The OnePlus Nord CE is going to be amongst the most-talked-about devices of the coming days, as the company will refresh its budget smartphone portfolio. However, the information currently available raises more questions than answers, especially about the OnePlus Nord 2.
Last week, TechRadar exclusively confirmed the existence of the OnePlus Nord CE, and how it will be the brand’s next mid-range smartphone for the world and also India — when it is unveiled on June 10. Pete Lau also told us that it will be even more affordable than the OnePlus Nord.
However, Lau did not confirm if the OnePlus Nord CE was a direct successor to the original Nord from 2020, but by his wording in the interview, it did sound like the OnePlus Nord 2 will be a separate device. He also said, “we have distilled the original Nord down to its core elements, and added a few extra features to create a great everyday phone at an even more affordable price.”
In a video by Mukul Sharma aka Stufflistings, he explains what we can expect from the upcoming OnePlus smartphones.
Enter OnePlus Nord CE
Previous speculation suggested that both would be the same device, as specs such as the MediaTek Dimensity 1200 and 65W fast charging have been floating around for months. But, another report busted those expectations, stating that the OnePlus Nord CE will instead be powered by the Snapdragon 750G chipset, with a 90Hz AMOLED display, a 64MP primary camera and a design refresh.
While most of these aren’t too different from the first-gen Nord, the decision to opt for the Snapdragon 750G could be an indication that the OnePlus Nord CE will actually be a slightly cheaper smartphone in terms of the positioning, The same chipset can be seen on devices such as the Xiaomi Mi 10i, the Moto G 5G, the Samsung Galaxy M42 5G — all of which are priced around the Rs 20,000 mark.
It’s rather unlikely that the OnePlus Nord CE price in India will be very different, considering that the competitors are already somewhat old devices. We expect it to start under Rs 25,000 in India, making it the cheapest offering from the brand in the country.
But what about the OnePlus Nord 2?
OnePlus is tipped to have another announcement towards the end of this month on June 25. There’s no official mention of this date or any other device for now, but by the looks of it, it could be for the actual OnePlus Nord 2. There’s also a OnePlus Nord N200 on the horizon, but that will be limited to the US and Canada.
We’ve been hearing of a MediaTek-powered OnePlus Nord 2 for months. It was tipped to launch in Q2, which makes the June 25 date even more likely. It remains unclear if it will be a device that has limited global availability or not, as the Dimensity 1200 has been exclusive to a handful of markets such as China and India.
A much-needed release
It’s not just about jumping to conclusions here, as the existence of the device was confirmed by accident during a promotional campaign for Google Stadia, where the OnePlus Nord 2 was listed on the smartphone maker’s website as an eligible device. While that error has now been rectified, it does spill some beans.
The partnership with Stadia also suggests that the company will look to position it as an affordable gaming smartphone — a trait common with other Dimensity 1200 smartphones. In fact, that branding will also bode well with features such as a 120Hz AMOLED display and 65W Warp Charing, which are other rumoured specifications of the OnePlus Nord 2.
Lastly, while the new OnePlus 9 series of smartphones touched new heights in terms of pricing, there is now a significant gap in the Rs 25,000 to Rs 35,000 segment, even after the Nord CE launches. That space, which is in dire need of a refresh, is exactly where the OnePlus Nord 2 will ideally slot in.
- OnePlus Nord review
- OnePlus Nord 2 release date, price, news and leaks
- Exclusive: OnePlus Nord CE 5G is official, and it’ll be cheaper than a OnePlus 9
