OnePlus Nord CE 5G

Taking on the affordable phone market, the Nord CE M5G is capable but cuts corners

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SPECIFICATIONS

Screen 6.43-inch 2400x1080 90Hz AMOLED OS Android 11 CPU Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G 5G GPU Adreno 619 RAM 8GB/12GB Storage 128GB/256GB Battery 4500mAh Cameras 64MP/8MP/2MP rear; 16MP front Connectivity Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.1, 5G, USB-C Dimensions 159.2x73.5x7.9mm Weight 170g

The marketplace for cheap and mid-range phones is growing. Not everyone is keen to spend upwards of £800 on a phone they’ll only keep for a couple of years, and you don’t need to spend loads to get a decent handset. After the success of the OnePlus Nord last year, the manufacturer is back with a new version.

The OnePlus Nord CE 5G, or Core Edition, is a more stripped-back handset than the original. It has a plastic casing as opposed to the Gorilla Glass on the Nord. The CE also only has three rear camera lenses, down from four, as well as a single 16MP front camera. Both have a similar-sized FHD screen and a similar processor, and the new model actually has a bigger battery.

It’s seriously slim and super light, weighing just 170g. That makes it easy to use one-handed, and perfect for anyone who prefers a smaller phone. Available in three colors – Blue Void, Charcoal Ink, and Silver Ray – the plastic casing has a matte finish and doesn’t seem to pick up fingerprint marks very easily.

Unlike a lot of phones, you still get the 3.5mm headphone jack on the frame, sitting next to a USB-C charging port. In terms of buttons, the OnePlus Nord CE 5G keeps things simple; there’s just the power button and two volume controls. OnePlus has removed its trademark slider, which is a shame because it was something that made its phones just a little bit different from the rest.