There are plasticky mid-range smartphones and then there is OnePlus Nord CE4. Despite leaving out several flagship features, this phone has the potential to become one of the strongest contenders for the mid-range segment crown. Is it that good? Yes, it is but close on its heels is Nothing Phone (2a). Nord is a snappy device that can handle most tasks effortlessly, be it taking pictures or taking down notes.
No-nonsense design
A close look reveals a well-designed phone that captures the spirit of OnePlus Nord. Nothing complicated, the camera modules run in a straight line on the back while the 6.7-inch display feels good to hold. The Celadon Marble version that’s in for review is all plastic yet, there is enough heft to take the phone seriously.
The advantages are obvious. It’s a biggish full HD+ AMOLED display that supports 120Hz refresh rate with a peak brightness of 1,100 nits. Lately, YouTubers and a few phone manufacturers are mindlessly going nuts over nits. All that you need to care about is that 1,100 nits is bright enough for most occasions.
There is IP54 rating, which ensures splashes and drizzles don’t harm the phone. On top of that, OnePlus is offering its Aqua Touch tech, which is simple but interesting. When our fingers are wet, smartphone screens don’t register touches easily. That’s not the case here.
There’s more: Enjoy HDR video playback, good colour tuning and excellent haptic feedback. Combine that with a good pair of stereo speakers that are well tuned.
Where does it fall behind when compared with Nothing Phone (2a)? Two things that may not bother most users. First, the bezels are slim but not even on all sides, which gives Nothing an advantage. Second, the rear panel of Phone (2a) looks stunning and different from any Android phone.
Top performer
The department in which OnePlus scores high marks is processing. Having Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 Mobile Platform is an advantage. It’s a processor that’s snappy, manages battery well (4nm chipset) and there is not much CPU throttling even after long hours of usage. Be it BGMI or Genshin Impact, you will enjoy more-than-average frame rates while playing at high graphic settings.
A night shot clicked on the OnePlus Nord CE4
Moreover, there is 8GB of LPDDR4x RAM (there is also support for virtual RAM) and 128GB/256GB UFS 3.1 storage, meaning excellent read-write speeds. You also get support for up to 1TB microSD.
OnePlus hasn’t compromised in the battery department. The 5,500mAh battery easily gives eight to nine hours of screen-on time and no matter how heavy your workload, you can easily go through a day. In the box is a 100W SUPERVOOC charger, which is becoming a rarity.
OnePlus has also pushed 5.4 Bluetooth connectivity besides support for LDAC and LHDC audio support. These are very good specs and all the available 5G bands in India find support.
Where does the phone stutter? A few things to remember. OnePlus is giving two generations of Android OS upgrades and three years of security updates from the launch date even though the phone comes with a nimble processor. Second, there are a few unnecessary apps that come preloaded, which is not the OnePlus philosophy we are used to.
Snapper zone
Moving to photography, here the phone does better than most devices in the mid-range segment. The main snapper is 50MP with Sony LYT600 sensor, which we have seen on Realme 12+. It’s a good sensor to have and enough light comes through
Under bright sunshine, I found the camera turning in fantastic photos. You even get good HDR performance and colour reproduction. The phone takes a march on other devices when it comes to portrait shots and capturing skin details. Under low light, it does a fairly good job but, at times, shadows are not well exposed; it’s something software updates can take care of through camera tuning.
The phone has some bloatware but in the box there is a powerful charging brick
The 8MP ultra-wide is fantastic for the pricing and it even performs fine at night. The same goes for the 16MP selfie snapper and its attention to skin tones. On the front camera, you can capture 1080p videos at 30fps while 4K@30fps is possible on the main. Shots are steady and microphone is of decent quality.
Should you buy it?
I don’t understand why OnePlus has left out the alert slider, which many users love. Apart from that there is little one can complain about this phone. Whatever users care about — good battery life, bright contrasty display and decent camera — are on this phone. OnePlus keeps the inexpensive-but-efficient formula going with its Nord series and it’s, in a way, taking the game away from Redmi. The OnePlus Nord CE4 is a zippy performer that can take over the mid-range smartphone game.
Shots captured under sunshine are bright and contrasty
At a glance
Device: OnePlus Nord CE4
Price: Upwards of Rs 24,999
High notes
Good choice of chipset
UI is breezy
Video performance excellent for the price point
Excels in battery performance
Muffled notes
Security updates could have been longer
No alert slider
