Here is the new mid-range smartphone from OnePlus, the Nord CE2 and yes, it offers excellent value for money. Here is our opinion on the OnePlus Nord CE2.
Last year, the Nord CE was mistakenly thought to be the successor to the Nord at OnePlus. Well no, since the summer saw the arrival of the Nord 2, the real successor. Also, for those who have not followed everything, the Nord CE range is intended different from the Nord range to be the best value for money possible from the Chinese manufacturer.
For those who still wonder, CE is not Elementary Class but for Core Edition. So, while we were waiting for the arrival of the OnePlus 10 Pro, freshly announced in Asia, we will have to wait a little longer. Today, after some time with the new OnePlus smartphone, we offer you our test of the new OnePlus North CE2the new quality-price ratio of the brand.
OnePlus Nord CE2 Features
As a reminder of the characteristics, the new OnePlus North CE2 offer you :
| OnePlus Nord CE 2 | |
|---|---|
| Screen | – 6.43″ Fluid AMOLED display – Full HD+ definition (1080×2400) – 3D Corning Gorilla Glass 5 – HDR10+ certified – 90Hz – 20:9 aspect ratio – 92.7% occupancy – Ambient Display – sRGB and DCI-P3 – Reading mode |
| SoCs and GPUs | – Mediatek Dimensity 900 – Octo-core – Mali-G68 MC4 GPU |
| Memory | – 8GB LPDDR4X RAM – 128GB of UFS 2.2 storage – MicroSD memory port |
| Colors | – Gray Mirror -Bahama Blue – Polycarbonate back – Plastic outline |
| Camera | – Triple camera on the back: – Main camera: 64 Megapixels, 26mm F1.7 – Ultra wide-angle camera: 8 Megapixels, 119°, F2.2 – Macro Camera: 2 Megapixel F/2.4 – PDAF + LAF autofocus – Wide-angle front camera |
| Audio | – Mono speaker – 3.5mm jack |
| Drums | – 4500mAh battery – SuperVOOC Fast Charge 65W |
| Connectivities | – Optical fingerprint reader under the screen -Bluetooth 5.2 – Wi-Fi 6 – 5G – Dual nano SIM – A-GPS+GLONASS, DNLA, Miracast (WiFi Direct), Google Cast -NFC – USB 2.0, USB Type-C port – Barometer, Gyroscope, Accelerometer – Proximity and light sensor |
| Software | -Android 11 – OxygenOS 11 |
| Height and weight | – 160.6×73.2×7.8mm – 173 grams |
| Starting price | – 369 euros |
| Availability date | – February 17, 2022 |
For the packaging itself, it’s classic and unsurprisingly, there is a Warp Charge 30T USB charger, a USB Type-C cable, a transparent protective shell and instructions for a first grip.
For its price, count officially from 379 euros. It’s still almost 80 euros more on the bill.
Design, Screen and Audio
When we discover the OnePlus North CE2 for the first time, we discover a smartphone with a finish in line with its price range, but we were pleasantly surprised by the design of the smartphone. Indeed, even if it’s plastic on the back, we really liked its design very inspired by the Oppo Find X3 Series. The photo block is subtly integrated into the back and this gives us the most beautiful effect.
With this plastic back made up of two layers, we appreciate the outer layer which is transparent which allows for a rather elegant design for this price range. So yes, the smartphone is prone to fingerprints but we must recognize the excellent work of OnePlus designers. The lines are clean and there is a rather compact size. The finish is good and exudes quality. The smartphone is still just as light with a weight of only 173g, which allows excellent handling. Finally, note that the fingerprint sensor is still optical and is placed under the screen.
On the screen side, there is a flat screen Fluid AMOLED 6.43 inches with Full HD+ definition (it is the same as its predecessor). If the OnePlus Nord CE2 still does not offer a refresh rate of 120Hz, we still find 90Hz and it is not nothing on a daily basis since this rate will allow more fluidity in the display. The difference between 60Hz and 90Hz is much more striking than that between 90Hz and 120Hz. We thus find an excellent screen and the panel of the OnePlus Nord CE2 is doing very well, both in terms of colors, deep blacks and viewing angles, we may regret a brightness always behind. On the audio side, we will only be entitled to a simple mono speaker, too bad but that will be enough for short content. And finally, we still note the presence of the 3.5mm jack port.
OxygenOS 11, Performance and Autonomy
While we were waiting for a smartphone with Android 12 since we are in 2022 all the same, the OnePlus North CE2 comes with Android 11 as well as an overlay OxygenOS 11. No version 12 yet. According to the manufacturer, the update is coming very quickly but unfortunately it could not be integrated yet with the release of this smartphone. Now, unsurprisingly since it’s the interface found on the brand’s smartphones since last year, OxygenOS is still ultra fluid and pleasant on a daily basis. The OnePlus overlay remains, in our eyes, one of the best Android overlays to date.
On the performance side, last year, its predecessor offered a Qualcomm Snadragon 750 SoC. This year, we are changing supplier. Also, the OnePlus Nord CE 2 embeds a SoC MediaTek Dimension 900. More accessible but just as efficient, or even more so, we were pleasantly surprised by the very performance of the smartphone. A little behind the Dimensity 920, the 900 is no less efficient and we did not have to deplore tags or other slowdowns. Everything was perfectly fluid on a daily basis and only the most demanding applications and therefore not optimized presented some jerks.
It will take a few days of use before you get cruising range. But in a fairly classic way, we find a battery of 4500mAh. We have what it takes to get through a busy day quite easily and we can even count on two days of autonomy without forcing too much. Of course, there is fast charging at 30W, which is always practical.
Photo and Video
For the photo part, no surprise in itself. There is a small change this year but in absolute terms, we find what a smartphone in this range offers. Thus, we find a block composed of three cameras like its predecessor. If we obviously find a wide-angle main camera and an ultra wide-angle, it is the third camera that has changed. Exit the black & white sensor for Portrait mode and we welcome a sensor dedicated to Macro. Classic.
From our tests and for a smartphone in this range, when the light conditions are ideal, we found the photos to be rather successful with well-contrasted colors and sharpness. The ultra-wide-angle is obviously still set back and could gain sharpness. However, we appreciate a certain consistency between the two cameras of the OnePlus Nord CE2.
On the other hand, in low light conditions, we quickly see the limits of the smartphone and we will have to go through Night mode to try to shoot something and again. Photos in low light conditions are often extremely smooth and above all, have a lot of noise. After, given the price range, we can say that it is acceptable. On the video side, note the possibility of recording videos up to 4K, which is good for this price range. Afterwards, you should not expect results worthy of premium smartphones, but this is more than enough for souvenir videos.
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