OnePlus has just unveiled a new mid-range smartphone, the Nord CE 2 5G. This one offers quite interesting technical characteristics, but is far from being the best in its category, we explain why.
This Thursday, February 17, 2022, OnePlus lifted the veil on its new Nord CE 2 5G, which directly succeeds the OnePlus Nord CE 5G of 2021. As we could see in the leaks that revealed all the characteristics of the smartphone, this one- this will tackle the new Realme 9 Pro+ directly.
Both smartphones offer a fairly similar technical sheet for an almost identical price, but one of them seems to offer some significant advantages over its competitor, especially in terms of power and photo performance.
The OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G relies on a MediaTek chip
The OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G is this year powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 900 processor, which allows it to be compatible with 5G networks. The smartphone is therefore slightly less powerful than its rival, since the Realme 9 Pro+ relies on a MediaTek Dimensity 920.
At the front, there is a 6.43-inch AMOLED FHD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels) display with a refresh rate of 90Hz. It is protected by glass Gorilla Glass 5and supports HDR10+ technology and sRGB and Display P3 color spaces.
The smartphone is powered by a 4500mAh battery compatible with the 65W SUPERVOOC wired fast charging. This is slightly more than the Realme 9 Pro+ which has to make do with 60 W. fast wireless charging is still missing mid-range smartphones from the Chinese manufacturer.
A photo part that is satisfied with the minimum
On the photo side, the OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G uses a nearly identical three-camera setup to the previous generation. We find again a main sensor of 64 MP which did not really impress us during the test, an 8 MP ultra-wide-angle sensor. The main difference is the third 2 MP macro sensor, which replaces the monochrome sensor in last year’s OnePlus Nord CE 5G. Selfies are provided by a 16 MP sensor.
The photo part is therefore slightly behind what the Realme 9 Pro+ can offer. Indeed, it has a larger 50 MP IMX766 main sensor, which will be found on high-end smartphones from 2022 such as the Xiaomi 12 or the OPPO Find X5 Pro.
Finally, we can cite the presence of a 3.5mm jackWi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2 and a fingerprint sensor under the screen. We can also regret the absence of stereo speakersyet present on more affordable smartphones such as Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 11.
Price and availability
The OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G will be available for pre-order from March 3 to March 10 at a list price of 369 euros for the version with 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage. On this date, the smartphone should be available on the official OnePlus website as well as at the usual retailers.
The OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G is therefore offered at only 10 euros less than its competitor, the Realme 9 Pro+ (379.99 euros). However, the latter seems to offer a slightly more interesting technical sheet, since we find a more powerful processor, a larger main photo sensor which should offer better shots at night, but also a more modern design. The smartphone is even offered with 2 GB of additional RAM in its basic configuration.
The OnePlus Nord 2 5G, the best mid-range alternative at OnePlus?
At 369 euros, the OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G does not shine for its value for money. Indeed, OnePlus also currently markets a OnePlus Nord 2 5G at 399 euros which offers much better technical characteristics than the two smartphones mentioned above.
The OnePlus Nord 2 5G, OnePlus’ mid-range flagship, is powered by a much more powerful MediaTek Dimensity 1200 AI. In addition, the smartphone uses a more capable 50 MP IMX766 main sensor, stereo speakers, a design without thick borders and an additional 2 GB of RAM. As is the case with most smartphone manufacturers, the shortage of components has therefore probably forced OnePlus to offer its Nord CE 2 5G at a lower price than previous generations.
