OnePlus Nord v/s Realme X3: Which one should you buy?
What's the story
The newly-launched OnePlus Nord looks like a killer smartphone in the sub-Rs. 30,000 price-bracket. It has a modern design, a smooth 90Hz AMOLED screen, "flagship cameras," and a capable mid-tier 5G processor. But it is not uncontested. In the same budget, you have Realme X3 that is indeed an affordable phone with flagship-challenging hardware. So, which one is actually better?
Design
OnePlus Nord v/s Realme X3: At a glance
Like jaguars and leopards, the Nord and X3 can be difficult to tell apart, especially without their branding. Both have the same pill-shaped punch-hole design, premium glass body, flat display with a small chin, and a vertically-stacked quad-lens camera on the rear. However, the Nord has a clean minimalist design while the X3 gets a flashier 3D gradient finish. Winner: You decide.
Display
All about the screen
The Realme X3 sports a 6.6-inch Full-HD+ (1080x2400 pixels) LCD display with a 120Hz refresh rate while the Nord has a 90Hz 6.44-inch AMOLED screen with the same resolution. Moreover, both the displays come with Gorilla Glass 5 protection. But which one is better? We pick Nord here, considering AMOLED is better than LCD and the difference between 90Hz and 120Hz is barely noticeable.
Primary camera
For the shutterbugs
The Realme X3 has a quad rear camera module comprising a 64MP (f/1.8) primary sensor, an 8MP (f/2.3) ultra-wide lens, a 12MP (f/2.5) telephoto camera with 2x optical zoom, and a 2MP (f/2.4) macro sensor. The Nord has the same wide-angle and macro shooters but a slightly inferior 48MP (f/1.8) primary sensor, and a 5MP (f/2.4) depth lens. Winner: Realme X3.
Front camera
For the selfie lovers
The dual-lens selfie setup on the Realme X3 offers a 16MP (f/2.0) main camera and an 8MP (f/2.2) ultra-wide lens. The Nord, on the other hand, bears a more capable 32MP (f/2.5) primary sensor and an 8MP (f/2.2) ultra-wide camera. The high-resolution 32MP shooter on the Nord also enables 4K video recording while the X3 can record in 1080p resolution only. Winner: OnePlus Nord.
Internals
Under the hood
The OnePlus Nord draws power from a 5G-ready Snapdragon 765 chipset, coupled with up to 12GB of RAM and up to 256GB of storage. However, in terms of performance, it trails the Realme X3 which offers a flagship-tier Snapdragon 855+ processor, up to 8GB of RAM, and up to 128GB of UFS 3.0 storage. But X3 doesn't support 5G connectivity. Winner: Realme X3.
Nitty-gritty
Battery to biometrics, and everything in between
The Nord packs a 4,115mAh battery with 30W fast-charging support while the X3 has a 4,200mAh battery with the same charging capabilities. Both the handsets run on their custom versions of Android 10 but OnePlus's OxygenOS is closer to stock Android than Realme UI. For biometrics, the Nord has an in-screen fingerprint reader while the X3 offers a side-mounted scanner. Winner: You decide.
Pocket-pinch
Pricing: The key factor
The Nord starts at Rs. 24,999 for the 6GB/64GB model and goes up to Rs. 29,999 for the 12GB/256GB variant. The X3 is priced at Rs. 24,999 for the 6GB/128GB model and Rs. 25,999 for the 8GB/128GB variant. There's also an X3 SuperZoom variant (starts at Rs. 27,999) that offers 5x optical zoom, 32MP+8MP selfie cameras, and up to 12GB/256GB of RAM and storage.
Our verdict
How things stack up?
The Nord is a pretty good everyday smartphone but not a performance beast as some of the flagship OnePlus handsets are. Surely, it is an easy pick for anyone who wants to buy an affordable 5G phone. But if you plan to do a lot of gaming and photography, you will have a better experience with Realme's well-packaged, budget-friendly flagship. Winner: Realme X3.