OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite Review: Will not disappoint OnePlus fans

OnePlus started gaining a lot of popularity right from the beginning, when it shook the market by launching powerful smartphones at aggressive prices. Gradually, the company shifted from flagship killer smartphones to premium flagships. To keep the fan base happy, OnePlus launched the Nord series a few years ago, through which it once again targeted the midrange segment and the company was very successful in it.

The first OnePlus Nord (Review) raised expectations in the sub-Rs 30,000 segment. Fans also kept hoping for a Nord phone to come in the sub-Rs 20,000 segment, and now in 2022, the Nord has finally been launched in the Rs 20,000 segment. The OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G is the most affordable OnePlus phone starting at Rs 19,999. As the name suggests, it is a lite version of the Nord CE 2 5G (Review), but in some cases it offers better specifications than that. Does the Nord CE 2 Lite 5G have everything we expect from a OnePlus under Rs 20,000, or is there one of its competitors that seems better to you?

OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G price in India

The base variant of OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G comes with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage, which is priced at Rs 19,999 in India. Its 8GB RAM and 128GB storage model is priced at Rs 21,999. Both come in either Blue Tide or Black Dusk colour. I had its top end variant in Blue colour for review.

OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G design

The Blue Tide colour gives the OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G the identity of a Nord phone. OnePlus has used the same shades of blue for the Nord models. Even the OnePlus Buds are available in the Nord Blue shade. The Black Dusk variant has a sandstone finish.

At first glance, the phone can be mistaken for a Realme or Vivo device. In fact, the Realme Q5 and Vivo T1 (Review) also look almost similar. The OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G has a 6.59-inch full-HD+ resolution display with a camera hole in the top left corner. However, this is an LCD panel, not AMOLED, which we are used to seeing in OnePlus phones. The good thing is that you get a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz, which is higher than the 90Hz of the more expensive Nord CE 2 5G. I liked the thin bezels on the sides of the display but the chin is thick. This is a common thing for a phone in this segment except for the Motorola G52.

The frame and back panel of OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G are made of plastic. There is a fingerprint scanner in the power button on the right side. It is easy to find and reach due to the slight slope in the frame. The volume buttons are on the other side along with the SIM tray. OnePlus has provided a 3.5mm headphone jack at the bottom. Here you will also find a single speaker and USB Type-C port.

Like the rest of the Nord CE series models, the iconic alert slider is missing from the OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G. The phone weighs 195g which is heavier than the Nord CE 2 5G. The weight of the phone is clearly felt in the hand. If you wear the case provided along with it, it feels even heavier.

The back panel has a textured finish near the camera module. The colour changes from sky blue to yellow when the phone is viewed at different angles when held under light. The rest of the back panel is a static blue shade and has the OnePlus logo.

OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G specifications and software

The OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G has simple specifications but it is right in line with the competition in this segment. I found this a bit disappointing as OnePlus is often known to set trends, but this time the company did not do so. For processing, it is equipped with the Snapdragon 695 SoC which we have already seen in similarly priced phones like Vivo T1, Moto G71 and Redmi Note 11 Pro + 5G. It also has a software RAM Boost feature that can use up to 5GB of internal storage as virtual RAM (in the top-end variant).

OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G supports Bluetooth 5.2, dual-band Wi-Fi AC, 4G VoLTE, five 5G bands and six satellite navigation systems. It also has a hybrid SIM slot in which up to 1TB microSD card can be used in place of the second SIM. The phone has a 5,000mAh battery and supports 33W SuperVOOC fast charging.

The OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G runs on OxygenOS 12 based on Android 12. My unit had the April 2022 Android security patch. The company guarantees two Android OS version updates and three years of security updates for the Nord CE 2 Lite 5G. This is quite good compared to the rest.

OxygenOS 12 on the OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G has some new features that we first saw on the OnePlus 10 Pro (Review). OnePlus Scout lets you search for things in contacts, apps, and on the web similar to Spotlight on Apple devices. Work-Life Balance 2.0 now lets you create profiles that allow you to keep apps used for work separate. You can also filter notifications to stay focused while working. These profiles can be activated automatically based on time, location, or Wi-Fi access point.

OnePlus Shelf can be accessed via a pull-down gesture from the top edge of the display. Private Safe lets you protect your media files and apps with a passcode. OnePlus has kept the pre-installed apps to a minimum, which is a good thing.

OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G performance and battery life

The OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G is a capable budget phone that ran smoothly during the review period. Everyday tasks ran smoothly but heavy apps and games took a while to load. Scrolling in the interface was smooth due to the high refresh rate. Multitasking was happening very easily and I was able to switch between multiple running apps without any lag. The fingerprint scanner and face unlock were able to unlock the phone quickly. The speaker is loud but a dual speaker setup would have been better.

In AnTuTu benchmark, OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G scored 4,00,763 points. In Geekbench 5 single core and multicore tests, the phone scored 687 points and 1951 points respectively. In GFXBench’s CarChase and T-Rex, it scored 17fps and 60fps. These scores are similar when compared to other competing phones with the same processor.

When it comes to gaming, Call of Duty: Mobile ran smoothly on the ‘High’ preset for graphics and frame rate. After playing the game for about 15 minutes, I noticed a five percent drop in the battery level, which isn’t bad.

The battery life of OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G was also good. It lasted me more than a day and a half in normal usage. In our HD video loop test, the phone lasted 23 hours and 35 minutes, which is quite a good time. The 33W SuperVOOC charger that comes with the phone charged the phone from 0 to 50 percent in 30 minutes and up to 93 percent in an hour.

OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G cameras

The phone has three cameras on the back, including a 64-megapixel primary lens, a 2-megapixel depth lens, and a 2-megapixel macro camera. For selfies, it has a 16-megapixel front camera like the OnePlus 9 Pro. One thing that is missing is an ultra-wide camera, which is found in the Nord CE 2 5G.

The camera app is pretty easy to use and there are a number of shooting modes to choose from. Through the viewfinder, you can toggle between HDR, AI scene enhancer, and capturing images at the main camera’s full 64-megapixel resolution. There’s also a ‘Pro’ mode that lets you adjust different exposure parameters manually.

Photos taken in daylight with the OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G came with good dynamic range and colors. The phone maintained exposure well. Even small objects seen at a distance were recognizable in landscape shots. The AI ​​scene enhancer boosted the colors a bit but the result did not look artificial. Photos taken with the 64-megapixel camera had good dynamic range but there was a slight lack of details.

Close-up shots were crisp, with a slight blur in the background for the subject. The camera app also suggested how to position the phone when you got closer to the subject. Images captured in portrait mode had good edge detection and the intensity of the background blur was adjustable. The 2-megapixel macro camera clicks good pictures but I must say I would have been happy to skip both these lenses in lieu of the ultra-wide-angle camera.

Low-light camera performance was average. Images lacked sharpness and the phone struggled to capture photos with enough detail in dark parts of the scene. After turning on Night mode, it took 3 to 4 seconds to take a shot but the photos came out bright. With this mode, the phone was able to capture good detail even in shadowy areas.

Selfies taken with the OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G in daylight and low-light were good. Portrait shots were also good. In low light, it automatically used the screen flash to capture bright photos.

Talking about video recording, the phone can record videos up to 1080p. Stabilization was good in daylight footage, only the footage was shaking a bit while walking.

Verdict

I am glad that we finally have a OnePlus smartphone that comes under Rs 20,000. But at the same time, I am disappointed that the Nord CE 2 Lite 5G does not significantly upstage the competition. The features that this phone offers are good but not good enough to make it stand out in the market. Apart from the software updates and fast charging that come with it, this phone seems to be a mashup of handsets from BBK-owned brands like Realme and Vivo. It is similar in looks and performance.

OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G faces tough competition from Vivo T1 which is also Rs 3,000 cheaper than its base variant, and is similar in specifications. Moto G71 5G (Review) is also Rs 2,000 cheaper than this but it does not have a high refresh rate screen. The phone has an AMOLED display and ultra wide camera.

If you are determined to get a OnePlus smartphone and getting long-term software updates is on your top list, then you can check out the Nord CE 2 Lite 5G. For the rest, I think the Vivo T1 and iQoo Z6 offer similar performance at a lower price. The Moto G71 5G is another option if you can go with a 60Hz display.