OnePlus Nord CE Review: A Solid Mid-Range Contender with Room for Improvement

OnePlus Nord CE Review: A Solid Mid-Range Contender with Room for Improvement

The OnePlus Nord CE positions itself as a competent mid-range smartphone, offering a pleasant blend of features that make it a reasonable choice for many users. However, its limitations in performance and value proposition mean it faces stiff competition from other devices in the same bracket.

Design and Build

Measuring 73.5 x 159.2 x 7.9mm and weighing 170 grams, the Nord CE sports a plastic back and frame, a departure from the glass builds seen in higher-end OnePlus models. This design choice results in a lightweight feel, similar to recent OPPO F-series phones, though it lacks the signature alert slider that OnePlus fans have come to expect. Despite the absence of Gorilla Glass, the device has held up well in daily use, showing minimal signs of wear. It comes in three color options: Blue Void, Charcoal Ink, and Silver Ray, with the Charcoal Ink variant featuring a glossy finish that tends to attract fingerprints.

Display

The Nord CE features a 6.43-inch FullHD+ Fluid AMOLED display with a smooth 90Hz refresh rate. The screen delivers vibrant colors, responsive touch performance, and adequate brightness levels. An in-display fingerprint sensor is included, which performs better than the one found in the Samsung Galaxy A52. However, the display lacks Gorilla Glass protection, relying instead on AGC Dragontrail glass, a cost-saving measure that feels out of place in a OnePlus device. The absence of stereo speakers is another notable omission, as even budget phones nowadays often include a decent stereo setup. The mono speaker on the Nord CE falls short in bass and volume, though the inclusion of a 3.5mm headphone jack offers some relief.

Performance

Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G 5G chipset, paired with up to 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, the Nord CE handles everyday tasks smoothly. OnePlus’s OxygenOS remains one of the most polished Android interfaces, offering a clean, ad-free, and user-friendly experience. Switching between apps, browsing social media, and performing basic tasks all feel responsive. However, when it comes to gaming, the Nord CE struggles to maintain high frame rates in demanding titles. In PUBG Mobile, for example, the phone manages a stable 40fps under Smooth graphics, while Genshin Impact can only run at 30fps with all settings dialed down to Low. Lighter games like Call of Duty and Shadowgun War Games can hit 60fps, but the overall gaming performance leaves room for improvement. A more powerful chipset, such as the Snapdragon 780G, would have been a better fit for this price point.

Cameras

The Nord CE boasts a triple-camera setup led by a 64MP OmniVision primary sensor, accompanied by an 8MP ultra-wide lens and a 2MP mono sensor. While the main camera produces natural-looking images with good brightness and contrast, it falls short in detail compared to other sensors. The ultra-wide lens suffers from color shifts and lacks dynamic range, making shots appear less vibrant when compared to the primary camera. Portrait modes handle skin tones and bokeh reasonably well, though edge detection can be inconsistent, especially around hairlines. Nighttime photography is a weak point, with images appearing grainy and lacking detail even with night mode enabled. Selfies from the 16MP front camera are decent, offering good exposure and detail, though edge detection in portrait selfies leaves much to be desired.

Battery

With a 4500mAh battery, the Nord CE delivers solid endurance, providing around 6 to 7 hours of screen-on time under typical use. Heavy users can expect the phone to last through the day, and possibly into a second day with light usage. Charging is handled by Warp Charge 30T Plus technology, which can take the device from 0 to 100% in about an hour, a feature that remains competitive in the mid-range segment.

Verdict

The OnePlus Nord CE is a decent mid-range smartphone with a lot going for it, particularly its optimized OxygenOS and vibrant 90Hz AMOLED display. However, its underwhelming performance in gaming, lack of stereo speakers, and absence of Gorilla Glass hold it back from being a top contender. When compared directly with the Samsung Galaxy A52, which offers superior camera capabilities, or the POCO F3, which delivers better value for performance, the Nord CE struggles to stand out. For those in the Nepali market looking for a balanced mid-range device, the Nord CE is worth considering, but buyers should be aware of its shortcomings and the strong competition it faces.