OnePlus Nord pre-order guide: How and when you can order the phone

The OnePlus Nord hasn't been unveiled yet, but the company is building hype around the impending reveal by releasing a four-part series documenting the development of the smartphone. 

After the first episode dropped this week, OnePlus opened up a very limited run of pre-orders for fans, offering up just 100 handsets. As you'd expect, they sold out almost immediately, but a second round of pre-order was announced for next week, and now the pre-order schedule has been detailed in full, so here's how and when you can pre-order the OnePlus Nord. 

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OnePlus Nord: When you can pre-order

OnePlus is opening up limited pre-orders following each episode of its docuseries. The first was this week on Wednesday, July 1 and sold out straight away. The second round is set for Wednesday, July 8, a day after episode two hits Instagram. This is another limited pre-order, so expect a small quantity only; you'll need to be quick off the draw again for this one.

The third round of early pre-orders open up on Wednesday, July 15, following episode three. There's no cap on the number of OnePlus Nords up for grabs - just a limited window of time of 24 hours.

Presumably, after the fourth episode on July 21, the OnePlus Nord will get a proper launch and it'll be a free-for-all. 

OnePlus Nord: How to pre-order

If you want to place a pre-order for the OnePlus Nord, you'll need to pony up some cash - but it's just £20, so it's not going to break the bank. This £20 is basically paying for a £20 voucher which you'll receive along with an invitation code so that you can complete your pre-order.  

Email instructions will be sent out to pre-order customers with further instructions, but OnePlus' Ts&Cs stress that the invitation code used to purchase the Nord on launch day does expire, so be sure to swat up on the details in your email to make sure you don't scupper up your order.   

Eligible countries for pre-orders include: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

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OnePlus Nord: pre-order bonuses

OnePlus has a lot of swag it's giving away with its pre-orders, and the earlier you jump on board, the more merch you'll get. 

First and second round pre-order customers will get "a random lifestyle product, a sticker pack and other mystery gifts." The "earliest" third round pre-orders will get a sticker pack, and a mystery gift, so it sounds like not everyone who orders in the 24 hour window will be eligible for merch. If you want to be in with a chance to get hold of some freebies, the earlier you order, the better, it seems. 

The 'surprise gift' appears to be something a bit more substantial than just a t-shirt or some stickers, as the cancellation/ returns section of the FAQ states that if you want to return your OnePlus Nord, you'll have to return the "surprise gift bundled with it". 

We're guessing the surprise gift is a pair of the leaked OnePlus wireless earbuds that have a rumoured July release date.     

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So far, we know that the phone will be $500 or less and that it'll be a 5G-ready handset powered by a Snapdragon 765G processor with killer cameras. We think it'll sport a 6.4-inch display with a 90Hz refresh rate, and maybe even a dual front-facing camera as well as multiple cameras on the rear.

If you've already managed to place a pre-order for the mysterious new smartphone, congrats! OnePlus is really counting on brand-loyalty and the community that's risen up around it, for customers to be making the leap of faith to pre-order a device they know next to nothing about. But the fans are happy to do it, and we've no doubt that the mid-tier smartphone will offer tremendous value for money.