Leaked OnePlus Nord 3 specs make it look anything but mid-range

News
By Michael L Hicks
published

It's a major step up on the Nord 2 with its (alleged) 120Hz display and 150W charging

OnePlus Nord 2 review
The OnePlus Nord 2 (Image credit: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)

What you need to know

  • A Weibo leak from Digital Chat Station confirmed that the OnePlus Nord 3 will support 150W charging.
  • The OnePlus Nord 3 display could have a 120Hz refresh rate, up from 90Hz in the Nord 2.
  • It may also house the Dimensity 8100 chipset and up to 12GB of RAM.
  • Other specs like battery size, camera quality, and in-screen fingerprint sensor match the OnePlus Nord 2.

Last month, we broke the news that the OnePlus Nord 3 would support 150W fast charging, OPPO's SuperVOOC standard that it claims can recharge a phone in 15 minutes. Now, a leaker has agreed with our insider on this claim while also fleshing out the other Nord 3 specs we can expect from the new phone.

A Weibo leak by Digital Chat Station, spotted by GSMArena, suggests the Nord 3 will use the MediaTek Dimensity 8100 chipset and pair it with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage — though it will likely start with 8GB and 128GB. 

The Dimensity 8100 is a 5nm octa-core SoC with four Arm Cortex-A78 cores (2.85GHz) and four A55 cores, the Arm Mali G610 GPU, and a new APU 580 AI processor. Its performance is not too far behind the flagship Dimensity 9000 rumored to appear in the OnePlus 10R.

Given our source claimed OnePlus' parent company OPPO based the Nord 3 on another phone, the Realme GT Neo 3 — which uses the Dimensity 8100 chipset and 12GB of RAM — we find this leak credible.

Compared to the OnePlus Nord 2 released last year, the Nord 3 may stick to FHD+ resolution, a 50MP primary camera sensor, in-display fingerprint sensor, and 4,500mAh battery capacity, DCS claims. 

OnePlus Nord 2 x PAC-MAN Edition

The OnePlus Nord 2 x PAC-MAN Edition (Image credit: Source: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)

But the Nord 3 display would grow from 6.43 inches to 6.7 inches and improve from 90Hz to 120Hz, a significant step up for fans of larger, smoother displays.

And, of course, the charging speed leap from 65W to 150W would give the Nord 3 a killer tool for people who need a quick phone recharge.

The leak didn't cover the OnePlus Nord 3 price, release date, or software. If it matches the Nord 2 pricing, it could ship for ₹29,999 / £399 / €399 for 8GB/128GB and ₹34,999 / £469 / €499 for 12GB/256GB. And OnePlus claimed its 150W tech would arrive in "Q2 2022," so a Nord 3 launch in April through June is likely.

Unfortunately for North American buyers, the OnePlus Nord 3 is likely to remain exclusive to Europe and Asia. But for those who can buy it, the Nord 3 may end up one of the best budget Android phones of the year. And who knows: maybe we'll get another video game-themed special edition Nord 3, too.

Michael L Hicks
Michael L Hicks
Senior Editor, VR/AR and fitness

Michael is Android Central's resident expert on fitness tech and wearables, with an enthusiast's love of VR tech on the side. After years freelancing for Techradar, Wareable, Windows Central, Digital Trends, and other sites on a variety of tech topics, AC has given him the chance to really dive into the topics he's passionate about. He's also a semi-reformed Apple-to-Android user who loves D&D, Star Wars, and Lord of the Rings.


For wearables, Michael has tested dozens of smartwatches from Garmin, Fitbit, Samsung, Apple, COROS, Polar, Amazfit, and other brands, and will always focus on recommending the best product over the best brand. He's also completed marathons like NYC, SF, Marine Corps, Big Sur, and California International — though he's still trying to break that 4-hour barrier.