or that sort of thing that can be found at Samsung or Xiaomi.

Finish

What does a premium brand do when it starts marketing an entry-level product? It makes sacrifices and the most obvious temptation is to offer entry-level finishes. Fortunately, this is not the case with this OnePlus Nord N100, OnePlus has designed a sober and elegant phone. The use of plastic is quite successful, the back does not deform, it offers metallic reflections and the photo sensor is well integrated.

I was a little surprised by the position of the buttons. The volume buttons are on the left below the sim drawer while most manufacturers place these buttons on the other side. I find that this is a rather risky choice because when you are used to using volume buttons on the right, the use of these buttons on the left will require some adaptations in your habits. I find the buttons on the right easier to access. The start button is quite small and is located on the top edge of the right side.

The OnePlus Nord N100 is equipped with two stereo speakers, one at the top and one at the bottom of the phone, it is a configuration similar to the latest models from Redmi / Xiaomi. This type of construction achieves sound of equal power and quality from either side of the phone.

The screen occupies a large area and is only interrupted by a punch at the top left. The borders are visible and the lower one is also quite thick.

The OnePlus Nord N100 has a fairly elongated shape allowing it to be easily held with one hand, but this format will result in your videos in landscape format being displayed with a large black border on the left and right. At first glance, the screen looks good.

Specifications

The information below comes from the Device Info HW application. The application provides detailed technical information about the tested phone.I bought the 4Gb / 64 Gb version of the OnePlus Nord N100, there were also no other versions at the same time to write this test. I took a screenshot of the tech specs below. The wifi chipset is the same as on the Redmi Note 10 range. In terms of sound, it is a chipset that I have not yet tested. I couldn't find any additional information about the camera either.

CPU / GPU Performance

The OnePlus Nord N100 is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 460 processor, it is a CPU offering entry level performance which should be below the Redmi Note 10. This CPU is also used in the Nokia 3.4, the Oppo A32 or the Realme C15.

For the graphics part, the OnePlus Nord N100 is based on a Qualcomm Adreno 610 GPU, it is also an entry-level GPU which should offer lower performance than Redmi Note 10.

Benchmark Antutu/3DMark

I got a little over 145,000 points with Antutu, this ranks the OnePlus Nord n100 quite low in the ranking and compared to other phones of the same price, the OnePlus Nord N100 lags a bit behind. If you are used to this kind of phone, you will not experience any problems on a daily basis. On the other hand, I am used to changing phones often and I feel that this OnePlus Nord N100 is a bit slow when it is necessary to change the screen or when, for example, it is necessary to use the keyboard, there is a noticeable latency between your request and the telephone answer.

Gaming

To test the performance in game, I download the mobile PUBG game and evaluate the in-game experience, graphics level and depth of vision. This game is quite demanding and should help you evaluating the performance of a phone.

The OnePlus Nord N100 is not a phone designed for gamers but you can use it to play games like PUBG Mobile with some sacrifices on graphics quality. As the screen is not in HD, the phone needs less resources to run a game of this type, but despite everything, the level of graphics is quite low. The textures load quite slowly but once in the game, the experience is correct and I did not experience any problem with fluidity.

Network performance

The OnePlus Nord N100 offers good coverage of the frequencies used in Europe, it is even compatible with the B28 frequency in 700 MHz used by some operators such as Bouygues in France.

Signal 4G (before december 2020)

The ability to pick up the network correctly is an essential element for a phone but it is only very rarely measured. To measure a phone's ability to pick up the network, I perform a large number of measurements on the same cells to be able to compare phones under similar conditions. The signal is measured in dBm, a value of -90dBm indicates a worse signal than -70dBm. These measurements are therefore taken under real conditions and not in a laboratory, they are not scientific but give a good indication of performance.

Signal 4G (from December 2020)

I decided to change the methodology for measuring the network because I noticed that the configuration of the mobile network changes over time. This makes it more difficult to compare phones because the conditions are no longer exactly the same.

To overcome this problem, I set up a device that captures 24 hours a day about ten parameters from the mobile network (ex: cell id, rssi, rsrq, snr, frequency,...). I then place the phone next to the device for 24 to 48 hours taking the same measurements so that I can compare them.

Overview of the phones tested with this methodology

I performed 896 4G signal measurements with the OnePlus Nord N100 and got an average signal of -96.005 dBm while my measuring device got an average signal of -91.23 dBm over the same period . The difference is significant and this places the OnePlus Nord in the low average of the ranking. This means that if you live in an area where the network coverage is not very good, this phone may have quality problems. I saw large fluctuations with my meter (especially at night), I guess the network operator made some changes which affected the signal performance.

Download/Upload speed

To test the download speed, I have identified some 4G cells offering good performance where I test all my devices several times to see what download and upload speed they can achieve.

Wifi performance

To test a phone's ability to receive the network properly, I take measurements near my router and then remotely (and always at the same place). This gives me an average in dBm where a value of -90 dBm indicates poorer performance than a value at -30 dBm.

Wifi signal

The OnePlus Nord N100 uses the same chipset for wifi as the Redmi Note 10 and Redmi Note 10 Pro, so the result of my measurements is very similar. I got -15 dBm near my router and -67 dBm at a distance, these are in the upper average of my measurements.

Download/Upload speed

To test the speed in Wifi, I connect to my router in 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz (if available) and use the Ookla application to measure the speed.

GPS performance

To test the quality of the GPS signal I use the Offline Maps application and I make the same train trip in pedestrian mode. Why? In pedestrian mode, the GPS does not artificially correct the signal to stick to the road, it has no markings, so you can see the actual position. I then use an application to measure the accuracy of the signal.

The GPS test reveals an accuracy level of 3 meters, which is an average score. I got this score in the open, so you have to add a few yards under a thick layer of branches.

I also checked the supported frequencies and I think the OnePuls Nord N100 is able to handle multiple frequencies as I see L1 and L5 for GPS, E1 and E5 for Galileo.

Battery range

I was a little surprised with the results of the battery test, I thought I made a mistake somewhere, so I did it again a few times but got the same result. Each time I took more than 10 hours to fully charge the phone, I've never seen that. I first used my usual charger, I changed the cables, I used the charger that came in the box but I got about the same result each time. 10 hours to charge a phone is excessively long!

On the other hand, autonomy is average and I would even say that with the screen turned on at 100%, the OnePlus Nord N100 ranks rather well in the table. By going to 50% of brightness, the autonomy gain is not spectacular, you will not double the autonomy, the ideal level will undoubtedly be between 50 and 100%.

Photo camera test

To test the quality of photos produced by a phone, I do a technical test (resolution, sharpness, chromatic aberration,...) in studio (identical conditions) to evaluate the technical part objectively. From the second half of 2020, I built my own laboratory to take completely objective technical measurements. I then take pictures in real conditions to see how the camera performs. I then evaluate these photos according to my criteria but I publish the photos so that you can evaluate the result according to your criteria.

Hardware

I could not find the technical specifications of the photosensors used by the OnePlus Nord N100. I see that it is equipped with a 13 Mpix sensor at the back and a focal length of 3.462mm, I did not find other sensors among those I tested which have the same characteristics as this one . The front camera is an 8 Mpix sensor with a focal length of 2.749mm, here too I have not found other phones with this sensor.

Default app

As this is the first time I've tested a OnePlus, it's also a first for the default photo app. This application works according to the same principles as the default Android application with a simplification of the menus. The OnePlus Nord N100 is not a photo-oriented phone, so the options are limited. The photo mode however offers an HDR mode, a "vibrant colors" mode and filters.

Photo quality

Photo test / studio

OnePlus has not communicated information on the photo sensor used and the results obtained by these first photos do not give me any indication that could tell me which sensor it is.

Since there is only one photo sensor (excluding macro), photo mode only offers one zoom level. It is possible to associate the HDR and a mode to improve the colors but the photo application does not offer anything more. I took pictures with these different possibilities and I also took a picture in manual mode (the picture at the top of this paragraph).

As with many phones, the OnePlus Nord N100 does not expose photos enough when placed under artificial light, so photos in auto mode are all a bit underexposed . If I use pro mode to correct the exposure, the problem goes away, so it's a matter of tuning. With the photo in pro mode, I see that the sensor is able to take fairly sharp photos, the colors and saturation are good, I should have increased the color temperature a little because the rendering is a little too cold.

The main sensor of the OnePlus Nord N100 seems to produce photos of equivalent quality to what we find in this price range, the result is good but you have to see how the camera will behave outdoors in daylight.

Photo test / sunny

I didn't really have any expectations from the OnePlus Nord N100 because it's an entry-level phone but I was pleasantly surprised. I took these photos on a cloudy day with alternating sun and shade. When the sun is shining, the OnePlus Nord N100 produces photos that are a bit underexposed but this problem can be corrected by using HDR mode in automatic mode. So you get better-exposed photos without effort. The color saturation is quite good, when HDR is used the sky is very blue and the vegetation offers a nice color palette. The sharpness is correct but I can see a lot of chromatic aberration at the temples, this can only be seen by zooming in the photo.

In this price range most phones produce average quality photos, so does this phone but I expected worse so in the end I'm pretty happy. The main flaw of the sensor is its inability to find the right exposure, so there are many gray areas that can be mitigated by HDR.

Photo test / cloudy

Not yet available / tested

Test photo / night

Not yet available / tested

Video quality

Stabilisation

The OnePlus Nord N100 does not offer video stabilization, even at 1080p, so the shocks are clearly visible in the video. I have yet to test an entry-level phone capable of stabilizing video, so this is not an abnormal result.

Video normale conditions

Videos produced by this phone suffer from the same underexposure issue as photos with the main sensor but here there is no HDR to correct the problem. This video was taken in the sun, yet it is too dark.

Focusing is fast but you can see the jumps in exposure when I go from a dark area to a bright area. The zoom is convenient but the quality degrades quickly because the phone is limited to 1080p.

Video low light

Not yet available / tested

Audio quality

To test the quality of the phone's audio output, I connect the device's audio output to a measuring tool, then play sounds on all frequencies and measure the differences between the original sound and the sound produced by the phone. In this way I measure the phone's ability to correctly reproduce all sounds.

Frequency Response

This test is intended to test the device's ability to correctly reproduce all frequencies. The white line in the middle of the graph is the ideal situation and the other colors come from tests on different phones. A deviation from the reference line indicates a deviation from the ideal situation. To see good sound at all frequencies, it is therefore necessary to get as close as possible to the reference line.

I test all the phones with the volume at maximum and this OnePlus Nord N100 produces a particularly powerful sound but at maximum volume the sound undergoes a strong distortion which is very visible on this graph. The OnePlus deviates from all frequencies and you have to lower the sound significantly enough to fall back to a normal level of distortion.

Dynamic Range

This test is designed to test a phone's ability to play sounds at different volume levels. Here too, the phones must be as close as possible to the reference.

I compared the OnePlus with the Redmi Note 10 which is in the same price range and it is clear that the OnePlus produces more powerful sound across all frequencies.

Noise Level

This test aims to identify if the device under test is able to reproduce sounds without too much noise. A high score indicates a low parasite rate, a lower score indicates a higher presence of parasites.

I did not notice any noise interference problem with the OnePlus, the result for this test is good.

Screen quality

To test the screen, I use a colorimetric probe that measures the color accuracy of a screen, as well as other parameters to see if a screen is able to correctly reproduce an image. I also test the brightness level to determine if the screen will be able to display an image in full sunlight.

Colorimetry

I obtained a dE of 3.4 with my colorimetric probe, it is a good score which shows that the screen is able to reproduce the colors without too many deviations. The competition is doing much better, however, the Redmi Note 10 scores much better and uses an Amoled screen that offers infinite contrast. The OnePlus isn't bad, it's the Redmi that outperforms all phones at the moment.

Brightness / Contrast

I measured a brightness of 378 cd / m² with my probe and despite the presence of a light sensor, I was unable to push the brightness to a higher level. On a daily basis you can use this phone in almost all conditions but under strong light you may not be able to read the screen.

I measured a contrast of 1630: 1, which is pretty good for an IPS screen but not enough compared to the Amoled screens offered by the competition.

Biometry

Not yet available / tested

Operating system

Not yet available / tested

Encoutered bugs

Not yet available / tested

Accessories OnePlus Nord N100

Compare OnePlus Nord N100 with the others

Test / Review conclusion

In a universe where Xiaomo / Poco does not exist, this OnePlus Nord N100 could occupy an interesting place in the entry level. It's a beautiful phone, with a well-developed operating system, sufficient performance for everyday life and sufficient photo quality for the vast majority of entry-level phone buyers. Other than the huge battery charging time, I haven't found any major flaws with this phone. It is not very powerful and does not offer anything extraordinary but for this price there, it is rarely the case.

Unfortunately for OnePlus there is a strong competitor in this price range, Xiaomi recently launched the Redmi Note 10 which is sold at a similar price to this OnePlus. The Redmi Note 10 does better than the OnePuls in all areas, it can barely come up with some criteria as well. It is therefore not technical elements that will separate these two phones, it is rather emotional elements such as your subjective preference for one phone over another. As the OnePlus doesn't have any big flaws and if you don't have special requirements, it will certainly appeal to a large audience.

If you choose a phone in a purely rational way, I advise you instead to go for the Redmi Note 10 that I also tested.

Strengths

Finish level
Autonomy with screen at 100%
Operating system
Dual frequency in GPS
Compatible with many frequencies

Weaknesses

Average 4G network sensitivity
Very long battery charging time
Average performance (CPU, GPU and download)
in photo / video

Alternatives to this product

Not yet available / tested