OnePlus Nord CE 4 5G: The Best NORD Smartphone Ever Officially Unveiled and Launched

OnePlus revealed this while presenting the OnePlus Nord CE 4, which is powered by a Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 CPU. The company also claims that the device improves processor performance by 15%, graphics rendering by 50%, and power efficiency by 20%. The smartphone will be available in two colorways: Dark Chrome, which has a glossy finish with a glittering gradient across the surface, and Celadon Marble, which has a light green color and a marbled texture. The phone will be the successor of the Nord CE3 and will include various noteworthy enhancements, some of which have already been publicly verified by the brand, such as the CPU, display, fast charging specifications, and more.

OnePlus Nord CE 4 KEY FEATURES

Following the launch of the flagship OnePlus 12, the firm is shifting its focus to the opposite end of its product spectrum with the introduction of the new Nord CE4. Technically, this would not be the company’s cheapest product (that would be the Nord CE4 Lite if it ever launched), but the OnePlus Nord CE 4 is just one step above and typically the sweet spot in the three-device Nord line.

The OnePlus Nord CE 4 improves on its predecessors in various ways. The Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 is a new chipset that replaces the 782G. A new Sony LYT600 has replaced the main camera, and the larger 5500mAh battery now supports 100W charging. But the rivalry is heating up, and with the recent release of the Nothing Phone (2a), we’ll have to see if the OnePlus Nord CE 4 can keep up.

ONEPLUS NORD CE4 UNBOXING

The OnePlus Nord CE 4 is quite ordinary for a OnePlus cellphone. You receive the phone, a 100W charger, and a red charging cable with USB-A on one end and USB-C on the other.

The packaging also includes a protective silicone cover, SIM tray ejector, and some stickers.

CAMERA

The camera is an important factor in determining how effectively a smartphone operates. And, let me tell you, the Nord CE 4 holds its own in this category. It comes equipped with a Sony LYT 600 50-megapixel camera sensor and an 8-megapixel sensor. I put this phone through its paces in a variety of lighting circumstances, ranging from bright outdoor settings to crowded marketplaces with unpredictable lighting. And I have to admit, the camera has not disappointed me.

The OnePlus Nord CE 4’s camera particularly shines in daylight. It excels in capturing fine detail while maintaining natural-looking colors. Just look at this photo of tomatoes in a basket; the colors are vibrant but not overpowering, and everything appears to be real.

Similarly, portrait photographs captured with the OnePlus Nord CE 4 are incredibly detailed. The phone does a fantastic job of separating the subject from the backdrop, as evidenced by the photo I took of my colleague, but it does not provide the dramatic bokeh effect observed on some other phones. Instead, the bokeh effect is delicate and natural, without being overtly fake or manipulated.

Speaking of portraits, two of my faves were taken in a crowded marketplace with two men costumed as clowns. In one photo, taken in a well-lit setting with several light sources in the backdrop, the focus is entirely on the subject – a man dressed in vivid, multi-colored attire. What truly brings the image to life is the expertly accomplished blur effect in the backdrop, which gives depth and focus to the primary subject.

However, to get the best portrait photographs, you must get quite near to the person to achieve the depth of field. I missed having zoom-in portrait mode to go closer to the subject. There is no special macro mode, and if you get too close to the topic, you may miss out on details.

DESIGN AND SCREEN

There are three cutouts on the rear, but the third only houses the LED flash. The pill-shaped camera module is reminiscent of the original OnePlus Nord CE from 2021. I have the marble-inspired Nord CE4, which has a youthful and bright vibe if that’s your thing. For those who prefer something more traditional, there is the standard black option, known as Dark Chrome.

In terms of build and size, there isn’t much to distinguish from the Nord CE3. The Nord CE4 feels sturdy in your palm, and the rear panel has a beautiful glass-like surface, even though the body is technically plastic. The rear plate also effectively repels fingerprint smudges. The smartphone has an IP54 rating for dust and water protection, which is normal on most smartphones in this category. To provide extra durability, OnePlus has included a stunning teal case in the box, which fits the green marble color scheme nicely.

Otherwise, the 6.7-inch AMOLED display is nearly identical to that of last year’s model. It doesn’t imply you won’t enjoy the viewing experience. The Nord CE4 maintains full HD+ resolution (2,412 x 1,080 pixels) with a 120Hz refresh rate and a 20:1:9 aspect ratio. Netflix and Amazon Prime offer HDR playback, which enhances the entire viewing experience.

I watched Spider-Man: No Way Home on Netflix and Blackberry on Amazon Prime, and the experience was enjoyable. The AMOLED display produced deep blacks and rich colors, albeit they were often a little too bright for my tastes. The Nord CE4’s dual speakers enhance the overall viewing experience. If you prefer to use earbuds, you will have to rely on Bluetooth connectivity because there is no headphone jack.

HOW’S THE PERFORMANCE?

The OnePlus Nord CE4 is powered by Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 processor. The phone uses LPDDR4X RAM and UFS 3.1 storage. The cheapest edition now comes with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, priced at Rs 24,999. The top model (Rs 26,999), which I am also using, has 256GB storage. The phone has a hybrid SIM slot, which allows you to utilize two SIM cards at once or one SIM plus a microSD card for additional capacity (up to 1TB).

For those who like a clean software experience, the OnePlus Nord CE4 delivers a remarkably clean OxygenOS based on Android 14 and will not disappoint. The business promises two years of Android OS updates, although three would have been perfect for competing with Samsung and Nothing. This version of OxygenOS also seems lightweight and responsive. During my time with the smartphone, I saw no sudden heating difficulties.

The Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 SoC onboard provides noticeable performance improvements over the previous model. In AnTuTu’s overall CPU-CPU test, the Nord CE4 outperformed its direct competitors (pictured above). Even in Geekbench’s single and multi-core testing, the Nord CE4 outperformed its competitors. We have yet to see the inherent AI functions promised by the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 SoC, but they will most certainly appear in future software updates.

In our gaming tests, the Nord CE4 performed admirably. I played BGMI and COD with high graphics at 60fps and had no problems with mistouches or warmth. The heat management was likewise superior to its competitors, if not the best. However, in terms of numbers, the POCO X6 Pro stays somewhat ahead.

Buy it if...

• The OnePlus Nord CE4 provides outstanding battery life. It also enables super-fast charging, with the charger included in the package.
• The software experience is also straightforward and responsive. However, the phone has yet to gain any advanced AI features.
• The camera’s performance in both daylight and low-light environments is remarkable. The camera interface is also user-friendly.

Don't buy it if...

• The offer of two years’ worth of software updates falls short of industry standards.
• The OnePlus Nord CE4 has average video stabilization. It might have also offered 4K60fps recording.

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