OnePlus Nord 2 vs Poco F3: Which should you buy?

(Pocket-lint) - The telephone marketplace is an highly competitory space, with companies battling to bring you the champion experiences astatine assorted terms points. Two phones successful the mid-range conception that connection much than their terms points suggest they should are the Poco F3 and OnePlus Nord 2. 

In bid to get specified competitory phones down to their prices means compromises. But with the F3 being 1 of the best worth phones of 2021, would you announcement if you saved wealth and bought this alternatively of the OnePlus phone. Or, should you wage the extra? 

Design

• Nord 2: 158.9 x 73.2 x 8.3mm - 189g
• Poco F3: 163.7 x 76.4 x 7.8mm - 196g
• Nord 2: Glass beforehand and back, integrative framework - No h2o absorption rating
• Poco F3: Glass beforehand and back, integrative framework - IP53 splash/dust resistance

There are a mates of things that archetypal deed america erstwhile comparing the plan of these 2 mid-range powerhouses. Looking astatine them side-by-side, it’s wide the Poco is noticeably taller and wider than the Nord 2. That means it volition instrumentality up much abstraction successful your pouch oregon bag, and besides makes it a small little applicable to usage one-handed.

However, erstwhile you commencement typing distant with 2 hands, it feels truly bully and its thinness becomes an important factor. It’s ever truthful somewhat thinner than the Nord 2, and erstwhile you clasp it, you tin consciousness it. 

Both usage a akin operation of solid and plastic. They some person solid connected the beforehand and back, but usage a integrative worldly for the framework astir the sides.

The absorbing happening we recovered was - astatine slightest with the 2 colours featured successful the video supra - the Nord’s layering nether the solid connected the backmost made it overmuch little prone to showing fingerprints. Poco’s has a overmuch much mirror-like decorativeness and doesn’t shy distant from showing you each of your thenar grease successful each of its hideous glory. So contempt having a shiny solid decorativeness connected the exterior, the Nord doesn’t amusement them that obviously. Each has different finishes with varying levels of fingerprint resistance. 

squirrel_widget_5766558

There are a mates much things that marque a insignificant quality to the experience. For instance, the wide fastener prime connected the Nord 2 feels higher. The clicks are much solid-feeling, making them look much durable. Plus the Nord 2 has an alert slider connected the broadside that makes it truly elemental to power betwixt silent, vibrant and ringing modes.

Poco, however, has a carnal fingerprint sensor connected the broadside built into the powerfulness fastener and that makes it easier and quicker to unlock. Not to accidental the OnePlus’ in-display sensor is bad, but the carnal sensor connected the Poco conscionable feels that spot much convenient successful regular usage. 

One past happening - Poco’s has an official h2o and particulate resistance to IP53 rating. That means it’s astir wholly particulate proof, and is splash proof. OnePlus doesn’t person an authoritative rating, but it has been sealed good against spray and splashes. 

Display and software

• Nord 2: 6.43-inch AMOLED - 1080x2400 resolution
• Poco F3: 6.67-inch AMOLED - 1080x2400 resolution
• Nord 2: 90Hz refresh - HDR10+ compatible
• Poco F3: 120Hz refresh - HDR10+ compatible
• Both: Android 11

Design worldly isn’t the lone spot these 2 phones person similarities. They stock immoderate specs similar - some are fullHD 1080 x 2400 20:9 ratio AMOLED screens with HDR10+ support. There’s a size difference; with the Poco measuring 6.7-inches versus the OnePlus' 6.43-inch panel. That means it’s ever truthful somewhat little sharp, but not capable to marque immoderate existent difference. 

Poco’s punch-hole camera takes up a batch little abstraction too, and being successful the centre we find it little obstructive successful the presumption barroom than OnePlus’ larger country camera.

On paper, Poco’s higher refresh complaint does mean it’s susceptible of reaching up to 120fps vs 90fps connected the OnePlus. In astir instances,however - with fashionable apps and games - it’s truly hard to spot immoderate existent tangible quality with the bare eye. If you look closely, you mightiness announcement it erstwhile scrolling up and down the app drawer, but 90hz is much than accelerated capable to springiness you that smooth, crisp effect. 

Where we noticed a bigger quality was successful the colour calibration. In their default modes - with OnePlus successful Vivid and Poco’s successful Auto mode - the OnePlus does look to boost the reds excessively much. In fact, adjacent looking astatine achromatic screens, the wide code is warmer and pink-ish.

Poco’s car mode seemed amended successful that regard, balancing the colours without losing that vibrant dynamic look. It was a batch cleaner and earthy looking. 

OnePlus’ tin beryllium switched to a much gentle mode that tones it down, but Poco’s bundle offers adjacent much here. Away from its car mode determination are respective different default calibrations to take from, including a database of precocious options and the quality to tune the colour to your preference. 

The 1 country the OnePlus does amended is successful viewing angles. Looking astatine the surface from little head-on angles, you suffer a batch much of the brightness connected the Poco surface than you bash connected the OnePlus. It seems to boost the opposition much mostly too, which is sometimes good, sometimes not truthful good. Depending connected the benignant of contented you’re watching.

For unrecorded action, existent scenes, it makes it look to dark, crushed and a spot unnatural. For colour affluent animation, comics and wide interface, it looks great. For watching movies and YouTube videos, we preferred the Poco. 

Both person a similar, but not identical attack to software. For instance, they’ll some fto you instal customized icon packs without needing an further launcher, they person their ain takes connected always-on show customisation, unrecorded wallpapers and such, but they some connection them.

OnePlus’ interface is simply a spot cleaner, grouping things unneurotic wherever it makes consciousness to marque it easier to use, whereas Poco has tons seemingly successful their ain sub menus making it a small much cumbersome. 

Performance and battery

• Nord 2: MediaTek Dimensity 1200-AI processor
• Poco F3: Snapdragon 870 processor
• Nord 2: 6/8/12GB RAM - 128/256GB storage
• Poco F3: 6GB/8GB RAM - 128/256GB storage
• Nord 2: 4500mAh artillery - 65W accelerated charge
• Poco F3: 4520mAh artillery - 33W accelerated charge

When talking earthy velocity and power, the 2 phones person akin but not identical processor. Poco has gone with the Snapdragon 870, wherever OnePlus has the MediaTek Dimensity 1200-AI. In regular use, the 2 phones are some mostly speedy and responsive. To the constituent wherever we deliberation you’d beryllium rather blessed with either. 

However, if you instrumentality them broadside by broadside and load games, the Poco did look to reasonably consistently load them conscionable that small spot quicker. And for those funny successful benchmarks - moving a Geekbench 5 CPU trial - it was finished erstwhile the OnePlus was inactive astatine astir 90 per cent. Understandably then, some its azygous and multi-core scores were higher than the OnePlus. So it intelligibly has a spot much powerfulness to it. 

Battery is simply a akin story. The 2 capacities are arsenic adjacent arsenic makes nary difference. 4500mah vs 4520mAh, and successful our regular investigating they some were precise susceptible of getting done the day. In information with our benignant of mean usage which we’d see moderate, we'd get done a time and a fractional without an contented from either.

However, the Poco was the 1 we would complaint each night, due to the fact that its charging speeds don’t lucifer OnePlus’. OnePlus’s 65W Warp Charge tin bash a afloat 100 per cent complaint successful small implicit fractional an hour. Poco’s is conscionable implicit fractional that power, and takes much than 50 minutes to bash the same. 

Cameras

• Nord 2: 50MP f/1.9 main camera - 8MP f/2.3 ultrawide - 2MP monochrome
• Poco F3: 48MP f/1.8 main camera - 8MP f/2.2 ultrawide - 5MP macro
• Nord 2: OIS connected main camera
• Poco F3: No OIS

Moving connected to cameras, and again, determination are similarities. Both person a superior and ultra wide lens, with akin pixel counts. OnePlus went with a 50MP main, Poco has 48MP, some ultrawides are 8MP. The 3rd cameras are antithetic though, OnePlus has a achromatic and achromatic sensor for further data, Poco has a macro sensor for amended closeups, but results from that are rather harsh. 

In wide regular usage, what we recovered astir of the clip is that the superior camera connected the OnePlus delivered amended results than the Poco. Colours and extent were amended and much earthy connected it, considerably truthful erstwhile shooting plants successful particular. Poco’s looked excessively acheronian and contrast-heavy a batch of the time. OnePlus’ was besides amended successful little airy situations, delivering much earthy and sharper images. Handheld shots with the Poco were easier to messiness up and marque blurry successful this instances, apt down to the deficiency of OIS. 

Switch to the ultra-wides, and it’s a antithetic story. OnePlus’ ultra wide camera consistently delivers harsh, crushed shots lacking successful vibrancy. Poco’s was overmuch better. 

If you lone truly usage the main camera connected your phones, the OnePlus is the casual prime here. It’s a superior superior camera. And is amended successful debased airy situations. If you similar to person a decent ultra wide, past Poco is simply a sensible choice. Its main camera mightiness not beryllium arsenic good, but it’s not unspeakable - astatine slightest not successful bully light. 

Price

• Nord 2: From £399
• Poco F3: From £299

There is simply a sizeable quality betwixt the afloat retail terms of some phones. Poco's telephone is £100 little than the OnePlus model, contempt out-performing it successful a fewer areas.

OnePlus' mid-range champ does outgo more, and you whitethorn determine it's worthy it if it meets your needs much than the Poco. 

squirrel_widget_4530346

Conclusion

Regardless of this comparison, the Poco F3 is simply a no-brainer. The telephone you get for the wealth is fantastic. It does each the important things well. Plus, the show is somewhat better, and we similar the screen. It's a spot cheaper too, particularly present that it's a spot older.

Where OnePlus has the vantage is successful charging velocity and the cleaner bundle experience. It besides has the amended main camera. 

Both connection large worth for wealth successful fairness, truthful the prime - boiling it down to basics - is truly betwixt the amended camera connected the Nord, oregon the somewhat speedier show and show connected the Poco. 

Writing by Cam Bunton. Originally published connected 20 September 2021.