After its Nord 2 5G, OnePlus has pushed its Nord series further with its second-gen OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G which is the successor to the last year’s Nord CE 5G. The OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G packs an upgraded processor (MediaTek Dimensity 900), a faster 65W charging, and shares some features from its first-gen OnePlus Nord CE 5G. What’s more? Take a look at our OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G review.
OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G Specifications
- Display: 6.43-inch Fluid AMOLED display, 90 Hz refresh rate, Full HD+ resolution (2400 x 1080 pixels), Corning Gorilla Glass 5
- Software: OxygenOS 11.3, Android 11
- CPU: 6nm MediaTek Dimensity 900 5G octa-core CPU up to 2.4 GHz
- GPU: Mali-G68 MC4 (4-core) Graphics
- Memory: 6 GB OR 8 GB RAM
- Storage: 128 GB UFS 2.2 internal, microSD card support
- Main Camera: Triple Cameras (64 MP f/1.8 primary + 8 MP ultra-wide-angle + 2 MP macro), LED flash
- Selfie Camera: 16 MP
- Connectivity: USB Type-C, 3.5 mm port, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, GPS
- Security: In-display fingerprint scanner, Face unlock
- Cellular: 5G network, dual nano SIMs, dual standby
- Battery: 4,500 mAh
- Charging: 65W SuperVOOC fast charging (10V, 6.5A)
- Price: ₹23,999 (6 GB RAM & 128 GB Storage), ₹24,999 (8 GB RAM & 128 GB Storage)
- Availability: OnePlus.in, Amazon India
Design, Display, and Build
The OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G has been improved over its past generation, it’s now more powerful, better in design, and faster at charging speeds. The Nord CE 5G is just below its higher variant OnePlus Nord 2 5G which supports a better CPU, primary camera, and comes in a premium glass design, all with a higher price tag of course.
Speaking of its design, the Nord CE 2 5G is covered in a glossy finish 7.8 mm slim design, the front is covered with a Corning Gorilla Glass 5 while the back looks like glass, not exactly glass, but gives you a smooth feel. The overall design of the smartphone feels very good, solid, looks premium, and more refined.
The backside has a triple camera setup on the top left side with a 64 MP main camera. On the front side, you see the gorgeous 6.43-inch Fluid AMOLED display with a 90 Hz refresh rate and a resolution of Full HD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels).
The right side has a power key while the volume controls are on the left along with a SIM tray that also carries a dedicated microSD card slot. It supports dual SIMs with 5G functionality and dual standby. The fingerprint scanner is just under the display, not side-mounted like the others, but the loudspeakers on the phone aren’t stereo. The bottom side has a USB Type-C port, a 3.5 mm audio jack, loudspeakers, and a microphone with a second one on the top.
Software and User Interface
The OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G runs on its homegrown Oxygen OS 11.3 based on the Android 11. The security patch on the phone is dated 5th January 2022. The interface looks more stockish than customized if you are familiar with the stock Android interface.
The Oxygen OS 11.3 has loads of extra features on top of Android 11, you do get customizations and features in the Oxygen OS as well as security updates, however, it’s still behind in terms of Android version updates, many smartphones have already received the Android 12 update, the Nord CE 2 5G is stuck with the Android 11 out-of-the-box. Nevertheless, sooner or later, the smartphone might be updated to the newer Oxygen OS 12 (based on Android 12) which we saw in the OnePlus 9 Series.
You will find least apps installed on the phone, most of them are from Google, a few from OnePlus, no third-party apps found on the phone. The user interface is clean and lag-free, the experience is super smooth due to its 90 Hz refresh rate and there are various Oxygen OS optimizations.
Hardware, Performance, and Gaming
OnePlus has, this time, picked up a MediaTek chip instead of a Qualcomm for the Nord CE, the predecessor equips a Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G SoC while the Nord CE 2 5G packs a MediaTek Dimensity 900 SoC, a faster processor overall. The CPU is another highlight of this phone aside from its fast charging capability.
About the CPU, the Mediatek Dimensity 900 is an upper-midrange SoC manufactured in a 6nm process consisting of 2+6 core configurations, two high-performance ARM Cortex-A78 cores clocked at 2.4 GHz, and six power-efficient ARM Cortex-A55 cores clocked at 2.0 GHz. Furthermore, the chip integrates a quad-core ARM Mali-G68 MC4 (quad-core) GPU for gaming and graphics apps.
The rest of the specs include RAM with up to 8 GB RAM LPDDR4X and 128 GB UFS 2.2 storage, the highest offering among its two variants, the base variant comes in 6 GB RAM with the same 128 GB storage option which can be extended via a microSD card. The price for the base variant i.e. 6 GB + 128 GB is ₹23,999 while for ₹1,000 more, you get its 8 GB RAM variant.
It’s very similar to the Dimensity 920, the performance of the chip is faster than that available on its predecessor. It also competes with the Snapdragon 750G and 765G powered smartphones and emerges with a better position in benchmarks, but not when compared to the Snapdragon 778G, it has close competition though. If you are planning to game on it, the GPU performs well and runs many games, if not all, at high graphics settings.
Cameras
The cameras on the phone are way too similar to the setup you see on its predecessor, the OnePlus Nord CE 5G. It seems the OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G offers the same camera specs, you will find a triple camera setup with the 64 MP camera being the primary. The rest two cameras are 8 MP ultra-wide-angle and 2 MP macro, no fourth camera is available, you don’t see OIS and telephoto camera either. The front has a 16 MP selfie camera for selfie and video calling needs.
The 64 MP camera performs very similarly as compared to the camera found on its first-gen. Although the camera package performs well in the daylight and appears to be good for this price segment, there are no big changes you see in the camera if you own the Nord CE 5G, you won’t find anything significantly new here.
Features of its camera include Portrait, Night, Dual Video, Slow-Mo, Expert, Movie, Ultra Resolution, and a few more. It does record 4K at 30 fps, for 60 fps, it records in 1080p mode (even supports 120 fps). You also have the 480 fps super slow motion and the camera records wide-angle videos which is a great feature.
OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G Camera Samples
Battery Life and Charging
For its battery, it has the same 4,500 mAh size you see on its Nord series smartphones, the OnePlus Nord 2 5G, as well as the OnePlus Nord CE 5G both, have the same capacity battery and hence you can expect a similar battery life. You can get up to 2 days of battery depending upon your usage.
Surprisingly, the Nord CE 2 5G has played a smart move by offering a super-fast 65W SuperVOOC charging which uses an output of 10V, 6.5A and it gives a cutting edge over the smartphones and its rivals in this segment. Expect a full charge in about 30 minutes from 1% to 100%.
Verdict
The OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G has been improved in terms of design, performance, and fast charging. You get a wonderful 65W SuperVOOC fast charging that takes approximately 30 minutes to fully charge the battery, a 90 Hz Fluid AMOLED display, and cameras that you can rely on. For the price of ₹23,999, the OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G is a reasonable choice among the contenders.
Strength
- 90 Hz Fluid AMOLED display
- Fast 6nm Dimensity 900 | Good performance
- Fast 65W charging | full charge in ~30 minutes
- Impressive cameras
- 5G Support
- microSD card support
- 3.5 mm audio port
Weakness
- Android 11 out-of-the-box
- No stereo speakers
