OnePlus took the wraps off its first mid-range smartphone in years, the OnePlus Nord, on July 21. The device sports a Snapdragon 765G processor and a 90Hz high refresh rate screen. The phone also sports a quad-camera setup on the back and a dual-camera setup on the front that includes a wide-angle sensor.
The company noted at launch that it did not intend to bring the Nord to the United States. Though the firm opened a Beta program to let 50 users review the smartphone in the U.S., those devices were European models – which could suffer from connection issues due to the lack of certain hardware. Now, OnePlus CEO Carl Pei has told Wired in an interview that the company intends to bring a “Nord-branded phone” to U.S. shores later this year. He added that the device might not be the same as the one that was unveiled recently.
The statement suggests that the company could continue building versions of the Nord, instead of making it a one-off device like the OnePlus X. Additionally, it is possible that the company would follow a semesterly spec refresh for the phone, just like it does with its flagships. Additionally, the prospect of a mid-range, more affordable OnePlus device has been well received by reviewers.
With smartphone prices skyrocketing year-over-year, a mid-range, sub-$500 smartphone serves as a sweet spot for customers not looking to spend $1,000 on a smartphone. When such as device from OnePlus does launch, it will go against the likes of Motorola’s Edge, which packs similar specs.