OnePlus is going through an interesting phase, one that no longer is about just “fans” or being a “flagship killer”. It is a company that delivers flagship phones. It has a reputation to live up to. And it has to do more than just go berserk with publicity campaigns. This year, the biggest achievement for the brand has been a partnership with Hasselblad on the 9 Pro, promising users photos that will make them go over the moon. And the second big move comes in the form of OnePlus Nord CE 5G, which is about replenishing the ammunition in its Nord category of phones.

Without making you wait, the Nord CE lives up to its marketing term “core edition” and doesn’t become a “compromised edition”.

Cutting the right corners

The fat has been trimmed without cutting into the most addictive feature of an OnePlus phone — the operating system — OxygenOS which runs on top of Android 11. The closest to stock Android with plenty of customisation and zero jitters is what OnePlus has always promised… and delivers. Except for the Netflix app — something most users would like to jump into — the sinewy genius of OxygenOS is in full flow. In the few days of usage, there were no useless notifications.

I get it that the CE edition is powered by Snapdragon 750G, which some say is a small step down from last year’s SD 765G but if you look at benchmark scores, the difference is nothing to scream at. The GPU score on the Nord wins over Nord CE by a nose, otherwise almost everything is roughly the same, which also means it was a sensible corner to cut by OnePlus. Gaming on the Nord CE is pleasant even at high graphic settings while other tasks are handled easily.

Minor cutbacks have helped keep the price in check, like the plastic rear panel. You will never have the feeling that a cheap device is in your hand. The Nord CE is light, well-designed and perfectly balanced.

In fact, the size of the phone makes it easy to grip. The 6.43-inch 90Hz fluid AMOLED display has everyday usage written all over it. All the usual display modes are there — ambient, dark mode and reading mode — while pictures and text appear sharp. The well-tuned screen makes it easy to consume multimedia while the mono speaker is somewhat of a let-down but it’s loud (and clear) enough.

A gain and a loss

The biggest gain on the phone is the 3.5mm headphone jack. Dollar sales figure will obviously point to the demand of wireless earbuds and headphones but wired audio cans still spell magic for many people, especially audiophiles who want to listen to high bite-rate files.

But I’m left scratching my head over the absence of the signature alert slider. If it is an integral part of the OnePlus experience, why leave it out?

Time to face the camera

Pictures are not oversaturated on the OnePlus Nord CE 5G Sourced by the correspondent

The one area where dilemma may crop up is camera. There is nothing remotely bad about the 64MP main camera or the 8MP ultra-wide snapper but how they are marketed at a time of 108MP cameras is important. However many articles get written about why megapixel count shouldn’t be a deciding factor, there are brands out to push a much-maligned theory forward.

Pro mode makes photography fun Sourced by the correspondent

OnePlus has certainly upped its game with a collaboration with Hasselblad on the 9 Pro but that’s missing here, leaving the brand to defend itself. And OnePlus cameras have always been like that student in the class who’s always scoring very well but never hits the number one spot. Pictures taken using the main sensor are crisp, complete with all the details you need, even after zooming in. But the same cannot be said about the ultra-wide where one gets the feeling that too much AI is at play. During low-light shots, there is some noise and not every detail gets captured, something that’s improved with the night mode. In terms of video, 4K recordings at 30fps look great but it makes one yearn for optical image stablisation.

Indoor snaps are crisp Sourced by the correspondent

Should you buy it?

OnePlus is not emphasising on 5G in India because by the time it arrives, you will have something on the lines of ‘Nord Pro’! Yes, the company is giving out the message to buy Nord CE over last year’s Nord, which is currently out of stock. But if you are in the market to buy a reasonably-priced phone with zero compromises on software experience, this is the phone to have for the next couple of years. The company is offering two years of software updates and three years of security updates. It’s best to go for the base variant as most tend to upgrade every two years. The OnePlus Nord CE 5G looks and feels good... it’s a safe bet.

More about the phone

Device: OnePlus Nord CE 5G

Price: Rs 24,999 for 8GB+128GB and Rs 27,999 for 12GB+256GB

High notes

• 3.5mm headphone jack present

• Software updates for two years and security updates for three years

• You can charge up the phone at the blink of an eye

Muffled notes

• Alert slider is missing

• Mono speaker