The OnePlus Nord will cost less than $500, but getting one early will be tough

OnePlus has announced the name of its new, reasonably priced smartphone line, when the first lucky few will be able to buy one, and how much it will approximately cost. The company is also back to its old tricks of using attention-grabbing marketing techniques, and making those who really want the new device work hard to get one. The phone will be called the OnePlus Nord, fitting in with many of the rumors that led up to the recent confirmation a new range was about to launch. The OnePlus Nord name took over from rumors the phone would be called the OnePlus Z, and prior to that speculation, it was expected to be the OnePlus Lite. Nord means north in several European languages, including German, French, and Swedish. The OnePlus Nord is going to be widely sold in Europe and India, and, initially, the company said OnePlus fans in North America would have to wait for an equivalent phone. However, with the news of the name, OnePlus now says it will operate a beta program for the OnePlus Nord in North America, giving more people a chance to try the new phone. Don’t expect it to be easy to get, though, as retailers will be, “highly limited.” More information on the OnePlus Nord’s release can be found on its official Instagram account, called “onepluslitezthing.” The account’s Story on June 30 reveals some interesting details on when you can get the phone and how much it will cost. On July 1 at 4 a.m. ET OnePlus will open up pre-orders to just 100 people, and CEO Pete Lau says the Nord will be the first OnePlus phone in several years to cost less than $500. This limited pre-order and beta program will send shivers down the spine of any long-time OnePlus fan, as it recalls the company’s often controversial invitation program which it ran during the first few years of its existence, forcing keen buyers to jump through hoops just for a chance to buy the latest model. Here’s hoping OnePlus won’t resort to tactics like destroying your old phone again, just to get an invitation to beta test a OnePlus Nord. At this time we don’t know anything about how you’ll get one of the first 100 OnePlus Nord phones, but keeping an eye on the Instagram account would be wise if you want to be in with a chance. When the OnePlus 13T launched in China last month, I was intrigued as it packed more battery capacity than the OnePlus 13 in a smaller form factor. Now, the company has teased a new phone called OnePlus 13S, which looks similar to the 13T and carries the tagline “Powered up. Sized down” on its teaser poster. The “sized down” part doesn’t mean we’re getting an iPhone mini-esque phone. If it is indeed the OnePlus 13T, it’ll sport a 6.3-inch display, which is far from the iPhone 12 mini’s 5.42-inch screen. But in 2025, where the largest iPhone display stretches to 6.9 inches, a 6.3-inch phone does qualify as compact in comparison. The hopes of a standout phone from the East, making its way to the US market, have received yet another blow. OnePlus recently introduced a compact flagship phone in China and sparked some wishes across the oceans, but the company has shattered those expectations for enthusiasts in the US and Europe. Celina Shi and Spenser Blank, marketing officers for the company’s Europe and US operations, respectively, have told The Verge that the OnePlus 13T won’t be making its way to these regions. Notably, the company is gearing up to launch the phone in India as the OnePlus 13s in the coming weeks.  OnePlus has just announced that the price of its Watch 3 is going to drop back down. The company originally launched it at $329.99. Then, due to what it called “current market conditions” in the U.S., that price hiked to $499.99 on April 10.