TL; DR
- OnePlus has revealed that the Nord 2 has a flagship-grade main camera.
- The phone uses a Sony IMX766 main camera sensor with OIS.
- This is the same camera sensor found on the OnePlus 9 series and Oppo Find X3 Pro.
OnePlus has been drip feeding Nord 2 features ahead of the July 22 launch date and has been confirming chipset and screen details in the past few days. Now the manufacturer has turned to the main camera, and it looks like the mid-range device has some impressive hardware.
OnePlus announced on its community forum that the Nord 2 will feature a 50 MP IMX766 main camera sensor with optical image stabilization. The IMX766 is the same sensor used for the ultra-wide cameras on the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro. This sensor was also used as the main and ultra-wide camera for the Oppo Find X3 Pro.
In terms of specifications, the camera sensor has a sensor size of 1 / 1.56 inch and a pixel size of one micrometer. That’s slightly larger than typical 48-MP and 64-MP camera sensors in both areas, but slightly smaller than Samsung’s 50-MP sensors. That said, we’ve praised the main and ultra-wide cameras on the Oppo Find X3 Pro, so hopefully we’ll see similarly great results with the Nord 2.
Read more: Would you like a phone with a great camera? Here’s what to look for
OnePlus says it is also introducing a Nightscape Ultra mode on the phone that allows you to get better shots in places with just one lux of illuminance (OnePlus says this is equivalent to the light of a burning candle). We also received confirmation for a triple camera system, with rumors pointing to an 8 MP ultra-wide angle camera and a 2 MP macro lens.
The manufacturer also conducts a blind camera test in which the OnePlus Nord 2 competes against the Samsung Galaxy S21 and the iPhone 12. Here you can watch it and vote for the best shots.
Anyway, we’re excited that OnePlus is bringing a big upgrade to the Nord 2 on paper. The proof of the pudding lies in the food, however, and OnePlus has been promising big camera upgrades over the past few years that aren’t quite fully developed. So we’ll be excited to put this phone’s main camera to the test.