POCO F3 VS OnePlus Nord fight! With the announcement of the POCO F3, POCO is set to make a big dent in the growing mid-range 5G segment with the F3’s flagship-level features. At its current price point, the F3 is set to be the leader in the under-Php 21k 5G segment, but it’s not alone in this category. Its closest rival is the OnePlus Nord, and before we start handing out titles, let’s see how it stacks up against it first.
Which is the better offering? Check out our POCO F3 Vs OnePlus Nord Comparo below:
POCO F3 Specs:
- Snapdragon 870 processor
- 6GB/8GB LPDDR5 RAM
- 128GB/256GB UFS 3.1 storage
- 6.67-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display, 120hz refresh rate, 360hz touch sampling rate, support for HDR10+ and DCI-P3
- 48-megapixel f/1.8 main camera with PDAF, 5-megapixel f/2.4 telemacro camera with AF, 8-megapixel f/2.2 ultra-wide-angle camera
- 20-megapixel selfie camera
- 4G, 5G
- WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.1, side-mounted fingerprint scanner
- NFC, stereo speakers
- 4520mAh battery
- 33w fast charging
- Android 11, MIUI 12.5
OnePlus Nord Specs:
- Snapdragon 765G processor
- 6GB/8GB LPDDR4X RAM
- 128GB/256GB UFS 2.1 storage
- 6.44-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display, 90hz refresh rate, support for HDR10+ and DCI-P3
- 48-megapixel f/1.8 main camera with OIS and PDAF, 8-megapixel f/2.2 ultra-wide-angle camera, 5-megapixel f/2.4 macro camera, 2-megapixel depth sensor
- 32-megapixel f/2.45 IMX 616 main selfie camera with EIS, 8-megapixel f/2.45 ultra-wide-angle selfie camera
- 4G, 5G
- WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.1, in-display fingerprint scanner
- NFC
- 4115mAh battery
- 33w fast charging
- Android 11, OxygenOS 11
Design
Both phones are premium as they sport glass backs. The OnePlus Nord uses Gorilla Glass 5, while the POCO F3 uses Gorilla Glass 6. As for the camera module, the OnePlus Nord uses a dated vertical strip layout while the POCO F3 has a rather large camera bump for its three cameras.
Going to the button and ports, both phones do not come with a headphone jack or expandable storage. The Nord has OnePlus’ trademark alert slider switch and an in-display fingerprint scanner, while the POCO F3 settles for a side-mounted fingerprint scanner.
Display
Both phones sport Full HD+ AMOLED displays, though the POCO F3’s bigger 6.67-inch panel supports a fast 120hz refresh rate. The OnePlus Nord is still great with its compact 6.44-inch panel and 90hz refresh rate. Both sport premium panels as they support HDR10+ and DCI-P3, along with WideVine L1 for watching Netflix shows in Full HD.
As for the punch-hole, the OnePlus Nord uses a pill-shaped one to house its two selfie snappers: a 32-megapixel IMX686 main camera and 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera. The POCO F3 keeps things simple with its centrally-placed notch for its 20-megapixel selfie snapper.
Cameras
While both phones have a 48-megapixel main camera and 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera, the POCO F3 uses an IMX582 while the OnePlus Nord uses an IMX586. While the differences between the two sensors are very minimal, the OnePlus Nord does include OIS on its main camera while the POCO F3 depends on EIS.
Going to the rest of the cameras, the OnePlus Nord has a 5-megapixel macro camera and 2-megapixel depth sensor, while the POCO F3 has a 5-megapixel telemacro camera that has autofocus–a rare feature for a macro camera in any smartphone.
Internals and software
While both phones do support 5G, there’s no need to deny the fact that the POCO F3 has the better set of internals with its Snapdragon 870 processor, UFS 3.1 storage, and LPDDR5 RAM. That pares in comparison with the OnePlus Nord, which comes with a Snapdragon 765G processor, UFS 2.1 storage, and LPDDR4X RAM. Both phones have two variants: 6GB/128GB and 8GB/256GB for the POCO F3, and 8GB/128GB and 12GB/256GB on the OnePlus Nord.
As for software, both phones come with Android 11, with MIUI 12 for the POCO F3 and OxygenOS 11 for the OnePlus Nord.
Battery
Since the POCO F3 is bigger, you get a 4520mAh battery beating inside it. Meanwhile, the OnePlus Nord’s more compact design gives it enough space for a decent 4115mAh battery. Both phones come with decent fast charging rates: 33w for the POCO F3 and 30w for the OnePlus Nord.
POCO F3 VS OnePlus Nord: Verdict
With the POCO F3 having a starting price of Php 17,990 for the 6GB/128GB variant, POCO’s new flagship killer offers better value for money than the OnePlus Nord, which has a starting SRP of Php 21,990 for the 8GB/128GB model. The biggest question here will be availability, as POCO phones usually sell out very fast on the first day of official sales.
