Leak: OnePlus Nord 2 set for flagship-level chipset but not from Qualcomm

The OnePlus Nord launched with ambitions of breaking into the mid-range market. Since then, the line has seen two additional models arrive serving even lower price points. Now, it seems that the OnePlus Nord 2 might be aiming a little higher than its predecessors.

According to info gained by Android Central, the OnePlus Nord 2 is upgrading its silicon in a big way. While OnePlus has traditionally opted for Qualcomm hardware, the Nord 2 will reportedly be the first to wear a MediaTek chip. More notably, it won’t be a middling chipset either, but the Dimensity 1200.

MediaTek’s flagship silicon launched in January 2021 and brought with it an octa-core layout, a 3GHz Cortex-A78 prime core, 5G+5G dual SIM support, and display refresh rate support for QHD+ at 90Hz. It’s quite a step up over the Snapdragon 765G of the original Nord in terms of power and feature set.

OnePlus Nord 2: A new affordable flagship?

Of course, this is just part of the story. While the silicon upgrade is welcome, we’ve yet to hear any word about additional specs. It does seem possible that OnePlus could reposition its range-topping Nord model, though. But by how much? If OnePlus aims too high, with rumors of a lower-end OnePlus 9 model also in the works, the firm could risk cannibalizing its lineup.

OnePlus now also has the Nord N10 and Nord N100 as rear gunners in the mid-range tier. Earlier this month, news of a OnePlus Nord N1 also broke cover, suggesting that this would be the effective replacement of the original Nord. Not much is known about this model, though, or if it was indeed an early name of the Nord 2.

Nevertheless, we should know more about the device shortly. The report suggests we’ll see the OnePlus Nord 2 debut in Q2 2021.

What are your thoughts about a MediaTek-powered OnePlus model? Would you buy it? Let us know in the poll above!