OnePlus Nord CE 4 5G

The OnePlus Nord series has become synonymous with bringing premium features at affordable prices, catering to budget-conscious consumers who don’t want to compromise on performance or design. With the OnePlus Nord CE 4 5G, OnePlus once again strives to offer a smartphone that blends powerful hardware, a good camera setup, 5G connectivity, and a smooth user experience. In this extensive review, we’ll cover all aspects of the OnePlus Nord CE 4 5G, including design, display, performance, camera, software, battery life, and value for money.

1. Design and Build Quality

The OnePlus Nord CE 4 5G features a minimalist design that balances aesthetics and functionality, which has become a hallmark of OnePlus devices. The phone comes with a polycarbonate back panel and an aluminum frame, making it lightweight yet sturdy. OnePlus has opted for a clean, simplistic design, with subtle branding and a matte finish that helps reduce fingerprint smudges. The back features a vertically aligned camera module in the top left corner, which protrudes slightly but doesn't affect stability when placed on a flat surface.

At just 7.9mm thick and weighing around 170 grams, the OnePlus Nord CE 4 5G is one of the more comfortable phones to hold and use, even for extended periods. It retains the familiar OnePlus button layout, with the volume rocker on the left side and the power button on the right. Unlike some other Nord devices, this model includes a 3.5mm headphone jack, which will please many users who prefer wired audio solutions.

The OnePlus Nord CE 4 5G lacks an official IP rating, which means it’s not certified for water and dust resistance, but it should handle occasional splashes without issue. While the design isn’t groundbreaking, it’s sleek and functional, delivering a device that looks and feels more premium than its price suggests.

2. Display

The OnePlus Nord CE 4 5G comes equipped with a 6.43-inch AMOLED display with a Full HD+ resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels, resulting in a crisp and sharp pixel density of 409 PPI. The AMOLED technology ensures deep blacks, vibrant colors, and excellent contrast, making the display ideal for media consumption, gaming, and general day-to-day use.

One of the standout features of the display is the 90Hz refresh rate, which provides a smoother and more fluid experience compared to the traditional 60Hz displays. Scrolling through apps, browsing the web, and navigating through the user interface feels snappier and more responsive. While it’s not as high as the 120Hz found on some flagship devices, 90Hz is a sweet spot that balances performance with battery efficiency.

The peak brightness of 1,000 nits ensures that the display remains visible even under direct sunlight, which is particularly useful for outdoor use. The Nord CE 4 5G also supports HDR10, enhancing the viewing experience for HDR-compatible content on platforms like YouTube, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video. The screen is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5, offering some level of durability against scratches and drops.

For customization, OnePlus offers Display P3 color calibration settings, allowing users to adjust the color profile to their preference. Whether you prefer more natural tones or vivid, punchy colors, the OnePlus Nord CE 4 5G gives you the flexibility to tailor the display to your liking.

3. Performance and Hardware

The OnePlus Nord CE 4 5G is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G chipset, which offers solid mid-range performance. The chipset features an octa-core CPU with two high-performance Kryo 660 cores clocked at 2.2 GHz and six energy-efficient Kryo 660 cores clocked at 1.7 GHz. This configuration strikes a balance between power and energy efficiency, delivering a snappy and responsive user experience.

For graphics, the Nord CE 4 5G is equipped with the Adreno 619 GPU, which handles casual gaming and graphic-intensive tasks with relative ease. Popular mobile games like Call of Duty: Mobile, PUBG Mobile, and Asphalt 9 run smoothly at medium to high settings, with minimal stuttering or frame drops. While it’s not a flagship chipset, the Snapdragon 695 performs admirably in most scenarios, handling multitasking, app launches, and day-to-day operations without noticeable slowdowns.

The device comes with two RAM options: 6GB or 8GB, paired with either 128GB or 256GB of internal storage. There’s no expandable storage option via microSD card, so users will need to choose their storage variant carefully based on their usage needs. The UFS 2.1 storage provides decent read/write speeds, though it's not as fast as the UFS 3.1 storage found in higher-end phones.

5G connectivity is a key selling point of the OnePlus Nord CE 4 5G, allowing users to access the next generation of mobile networks for faster download and upload speeds, lower latency, and improved overall network performance. The phone also supports dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.1, and NFC for contactless payments.

4. Camera System

The OnePlus Nord CE 4 5G features a triple camera setup on the rear, consisting of a 64MP primary sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens, and a 2MP depth sensor. While it may not have the most advanced camera system compared to flagship devices, it delivers solid performance for a mid-range phone.

• 64MP Primary Sensor: The main camera captures detailed and sharp photos in well-lit conditions. OnePlus's AI enhancements help optimize colors, dynamic range, and exposure, resulting in vibrant and natural-looking shots. In low light, the camera struggles slightly, with noise creeping into the darker areas of the image. However, the built-in Nightscape mode helps improve low-light photography by stacking multiple exposures to brighten the image while reducing noise.

• 8MP Ultra-Wide Camera: The ultra-wide camera offers a 119-degree field of view, making it ideal for capturing landscapes, architecture, and group photos. While the image quality isn't as detailed as the primary sensor, it's still respectable for a mid-range device. The colors remain consistent between the primary and ultra-wide lenses, though there is some noticeable distortion at the edges of the frame, which is common with wide-angle lenses.

• 2MP Depth Sensor: The depth sensor assists in creating more accurate portrait shots by helping to distinguish the subject from the background. The bokeh effect is fairly convincing, with decent edge detection, though it can sometimes struggle with complex outlines like hair or glasses.

On the front, the OnePlus Nord CE 4 5G sports a 16MP selfie camera housed in a punch-hole cutout. The selfie camera produces clear and sharp images in good lighting conditions. Portrait mode works well on the front camera, with the AI software effectively separating the subject from the background to create a soft bokeh effect. The camera also supports HDR and beauty modes, which can be adjusted to smooth skin tones or enhance facial features.

In terms of video, the OnePlus Nord CE 4 5G is capable of recording 4K video at 30fps using the rear camera and 1080p video at 30fps with the front camera. Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) is available to help reduce shakiness in videos, though it's not as effective as Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) found on more expensive devices.

5. Software and User Experience

The OnePlus Nord CE 4 5G runs OxygenOS 12.1 based on Android 12, which provides a clean and customizable user experience. OxygenOS is well-known for its near-stock Android feel while incorporating several useful features and optimizations that enhance the overall experience.

Some key features of OxygenOS include:

• Customizable Always-On Display: Users can choose from various clock styles and display options for when the screen is off.
• Zen Mode: This feature helps users take a break from their phones by locking the device for a set amount of time.
• Shelf: A customizable home screen panel that lets users quickly access widgets, weather, notes, and frequently used apps.

OnePlus has kept bloatware to a minimum, and the software feels light and responsive. OxygenOS provides extensive customization options, allowing users to tweak everything from icon shapes and notification settings to gestures and themes. The Dark Mode is well-implemented, with deep blacks that look stunning on the AMOLED display.

OnePlus has committed to providing regular software updates, including two years of Android updates and three years of security patches, ensuring that the Nord CE 4 5G remains up to date with the latest features and security enhancements.

6. Battery Life and Charging

The OnePlus Nord CE 4 5G is equipped with a 4,500mAh battery, which provides all-day battery life for most users. With moderate usage, including web browsing, social media, messaging, and some gaming, the phone can easily last a full day without needing a recharge. For heavier users, such as those who stream video or play games extensively, the battery life may be shorter, but it should still comfortably make it through a workday.