The OnePlus Nord CE was launched in India recently along with the new OnePlus TV U1S series smart TVs. it is the cheapest phone from the company in the country, and also undercuts the original OnePlus Nord by a bit in terms of pricing.
The CE is the OnePlus Nord CE 5G stands for Core Edition and the device has been targeted at people who are price-sensitive and still want to enjoy the goodness of the OnePlus.
The OnePlus Nord CE is a watered-down version of the OnePlus Nord that comes with a good set of features as well as compromises. Here is how the newly launched OnePlus Nord CE stands against last year’s OnePlus Nord.
OnePlus Nord CE vs OnePlus Nord: Price
The OnePlus Nord CE launched on June 9, 2021, starts at Rs 22,999 for the 6GB+128GB variant, the 8GB+128GB variant is priced at Rs 24,999 and the top of the line 12GB+256GB costs Rs 27,999. The Nord CE is available in Blue Void, Charcoal Black and Silver Ray colour options. The device is now available for pre-order and will go on open sale starting June 16.
On the other hand, the OnePlus Nord launched back in 2020 July. It starts at Rs 24,999 for the 6GB+64GB variant. The 8GB+128GB variant is priced at Rs 27,999 and the top of the line 12GB+256G variant costs Rs 29,999. The colour options include Blue Marble and Gray Onyx. However, the device is currently unavailable in India and is unlikely to come back in stock.
OnePlus Nord CE vs OnePlus Nord: Design
In terms of design, the OnePlus Nord CE and the Nord might look the same at first glance, but there are enough differences that make the Nord CE a cheaper option here. For starters, the Nord CE does not come with Gorilla Glass protection on the back or front while the original one did. The Nord CE comes with DragonTrail Glass on the front.
The OnePlus Nord also misses out on the iconic alert slider feature, but it brings back the 3.5mm headphone jack which is absent on the Nord. The OnePlus Nord CE weighs just 170 grams and is just 7.9mm compared to the 184-gram weight and 8.2mm thickness of the Nord. The colour options are also quite different between the phone and the design becomes very subjective here.
OnePlus Nord CE vs OnePlus Nord: Display
One of the few things that are similar is in the visual department. The OnePlus Nord CE and OnePlus Nord both pack in a Full HD+ AMOLED display with a 90Hz screen refresh rate and support for HDR content. While the OnePlus Nord CE measures 6.43-inch, the Nord measures 6.44-inch - which isn’t noticeable, but since the Nord CE is sleeker, the device should feel more compact in the hand. It is also worth mentioning that the Nord CE comes with a matte finish while the Nord has a glossy finish.
OnePlus Nord CE vs OnePlus Nord: Performance
Performance is one of the key aspects of any phone and the OnePlus Nord series in India are powered by the Snapdragon 7 series chipsets with support for 5G as well. The last-gen OnePlus Nord is powered by Snapdragon 765G while the new Nord CE is powered by Snapdragon 750G, which sits right below the 765G in the spectrum.
The OnePlus Nord did perform well during our review and we also expect the OnePlus Nord CE to perform fairly well if not to the levels of Snapdragon 765G. Going by the Geekbench scores, the Snapdragon 750G falls short in multi-core testing as compared to the Snapdragon 765G. Both phones come with up to 12GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 256GB of UFS 2.1 internal storage.
OnePlus Nord CE vs OnePlus Nord: Cameras
Both phones take a different approach here. The OnePlus Nord from 2020 comes with a 48MP Sony IMX586 sensor along with optical image stabilization (OIS) and EIS with f/1.75 aperture. It is followed by an 8MP f/2.25 wide-angle camera with a 119-degree field of view. This is accompanied by a 5MP depth sensor and a 2MP macro shooter with an aperture of f/2.4. Over to the front, you get a 32MP Sony IMX161 primary snapper along with an 8MP wide-angle camera for groupies.
The OnePlus Nord CE comes with a three-camera setup with a 64MP f/1.79 OmniVision primary camera, an 8MP ultra-wide lens with a 119-degree field-of-view, and a 2MP mono lens. On the front is a 16MP selfie camera in a punch-hole notch. The Nord CE misses out on OIS, but you get EIS on primary and wide-angle cameras.
OnePlus Nord CE vs OnePlus Nord: Battery and charging
The OnePlus Nord CE comes with a 4,500mAh battery with 30W Warp Charge 30T Plus while the Nord comes with a 4,115mAh battery with 30W Warp Charge. Both are rated to charge in one hour, but the Nord CE comes out as a clear winner here as it packs in a beefier battery and charges up to 70% in just 30 minutes. The weaker chipset should also make it more efficient.
OnePlus Nord CE vs OnePlus Nord: Everything else
The OnePlus Nord runs on Android 11 out of the box while the Nord which was launched with Android 10 last year has received Android 11 update. Both phones are entitled to receive two years of Android updates and three years of security updates. The OnePlus Nord CE also gets the 3.5mm headphone jack which is a welcome change.
| Header Cell - Column 0 | Nord CE | Nord |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Snapdragon 750G | Snapdragon 765G |
| Display | 6.43" FHD+ | 6.44" FHD+ |
| Refresh rate | 90Hz | 90Hz |
| RAM | 6/8/12GB | 6/8/12GB |
| Storage | 128/256GB | 128/256GB |
| Rear camera | 64+8+2MP | 48+8+5+2MP |
| Front camera | 16MP | 32+8MP |
| Battery | 4,500mAh, 30W | 4115mAh, 30W |
| Headphone jack | Yes | No |
| Weight | 170g | 184g |
| Thickness | 7.9mm | 8.2mm |
Takeaway
The OnePlus Nord CE, as you can see is a cheaper version of the OnePlus Nord with some compromises and some additional features such as the 3.5mm headphone jack and a 64MP camera. It is also the cheapest OnePlus phone in India in the past few years.
For those who were waiting for a cheaper OnePlus device that costs less than the OnePlus Nord, the Nord CE might be the best choice as you still get the core OnePlus experience with the Oxygen OS. However, if you are waiting for the successor of the Nord, the OnePlus Nord 2, that should be coming out in the next few weeks.
