OnePlus launched the first Nord launched this year with quite a big name, the OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G, which is the successor of last year’s Nord CE. There is a lot to talk about as this mid-range smartphone has a slight shift. It feels like their focus is blurry regarding the midrange phones since OnePlus has been a high-end brand since the beginning, but they also started targeting the more significant proportion of the market which buys the low to mid-range phones. OnePlus launched Nord CE 2 5G in the price range of Rs 72,999.

Design and Display

OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G is available in Blue and Grey. The back looks like any other Oppo phone with a glossy look; even the camera module looks similar to Oppos than OnePlus’. The module matches Oppo Find, a fused module with the body. Although in hand feels is fantastic. 

A 3.5mm audio jack is available, which is quite shocking, as many upper-midrange models don’t come with audio jacks. A noise-cancelling microphone is present on the top. The right side has a power button. SIM card tray is located on the left upper side with volume rockers.

 Another addition to this phone is that it comes with a microSD card slot. Generally, OnePlus doesn’t give card slots in midrange models and flagships. It weighs 173 grams which is pretty light compared to other brands. 

The front panel comprises a 6.4-inch Full HD display that supports a 90Hz refresh rate and is protected by a Corning Gorilla Glass 5. The AMOLED display given to this model is not the best AMOLED you will see in phones. The colours are nice but not as sharp as they should be. 

Camera

A multiple camera module is on the back with two big cameras mounted. The module has a triple-camera system with a 64MP primary camera, 8MP ultrawide camera and 2MP macro camera. The primary camera has an OmniVision sensor which shows its results as the camera is not up to the standard. The clarity, colour intensity, dynamic range and skin tones are all off and don’t feel like it belongs to a 64MP camera. At this price range, there are better options available when it comes to the camera. So the camera is not a plus point in this phone.

The front selfie camera is a 16MP camera that captures average photos. There is nothing much to talk about the camera. Other camera features include; AI video and 4K recording at 30FPS (60FPS is not available). There is also a macro mode along with an expert mode. 

Interior

The predecessor Nord CE has Qualcomm 7650 SD, whereas this model has Dimensity 900; surprisingly, Dimensity 920 was not the first choice of OnePlus. Nord CE 2 has two variants, the base variant has 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage, and the other variant has 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. 

Regarding the software side of the phone, Oxygen OS 11 is based on Android 11, which is relatively older, and the companies should start releasing phones with Android 12. The users will get the update in a few months, but until then, you have to use Android 11 in this model

Battery

The battery is 4500mAh, the same as its predecessor but has 65W fast charging and supports reverse charging. This battery will last you a day for the average user. 4500mAh is good enough, but remember that most of the competitors have been releasing phones in a similar range; there could have been developments in this area.

Pros and Cons

The colours are not washed out, but again, not the best AMOLED display is out there. There is a mono speaker only, it is loud, but the sound quality is not up to the mark. It is a 5G band phone, but OnePlus has not stated how many bands are available, but it will be somewhat similar to Oppo Reno7, which has 13 bands. AN in-display fingerprint sensor is available along with face unlock, which works correctly.

The biggest drawback is the average camera quality, so if you’re buying it for the pictures, it wouldn’t be a good option. Another drawback is the display, which could’ve been better. The rest is good such as performance and features. Before its release, there were several speculations regarding its price, and it was expected not to exceed Rs 65,000. However, it was released for a bit more than the expected range.