The OnePlus Nord LE smartphone has launched, and the most striking part of the announcement is that the company is giving it away absolutely free. To be clear, this is not an entirely new device: the OnePlus Nord LE smartphone is a new color variant of the existing OnePlus Nord, arriving in blue marble and gray onyx options with a glossy finish. OnePlus has tagged it the 'Literally Only One Edition'. If you want to own one, the only catch is a small social-media task rather than a price tag, which makes this one of the more unusual launches the brand has run.
What the OnePlus Nord LE smartphone actually is
According to OnePlus product manager Andy Liu, who shared the details on the company's forum page, the OnePlus Nord LE is not a new model but a fresh color treatment of the OnePlus Nord. Everything else stays the same: there is no difference in the price and features between the two phones. That means the LE edition keeps the same hardware that made the original Nord popular, just dressed in new finishes. The 'LE' branding stands for the playful 'Literally Only One Edition' tag, signalling that this is a limited, promotional run rather than a standard retail product you can simply add to a cart.
The two color choices, blue marble and gray onyx, both ship with a glossy finish. Aside from the new look, owners are getting exactly the same Nord experience, so anyone already familiar with the OnePlus Nord knows precisely what to expect from the day-to-day performance, camera output and charging speed.
OnePlus Nord LE specs and features
Because the LE edition is a color variant, it inherits the core specifications of the standard OnePlus Nord. The phone keeps the 90Hz Fluid AMOLED display, a quad rear camera setup, and Warp Charge 30T fast charging. The 90Hz Fluid AMOLED panel keeps scrolling and animations smooth, the quad rear camera setup covers a range of shooting situations, and Warp Charge 30T tops the battery up quickly between uses. You can see how it lines up below.
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Display | 90Hz Fluid AMOLED |
| Rear camera | Quad camera setup |
| Charging | Warp Charge 30T |
| Color options | Blue Marble, Gray Onyx (glossy finish) |
| Edition name | Literally Only One Edition |
Since the price and features are identical to the standard Nord, the table above doubles as a quick reference for the original phone too. Nothing has been added or removed on the spec sheet for the LE edition.
How to get the OnePlus Nord LE for free
OnePlus has confirmed that the OnePlus Nord LE is designed not to be sold, but to be given away. To enter, you need to follow the official Instagram page of OnePlus Nord. After following the page, take a photo of the smartphone you currently use and post it on your Instagram feed. In your post, you must also explain why you want to upgrade to the OnePlus Nord, and you must include the #SwitchToNord hashtag. After that, the company will decide whether you should receive the smartphone or not.
In short, this is a clever, limited promotion rather than a mass-market release, so the Instagram giveaway is the only way to grab this particular edition. If you are a fan of OnePlus and have been waiting for an excuse to switch to the Nord, completing the simple #SwitchToNord task is the only entry ticket you need.
