“The OnePlus Nord CE 5G is a lightweight, affordable phone with a two-day battery that is future-proof and long-lasting with 5G and a range of software updates, provided you're not too demanding. But just a little more money brings you something better. "
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Two days of battery life
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Reliable, fast software
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Light
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Screen lacks liveliness
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Processor struggles with intensive tasks
The OnePlus Nord CE 5G is a phone that is designed to last for a few years and is good value for money with no high starting price. It's no surprise that the Nord CE 5G has such a strong bang-to-buck ratio on paper as OnePlus has focused on delivering quality hardware for years. But is a value-oriented data sheet enough? Now that I've spent almost two weeks with the Nord CE 5G, it's clear why you don't have to spend more, but it's also clear why you should.
design
My Nord CE test model is in the color Blue Void and it's nice. It's obviously closely related to the Ultramarine Blue on the OnePlus 8 Pro, but with fewer shades of green and prefers to turn subtly into purple around the edges instead. It catches the light well and the back of the glass – not Gorilla Glass, but from another unnamed manufacturer – is handy and feels cool.
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The chassis is made of plastic. It weighs 170 grams and is 7.9 mm thick, and that's thinner and lighter than the Samsung Galaxy A52 5G, Realme 8 5G, and the first OnePlus Nord. The rounded case and flat screen make it comfortable to hold, but the plastic volume and power buttons feel cheap.
It's unfortunate that the Nord CE 5G doesn't have that wonderful OnePlus alarm slider that has been standard on most other OnePlus phones from the start and is an integral part of the brand's identity. This is despite the company's insistence that the Nord CE is just as much a OnePlus phone as these more expensive devices. It has a 3.5mm headphone jack on the bottom of the phone which can be enough for some compensation.
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I could complain about the lack of imagination in the design – it's basically the same as the first Nord, and how many more times will we see this shape camera module on a phone? – but it seems a bit silly to do so. The OnePlus Nord CE 5G has a pretty, completely undemanding design that is more noble than the price suggests and is a real eye-catcher in this special color. It's one of the cheapest 5G phones you can buy, but you would never know if you just looked at it from the back.
screen
Here's the first time you want to spend more on a phone, and a small downgrade from last year's Nord. The Nord CE 5G has a 6.43-inch fluid AMOLED screen with a refresh rate of 90 Hz and Full HD resolution, which is a decent spec on paper but misses HDR10 +. In reality, it can't compete with the screen on phones that cost little more, like the Galaxy A52 5G.
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It lacks warmth and vibrancy when it comes to watching video, even after you've dug into settings and made sure Vivid is set to display mode. Watching Carfection's Shelby Mustang GT500 review reveals the screen's coldness as the crazy green paint job didn't show up like it did on higher-end screens.
At maximum brightness, the screen is visible in all lighting conditions, but it loses a bit of clarity at extreme angles. It comes standard with a screen protector that is covered in fingerprints and it really doesn't make the front of the phone look very attractive. I wiped this phone a lot more than most of the others.
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Hard comments? Possibly, but OnePlus is good at screens, and while the 90Hz response rate is much to be welcomed, the Nord CE 5G's performance can't compete with that of the Galaxy A52 5G, and even the Google Pixel 4a adds some of the life to it, that is missing the screen of the Nord CE. However, it is very similar to the Realme 8 5G, which suggests that we should expect it from a phone at this price point.
camera
On the back of the OnePlus Nord CE there are three cameras, a 64-megapixel main camera, an 8-megapixel wide-angle camera and a third 2-megapixel monochrome camera, which can be used separately. The main camera's photos are bright and colorful, but sometimes a little too saturated, and it struggles in difficult lighting conditions. The wide-angle camera becomes even more saturated and struggles in the shadows, where it loses details.
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The camera app will show a 2x zoom option, but this is not an optical mode and if you use it the final picture will lose detail. The monochrome camera takes pure black and white photos, but with a low number of megapixels, although I've still enjoyed using it in the past. The video mode can record at up to 4K at 30 frames per second, there is a night mode for still images and a pro mode.
It can't compete with the Google Pixel 4a in terms of photo quality, but that's not really surprising, and the Galaxy A52 5G's camera gives photos a warmer, slightly more attractive look. That being said, and apart from the inconsistency between the main and wide-angle cameras, the Nord CE's camera takes photos that you'll be happy to share, but they may need to be edited beforehand. OnePlus includes an editor in its Gallery app, but the filters are mostly terrible and the customizations aren't as extensive as in Snapseed or Google Photos.
Where the Nord CE stumbles is when you try to do something too technical. It's stupid trying to focus in portrait mode, and it often refuses to focus on something that seems too close to it. Provided you aren't expecting too much, the Nord CE 5G's camera is fine, but if you experiment and really enjoy playing with the camera, it won't often impress.
Performance and software
My Test Nord CE has 8 GB of RAM, more than enough for most smartphones, and is paired with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G processor. The 750G released in 2020 is a confusing little thing. It's a step up from the Snapdragon 765G in the First North with newer Kryo 570 cores, but its Adreno 619 GPU is a step backwards compared to the Adreno 620 in the 765G. It's made in an 8nm process instead of a 7nm process, but uses the same X52 modem and supports both Sub-6 and mmWave 5G connections.
The Snapdragon 750G is newer than the still-current 765G, and although the G in the name indicates that the processor is geared towards gaming, the Nord CE 5G is happiest when playing casual games like Asphalt 9: Legends, which is rather fast and more exciting than anything more intense.
Genshin Impact is playable with minimal slowing down, but the phone gets warm, verging on hot, after playing for a while, especially if you spend a lot of time fighting. While I have never received an overheating warning, after long sessions with Genshin Impact, I have received a “Your phone's operating temperature has returned to normal” on a few occasions. What lets the Nord CE down more when playing is the sound, which is delivered through a single speaker and can be uncomfortably tinny.
The phone wins in general software, however, with OnePlus's excellent OxygenOS 11 running smoothly and bug free during my time with the phone. I like the always-on screen, which can be customized in a number of ways, and the battery scheduling feature for overnight use. I didn't have any issues with app compatibility or updates, and the settings menu is easy to navigate. It's one of the Nord CE 5G's greatest strengths.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
While the Snapdragon 750G sounds like it should be a little powerhouse, it's not always as snappy as I'd like it to be. For example, it can stall while multitasking. It's not a deal breaker, but you will definitely notice an improvement in speed and responsiveness when using a more powerful phone. The Nord CE is fine for general use, and it has enough power for casual gaming too.
Battery and security
The OnePlus Nord CE is a great phone for casual use, and the battery reflects that. Use it carefully – around two hours of screen time – and barely 30% is consumed before the end of the day. On some quiet days, the OnePlus Nord CE 5G still had power at the end of the second day when connected to either Wi-Fi or 4G LTE. Play games for an hour, play a video, and mix it up with general usage, and the battery should still last a full day with some spare.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
OnePlus' proprietary Warp Charge 30T Plus charge reliably brings the 4,500 mAh battery to 70% in just over 30 minutes, but it takes at least a full hour to reach capacity. Battery life and fast charging are two of the best things about the Nord CE 5G. The Galaxy A52 5G is the Nord CE's archenemy, and while Samsung's phone outperforms the Nord in some places, the Nord's fingerprint sensor is superior. It works really well, even though it's placed quite low on the screen, and there's a quick face-unlock system there as an alternative.
Price and availability
The OnePlus Nord CE 5G has only been announced for the UK, and it is unknown if it will ever officially come to the US. In the UK, it starts at £ 299, around $ 420 for the 8GB / 128GB version and £ 369 / $ 525 for the 12GB / 256GB model. It is now available for pre-order through the OnePlus online store and is sold through Amazon, John Lewis retail stores and the Three Network. It will be released on June 21st.
Our opinion
The OnePlus Nord CE 5G proves that an affordable phone can be powerful, good-looking, and come with great software. If this covers all of your needs then great, you will be happy with it. However, this is where it is worth understanding whether you should spend a little more to get a superior product that will last even longer, and while there is nothing wrong with the Nord CE 5G, making sure your new phone lasts is crucial.
It's Samsung's fault that the Galaxy A52 5G made such a strong offer. It has an IP67 water resistance rating for increased durability, a better screen, a good camera, two days of battery life, and looks just as pretty (maybe even a little more modern). Add an equally robust software commitment and microSD card slot, and it's worth the extra over the 8GB Nord CE 5G as it will almost certainly last longer.
At no point did I feel the need to rip my SIM card out of the Nord CE 5G, so its frustrations never climbed high, and the brilliance of OxygenOS makes up for some of them anyway. However, there is no escaping the fact that while the OnePlus Nord CE 5G is a solidly reliable phone that is reasonably future-proof with 5G and two years of software updates, if longevity is one of your goals and it really should be at all costs, a balanced one Longer-lasting phones are available for little more money.
Is there a better alternative?
The price of the OnePlus Nord CE 5G is very competitive. We recommend going for the £ 299 8GB / 128GB version as it represents the best value. In the UK, the Realme 8 5G and Xiaomi Redmi Note 5G are challenging the Nord CE on price, but there's little to technically separate them.
We recommend the Samsung Galaxy A52 5G because it has a generous, well thought-out range of functions, is probably more stylish and durable and has a larger, more beautiful screen for little more money. It costs $ 499 in the US and £ 399 in the UK. Getting a 5G phone under $ 500 in the US is a challenge, but also consider the Google Pixel 4a 5G if the camera is a priority.
How long it will take?
The Nord CE doesn't have a waterproof rating or a particularly tough case, so you'll need to put it in a bag if you want to protect it. OnePlus offers a selection of very colorful cases that are perfect for the job. There is good news on the software side, with the company promising two years of updates and three years of security updates. Provided your usage doesn't change there is no reason not to hold up for three years.
Should you buy it?
No. As good as it is, we recommend buying the Galaxy A52 5G for its added features and increased durability.
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