One of the best budget phones of the year is finally available unlocked in the US. The OnePlus Nord N20 5G was launched in April as a T-Mobile exclusive, and so far it was the only way to catch one. The N20 5G is up for sale now from Amazon, Best Buy, or directly from OnePlus for $299 with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.
Note that the unlocked N20 won’t work on Verizon—not 5G either 4G. AT&T customers will only be able to connect over 4G, which isn’t too bad of a deal, given that the carrier is taking a slow approach to expanding its more meaningful mid-band 5G coverage. Certainly T-Mobile customers will get 5G and 4G coverage.
This makes the unlocked N20 best suited for AT&T customers who don’t need 5G or Google Fi or a person on a T-Mobile MVNO like Mint Mobile. Or maybe you’re on T-Mobile and don’t want to buy your phone through your carrier, which is a smart move if you can manage it.
If any of the above describes your situation, you’re in luck! The N20 is one of the best deals in its category. It offers a contrast-rich 6.4-inch OLED screen, while almost all of its competitors include LCDs. It also supports fast 33W wired charging with the included charger and even features a fast in-display fingerprint sensor for smooth unlocking.
On the downside, the N20 is still on Android 11 – the new phones have been shipping with Android 12, the current OS version, for months. OnePlus has promised an update to Android 12 for the N20, but the clock is ticking as Android 13 is more than likely to arrive.