OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G, hands on: OnePlus’s most affordable handset could offer better value

OnePlus has a popularity for stable service within the mid-range smartphone market, however I used to be upset that some parts had not been upgraded within the lately reviewed OnePlus Nord 2T 5G, which begins at £369. There may be additionally disappointment with the brand new Nord CE 2 Lite 5G — not a lot with the telephone itself, however as a result of in a crowded market this £279 telephone is arguably costlier than it needs to be: provided that the ‘Lite’ model is simply £20 cheaper than the Nord CE 2, which we reviewed again in March, OnePlus may have pushed its most cost-effective handset additional on value (see specs comparability under). Like its Nord CE predecessors, the Nord CE 2 Lite 5G shouldn’t be formally on sale within the US. 

There are two color choices, Black Nightfall and my overview handset’s slightly arresting Blue Tide, whose light-refracting again morphs between child blue and barely deeper shades. The higher part of the again homes a big digicam digicam which stands very proud, inflicting important rock-and-roll on the desk when the uncased telephone’s display is prodded. Vertically stripes operating the complete depth of the digicam bump and full width of the telephone is not the perfect design thought I’ve ever seen – it seems like somebody put sticky tape on this part of the telephone. 

As with the Nord CE 2, OnePlus omits its trademark Alert Slider, which helps you to swap between silent, vibrate and ring modes. Nevertheless, the inner specs impress. The Nord CE 2 Lite is powered by Qualcomm’s quick mid-range Snapdragon 695 5G chipset with 6GB of RAM, a platform that delivered Geekbench 5 CPU scores of 685 (single core) and 1945 (multi core). By the use of comparability, the MediaTek Dimensity 900-based Nord CE 2 with 8GB of RAM scored 719 (single core) and 2143 (multi core). 

There may be 128GB of inner storage of which 108GB is free out of the field. The 5G assist is obvious within the handset’s identify, and customers have the selection of utilizing both two SIMs or one SIM and a MicroSD card. 

There is a 3.5mm headphone jack on the underside edge, and a fingerprint sensor constructed into the ability button on the precise aspect.  

The display is fairly good contemplating this handset’s value. It is an IPS panel slightly than AMOLED (as on the Nord CE 2), however at 6.59 inches and delivering 2,412 by 1,080 pixels (401ppi) it seems clear and sharp. The 120Hz refresh charge can also be good to see in a telephone at this value. 

There are few surprises on the software program entrance, with Android 12 and OxygenOS 12 offering a reasonably clear expertise, with a gratifying lack of bloatware. I may do with out Netflix and TikTok cluttering the place up, however each will be uninstalled. The Nord CE 2 Lite 5G consists of the OnePlus ‘shelf’, the place you sweep down from the display’s prime proper to entry a spread of widgets. Some customers discover this distracting as they will hit it by mistake when accessing the notifications bar, however I discover it straightforward sufficient to work with. 

SEE: The perfect 5G telephones: Which flagship comes out on prime?

There are three rear cameras, the principle one being a 64MP f1.7 unit that shoots a good image. The opposite two are slightly much less helpful: a 2MP f/2.4 depth-assist digicam and a 2MP f/2.4 macro lens that must be 4cm from the topic for greatest impact. You possibly can shoot 1080p video at 30fps, and slow-motion 720p video at 120fps. The entrance digicam is a 16MP f/2.0 unit that shoots acceptable selfies and captures 1080p video at 30fps. 

The battery capability is a beneficiant 5000mAh. Though the Nord CE 2 Lite refused to finish the PCMark for Android Work 3.0 battery life take a look at, I discovered it misplaced 15% of a full cost after operating YouTube video repeatedly hours. This implies whole battery lifetime of 20 hours. OnePlus supplies a 33W charger, which ought to take the handset from empty to 50% in half an hour. There isn’t any assist for wi-fi or reverse charging, as you’d count on with a handset on this value bracket. 

The OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G is a neat and decently specified handset, nevertheless it’s arguably slightly overpriced contemplating that, for simply £20 extra, the Nord CE 2 offers you an AMOLED display (albeit with 90Hz slightly 120Hz refresh), barely higher efficiency, comparable battery life, quicker (65W) charging, an ultra-wide angle digicam, and Wi-Fi 6 slightly 5. 

OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite specs

Options to contemplate

As the price of dwelling rises, many smartphone patrons are shifting their focus from costly flagships to mid-range and funds handsets. There’s an growing vary of alternative at cheaper price factors — listed below are three main contenders across the £300/$350 mark.

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