OnePlus Nord CE 5G: 3 reasons to buy and 3 reasons to skip this Nord | 91mobiles.com

The ‘true’ OnePlus Nord successor (aka the OnePlus Nord 2) is yet to arrive. We get the OnePlus Nord CE 5G in its stead. It is, for the most part, identical to the original Nord, with a few tweaks here and there. Our in-depth OnePlus Nord CE review determines that the smartphone doesn’t quite live up to the hype it generated before launch. At Rs 24,999, it competes against many impressively specced midrange smartphones. If you’re on the lookout for a mid-range smartphone, the OnePlus Nord CE 5G may be your ideal choice. Here are three reasons why you should buy the OnePlus Nord CE 5G and three reasons you can look someplace else.

3 reasons to buy the OnePlus Nord CE 5G

Design

As our review notes, the OnePlus Nord CE 5G has a minimalist design. It has a premium feel and one-handed operation is relatively simple. Other than a tiny OnePlus at the back, the smartphone is free from any overt branding, which many would welcome. However, the OnePlus Nord CE 5G is missing the quintessential alert slider that was a staple on all OnePlus devices. While long-time fans may bemoan its removal, not many people will notice its absence.

Display

The OnePlus Nord CE 5G’s 6.4-inch FHD+ AMOLED panel is pleasing to look at. A well-calibrated 90Hz panel is arguably better than a 120Hz one with sub-par calibration. OnePlus was never one to skimp on the display quality on its phones, and the OnePlus Nord CE 5G lives up to the brand’s reputation. The lack of HDR10+ support is a tad disappointing, though. Nonetheless, you get all the benefits (and battery-saving properties) of an AMOLED panel.

Performance

We’ve seen the Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G chipset on a wide range of mid-range smartphones. It is one of the best chipsets for the price point and can handle most day-to-day tasks with relative ease. You can game on it, too, but not at the highest settings, especially on demanding titles such as Genshin Impact. 5G support is an added bonus, too, although we may have to wait a while before the tech debuts in India.

3 reasons to skip the OnePlus Nord CE 5G

Battery

It is puzzling as to why OnePlus chose to pack a 4,500mAh battery on the OnePlus Nord CE 5G, especially at a time when 5,000mAh is tacit ‘industry standard’ at the price point. It supports 30W fast charging, which is quite decent. However, the likes of Realme and iQOO offer 50+W fast charging at a similar price, leaving the OnePlus Nord CE 5G behind in that regard.

Camera

OnePlus’ never-ending battle to get smartphones right is far from over. Our review determined that the OnePlus Nord CE 5G’s cameras fail to live up to the expectations. Its low-light performance is quite lacklustre. Fixes may arrive in the form of OTA updates eventually, but in the here and now, the smartphone’s camera performance is sub-par.

Software

Although OnePlus does a stellar job of keeping its smartphones updated with the latest security patches and Android upgrades, some of its recent work has been less than ideal. Several OxygenOS builds are often riddled with bugs and minor annoyances. OxygenOS may be one of the more bloat-free, customisable Android forks out there, but it is filled to the brim with minor annoyances that completely ruin the experience