OnePlus Nord CE4 5G Review: A power-packed mid-ranger

OnePlus has significantly improved its mid-range smartphone game this year. The company has added several new phones to its Nord series this year to target budget buyers who are looking for a phone that offers a decent camera performance and battery backup while not burning a big hole in their pockets. One of the phones that the company launched this year in India is the OnePlus Nord CE 4 5G. Also Read: 8 Best Android Tablets Under Rs 15000 With Large Display For Students And Basic Tasks

For the unversed, the OnePlus Nord CE 4 5G is the successor to last year’s OnePlus Nord CE 3 5G that arrived in India at a starting price of Rs 26,999. This new smartphone brings significant upgrades to the Nord CE series. This means that users not only get an upgraded processor but also an improved camera system and a bigger battery. Also Read: OnePlus 15 Leak Reveals Three Colour Options Ahead Of Launch

That said, the question remains if these upgrades are enough to make it to the list of smartphones that you need to consider while looking for a device under Rs 30,000? We’ll try to answer that and more in the detailed review below. But before that, take a peek at the detailed specifications of the OnePlus Nord CE 4 5G:

Image: Techlusive

OnePlus Nord CE4 5G: Specifications

OnePlus Nord CE4 5G Review in 5 points

– Let’s talk about the design first. The OnePlus Nord CE4 is an important device in the Nord lineup as it marks a change in the series’ design language. While the back of the phone is made up of plastic, it gives a glass appeal, which instantly makes it look a lot more expensive than it actually is. The back of the Celadon Marble colour variant that we got looks like a shiny piece of glass with the OnePlus logon in the middle. The phone also features a vertical camera module that effectively blends in the back panel while elevating the lens. As far as day-to-day usage is concerned, the OnePlus Nord CE4 is light in weight and comfortable to use with a single hand, which makes long usage as easy as a breeze.

– Next comes the display. OnePlus hasn’t made any major change to the display of the OnePlus Nord CE 4 5G. But that is not necessarily a bad thing. The display of the OnePlus Nord CE4 is pretty bright and vibrant and it mostly handles sunlight well. The support for HDR10+ and Bright HDR video mode means that the phone is ready for weekend movie marathons on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. I Watched Crazy Rich Asians on the phone and the experience was quite pleasurable.

– Now comes the performance. The OnePlus Nord CE4 does a fairly good job as far as day-to-day usage is concerned. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 is a pretty powerful chipset and it doesn’t show any signs of slowing down or heating. What I like about the phone is that it offers a clean Android experience, which is almost impossible to find in the phones in this range. And it remains responsive even if you are juggling between multiple apps at a time. One thing that I didn’t like in the phone is its audio system. Despite the specs, the phone lacks clarity even at low volume levels, which significantly impacts the experience while watching shows and movies online.

– Next in line is the camera. OnePlus has ditched the 2MP macro sensor in the OnePlus Nord CE4. This means unlike the OnePlus Nord CE3 that came with a triple camera setup, Nord CE4 has a dual camera setup at the back. In usage, it makes it difficult to capture objects up close. The primary camera, on the other hand, captures natural looking images without overly enhancing the colours. The primary camera offers a wide dynamic range while perfectly capturing details and shadows in the daylight and indoor lighting conditions. In the low light conditions clarity and details take a major hit. It’s also slow at capturing images in low-light conditions. Coming to the front facing camera, the OnePlus Nord CE4 does a good job at capturing the details. A quality that I like is that it doesn’t smoothen the skin and that it offers a more skin tone and colours. 

– Lastly, the battery. The OnePlus Nord CE4 offers a bigger battery than its predecessor. It also offers better fast charging support. The battery of the phone lasts for a little longer than a day in the day-to-day, which for me mostly involves checking endless messages and emails, a little bit of social media time and some OTT time. The battery charges completely in around 30 minutes.

OnePlus Nord CE4 5G Review: Verdict

Overall, the OnePlus Nord CE4 5G is a reliable smartphone when it comes to being a daily driver. It offers a bright and vibrant display with a long battery life. The camera too does a good job at capturing images in daylight and indoor lighting conditions. When the phone could use improvement is in terms of low-light camera performance, audio system and offering longer software support. Barring that, Nord CE4 5G is definitely a phone worth considering.