The next OnePlus Nord might continue the series' confusing naming scheme

OnePlus Nord N10 5G
OnePlus Nord N10 5G (Image credit: Truls Steinung)

Tech fans can sometimes be surprised at how companies often get one basic thing wrong with their products – the names. We often see product lineups or series with names that are indecipherable to the layperson, and judging by a new leak, OnePlus is doing just that with its Nord devices.

According to reputed leaker Max Jambor, the follow-up to late 2020's OnePlus Nord N10 is going to be... the Nord N1. No other details are provided about the phone apart from its name.

So far the OnePlus Nord series comprises the titular phone which kicked the series off, the low-end OnePlus Nord N10, and the even-lower-end OnePlus Nord N100.

The name game

Our best guess at the logic behind the Nord naming scheme was that the phones, and presumably future handsets in each range, were graded on a numerical basis, with fewer numerals being better, with N100 being the lowest-end phone and the 'standard' Nord, the highest-end model unveiled so far, getting the Nord N1 designation. 

However, if this leak is correct, that wouldn't be the case, as the N1 wouldn't be the top-end member of the series but an improvement on the second-tier N10 – an N11 so to speak.

People who follow smartphone news might be able to keep up with a scattered naming convention like that, but for people who don't, and who are just looking for a new smartphone to buy, it can be hard to understand which phone is worth considering, and how different models compare.

For now, though, this is just a rumor, and we can't judge OnePlus too harshly for something that hasn't been confirmed yet – but we'll be interested to see how the company names its future Nord phones, and if it uses any numbers other than 1 or 0.

Via GSMArena

Tom Bedford
Contributor

Tom Bedford was deputy phones editor on TechRadar until late 2022, having worked his way up from staff writer. Though he specialized in phones and tablets, he also took on other tech like electric scooters, smartwatches, fitness, mobile gaming and more. He is based in London, UK and now works for the entertainment site What To Watch.


He graduated in American Literature and Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia. Prior to working on TechRadar, he freelanced in tech, gaming and entertainment, and also spent many years working as a mixologist. He also currently works in film as a screenwriter, director and producer.