14 DAY TRIAL // While high-end phones are the ones getting the most attention these days, mid-range models are the ones bringing home the bacon, as they help companies get the precious market share everybody has become obsessed with.
Samsung, for example, is currently the world’s number one phone manufacturer not necessarily thanks to the Galaxy S lineup but mostly because of its powerful mid-range device series that offers one of the best mixes of premium features and affordable price tags. So while the Galaxy S family of phones is a great way to experience the best of the best in Samsung’s portfolio, mid-rangers are the ones selling in much bigger numbers and therefore generating revenue and market share.
Mid-rangers have thus become an essential part of the offering of every single phone maker out there, and OnePlus knows this very well. Often described as an underdog of the phone race, OnePlus too aims for the sky in terms of mid-range devices, trying to achieve just the perfect mix of high-end capabilities in a reasonably priced package.
This is how the OnePlus Nord CE 5G was likely born. In essence a mid-ranger, this new model feels like it’s so much more than that, from the second you hold it in hand for the very first time to the one when you pull it out of your pocket to respond to a message. The new OnePlus phone looks, feels, and works like a high-end device, though there are moments when it does show its limits.
While this is rather something you’d expect to read as the bottom line of a review, I think it’s really important to know exactly what to expect when getting your hands on the OnePlus Nord CE 5G. And I’ll detail everything in the next paragraphs.
First and foremost, the looks. If you ask me, the new OnePlus is absolutely yummy, but in my few days with the device, I learned that not everybody is a big fan of striking colors. I reviewed the Blue Void version, so if you don’t want your phone to stand out from the crowd so easily, just go for the Charcoal Ink or the Silver Ray, both of which come with a rather unique finish as well.
With a 6.43-inch display, the new Nord CE 5G feels really natural in hand, and this is certainly a good thing. When I reviewed the Samsung Galaxy S21 lineup, one of the things that I considered a big shortcoming was just how tall the standard model ended up becoming, which sometimes made me feel like I was holding a TV remote in my hand.
This isn’t at all the case with the new OnePlus, despite sporting such a massive display. And everything is exactly where you’d expect it to be, including the 3.5mm headphone jack. Because yes, OnePlus is playing it old school, so the new phone comes with a 3.5mm audio connector, though I think the world is ready to let this port go, so moving to a modern alternative is something everybody should eventually embrace.
The display is absolutely top-notch, and it certainly adds to the cool factor when using the phone. With a 20:9 aspect ratio and 2400x1080 pixels resolution, the 90Hz AMOLED display sports vivid colors and excellent response times, so the OnePlus Nord CE 5G is ready for almost anything you throw at it, including games and movies.
And speaking of what the phone is capable of, what’s hiding under the hood is the best indication the device was built from the very beginning as a mid-range device with premium ambitions. The OnePlus Nord CE 5G is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 750G 5G mobile platform paired with an Adreno 619 GPU chip, a maximum of 12GB RAM, and 256GB of storage.
Everything certainly sounds great on paper, but do these specs meet your expectations in real life? This depends on what exactly you want to do with the new OnePlus in the first place.
For example, if you’re a casual gamer, you shouldn’t encounter any big problems with it, and once again, the screen feels really alive most of the time.
The Snapdragon chip might show its limit when playing more demanding games, and of course, this leads to a bigger battery drain, but again, it’s important to always keep in mind this is supposed to be a mid-range model and not a flagship.
But on the other hand, if you’re just looking for a phone that’s more of a Jack of all trades, then the OnePlus Nord CE 5G is certainly worth checking out. Pretty much because it comes with an impressive hardware arsenal that allows it to deliver petty good quality for the money.
So in addition to the specs mentioned above, this OnePlus also packs an in-display fingerprint sensor, an ambient light sensor, USB Type-C, dual nano-SIM, noise cancellation support, an NFC sensor for payments, and Bluetooth 5.1.
In other words, it comes with everything you’d expect to get on a premium device, and this is where the Nord CE 5G shows its high-end ambitions. At some level, OnePlus seems to follow in the footsteps of Samsung with this attempt to build super-premium mid-rangers, and in the long term, this could very well pay off for the company.
OxygenOS, which is based on Android 11, provides all kinds of cool software gimmicks, and if you’ve never used a OnePlus before, there’s quite a lot to explore. And to be honest, there’s nothing to hate about OxygenOS, so if you’re interested in a user-friendly Android experience and not in the raw approach like on the Google Pixel, this OnePlus is worth a try.
Now let’s talk a little bit about the camera. The Nord CE 5G features a triple-camera setup on the back with a 64 MP main sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide sensor, and a 2MP mono lens.
On paper, this camera should provide stunning results, but on the other hand, the photos you take remind you every time this is actually a mid-ranger. And this is where the price you pay for a flagship really makes a difference.
In some cases, the OnePlus Nord CE 5G has trouble focusing on the subject, and I found myself repeatedly focusing manually when taking a photo because it looked like the photo would end up out of focus.
An update released by OnePlus before publishing the review has improved the overall experience, but the focus sometimes still feels slow, so if you’re trying to take a picture of a running cat, you could easily miss getting the perfect shot.
If you use the auto mode, you’ll notice that the camera sometimes changes the photo settings despite focusing on the same spots, so two photos in the same conditions could end up looking a bit different. The f/1.79 aperture of the main camera does help in low-light conditions, but only if you have a really steady hand.
But at the end of the day, the camera is still able to take decent photos, yet again, this is where the Nord CE 5G shows its limits and reminds the user they’re holding a mid-ranger in hand.
And now, the battery. As a hardcore user, I’m pretty used to recharge a phone every day, but on the other hand, I’d be more than happy to switch to a model that can provide over 24 hours of battery life.
While the OnePlus Nord CE 5G isn’t necessarily a monster in terms of battery life, though the 4,500 mAh unit should easily get you through the day if you’re not a heavy user, the Warp Charge 30T Plus system is the one that deserves all the praises. This feature allows the battery to go from 0 to 70 percent in just 30 minutes, and this isn’t just on paper, but in real life too. The charging process is insanely fast, and to be honest, I can’t believe other companies haven’t made their charging this fast already. It’s something that should become a standard feature for everybody, especially because it helps deal with battery anxiety on the go.
