OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G Review with Pros and Cons – Dead?
OnePlus is the new POCO of BBK Electronics, you heard it right. You know how, POCO launches a re-brand of Redmi phones, just like that, OnePlus is launching a re-brand of OPPO phones.
The newly launched OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G is a re-brand of the recently launched OPPO Reno 7 5G (review).
Now, looks like the OnePlus brand is dead, it’s just selling OPPO phones under the OnePlus Logo and that’s it.
OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G Price in India
- 6GB Ram + 128GB storage: Rs 23,999
- 8GB Ram + 128GB storage: Rs 24,999
The device is available in Bahamas Blue and Grey Mirror color option and it will go for sale on 22nd February 2022 at noon via Amazon.
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Contents
OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G Review
OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G is worth buying but it’s not for everyone because, we have tons of better smartphones available under Rs 25,000, so it doesn’t make any sense to buy the average smartphone with the same Color OS, yes, the OnePlus now comes with Color OS, so yes, there is no USP to buy OnePlus phones.
Now the OPPO Reno 7 5G is available at 28,999 for 8GB of Ram and 256GB storage while OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G price in India starts from Rs 23,999 for 6GB Ram + 128GB storage.
Related: Best Smartphones Under Rs 25,000
Both of them are the same device with different RAM & Storage options. Also, OnePlus phones are coming with Color OS too, so whether you can buy OPPO, RealMe, or even OnePlus, all of them are the same.
Overall, the OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G is not the best smartphone, you can just add a thousand more and go with RealMe Note 9 Pro Plus 5G (review) which also has the Color OS, so yes, you will get the same experience as the OnePlus and you will get a better device.
OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G Pros and Cons
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| 65W Fast charging support | No Stereo Speakers |
| 90Hz AMOLED Display | Decent Cameras |
| 3.5mm Audio Jack | Night Photography needs work |
| Dedicated SD-Card Slot | Small Battery Size |
| 8 5G Bands | Plastic Unibody |
| NFC Support | Color OS |
| Carrier aggregation Support | |
| Widevine L1 Support |
Display Quality
The OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G comes with a 6.43-inches 90Hz AMOLED display with a pick brightness of 800 nits of 180Hz touch sampling rate.
We have phones with 120Hz and even 144Hz refresh rates under Rs 30,000 in India but OnePlus decided to go with 90Hz. This could be a downside for some users, so keep that in mind.
It looks like, OnePlus has used RealMe’s smartphone body because the chin on the front side is too big and it’s the same as the recently launched RealMe 9 Pro+ 5G.
If we recall, the OnePlus Nord CE 5G had a smaller chin and better display but this upgraded version doesn’t have the same.
On the front side, it has Corning Gorilla Glass 5, the frame & rear side is made out of plastic.
Related – Top 10 Best Smartphones Under Rs 20,000
It also has support for Widevine L1 which means, you will be able to stream FHD+ content on OTT platforms.
Even the smartphone has HDR10+ support but still, it’s not showing on Netflix. This can be a bug and it can be fixed with an OTA update.
Now, there is no issue with the display, it’s a good quality display, there won’t be any issue while playing games or even watching movies.
Performance
The OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G is powered by MediaTek Dimensity 900 SoC and runs on Color OS 12 Oxygen OS 11 based on Android 11.
Android 12 has been around for months now and yet, OnePlus didn’t add Android 12 out of the box. The phone will get Android 12 but when? no one knows.
For those who don’t know, the phone is running on Color OS but OnePlus is calling it, Oxygen OS, just like what RealMe is calling their OS, Realme UI.
Fun Fact, this is the second OnePlus smartphone after OnePlus X which has a micro-SD card slot but why? because this is the re-brand of Reno 7 5G.
Related – Top Best Smartphones Under Rs 30,000
Now, most smartphones under Rs 30,000 have MediaTek Dimensity 1200 SoC or Snapdragon 778 SoC but these days, the new smartphone is coming with MediaTek Dimensity 900 SoC which is not a good thing.
So in short, if you’re that person who loves to play mobile games for hours then you should skip the OPPO Reno 7 5G and take look at POCO GT F3 or even click here for better options.
There is no doubt, that MediaTek Dimensity 900 SoC is a good processor and it will give good performance whether you want to play games or anything else.
Still, I feel, that if the smartphone is priced at 30k, the phone should have a better chipset rather than good SoC.
Related: Best Smartphones Under Rs 20,000
Coming to 5G, yes OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G does have 5G support and it has 8 5G bands which are good enough to take advantage of the 5G network. By the way, 5G will launch in India in 2023 which is confirmed by the Indian Government.
Overall, the phone has a decent processor, so if you’re buying OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G for gaming then don’t, it’s a good processor but it’s a not powerful processor.
Cameras
Cameras are still, a weak part of OnePlus Smartphones, even their flagship smartphones don’t have the best cameras, so can’t expect a better camera at the mid-budget price range.
The OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G comes with a 64MP primary sensor, 8MP ultra-wide, 2MP macro sensor, and 16MP front camera. The rear camera can shoot videos at 4k@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps while the front can shoot at 1080p@30/60fps.
The phone doesn’t have OIS support, it relies on EIS.
Now, the videos will come out shaky, if you use the 4k@30fps mode, so if you want smooth videos then always use 1080p@30fps.
The same can be said for front cameras too.
I feel OnePlus needs to work on the camera. The video footage does come out well but sometimes, the dynamic range gets messed up.
The details are also not that great, again, it can be fixed with an OTA update but in the end, it depends on OnePlus, when they gonna provide that OTA update.
That 64MP sensor is very powerful but looks like, OnePlus didn’t take full advantage of that sensor. It’s hit or miss, sometimes, the images come out very good, and sometimes, it’s not even useable.
With the images, I didn’t face any problems with the dynamic range.
The 8MP ultra-wide lens is kind of okay, the same issue with details and the colors are not that great.
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Now, that 2MP sensor is just for marketing, so forget about that.
The 16MP sensor is good enough to take some good selfies, so yes, if you’re that person who loves to take selfies then you will be more than happy with the front camera but keep in mind, that you won’t get the natural colors, OnePlus tries to whiten the images like always.
If I have to rate OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G camera then I would say, the OnePlus needs to work on cameras, I mean, it doesn’t justify the Rs 23,999 price tag.
Still, if you’re a fan of OnePlus or color OS then I think, you will like, what OPPO has done with Nord CE 2 5G
If you ask me when I buy a new smartphone, I always check the value and not the brand, so in this case, the OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G is not for me, I would rather pay extra thousand and go with RealMe Note 9 Pro+ 5G
Audio Quality
The phone doesn’t have stereo speakers, OnePlus has provided a single bottom-firing speaker.
The single speaker is loud enough to watch YouTube videos or even movies without earphones but still, this is a 24k smartphone and OnePlus should have provided stereo speakers.
It also has a secondary noise cancellation microphone. The OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G does have carrier aggregation support.
By the way, OnePlus has also added a 3.5mm audio jack which is another plus point.
Overall, the audio and even call quality are good, with no complaints.
Battery Life
The OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G comes with a 4,500 mAh battery with 65W fast charging support. The 65W charger will take about 31 minutes to charge from 0 to 100%.
Overall, if you’re a heavy user then get ready to charge this smartphone twice a day but if you’re a casual user then, the battery should last for a day.
You can also use the 65W charger, so even if the battery doesn’t last for a day then they will be charged in 30 minutes.
OnePlud Nord CE 2 5G FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Q: Does OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G has a 3.5mm Audio jack?
A: Yes.
Q: Does OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G has NFC Support?
A: Yes.
Q: How many OS updates will OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G will get?
A: OnePlus has promised two OS updates and three years of security updates.
Q: What is the screen refresh rate of the OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G?
A: It has a 90Hz refresh rate AMOLED.
Q: Does OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G has stereo speakers?
A: No.
Q: Does OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G Widevine L1 support??
A: Yes.
Q: Does OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G has a camera2api enabled?
A: Yes
Q: Does OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G has 5G Support?
A: Yes.
Q: How many 5G bands does OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G have??
A: The OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G has 8 5G bands which include n1, n3, n5, n8 n40, n41, n77, and n78.
Q: Does OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G have fast charging support?
A: Yes, it has a 65W wired fast charging support.
Q: Does OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G have carrier aggregation?
A: Yes.
Q: Does OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G have a compass sensor?
A: Yes.
Q: Where to buy OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G in India?
A: The OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G is available on Amazon and OnePlus.com/in website.
Q: Alternatives of OPPO Reno 7 5G?
Verdict
OnePlus is a mess right now, I don’t know what they’re doing, there was no need for Nord CE 2 5G and even if they wanted to launch the phone, they could have gone with a different OPPO smartphone rather than Reno 7 5G.
Now, we have three mobile brands with Color OS, OPPO, RealMe, and OnePlus.
So now, you just have to choose a better smartphone, you will get the same OS as these three brands, and only the logo will change.
Overall, you can ignore the Nord CE 2 5G and look for a better smartphone but in the end, it’s your money, so if you like the device then go for it.
OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G Full Specifications
| Launch Date | 04 February 2022 |
| Release Date | 22nd February 2022 at Noon Via Amazon |
| Display | 6.43-inches FHD+ AMOLED 800 nits pick the brightness Touch Sampling Rate: 180 Hz HDR10+ |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels resolution |
| Dimensions | 160.6 x 73.2 x 7.8 mm |
| Display Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Screen Refresh Rate | 90Hz Refresh Rate |
| Build | Glass front Glass back, Metal frame |
| OS | OxygonOS 11 – Android 11 |
| Chipset | MediaTek MT6877 Dimensity 900 5G (6 nm) |
| GPU | Mali-G68 MC4 |
| CPU | Octa-core (2×2.4 GHz Cortex-A78 & 6×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55) |
| Storage | 8GB Ram + 256GB Storage UFS 2.2 Storage LPDDR4x RAM |
| Card Slot | Hybrid Slot |
| Rear Cameras | 64MP Primary Sensor 8MP Ultra-Wide 2MP Macro |
| Video | 4k@30fps 1080p@30/60fps |
| Front Camera | 16MP |
| Video | 1080p@30/60fps |
| 3.5mm Jack | Yes |
| Widevine L1 Support | Yes |
| Carrier aggregation | Yes |
| Stereo Speakers | No |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.2 |
| 5G Support | Yes |
| 5G Bands | n1, n3, n5, n8 n40, n41, n77, and n78 |
| NFC | Yes |
| IR Blaster | No |
| Sensors | In-display fingerprint sensor Accelerometer Electronic compass Gyroscope Ambient light sensor Proximity sensor Sensor core |
| Fingerprint Sensor | In-Display |
| Battery | 4,500 mAh (non-removable) |
| Charging Speed | 65W Wired fast Charging |
| Charging Time | 0% to 100% in 31 Minutes |
| Colors | Bahamas Blue and Grey Mirror |
| SAR Value | Head: 1.023 W/Kg, Body: 0.814 W/Kg |
| Model Number | – |
| Weight | 173 Gram |
| Price | 6GB Ram + 128GB storage: Rs 23,999 8GB Ram + 128GB storage: Rs 24,999 |
| In the box | OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G 65W SUPERVOOC adapter Cable USB 2.0 Phone case Screen protector SIM tray ejector Welcome letter Brand sticker Red Cable Club membership card Quick start guide Safety information |
| Available at | Amazon |
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Image: OnePlus India
I really loved your detailed review..
You just explained well bit by bit with proper research.
In one article only i became your big fan.
i love to watch this type of content but unfortunately i haven’t started yet.
I waited for this Nord2 Ce 5g phone but One Plus really messed it.
Glad you liked it, I just hope, they don’t become the new POCO…