OnePlus Nord CE review: Meaningful increments but weak on core competency

Business Standard OnePlus Nord CE review: Meaningful increments but weak on core competency

In the first half of this year, smartphone makers have launched more midrange smartphones than premium and budget ones put together. So, it will not be wrong to say the midrange segment is the new battlefield for smartphone brands in India’s priceconscious mobile phone market. Fresh in the segment is the Nord CE (Core Edition)

by OnePlus. In retrospect, this Chinese smartphone brand brought the midrange smartphones back in trend in 2020 with the launch of the OnePlus Nord (review). The brand enjoyed the first-mover advantage and the Nord received a healthy reception despite its shortcomings.

That was the background. Now let us dig right into the OnePlus Nord CE review to know if it fits the bill, especially when there are so many good options available now in the midrange segment: The OnePlus Nord CE is positioned not as a successor but the core edition based on the original Nord. The smartphone seems to have cut corners on some parameters to help OnePlus price it lower than the Nord, though not significantly. It will, however, be wrong to call the Core Edition as a trimmed-down version of the Nord because it also comes with several upgrades.

Design The OnePlus Nord CE looks similar to the Nord but has a modest plastic back cover in place of the latter’s premium glass one. The plastic build is sturdy, so that’s no concern, but the design language is reminiscent of the Nord, which is a generation old now, and even some OPPO and Realme smartphones. That is a red flag. Besides, OnePlus has taken away its proprietary alert slider from the Nord CE. The alert slider is one thing that has always been part of OnePlus smartphones. The omission for the sake of sticking to the core features will have a negative impact on user experience, especially if you are an existing OnePlus user.

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