OnePlus launched the Nord sub-brand last year, but it hasn’t settled on a naming scheme yet – leakster Max J. reports that the direct successor to the Nord N10 will be called the “Nord N1”. This feels similar to the Sony naming scheme for its phones and especially cameras, e.g. the RX1 full frame camera, RX10 1”-type mirrorless camera and RX100 point-and-shoot. However, it’s not clear if there will be a Nord N10 this year or an N100.
And if there is an N10 mid-ranger, will
the N1 move upmarket? It is often the case with mid-range sub-brands that they
eventually get a near-flagship phone, e.g. the Redmi K-series. This makes the
lineup quite crowded.
OnePlus’ 2021 lineup is already looking
crowded with a OnePlus 9E expected to join the party, in addition to the usual
vanilla 9 and 9 Pro models. The E-phone will presumably be the lowest-ranked of
the main series, which would put it right next to a more premium Nord N1.
This will also raises the question whether
the original Nord will have a successor or not (never mind what it will be
called). That’s not the end of it either. What if the opposite happen? If the
Nord N1 sticks with a Snapdragon 700-series chip, will there be a Nord N100
successor? That was already pretty low end, which runs against the OnePlus
brand.
Anyway, you can check out the OnePlus 9
and 9 Pro renders along with some live photos and key specs. The 9-series is
expected earlier than usual – mid-March instead of mid-April. As for the new
Nords, those will most likely wait for the second half of this year.
