OnePlus Nord 2 will use a customized version of MediaTek’s flagship chip

By Andy Boxall Updated July 7, 2021

The OnePlus Nord 2 5G is now officially coming soon, and it will be the first OnePlus phone to feature a MediaTek processor and not a Qualcomm chip. The Nord 2 will use MediaTek’s flagship, top-spec Dimensity 1200 chip, which will be customized under the Dimensity Open Resource Architecture initiative, where device makers can tune the processor to its own requirements.

Rumors about a MediaTek-powered Nord 2 have spread for a while, and while this announcement has made the partnership and device name official, there’s no indication when the phone will get a full launch, or its other specifications. Instead, it concentrates on how MediaTek and OnePlus have customized the Dimensity 1200.

Teaser poster for OnePlus and MediaTek's partnership on the Nord 2 5G. — Image used with permission by copyright holder

The chip inside the Nord 2 will be called the Dimensity 1200-AI, chosen to reflect the alterations made using the Open Resource Architecture, which are mostly to the artificial intelligence (A.I.) capabilities of the chip. For example, the camera on the Nord 2 will recognize 22 different scenes and adjust the color and contrast accordingly, whether it’s for stills or video, plus it will add live HDR effects to video. Optimization for lowlight photography is also mentioned.

The A.I. enhancements continue on the screen. AI Color Boost will add an HDR-like effect, and AI Resolution Boost upscales the resolution of content shared on some as-yet-unnamed social media apps. A Smart Ambient Display feature will alter the screen’s brightness based on ambient lighting conditions to make viewing more comfortable. Finally, OnePlus says the Dimensity 1200 will be great for gaming, with low latency and low power consumption, while highlighting the screen’s high refresh rate on games like Brawl Stars.

These A.I. features will be exclusive to the OnePlus Nord 2’s Dimensity 1200-AI processor, and based on MediaTek’s explanation of the Open Resource Architecture project, should be tailored to make the best use of the other hardware used inside the phone. In other words, the chip will hopefully make the screen and camera on the Nord 2 something special. This is also the first phone to be announced with a Dimensity 1200 chip tuned this way.

Although OnePlus says we should “stay tuned” for details of the Nord 2 5G’s arrival, a recent rumor places the launch date as sometime around July 24.

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Senior Mobile Writer

Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…

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