The OnePlus Nord N20 5G was launched today via T-Mobile with a $282 price tag and a design language OnePlus should use for all of its phones going forward. This new N20 phone is without a doubt the most popular OnePlus phone in recent years.

OnePlus sent me a review unit to play around with, and while the performance and 60Hz display were tough to handle, holding this phone or taking pictures of it is a joy. Just look at this thing.

To recap, you have a Snapdragon 695 processor, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and a 6.43-inch FHD AMOLED display at 60Hz. There’s also an in-display fingerprint scanner, a 4,500mAh battery with 33W fast charging, and a 64MP primary camera. OnePlus has also added monochrome and macro lenses, which I can’t imagine anyone would use. The story here is really in the price and how sharply dressed this phone is.

The design is unlike any of the latest OnePlus phones. Instead of a sunrise silhouette and curves everywhere, this phone is unabashedly flat. Well, except for a small display bubble above the bezel, this phone has some edges to hold on to. Not in the terrible style of the iPhone 13, where the phone is uncomfortable to hold, but in pleasant ergonomics.

It has a metal frame that runs along the edge of the phone with nice beveled edges and machined cutouts for ports, speakers and headphone jack, and really clicky buttons. Then you have what I assumed, a plastic back that looks like metal, with this really fun shiny texture that can be seen from different angles.

If there’s one thing I wish OnePlus would bring from this Nord N20 to their flagship phones, it’s the design.

As for the rest of the phone, yes, there are some issues. Again, $282! However, it runs Android 11… what? The display, even if it’s AMOLED, is 60Hz and is a major annoyance to anyone who’s spent the last 5 years at 90Hz and above. The vibration motor in this thing is the bottom shelf, the “may cause vomiting” level is bad. The one camera you would use is not very good. But then again – again, this is a $282 phone.

Is this item worth buying? It would be hard to recommend this phone, but just know that it is beautiful.