The OnePlus Nord line is the company’s way to get back to its roots, and it looks like it has a new worthy contender. Many of its earlier releases were given the nickname of “flagship killer” as they offered excellent performance at a fraction of the premium devices’ cost.
Now, the new recently launched Nord CE 5G wants to regain that title. And we’re here to do a quick dive into what you need to learn about this new mid-range smartphone.
CE means Core Edition
The two letters aren’t just random letters thrown together. According to OnePlus, it stands for Core Edition. It promises to provide the essentials OnePlus users require from the company’s devices, which focus on value-for-money performance at their core (pun unintended).
OnePlus wanted to emphasize that it’s bringing back the headphone jack, even mentioning the usernames of those who requested the feature during the Nord CE’s launch event (around 13:16).
Costs around USD 315
For the base model, you can get the OnePlus Nord CE at INR 22,999, which is around USD 315. We’re pricing it in Indian Rupees as the 6GB RAM + 128GB storage is available only in that country. In the UK, the 8GB + 128GB variant costs GBP 299 (around USD 422), while the 12GB + 256GB option costs GBP 369 (around USD 521).
The Nord CE runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G chipset with Adreno 619 GPU, Android 11 (OyxgenOS 11), and support for 5G with dual nano-SIM card slots. It’s a decent spec list that should work for many users.
The thinnest OnePlus phone since the 6T
OnePlus is proud to say the new Nord CE is its thinnest phone since the 2018 OnePlus 6T. It comes in at just 7.9mm thick. As expected from its price point, the new Nord’s sides and back are made from composite plastic. There’s no Gorilla Glass protection for the 6.43-inch display, and there’s no official water resistance. But again, at its price, we don’t expect to get those features.
Has a 90Hz AMOLED screen
What you get from the Nord CE is a 2,400 x 1,080 resolution AMOLED panel with a faster than usual 90Hz refresh rate. It’s always nice to see better refresh rates in more affordable handsets.
Still charges quickly, but no wireless charging here
OnePlus boosts battery capacity to 4,500mAh with support for Warp Charge 30T Plus. That charging tech means it can top up the battery from zero to 70% in half an hour. With adaptive charging, it won’t go all the way to 100% until the time you usually unplug the phone to help preserve battery health.
Fewer cameras to work with
It’s not necessarily a bad thing to get fewer cameras in a phone. It’s still a matter of getting the most out of what’s on hand. The OnePlus Nord CE has a 64-megapixel primary sensor, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide shooter, and a 2-megapixel monochrome lens. In front, there’s a 16-megapixel selfie camera.
Three color options to choose from
There are three colors you can pick from with the Nord CE. The Blue Void carries that signature Nord bright blue shade, the Silver Ray that looks like it has hints of pink depending on how light hits it, and the more muted Charcoal Ink.
The OnePlus Nord CE 5G has the potential of showing that OnePlus is back in its form. Of course, that still depends on actual use. Here’s to hoping the company brings it to this side of the world.