OnePlus Nord CE 3: Well-designed 5G phone with impressive performance

New Delhi: In another effort to woo users, global smartphone brand Nord has launched a new mid-ranger smartphone ‘Nord CE 3 5G’ in India that offers solid performance with a variety of features.

The smartphone is powered by a Snapdragon 782G processor and sports a 6.7-inch fluid AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. It also sports a triple camera unit, led by a 50-megapixel lens.

We used the 12GB+256GB variant of the newly launched Nord CE3 5G for almost a week, and here is what we think about the latest device.

Starting with the design and display, the latest model features the familiar Nord design, as seen in previous models, showcasing two circular cutouts housing the camera sensors.

Despite its tall and wide form, the phone's lightweight plastic body provides a comfortable feel. The square phone design with sharp corners provides a comfortable grip. It's worth noting that the rear side tends to accumulate smudges that require regular cleaning.

The Nord CE 3 has a large 6.74-inch AMOLED display, which provides a better user experience for those who enjoy binge-watching and gaming. When not in use, the screen refreshes at 120Hz and intelligently switches to 60Hz to conserve battery life. The visuals are captivating, with more vibrant colours and better contrast than its predecessor.

The smartphone boasts a 50MP Sony IMX890 primary sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens, and a 2MP macro sensor.

Talking about the camera performance, the main camera captures fine details while preserving accurate colours. It maintains an impressive balance between dynamic range and saturation in photos, although some minor enhancements could be considered. Additionally, it excels at capturing distinct details in both dark and bright spots with clarity.

The phone's camera does not disappoint when it comes to portrait shots. It keeps the sharpness while effectively blurring the background, resulting in pleasing portrait photographs.

Moving on to selfies, the phone comes equipped with a 16MP front camera. The selfie camera produces impressive images with notable detail in daylight conditions, however, under low-light conditions, slight noise effects may become apparent.

The Nord CE 3 5G is equipped with the octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 782G chipset. During testing, we experienced no lag when performing routine tasks such as sending emails, making phone calls, surfing, browsing, watching videos, and so on. There were no performance dips. Most games also worked well with this device, though the phone did get hot while gaming.

In terms of battery, the device comes packed with a 5,000mAh battery with 80W SuperVOOC charging support, enabling users to fully charge their device in just 15 minutes, according to the company.

During our regular use with social media apps and video watching, the phone lasted for about a day.

The latest Nord CE 3 comes with OxygenOS 13.1, which provides a clean, simple, and hassle-free Android 13 interface.

The Nord CE 3 5G is now available in two colour variants -- Aqua Surge and Gray Shimmer. The 8GB+128GB variant is available at Rs 26,999 and the 12GB+128GB variant is available for purchase at Rs 28,999, across online and offline stores.

Conclusion: The Nord CE 3 5G is a game-changer in the mid-range segment, offering a perfect blend of affordability and performance. The device will meet users' requirements, thanks to its Snapdragon processor, smart display, battery and good cameras.