The OnePlus Nord 2 Pac-Man Edition invokes the nostalgia of arcade gaming

OnePlus has partnered with several brands over the years for special edition devices. Be it the OnePlus 5T Star Wars Edition, the OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition, or the new Harry Potter Edition of the OnePlus Watch. All of these devices follow a certain theme and are targeted towards consumers who want a unique device or those who are fans of that particular theme. Following the same tradition, we now have the OnePlus Nord 2 Pac-Man Edition which is essentially the OnePlus Nord 2 with a fresh coat of paint. If you want to relive your childhood memories of playing the iconic arcade game, this one’s for you.

About this article: OnePlus India sent us the OnePlus Nord 2 Pac-Man Edition for review. This article was written after about 7 days of use. OnePlus did not have any inputs into the contents of this article.

Unboxing Experience

If you’re getting a special edition device, the unboxing experience better be special, right? OnePlus has nailed the unboxing experience with the Nord 2 Pac-Man Edition. The top layer is actually a wrap-around piece of cardboard with the OnePlus and Pac-Man branding in reflective text. It has tiny elements from the game embossed on it like the dots that Pac-Man chews through, along with the Pac-Man symbol itself.

OnePlus has nailed the unboxing experience with the Nord 2 Pac-Man Edition

Taking this layer off reveals the actual box that’s covered in a maze-like pattern. Digging in further, there’s an envelope with the usual paperwork. Everything in here is also Pac-Man-themed. Then there’s the phone itself accompanied by the usual Warp Charge adaptor and a USB-C to C cable. A custom-themed charger and cable would definitely go well here, so this particular bit feels like a missed opportunity.

Finally, there’s another compartment at the bottom of the box lifting which reveals a custom case for the phone. It has the OnePlus and Pac-Man logos along with characters from the game. It’s a translucent case that shows off the back of the phone slightly. You’ll know the importance of this when we get to the next section. The overall unboxing experience is quite unique and justifies the additional price you’ll be paying for the device. OnePlus will also bundle in a special lego-style phone holder with retail units of the device.

OnePlus Nord 2 Pac-Man Edition: Design

The dimensions of the phone are exactly the same as the standard OnePlus Nord 2. The biggest difference though is in terms of aesthetics. The OnePlus Nord 2 Pac-Man Edition comes with a glossy chrome border with a dark blue alert slider. The glass back has a silver hue with Pac-Man below the camera module and a dotted pattern all over. The OnePlus logo resides at the bottom left. In case you forget what edition you have in hand, there’s a OnePlus X Pac-Man text beside the camera module to remind you each time you look at the phone. At this point, nothing really seems extraordinary about the design. Yeah, it looks different from the standard Nord 2 but it doesn’t really look special. At least when the lights are on.

This phone is going to turn a lot of heads

Turn the lights off, and there’s the secret you were waiting for. The OnePlus Nord 2 Pac-Man edition has a glow-in-the-dark back! There’s a maze pattern going all over the back that glows and makes the phone look really attractive. A phone that looked quite unassuming has suddenly turned into one of the most unique-looking phones out there! Quite a-maze-ing if you ask me. OnePlus has done a splendid job at designing this phone. When you’re out at night — somewhere like a dimly-lit restaurant — this phone is sure to spark a conversation.

I’m a big fan of the glow-in-the-dark, neon sort of look, so I definitely wish more brands implemented this sort of a look as an optional variant on their smartphones. I would go as far as saying this is my favorite smartphone ever in terms of looks, an award that previously belonged to the Nextbit Robin in the Mint Green colorway.

I would go as far as saying this is my favorite smartphone ever in terms of looks

Software Elements and Easter Eggs

Just as you would expect, OnePlus has also customized the software on the device to go with the overall theme. This begins right from when you boot up the device. The bootanimation is different from what you get on the standard OnePlus Nord 2. Once you set up the device and get to the homescreen, the entire UI looks quite different. OnePlus has included a custom theme with Pac-Man elements throughout.

When you unlock the device, the fingerprint scanner animation has the Pac-Man characters around it. There are several Pac-Man-related wallpapers that come pre-installed. While there are a few readily available to apply, OnePlus claims that there are several Easter eggs buried throughout the UI finding which will unlock more wallpapers. A few icons, especially for OnePlus’ first-party apps have also been tweaked to give them an old-school, pixelated look.

I personally liked the theme since it's quite bold and reminiscent of the Pac-Man game itself

Swiping down to access the notification center will also give you a brand new look. There’s a dark blue outline surrounding the boxes with a yellow theme for other elements like the clock and quick toggles. Another neat addition is how Pac-Man eats up the dot when you switch between multiple pages in the quick toggles section. I personally liked the theme since it’s quite bold and reminiscent of the Pac-Man game itself. The theme continues even inside the Settings app but I wish there was more yellow here to contrast the black and gray background. The ambient/always-on display also has yellow text.

Of course, if all this is too bold or flashy for your liking, you can always head over to the Personalization option under Settings to choose a more conventional color scheme. Then again, that does defeat part of the purpose of buying a special edition phone. There are a few ringtones too that OnePlus has added for customization sake. Apart from these elements that I noticed, OnePlus told me that they’ve hidden several Easter eggs within the UI that you’ll discover as and when you use the phone.

Pac Man Easter Eggs. Spoilers ahead. Click to expand.

The Easter eggs apparently lead up to a storyline that ends when you play the pre-installed Pac-Man game for 256 minutes and unlock the finale. I also happened to notice an exclusive Pac-Man filter in the camera app that adds tiny Pac-Man elements and a retro look to your images. Charging the phone for an aggregate time of 256 minutes unlocks some exclusive stickers and wallpapers. Also, entering a specific code in the calculator app obtained via building the phone holder will reveal new wallpapers and stickers. I could also spot a custom charging animation whenever I plugged in the Warp Charger.

I’m sure there are several other hidden elements that I wasn’t able to find during my brief usage of the phone. If you happen to buy the OnePlus Nord 2 Pac-Man Edition, let us know some cool tricks or Easter eggs you found in the comments section below!

The same OnePlus Nord 2 on the Inside

Apart from the visual overhaul both in terms of hardware and software, everything else on the phone is exactly the same as the standard OnePlus Nord 2. This includes a MediaTek Dimensiry 1200 SoC, a 90Hz AMOLED display, a triple camera setup, a 4500mAh battery with 65W charging, and of course, 5G. If you wish to know more about other aspects of the device including performance, battery life, camera samples, etc., you can check out our OnePlus Nord 2 review. It should give you a comprehensive idea about the device before you purchase it.

Verdict

Picture taken on the OnePlus Nord 2 with Pac-Man Filter

The OnePlus Nord 2 Pac-Man Edition is an insanely good-looking smartphone, albeit when the lights are switched off. The OnePlus Nord 2 itself is a great smartphone in its price segment. Now, you’re essentially getting a combination of both for a price that’s slightly higher than the standard edition of the Nord 2. In India, the OnePlus Nord 2 Pac-Man Edition can be yours for ₹37,999. In the UK and EU, the device is priced at £499 and €529 respectively.

OnePlus Nord 2 Pac-Man Edition

The OnePlus Nord 2 Pac-Man Edition brings a visual overhaul with a glow-in-the-dark back, making it one of the best-looking smartphones.

View at Amazon India

View at Amazon UK

If I were you, I would splurge on the Pac-Man edition just for that gorgeous back. It's just too good to pass.

OnePlus is selling this special edition in just a single config — 12GB RAM + 256GB internal storage. The standard OnePlus Nord 2 in this RAM+storage configuration costs ₹34,999 in India, £469 in the UK, and €499 in Europe. By paying a small premium, you’re getting a unique glow-in-the-dark design, a better case, and a smartphone holder too. If I were you, I would splurge on the Pac-Man edition just for that gorgeous back. It’s just too good to pass.

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