We’re expecting the OnePlus Nord CE 2 will land imminently, but it might not be alone, as we’re now hearing that there’s also a OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G.
That mouthful of a name has been put forward by leaker @OnLeaks, who shared the supposed specs of the device with Smartprix.
Apparently this phone will have a 6.59-inch Full HD screen, a mid-range Snapdragon 695 chipset, a choice of 6GB or 8GB of RAM along with 128GB or 256GB of storage, 5G, a 5,000mAh battery, and 33W charging.
The OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G will also apparently have a triple-lens rear camera, with a 64MP main lens and two 2MP lenses (which we’d guess serve macro and depth-sensing purposes). Finally, it apparently has a 16MP camera on the front.
There’s no news on the price, but we’d expect it will be cheaper than the OnePlus Nord CE, which started at £299 / Rs 24,999 (around $420, AU$550), so this could be a very affordable phone.
We’re also not sure when or where it will be available. The source claims it’s getting an India-first launch, but that suggests other regions will get it eventually. We’d think the UK is a prime candidate, since it got the original Nord CE, while the US is less likely, and Australia is out, as OnePlus doesn’t have a presence there.
As for the when, a leak suggests the OnePlus Nord CE 2 will be unveiled on February 11, so it’s possible the Nord CE 2 Lite 5G will land at the same time, but we’re not sure. OnLeaks claims it’s coming “later this year,” which makes it sound further out.
Opinion: OnePlus is making too many phones
There was a time not so long ago when OnePlus would only launch one or two phones a year. Those phones would be an event, and stand out from the mobile crowd, and from each other. Now though, the company is launching so many handsets that even as a tech journalist it’s hard to keep up with them all.
This year we’ve already seen the OnePlus 10 Pro, and are expecting the OnePlus 10, OnePlus 10 Ultra, OnePlus 10R, OnePlus Nord 2T, OnePlus Nord CE 2, a gaming phone, possibly the OnePlus Nord 3, and now the OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G. There’s a high chance there will also be a OnePlus 10T later in the year, and there may be others that I’ve forgotten about.
That’s up to ten phones, or maybe even more if the OnePlus 10T gets Pro or Ultra variants, and I wouldn’t be surprised if other models pop up as well, such as new N-range handsets.
Based on leaks, some of these will be very similar to each other too, or to previous phones from OnePlus or other brands, so it can be hard to keep track of how they all compare.
It’s left the OnePlus range feeling diluted and confused, and where once news of a new OnePlus phone was exciting, now I often find it more exhausting.
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