Oneplus Nord 2, CE – Specs, Price, Camera, Pros, and Cons

OnePlus Nord CE 2 (5G)

The Oneplus Nord CE 2 is the latest addition to the Oneplus portfolio in India and will cost INR 23,999 for the 6 GB Ram and 128GB internal storage. There is also an 8GB/128 GB storage version that costs Rs. 24,990. The smartphone is available in two elegant colors Gray Mirror and Bahama Blue.

Let’s Check Out Specs, Pros and Cons for the Nord CE 2 (5G)

OnePlus Nord CE 2 comes with a slim design, fast charging, and a smarter AI camera setup. In addition, the phone has a gorgeous 6.43 inches FHD + Fluid AMOLED display, 90 Hz refresh rate, and HDR10+ certification.

Powering the mobile is the powerful MediaTek Dimensity 900 octa-core processor. The chip is based on the 6 nm architecture and supports 5G and WiFi 6 network connectivity. Further, it runs OxygenOS 11 operating system based on Android 11.

Moreover, it packs a 4500 mAh battery that supports super-fast flagship 65W SUPerVOOC charging. You can charge it from 0 to 100% in just 32 minutes.

Cameras – At the front, there is a 16 MP selfie camera, and the rear side has triple cameras that comprise a massive 64 MP primary sensor lens, 8 MP ultra-wide lens, and 2 MP macro lens.

Additionally, the AI software, such as Nightscape and Portrait Mode, allows you to capture sharp and clear shots with one click. Furthermore, the AI background lighting and color optimization enhance the video capture quality of Nord CE 2.

It will help you capture a clear and stable video even in dim light. Also, the Dual-View Video mode allows capturing from both front and rear cameras at a time.

The Nord CE 2 smartphone is one of the slim phones with 7.8 mm of thickness. Also, it has a 3.5 mm audio jack, dual SIM slot, and microSD card slot.

Oneplus Nord 2 – All Details

The Oneplus Nord 2 was unveiled in India on 22nd July 2021 and will go on sale starting 26th July 2021. Notably, Oneplus has recently launched a new Nord 2 Pac-Man Edition smartphone that I have detailed below.

The Oneplus Nord 2 is the successor to Oneplus Nord launched last year. The Nord series offers mid-range phones at affordable pricing, with great software experience sans the top-of-the-line hardware.

The Oneplus Nord 2 is a new addition to the Oneplus portfolio and it is more premium than the previously launched Oneplus Nord CE 5G.

The Nord 2 5G looks similar to the Oneplus 9 and has triple rear cameras at the back and a left-aligned punch hole camera at the front.

The phone comes with a sleek curved design that seems easy to hold and use. The Nord 2 also comes with the iconic Alert slider. The phone has Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection at the front and back, while the side frame is made of plastic.

The device weighs 185 grams and has a thickness of 8.2 mm. Not very sleek but still comfortable to hold and use.

It is available in 3 color options – Gray Sierra, Blue Haze; the top variant is available in Green Woods color.

Price & Variants

The Nord 2 is available in 3 variants, and the pricing is as follows:

• 6 GB Ram and 128 GB Storage – Price Rs. 27,990
• 8 GB Ram and 128 GB Storage – Price Rs. 29,990
• 12 GB Ram and 256 GB Storage – Price Rs. 34,990

The Nord 2 is a fine phone and will be a good offering in the 30k to 35k price range. Oneplus has said that the base version won’t be available for the next 60 days and, when available, will come in limited quantities. The base variant is a paper launch, and the real price starts at 29,990.

There is an Rs. 1000 discount if you buy it using the HDFC credit/debit card. So, we can buy the 8/128 version for Rs. 29,000.

Let’s check out what we get after paying this amount to Oneplus.

Performance

The MediaTek Dimensity 1200 processor is powering the device that recently debuted with the Oppo Reno6 Pro. It is a powerful processor but not as fast as the SD 870 in the Oneplus 9R, especially for gaming. It is a crazy fast processor for day-to-day use, and you won’t find any lags or issues.

The processor is also energy efficient, made from a 6 Nm process, heats less, and offers good battery life.

The phone will launch with 8 GB Ram (DDR4X) + 128 GB (UFS 3.1) internal storage for the base version, and there will be a 12 GB Ram and 256 GB storage version for folks who want maxed-out specs.

You won’t have any issues playing games like COD or BGMI at very high settings.

Display

The Nord 2 comes with a 6.43-inch FHD+ (2400x1080p) Fluid AMOLED display, with a 20:9 aspect ratio and 410 PPI. Also, there is an in-display fingerprint scanner for quick unlocking.

The display is a bit of a downgrade compared to the Oneplus 8T or 9R that offers up to 120 Hz panel, but not a big deal for most users.

The key highlight of the Nord 2 is not the display or performance; it is the better primary selfie camera.

Cameras

The Oneplus Nord 2 comes with a 50 MP primary Sony IMX 777 sensor to capture detailed images. This is the same sensor we have seen on the Oneplus 9 and the 9 Pro.

The Oneplus Nord 2 beats the Oneplus 8T/9R and even the Oneplus 9 in some scenarios from the early camera samples. The primary 48 MP camera on both 8T/9R is pretty average and at times worse than most mid-range phones from other brands.

The primary camera on the Nord 2 comes with OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) and has an f/1.88 aperture.

The second camera on the Oneplus Nord 2 is an 8 MP shooter, and the third is a 2 MP shooter. The phone supports 4K @ 30 FPS. However, it doesn’t support 60 FPS.

Also, the 32 MP front selfie camera (Sony IMX615) is better than the ancient 16 MP camera Oneplus uses on the 9R and 8T.

The camera App in the Oneplus Nord 2 is ported straight from the Oppo Color OS, and it doesn’t feel like the Oneplus native camera App.

Additionally, camera features like Dual Video, Nightscape, and Group shot 2.0 make the imaging experience better.

Software – Oxygen Os becomes ColorOS.

The USP for the Oneplus phones is the Oxygen Os, and Nord 2 will come with the latest Oxygen Os 11.3 and the ColorOS codebase.

In case you missed it, Oneplus announced that they would use the same codebase as Oppo’s Color Os to improve the user experience and offer more features. Die-hard Oneplus fans are unhappy about this as this can dilute the unique Oneplus experience.

Oppo-fication of Oneplus has already started, and the camera app is just the beginning. We will see many more similarities in the coming months with more copying of Oppo software and features into Oneplus.

Developing two different OS is expensive, and the company has to hire developers, do testing for different Apps and features for both OS.

Merging both OS codebase helps them cut costs, but at the same time, this dilutes the Oneplus value proposition for many buyers, including me.

Despite knowing it comes with garbage cameras, I currently use the Oneplus 8T and bought it primarily for the clean Os experience.

Nevertheless, it is what it is.

Oneplus is also promising 2 years of OS updates and 3 years of security patches.

Connectivity, Battery, and Audio

The Nord 2 is a 5G phone and comes with a Dual 5G SIM support (supported bands – N41, N78, N28A, N1, N3, N40) and 4G VOLTE. Also, there is support for

Also, there is support for NFC, Bluetooth 5.2, aptX & aptX HD & LDAC & AAC codecs.

Lastly, the Nord 2 comes with a Dual Cell 4500 mAH capacity battery that is sufficient to last all day, and there is a 65 Watts Wired Fast charger to fill it up in about 30 minutes.

There is no wireless charging or IP rating for the Nord 2.

Lastly, it has dual stereo speakers missing on the Oneplus Nord, a good addition, in my opinion.

Conclusion

It offers seemingly better cameras (more on it later) than the Oneplus 9R but has lower performance, a 90 Hz refresh rate display, and missing stereo speakers.

Considering the price, it is a good product from Oneplus, and you won’t be disappointed with the cameras, performance, battery life, or overall experience.

OnePlus Nord 2 X Pac-Man Edition

OnePlus recently introduced a new variant of the previously launched OnePlus Nord 2.

The new Pac-Man Edition Nord 2 has the same specs as the regular Nord 2.

The Pac-Man Edition is available for Rs. 37,999 for the 12 GB Ram and 256 GB storage variant. The standard Nord 2 with 12 GB Ram / 256 GB Storage is available for Rs. 34,999.

You are paying Rs. 3000 extra for the new Pac-Man edition for the cosmetic design changes. It is entirely up to you to have a unique-looking phone and pay extra or just buy a nice case for standard Nord 2 and save some bucks.

So, that’s for the Nord 2 Pac-Man edition, stay tuned and sign-up for our email newsletter to get the latest updates.

OnePlus Nord CE 5G – Offers Fast Performance, Decent Camera

After a long wait, Oneplus has launched the affordable Nord CE 5G in India.

Apart from 5G support, one of the highlights is the return of the coveted 3.5mm headphone jack.

Let’s first check the price and variants for the CE 5G, before proceeding to specs and other features.

Variant, Price, Color & Availability

The smartphone is available in three variants, starting at Rs. 22,999.

1. 6 GB RAM and 128GB onboard storage at Rs 22,999.
2. 8 GB RAM and 128GB onboard storage at Rs 24,999.
3. 12 GB RAM and 256GB onboard storage at Rs 27,999.

You can get Rs. 1000 discount when buying using HDFC Bank credit card and also can get an interest-free EMI option.

Design & Display

The OnePlus Nord CE comes with a polycarbonate build (plastic) and is available in multiple color options – Blue Void (matte), Charcoal Ink (glossy), and Silver Ray.

For starters, it is a sleek smartphone measuring 7.9mm in thickness and it is lightweight (170 grams).

It has an In-display fingerprint sensor and face unlocking support.

For a good viewing experience, It features a 6.43 inch, Full HD+(2400*1080)pixels resolution, AMOLED display with 90 Hz refresh rate.

Additionally, we have got a left-aligned punch-hole selfie camera.

Processor & Operating system

The OnePlus Nord CE is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G Octa-core processor that is fabricated on an 8nm chipset and comes along with the Adreno 619 GPU.

You will get a seamless gaming experience while playing games like Call of Duty, PUBG, and others.

It operates on an Android 11 based on OxygenOS 11 and will also get the next Android updates and security patches.

One of the key reasons to buy a Oneplus phone is the excellent software experience that is miles ahead of rivals like Xiaomi etc.

Camera

We have got an AI Triple camera setup at the back carrying a 64MP(f/1.79) primary camera that seems to be better than the 48 MP camera on the OnePlus Nord.

Additionally, we have an 8MP(f/2.2) 119-degree ultrawide camera and a 2MP(f/2.4) macro lens. I am not a big fan of these low MP cameras – mostly gimmicks.

The rear camera offers features like Nightscape, UltraShot HDR, Portrait, Panorama, Pro mode, Smart scene recognition, Filters, and up to 4k video shooting support @30fps. The rear camera has EIS support but lacks OIS (optical image stabilization).

At the front, it offers a high-quality 16MP(f/2.4) Sony IMX471 selfie camera along with an EIS(Electronic image stabilization) support and up to 1k video shooting support @30/60fps.

Battery

For the longest usage time, the OnePlus Nord CE is fueled with a decent 4500mAH battery that comes along with a 30T Plus (30 Watts) Warp charging support.

This 30T Plus fast charging will charge your phone’s battery from 0 to 70% in just 30 minutes.

Pretty Fast !!!

Connectivity

It has various connectivity options: Wi-Fi 802.11ac, GPS, Bluetooth 5.1, NFC, a 3.5mm headphone jack, USB-Type C port, and 4G/5G connectivity support.

Concluding Thoughts

The Nord CE 5G looks like a solid deal with good hardware and software at a reasonable price. You may get some better processors from rivals but again software experience is better with Oneplus.

The Oneplus Nord CE 5G pre-registrations are already On and you can get the phone from next week (16th June).