The only difference between the new OnePlus Nord CE this year and the OnePlus Nord last year is the larger 4,500mAh battery. Both phones support 5G thanks to mid-range Qualcomm chipsets. The CE has the Snapdragon 750G, while the Nord uses the 765G.
Although the Nord CE’s rear camera has one less camera, it lacks the macro camera. However, the Nord CE is sharper than the original Nord’s 48MP. It is also lighter and thinner than the OnePlus 6T. This is a welcome change in a world that smartphones are becoming larger and more complex.
The OnePlus Nord CE has a 6.43in AMOLED display at 90Hz, 8GB RAM, 128GB storage, 12GB and 256GB for those who want more. It even includes a 3.5mm headset jack to tempt those unwilling to part with their wired headphones.
OnePlus Nord CE Review: Design and Key Features
The OnePlus Nord CE is a great device from a specification standpoint. It also looks good. The base model comes in either “void blue” (black) or “charcoal ink” (black), while the 12GB version is available in “silverray”.
The blue model was sent to me for review. It’s quite attractive considering it is a phone made entirely of plastic. The phone’s rear is slightly curved. As the chrome-effect frame meets the rear panel, the blue colour fades to metallic purple. The Nord CE has a nice looking matte finish that keeps fingerprints away.
It is slim and lightweight, measuring only 74x159x7.9mm and weighing just 170g. This makes it 0.3mm thinner than the original Nord and 15g lighter. Dual-SIM compatibility is available, but there is no microSD expansion. It has a fingerprint reader under the screen that works well. There is also a 3.5mm headset jack, which was a feature that Nord phones abandoned.
Other than the inability to expand storage, there are many other features that are missing. The OnePlus 3G does not have any form of water or dust ingress protection. There is no Gorilla Glass protecting the front. Also, the classic OnePlus 3-position do-not-disturb switch is missing. If you want that convenience, you will need to upgrade to one of the OnePlus premium handsets.
OnePlus Nord CE review: Display
Its most notable feature is the screen on Nord CE. It measures 6.43 diagonally and uses AMOLED technology for vibrant, colour-accurate images. This phone is priced at the same price as any other.
Brightness is at its peak at 400cd/m2, which, while solid, is not exceptional. The ratio is excellent as you would expect from an AMOLED display with its inky black levels, vivid highlights, and perfect contrast.
The phone’s Natural (sRGB mode) colour accuracy is also excellent. However, it will be less accurate if you choose one of the more vibrant modes. The panel can reproduce 114% of DCI-P3 colours in the most extreme mode, AMOLED Wide Gamut.
It’s a great display capable of showing photos, web pages, HDR movies, and TV at its best.
OnePlus Nord CE review: Performance
The performance of the Nord CE and original Nord CE is not that different, thanks to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G processor. It’s slower than the Snapdragon 765G (2.2GHz vs. 2.4GHz), but in practice the two are close.
The Nord CE suffers from poor graphics performance. The Snapdragon 750G’s Snapdragon 619 is under the hood, while the 765G’s Adreno 620 is underneath. This results in a noticeable – and disappointingly low – 10fps difference to last year’s model.
The Nord CE appears to be a more efficient phone and performed exceptionally well in our video rundown battery testing.
It lasted an impressive 24 hours 43 minutes, surpassing the Original Nord by more thanthan four hours and achieving the 12th highest result from any smartphone tested in this test.
OnePlus Nord CE review: Cameras
The camera lineup is another area that OnePlus appears to have cut. There are now three cameras at the rear: a 64MP (f/1.8), main camera, an ultrawide camera with a 120-degree field of vision, and a 8MP (f/2.3), a mono camera for black and white images. The original Nord’s macro camera is missing. It doesn’t have OIS. The front camera has half the resolution. However, I think the 16MP available here is sufficient.
How does it perform? It performs well in most lighting conditions and it is comparable to the Google Pixel 4a. The primary camera takes great images with rich colours. The ultrawide camera is handy for photographing large groups of people close to each other or stunning landscapes.
The Pixel 4a is better for portrait shots. However, it blurs the background slightly but not as much. It defaults to a rather useless wide-angle view, making it difficult to fill the frame with your subject.
Oddly enough, the 16MP front camera does a better job of taking portraits than the depth camera. This is in direct competition with the Pixel 4a’s self-portrait camera. Although the Google phone is better, it’s still not as good as the Pixel 4a’s. OnePlus’ NightSight low-light mode produces images that look saturated and processed.
The OnePlus Nord CE’s video mode uses EIS (electronic imaging stabilisation) to capture 4K footage at 30fps. The cameras are as you would expect for this price, not extraordinary, but perfectly acceptable.
OnePlus Nord CE review: Verdict
This will be my verdict on the OnePlus Nord CE. It’s a great deal for the price. It performs well, is very durable, has a great display, is built and designed well, and produces sharp, well-exposed images in almost all situations.
This phone has a great battery life, and it’s a phone that does all the right things. Although the OnePlus Nord CE doesn’t have the same star quality as its premium sibling, the OnePlus 9 Pro and isn’t a significant upgrade, it’s still a fine handset.
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