Since the OnePlus Nord shipped last summer, US cell phone users have looked with envy at Europe, where mid-range phones with premium features are sold The time has come, OnePlus announced today

Both the OnePlus Nord N10 5G and the OnePlus Nord were announced in the fall and promised a US debut; OnePlus says these phones will be available on January 15 and are priced well worth the wait

Specifically, the OnePlus Nord N10 5G will debut for $299 This is the cheapest price to date for a 5G-enabled phone, with prices starting to drop toward the end of 2020 Before the Nord N10, the cheapest 5G phone was the TCL 10 5G UW, a Verizon exclusive that offered 5G connectivity for just $399 OnePlus' latest model is this price by as much as $100

OnePlus' other new model, the OnePlus Nord N100, does not support 5G, but its low price will tempt budget phone shoppers The Nord N100 will cost $179 when it launches on January 15

Just as important as the low price is the fact that both OnePlus Nord models will be sold through wireless carriers in the US

For the OnePlus Nord N10 5G and N100, T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile will offer both models; this will be the first time that OnePlus phones will be sold through prepaid carriers

OnePlus launched the Nord phone last year as a way to return to its disruptive roots; OnePlus' flagship phones are still priced a few hundred less than comparable phones from Apple and Samsung, but the prices of high-end models like the OnePlus 8 Pro, have been on the rise in recent years; in the Nord lineup, OnePlus offers high-end features such as fast refresh displays and, in the case of the N10 5G, 5G connectivity, while also reducing costs by switching to a less capable chipset

In the case of the OnePlus Nord N10 5G, this is the Snapdragon 690 system-on-chip, which is much less powerful than the Snapdragon 8 series chipsets found in flagships Even the Snapdragon 765G in the regular OnePlus Nord packs more punch

Still, a review of the OnePlus Nord N10 5G last year found that the phone holds up well when performing everyday tasks and can even run some loaded games, even if the graphics are not as crisp as those displayed on more powerful phones We have found that the phone is not as good as the more powerful phones

We were impressed by the N10 5G's 649-inch LCD screen's 90Hz refresh rate and its long battery life; the Nord N10 5G lasted 11 hours and 48 minutes in our battery test of continuous web surfing with a cellular connection, and was our Best Smartphone Battery Life list It also supports OnePlus' Warp Charge 30T technology for fast charging

Other OnePlus Nord N10 features include four rear cameras, two of which are monochrome, and a macro lens that we found superfluous; the 64MP main camera and 8MP ultra-wide lens were adequate in our tests when lighting was good It held up, but you can find better camera phones for only a little more than the asking price of the new Nord

That said, the OnePlus Nord N10 5G's $299 price is hard to beat and will give many bargain hunters ample reason to make the leap to 5G

The OnePlus Nord N100's specs are less impressive, and so is its $179 price tag; the most notable thing about the Nord N100's spec sheet is its 652-inch screen, which, despite initial reports that the phone will not offer that feature Despite this, it also features a 90 Hz refresh rate, and its 5,000 mAh battery allows for a long charge time

Otherwise, the OnePlus Nord N100 looks like a very budget phone, with a Snapdragon 460 chip downgraded from the more powerful chipset of the Nord N10 5G The back of the N100 has a 13MP main camera, a bokeh lens, and a macro lens

Pre-orders for the OnePlus Nord N10 5G and OnePlus Nord N100 will begin this Friday (January 8) at Best Buy, Amazon, and B&H OnePlus will hold a launch event to celebrate the North American debut of the Nord lineup (The N10 5G and N100 will also be available in Canada, priced at C$389 and C$239 respectively)