OnePlus Nord N20 5G review: a better budget phone - Science and Nerds<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/2022\/04\/28\/oneplus-nord-n20-5g-review-a-better-budget-phone\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"OnePlus Nord N20 5G review: a better budget phone - Science and Nerds\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Source: The OnePlus Nord N20 5G is OnePlus at its best. While the company hasn\u2019t quite mastered the flagship, it has dialed in the recipe for a stellar budget phone. For $282, the N20 delivers performance that feels like you\u2019re getting away with something. It\u2019s not perfect, but it strikes an excellent balance of price […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/2022\/04\/28\/oneplus-nord-n20-5g-review-a-better-budget-phone\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Science and Nerds\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-04-28T14:44:44+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-04-28T14:44:45+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/oneplus-nord-n20-5g-review-a-better-budget-phone_626aa85d1d276.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"628\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"12 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/2022\/04\/28\/oneplus-nord-n20-5g-review-a-better-budget-phone\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/2022\/04\/28\/oneplus-nord-n20-5g-review-a-better-budget-phone\/\",\"name\":\"OnePlus Nord N20 5G review: a better budget phone - Science and Nerds\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/2022\/04\/28\/oneplus-nord-n20-5g-review-a-better-budget-phone\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/2022\/04\/28\/oneplus-nord-n20-5g-review-a-better-budget-phone\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceandnerds.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/oneplus-nord-n20-5g-review-a-better-budget-phone_626aa85d1d276.jpeg?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-04-28T14:44:44+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-04-28T14:44:45+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/#\/schema\/person\/ea2991abeb2b9ab04b32790dff28360e\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/2022\/04\/28\/oneplus-nord-n20-5g-review-a-better-budget-phone\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/2022\/04\/28\/oneplus-nord-n20-5g-review-a-better-budget-phone\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/2022\/04\/28\/oneplus-nord-n20-5g-review-a-better-budget-phone\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceandnerds.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/oneplus-nord-n20-5g-review-a-better-budget-phone_626aa85d1d276.jpeg?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceandnerds.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/oneplus-nord-n20-5g-review-a-better-budget-phone_626aa85d1d276.jpeg?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":628},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/2022\/04\/28\/oneplus-nord-n20-5g-review-a-better-budget-phone\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"OnePlus Nord N20 5G review: a better budget phone\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/\",\"name\":\"Science and Nerds\",\"description\":\"My WordPress Blog\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/#\/schema\/person\/ea2991abeb2b9ab04b32790dff28360e\",\"name\":\"admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7e6e14fc6691445ef2b2c0a3a6c43882?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7e6e14fc6691445ef2b2c0a3a6c43882?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"admin\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/author\/admin\/\"}]}<\/script>\n","yoast_head_json":{"title":"OnePlus Nord N20 5G review: a better budget phone - Science and Nerds","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/2022\/04\/28\/oneplus-nord-n20-5g-review-a-better-budget-phone\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"OnePlus Nord N20 5G review: a better budget phone - Science and Nerds","og_description":"Source: The OnePlus Nord N20 5G is OnePlus at its best. While the company hasn\u2019t quite mastered the flagship, it has dialed in the recipe for a stellar budget phone. For $282, the N20 delivers performance that feels like you\u2019re getting away with something. It\u2019s not perfect, but it strikes an excellent balance of price […]","og_url":"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/2022\/04\/28\/oneplus-nord-n20-5g-review-a-better-budget-phone\/","og_site_name":"Science and Nerds","article_published_time":"2022-04-28T14:44:44+00:00","article_modified_time":"2022-04-28T14:44:45+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":628,"url":"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/oneplus-nord-n20-5g-review-a-better-budget-phone_626aa85d1d276.jpeg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"12 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/2022\/04\/28\/oneplus-nord-n20-5g-review-a-better-budget-phone\/","url":"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/2022\/04\/28\/oneplus-nord-n20-5g-review-a-better-budget-phone\/","name":"OnePlus Nord N20 5G review: a better budget phone - Science and Nerds","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/2022\/04\/28\/oneplus-nord-n20-5g-review-a-better-budget-phone\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/2022\/04\/28\/oneplus-nord-n20-5g-review-a-better-budget-phone\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceandnerds.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/oneplus-nord-n20-5g-review-a-better-budget-phone_626aa85d1d276.jpeg?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1","datePublished":"2022-04-28T14:44:44+00:00","dateModified":"2022-04-28T14:44:45+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/#\/schema\/person\/ea2991abeb2b9ab04b32790dff28360e"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/2022\/04\/28\/oneplus-nord-n20-5g-review-a-better-budget-phone\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/2022\/04\/28\/oneplus-nord-n20-5g-review-a-better-budget-phone\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/2022\/04\/28\/oneplus-nord-n20-5g-review-a-better-budget-phone\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceandnerds.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/oneplus-nord-n20-5g-review-a-better-budget-phone_626aa85d1d276.jpeg?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceandnerds.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/oneplus-nord-n20-5g-review-a-better-budget-phone_626aa85d1d276.jpeg?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1","width":1200,"height":628},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/2022\/04\/28\/oneplus-nord-n20-5g-review-a-better-budget-phone\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"OnePlus Nord N20 5G review: a better budget phone"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/","name":"Science and Nerds","description":"My WordPress Blog","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/#\/schema\/person\/ea2991abeb2b9ab04b32790dff28360e","name":"admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7e6e14fc6691445ef2b2c0a3a6c43882?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7e6e14fc6691445ef2b2c0a3a6c43882?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"admin"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com"],"url":"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/author\/admin\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceandnerds.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/oneplus-nord-n20-5g-review-a-better-budget-phone_626aa85d1d276.jpeg?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4653","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4653"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4653\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4655,"href":"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4653\/revisions\/4655"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4654"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4653"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4653"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4653"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}

\n

The OnePlus Nord N20 5G is OnePlus at its best. While the company hasn\u2019t quite mastered the flagship<\/a>, it has dialed in the recipe for a stellar budget phone. <\/p>\n
For $282, the N20 delivers performance that feels like you\u2019re getting away with something. It\u2019s not perfect, but it strikes an excellent balance of price and features that makes it easy to recommend \u2014 if you\u2019re on T-Mobile.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s one of a few \u201cifs\u201d that makes it difficult to recommend the N20 5G to absolutely anyone looking for a budget Android phone. As it\u2019s being introduced in the US, the N20 5G will only be sold through T-Mobile. OnePlus says it plans to sell the phone unlocked at a later date, but a company spokesperson, Spenser Blank, wouldn\u2019t offer any comment on whether the company will seek 5G certification on Verizon and AT&T when it does.<\/p>\n
\n\n\n      <\/p><\/div>\n\n\nGood Stuff<\/h3>\n\nBig 1080p OLED that\u2019s enjoyable to use<\/li>\n
Fast in-display fingerprint sensor<\/li>\n
Very good overall performance with 6GB of RAM<\/li>\nFast wired charging and charger included<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n\nBad Stuff<\/h3>\n\nOnly one useful rear camera<\/li>\n
Still on Android 11<\/li>\n
Unclear if unlocked version will offer broad 5G support<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\nThere\u2019s also the fact that OnePlus is being a little disingenuous by saying that the N20 5G offers a triple rear camera array. Sure, there are technically three image sensors back there, but only one of them is worth caring about. <\/p>\n
There are some minor trade-offs to be aware of, too, like the fact that the phone doesn\u2019t shoot 4K video and has a low-grade built-in speaker. But overall phone performance is a strength, along with a good OLED screen in a category stacked with mediocre LCD panels. Those are important things to get right, and the N20 does just that.<\/p>\n
\n\n  <\/p>\n    <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
<\/source><\/picture>\n
    <\/span><\/p>\n
  <\/span><\/p>\n
    
There\u2019s no fast refresh rate, but the 1080p OLED on the N20 is a standout in the budget class.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nOne of the N20 5G\u2019s standout specs is its 6.43-inch 1080p OLED with a standard 60Hz refresh rate. More expensive phones offer contrast-rich OLEDs and<\/em> faster refresh rates, but a budget phone can\u2019t have both \u2014 at least not right now. While other manufacturers like Samsung and Motorola have opted for lower-contrast LCDs that offer higher 90Hz refresh rates, OnePlus went the other way with the N20 and skipped the fast refresh rate to offer an OLED.<\/p>\n
The difference in refresh speeds is really only something you\u2019ll notice if you\u2019re coming from a phone with a fast refresh rate screen. Animations will look just a little bit choppier compared to the smooth motion of a 90Hz or 120Hz display. But for everything else, this OLED panel is just nicer to look at than a mediocre LCD. Colors look a little punchier, and watching video is more enjoyable, especially when it\u2019s something with a lot of dimly lit scenes (looking at you, The Batman<\/em>). I think this is a trade-off a lot of people can appreciate.<\/p>\n
The screen\u2019s 1080p resolution is above average, too, since 720p is more common in the budget class. For a screen this big, you really do need that higher resolution to keep images looking sharp. This isn\u2019t the brightest OLED I\u2019ve used, but it does get bright enough to be usable in direct sunlight. <\/p>\n
\n\n  <\/p>\n    <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
<\/source><\/picture>\n
    <\/span><\/p>\n
  <\/span><\/p>\n
    
The N20\u2019s in-display fingerprint sensor is a rarity in the budget class.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nOne of the N20\u2019s best features is embedded in that display: a fingerprint sensor \u2014 a good<\/em> in-display fingerprint sensor. It\u2019s quick and reliable even with wet fingers or outside in bright sunlight. A flaky fingerprint reader is an annoying thing to have to deal with a hundred times per day, and a good in-display sensor in a phone under $300 is very uncommon. <\/p>\n
The Nord N20 5G uses a midrange Snapdragon 695 5G chipset, which is a cut above the budget-level 400-series Snapdragons and 700-series MediaTek chips commonly found in this class. It\u2019s also paired with 6GB of RAM, another improvement over the 4GB more typical of budget phones. <\/p>\n
These are great specs for a $300 phone, and the N20\u2019s performance reflects that. It runs graphics intensive games like Genshin Impact <\/em>reasonably well (with some noticeable stuttering but nothing that impacted gameplay). In day-to-day use, jumping from app to app is quick, and I\u2019m rarely left waiting for the phone to catch up as I switch from scrolling Instagram to typing an email or taking a picture. I do notice apps closing in the background but not to the point that it\u2019s bothersome. Turning high-performance mode on seems to help a bit but doesn\u2019t totally solve the problem.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s just one downward firing built-in speaker on the N20 5G, and it\u2019s really easy to cover with your finger when holding the phone. It\u2019s also just not a good speaker. But you can\u2019t have everything on a budget phone, and this seems like a reasonable trade-off.<\/p>\n
\nI\u2019m rarely left waiting for the phone to catch up as I switch from scrolling Instagram to typing an email<\/q><\/aside>\n<\/div>\nThe N20 includes a healthy 128GB of built-in storage, which can be expanded by way of the microSD card slot. There\u2019s also a real, live headphone jack on this phone, and it ships with a fast charger in the box. That completes the trifecta of features that are quickly disappearing from flagship and midrange phones but that you can still find in the budget class. <\/p>\n
OnePlus\u2019 trademark fast charging (with Oppo\u2019s SuperVOOC branding) is included in the N20 5G, and it\u2019s another standout feature in the under-$300 class. The phone supports 33W wired charging with the included charger (but, unsurprisingly, no wireless charging). With the phone powered off and the battery completely depleted, it charged up to 30 percent in a mere 20 minutes. In total, the phone charged from flat to 100 percent in an hour and 15 minutes in my testing \u2014 at least 15 minutes faster than the typical budget phone. Most of the time, you can get to a very usable 90 percent much sooner, as charging slows down considerably for the last 10 percent of battery.<\/p>\n
The N20\u2019s 4500mAh battery isn\u2019t the biggest in the class, but it does power the phone through a full day of use \u2014 even heavy use. With the always-on display and high-performance mode enabled, a mix of Wi-Fi and 5G usage, and some battery-hungry activities mixed in, like downloading and playing 20 minutes of Genshin Impact,<\/em> I\u2019ve gotten close to 3.5 hours of screen-on time in the last 24 hours and I\u2019m down to 20 percent battery. Based on those numbers, it\u2019s fair to say that the N20 5G will easily get a light or moderate user through a full day of use.<\/p>\n
\nWith the phone powered off and the battery completely depleted, it charged up to 30 percent in a mere 20 minutes<\/q><\/aside>\n<\/div>\nGoogle has started taking its Android 13 beta public<\/a>, but the N20 5G is still back on Android 11. OnePlus says it will get an update to Android 12, but it couldn\u2019t give an estimated timeframe for it. In the meantime, OnePlus\u2019 version of Android 11 (and 12 for that matter) is a little more minimalist and a little less whimsical than the Samsung or Google versions. It\u2019s easy to navigate, and there are mercifully few pre-downloaded T-Mobile apps.<\/p>\n
OnePlus says that Android 12 will be the only OS platform upgrade for the N20, which is a bummer with the next OS version right around the corner, and that it\u2019s scheduled to receive three years of security updates. Three years of support isn\u2019t the worst<\/em> policy among Android device makers, but it\u2019s not the best \u2014 that honor would go to Samsung, with four or five years of support depending on the phone. I\u2019d love to see OnePlus commit to additional years of software support for its devices, but three years strikes me as sufficient for a lot of people.<\/p>\n
When OnePlus introduces an unlocked version of the N20, its story of which 5G bands it supports will get a little more complicated. The n77 C-band frequency, which Verizon and AT&T rely on a lot, isn\u2019t on the spec sheet, for example. So if it does get 5G certification on those carriers, it may only be for the slower might-as-well-be-LTE variety. But for now, the story is simple: the N20 5G supports T-Mobile 5G. While Verizon and AT&T are hurrying to build out their mid-band 5G networks (read: the good 5G) T-Mobile got a big head start years ago when it bought Sprint. Long story short: it\u2019s really good, and it\u2019s good now, <\/em>not in a year or two. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s been a little while since I used a 5G phone on T-Mobile, and I\u2019m seriously impressed by the speeds I saw both at home and out in my neighborhood around T-Mobile\u2019s corporate backyard of Seattle. I\u2019ve been able to pick up T-Mobile\u2019s faster Ultra Capacity 5G signal<\/a> fairly often, and I get download speeds of 300\u2013500Mbps when I do. For comparison\u2019s sake, my home Wi-Fi is around 100Mbps on a good day. All this is to say that the N20 is in great shape to take advantage of a very fast network if you happen to live somewhere with good T-Mobile 5G coverage.<\/p>\n
\n\n  <\/p>\n    <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
<\/source><\/picture>\n
    <\/span><\/p>\n
  <\/span><\/p>\n
    Two of the N20\u2019s three rear cameras are of limited usefulness.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nThere are two large camera modules on the back of the N20 5G, which might lead you to think that there are two important cameras on this phone. There are not. The top camera is a 64-megapixel f\/1.8 standard wide, and the module below it is a 2-megapixel macro camera \u2014 the same kind of small, low-grade macro camera found on many other budget phones. Its relatively large housing is just window dressing. The third, smaller lens belongs to a 2-megapixel monochrome sensor, which is the only thing more pointless than a tiny macro camera.<\/p>\n
The good news is that the 64-megapixel main camera is good. Images taken outdoors in good lighting are pleasant; exposures are balanced, and colors look a little warmer than on Google\u2019s Pixel phones but less saturated than on Samsung\u2019s Galaxy devices. It\u2019s a nice sweet spot. I\u2019m impressed with the 2x digital zoom on this camera, too. In good lighting, details are surprisingly sharp. It\u2019s not a lot of reach, but it\u2019s good enough that I\u2019d use it in a pinch when getting closer to my subject isn\u2019t possible.<\/p>\nImages taken indoors in less good lighting can look a little artificially bright, as is common with other OnePlus phones. Night mode has a habit of taking this a step further, with color saturation that tends to look artificial. But given the choice, I\u2019d take just about any night mode over no night mode<\/a> at all. <\/p>\n
\n\n\n\n