OnePlus Nord CE 5G: Is New Launch Worth The Hype? Check Specs, Prices, Comparison With Predecessor

Oneplus Nord CE 5G: Thinking of buying the latest Nord? Here's all you need to know regarding its specs, features, India pricing, and comparison with its predecessor.

Oneplus Nord CE 5G: The latest model in the OnePlus Nord series OnePlus Nord CE 5G was launched on Thursday during a virtual event. The new smartphone comes with several changes in terms of its specifications as compared to the first OnePlus Nord that was launched in July last year.

The Nord series has gained a lot of attention being OnePlus’s budget offering while its other flagship launches continue to breach the earlier "flagship killer" range pricing, making their way into the premium category.

Oneplus Nord CE 5G Specifications

OnePlus Nord CE 5G features a 6.43-inch full-HD+ (1,080x2,400 pixels) AMOLED display with 20:9 aspect ratio and 90Hz refresh rate. The overall dimensions are 159.2x73.5x7.9mm and it weighs 170 grams.

The smartphone is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G SoC, along with Adreno 619 GPU and 6GB of RAM.

The smartphone runs on OxygenOS 11 based on Android 11

Connectivity options include 5G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth v5.1, GPS/ A-GPS/ NaVIC, NFC, USB Type-C, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

As with other OnePlus smartphones, the Nord CE also comes with an in-display fingerprint sensor along with face recongistion. The phone will have a single speaker set up being dubbed as the super linear speaker with noise cancellation support.

The smartphone houses a 4,500mAh battery as opposed to available on the first OnePlus Nord. Its Warp Charge 30T Plus technology claims to charge the phone from zero to 70 percent in just half an hour as claimed on OnePlus Nord as well.

Oneplus Nord CE 5G Camera

In terms of camera, the new Nord has a triple rear setup that includes a 64-megapixel primary sensor with an f/1.79 lens and electronic image stabilisation (EIS), 8-megapixel secondary sensor with an f/2.25 ultra-wide lens, and a 2-megapixel monochrome sensor with an f/2.4 lens.

For selfies, the OnePlus Nord CE has a 16-megapixel Sony IMX471 selfie camera at the front with an f/2.45 lens and EIS support.

The features in the rear camera include multi-autofocus (using PDAF+CAF). The users get several modes like Nightscape, UltraShot HDR, Portrait, Panorama, Pro mode, and Smart Scene recognition. Users can record videos in 4K resolution with 30fps. There is a time-lapse mode and an LED flash module.

Oneplus Nord CE 5G Price In India

OnePlus Nord CE 5G price in India comes at a starting price of Rs. 22,999 for the 6GB + 128GB storage variant. The 8GB + 128GB storage model is priced at Rs. 24,999 and the top-of-the-line 12GB + 256GB storage variant is priced at Rs. 27,999.

In terms of colours, the Nord CE comes in Blue Void (matte), Charcoal Ink (glossy), and Silver Ray variants.

The smartphone will be available for purchase starting June 16. Pre-booking began on Friday.

OnePlus Nord Vs OnePlus Nord CE - Is It Worth The Hype?

When compared to the OnePlus Nord, the first thing that attracts attention is how the new OnePlus Nord CE is priced lower than the previous budget phone - a difference of Rs 2,000. The phone boasts of better battery support with a 5020 mAh battery as opposed to its predecessor’s 4115 mAh backup – around 385 mAh more than latter.

The old model had a 6.44-inch full-HD+ AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate, whereas the Nord CE 5G comes with a 6.43-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with a 20:9 aspect ratio and 90Hz refresh rate.

The main camera at the back offers better resolution on paper. The CE has a triple rear camera set up of 64MP+8MP+2MP vs Nord’s quad setup of 48MP+8MP+5MP+2MP, thereby offering double pixels in the main camera.

It is important to note that while the doubled pixels can tempt users to expect a better main camera performance, the reality still needs to be tested as in-hand usage can prove to be underwhelming. The last Nord camera was pretty average so this time around too, despite the tempting double pixels, the end result will have to be checked for important factors like processing, software optimisation, night mode performance, and sensor support.

 Since the Nord CE boasts of a lower starting price, OnePlus seems to have cut corners in terms of the front camera which is 16MP as opposed to dual camera set up of 32MP+8MP given last time.

There is some compromise on the processor as well as users get Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G 5G as opposed to Qualcomm Snapdragon 765 5G in OnePlus Nord last year.

Both offer a similar design, the biggest difference being the single punch-hole camera. Nord CE has a 3.5mm headphone jack for those missing the old trusted companion.

As for the 5G, users will get only 1 band of the much-awaited technology in the model available in India, so those specifically buying it for that aspect need to take this under consideration besides the possibility that 5G rollout may take longer amid the pandemic.

Overall, while the OnePlus Nord CE 5G comes with a hype that usually surrounds the brand’s new launches, it is important to wait and know the users' experiences pertaining to the smartphone's real-life day-to-day performance before buying the new model.