A strong core

Cutting the flab and focusing on the core aspects is the mid-range OnePlus Nord CE 2.

- Sambit Satpathy

₹24,999 /oneplus.in

The wait for the flagship OnePlus 10 series continues, and in the meantime, OnePlus has treated us to another new product – albeit at the other end of the price spectrum. Enter OnePlus Nord CE 2, which as the name implies, is the successor to last year’s budget range Nord CE. It caters to the audience that puts sheer performance and value-for-money ahead of the premium shiny stuff.

The CE in the nomenclature is short for Core Edition, and is OnePlus’ way of saying – come experience the core of the brand without sweating over the price tag. This series includes stripped-down smartphones, which only focus on the essentials, and this helps keep the prices down as well. It’s no different with the new Nord CE 2. We’ve spent the past few days giving it more attention than to our loved ones, and have also put the phone through its paces, and here’s what we think of the latest OnePlus mid-ranger.

GOOD MEH EVIL - Wallet-friendly price tag - Dependable performance - Outdated software - No stereo speakers - Super-fast charging battery - No water or dust resistance

Basic design done right

In this age of metal and glass phones, it is refreshing to use a lightweight device, and that is thanks to the polycarbonate panel. OnePlus has done a brilliant job with the colourway, especially with the Bahama Blue variant, which really shines (metaphorically and figuratively).

Attraction much