OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G launched in India exactly one month back, on February 17, 2022. It hasn’t been a lot of time since the smartphone came out and people have kind of looked at it funny. Many have questioned what’s the use of a OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G that’s not even better than the OnePlus Nord CE 5G, which launched in 2021. Both the devices are 5G supportive, but the thing with Nord CE 2 5G is that it is super affordable. It looks like OnePlus wanted to trim down the OnePlus Nord CE 5G further to make it more affordable for the masses.
OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G Review: Body and Design
The one thing that stands out about the OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G is that its design is unlike anything that you would have ever seen before. Now I don’t say that in a positive manner. The OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G comes with a glossy glass back with two very big camera sensors. I have the Gray Mirror variant, which is literally what its name suggests, a mirror. You can easily see the reflection of your face on the device’s back.
The back of the smartphone is a fingerprint magnet. Thus, my suggestion for people who are using this smartphone’s Gray Mirror variant would be to keep it inside a case. There’s a 3.5mm audio jack at the bottom, which is something many Indians would appreciate. Since it is a OnePlus Nord CE device, there’s no Alert Slider, which in so many words, is a bummer.
The device has a single speaker at the bottom, while the SIM tray and the volume rockers are at the left. As always, the power button is on the right. The chin of the device is slightly thicker than I would have liked, but it works; you will get used to it. At the front, the selfie sensor is at the top left, housed inside a punch-hole cutout. I have no clue what the Bahama Blue variant of the device looks like, but I hope it isn’t the same finish as the Gray Mirror variant of the device.
OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G Review: Display
The OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G comes with a 6.43-inch AMOLED display with support for 2400 x 1080 pixels resolution, 90Hz refresh rate, and Gorilla Glass 5 on top for protection. The device’s display is also HDR10+ certified. It can get very bright, and you can use it comfortably under sunlight.
The Fluid AMOLED display feels smoother because of the clean OxygenOS. The device boots on OxygenOS 11 based on Android 11 out of the box. The fingerprint sensor is also on the screen at the bottom, and just like always, it is pretty fast. I don’t have many complaints about the screen of the device as it is fast and very responsive. It can also support AI Colour enhancement which means watching videos on this device would be a super experience.
OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G Review: Performance and Battery
The OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G is a device that won’t disappoint you in the performance area. It sports the MediaTek Dimensity 900 SoC, which also comes with many expensive mid-range smartphones. The MediaTek Dimensity 900 makes this smartphone 5G supportive. I only played one game on this device — Asphalt 9, and it was a decent experience. The device does heat a little faster than I would have expected it to, but it’s okay with a heavy game such as Asphalt 9. Otherwise, you won’t find it overheating in any normal use case scenario. I have the 8GB RAM variant, and it’s not bad. When I open too many apps, say 20+ apps at the same time, even then, the OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G is able to handle all of the apps smoothly. Yes, on certain occasions, the apps restart, but that’s not surprising if you keep these many apps opened all at the same time. Thus, multitasking shouldn’t be a problem with this affordable 5G device.
The 5G bands this smartphone can support are — 5G SA: 1/3/5/8/40/41/78; 5G NSA: 1/3/5/8/40/41/77/78. This is actually way more than what the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro can support. This device sports a 4,500mAh battery which can support 65W fast-charging. This is what gets me excited about this smartphone, actually. It has a pretty good battery life in case you are a moderate user. Heavy smartphone users will have to charge it again before the day’s end to ensure that it doesn’t switch off at night. But charging it won’t be an issue because it can support such fast charging.
OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G Review: Camera
OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G has a triple-camera setup at the rear with a 64MP primary sensor, 8MP ultra-wide-angle sensor, and a 2MP macro sensor. For selfies, there’s a 16MP Sony IMX471 sensor at the front. The camera of the device is pretty impressive. At this price range, based on the camera features and the kind of shots I got, I would say it is a pretty good option for camera lovers who are looking for a budget device. Anyway, check out the camera shots below.
OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G Review: Price and Overall Remarks
The OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G is a complete package for users who are looking for an affordable smartphone with decent performance. The only thing that I don’t like about the Gray Mirror variant is its glossy glass finish. Apart from that, in every department, the smartphone is satisfactory for the amount of money the OnePlus is charging against it. If you are using the OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G, you will not be left disappointed. It is not a flagship, yes, but it still hosts a very powerful 5G processor. The OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G is arguably the best 5G smartphone you will get around the Rs 20,000 - Rs 25,000 price point.
