The OnePlus Nord CE 5G is the company's latest phone, but this time it's not aiming to stand out in the high-end market, but rather in the mid-range. And pay close attention to it, because after testing it for a few days, I have to admit it surprised me.
Video analysis: OnePlus Nord Ce 5G
A phone that fits like a glove
The first thing that will catch your eye about this OnePlus Nord CE 5G is its design, but even more so its size. It's not that it's a very small phone, but the feeling in your hand compared to other offerings from the brand, like the OnePlus 9 Pro, is that it fits like a glove.
Yes, the dimensions of this OnePlus Nord CE 5G make it genuinely pleasant and compact to use . Even with one hand, it's much more comfortable than other options on the market, despite its slightly larger screen size. Personally, that's what I liked most, although there are other design details that also deserve a mention.
The first thing to note is that while the phone has a plastic back, the overall quality feels good. Furthermore, it's a matte plastic that doesn't show fingerprints nearly as easily as some other options on the market. And of course, for those of us who are a bit obsessed with fingerprints and keeping our phones as clean as possible, this is always a welcome feature.
Then there are the volume and power buttons, the only three that it has since the Alert Slider here is also lost as it was in other recent Oneplus phones. These mentioned buttons are in a very accessible position, so they also help in the overall user experience of the device.
Finally, there's the bottom section where you'll find the USB-C connector for charging and data transfer, as well as the speaker, microphone, and a headphone jack. Yes, this OnePlus Nord CE 5G retains, or brings back, depending on how you look at it, the 3,5mm headphone jack . So you can use your wired headphones without needing any adapters.
For the rest, the phone is just as you see in the images, in this case with a very striking blue finish that is reminiscent of that first Oneplus Nord that you liked so much.
Fluency and sound for a quality multimedia experience
Beyond the design and the preferences of each user for more or less large phones, if there are two sections that are important in the user experience, they are the quality of its screen and the sound system.
Here OnePlus opts for a 6,43-inch AMOLED panel that not only looks great in terms of color, brightness, contrast, black depth, etc., but is also a great enjoyment thanks to its 90Hz screen refresh rate.
Yes, just like other manufacturers at Oneplus, they know that the jump from the classic 60 Hz to 90 Hz is very noticeable, which is why it has even been included in this proposal that aims more at the mid-range. And you have to be thankful for that, because the truth is that everything looks great.
It is true that screens like the Oneplus 9 Pro are much better, but most users who would bet on this Oneplus Nord CE 5G would have to look closely to notice it. So good job from the manufacturer.
And just like the screen, the phone's sound doesn't disappoint either. With all kinds of audio content and even in calls, it perfectly fulfills its mission. And the simple fact of including a headphone jack makes further improving the sound experience much easier and cheaper.
Oxygen OS and a very solvent Snapdragon
Moving on to the software and performance section, this OnePlus Nord CE 5G could define the experience it offers simply with the name of its customization layer: Oxygen OS.
Oneplus's software proposal continues to be one of the best on the market, very well optimized and with the right and necessary details so that the less advanced user feels comfortable and the most enthusiastic finds those aspects that they demand.
In my tests, after a couple of updates, the overall experience has been very satisfactory from day one. Only in the camera section is where I feel that more can still be done, but I'll talk about that later.
Powered by a Snapdragon 750G processor and with two RAM and storage options available (8/128 and 12/256), the phone performs very well in all kinds of situations. You'll even be able to enjoy it with demanding games. It's true that there are subtle performance differences, such as loading times or when quickly switching between resource-intensive apps, but they are so minor that the overall impression remains excellent.
Four cameras and some limitation
The camera of the first Oneplus Nord was quite a surprise and its performance left practically no one indifferent. And it is that the company managed to put a very capable proposal in the hands of its users in a multitude of situations.
This time around, the OnePlus Nord CE 5G isn't far off the mark, but its triple rear camera and front camera aren't quite up to par . Even so, let me tell you about my experience, but first, the technical specifications for each.
Main camera
The main or rear camera is made up of three sensors where two are the ones that will really bear all the responsibility of what the terminal will be able to offer at a photographic level, while the third will serve more as support.
- 64 MP main sensor and F1.79 aperture
- 8 MP wide-angle sensor and F2.25 aperture
- 2 MP monochrome sensor and F2.4 aperture
Photos with the wide angle have less detail than the main sensor. Although the aspect that attracts the most attention is the calibration at the color level, which varies with respect to the main one again. Even so, with good light you can take advantage of it, but with little right now and together with the processor it is very fair.
The main sensor for its part is not bad at all. The performance is more satisfactory when there is less light, although it is not the same camera that surprised the first OnePlus Nord.
Frontal camera
The front camera, for its part, integrated into the screen itself through a hole located in the upper left corner, is better known and I can tell you that it is at the level of other models of the brand. The sensor itself offers:
- 16 front camera sensor
Quality that can improve with future updates
As you can see from the sample images, the OnePlus Nord CE 5G's cameras offer good quality . In particular, the front camera and the 64MP main rear camera are the two best performers. The wide-angle lens isn't particularly impressive, and its color calibration is noticeably different from the main lens.
Even so, I firmly believe that future software updates will improve performance. It already did after one of the system updates I was able to install during testing. So I trust that OnePlus will continue working on it, because there are times when HDR is enabled, and the processing is poor, resulting in an unrealistic image.
In addition, this optimization could also benefit the processing time that the images occupy the Snapdragon 750G itself. Something that is noticeable in situations where for some reason it is more difficult for him to interpret what the final result should be.
Therefore, in general terms it seems to me a good photographic proposal for the price of the terminal. It is true that it needs to improve its software, but if it does, it will be an attractive option for those who are not looking for or want to spend too much on a phone.
Autonomy without fanfare
Finally, let's talk about the battery life of the OnePlus Nord CE 5G. With a 4.500 mAh battery , the average usage time is comparable to many other similar devices. Oxygen OS optimization doesn't work miracles, and you'll get a day and a half or two at best.
As always, it will depend on how you use the device. So, if you use the camera a lot or play games, you'll need to charge it sooner rather than later. Luckily, it offers a 30W fast charging system that takes you from 0% to approximately 70% in just 30 minutes.
A phone with a price that will hurt its rivals
In short, the OnePlus Nord CE 5G is a phone that I personally quite liked. It's not perfect, but it's also an option that, given the price, offers very little more than you could ask for. Depending on the version, the phone costs €329 (8GB RAM and 128GB storage model) and €399 (12GB RAM and 256GB storage version).
See offer on AmazonThese are the official launch prices, but imagine what they'll be like in a few weeks when there are additional offers. At that point, this OnePlus Nord CE 5G might just be one of those rare options that can truly be described as good, attractive, and affordable.
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