Final 12 months’s Nord CE3 was a good mid-range choice, providing a good 120Hz AMOLED panel, good digital camera on the again, and 80W charging. OnePlus is not making too many modifications with the Nord CE4; the cellphone has the identical 120Hz display screen, but it surely has a bit extra energy because of the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3, a bigger battery with 100W charging, and a brand new 50MP digital camera on the again.
Nonetheless, the Nord CE4 has inherent limitations; the cellphone will get simply two Android platform updates, there is not any alert slider, and the cameras do not do a satisfactory job on the subject of capturing movies. With Nothing setting the bar excessive on this section because of the Cellphone 2a, OnePlus needed to ship the absolute best system to have the ability to measure up.
Nevertheless it hasn’t finished that. The Chinese language producer as a substitute targeted on iterative upgrades with out addressing key shortcomings of the Nord CE collection, and in doing so, it made the CE4 a poor general alternative on this section.
OnePlus Nord CE4: Pricing and launch date
OnePlus unveiled the Nord CE4 in India on April 1, and the cellphone is now accessible on the market within the nation. The cellphone is bought in Celadon Marble (the mannequin I am utilizing) and Darkish Chrome shade variants, and it retails for ₹24,999 ($300). That is for the variant that has 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, and in case you want extra storage, there’s an 8GB/256GB model that is accessible for ₹26,999 ($324).
OnePlus has a number of launch incentives that low cost the cellphone by as much as ₹1,500 ($18) with choose playing cards, and you may get a further ₹2,500 ($30) off by exchanging your present cellphone.
OnePlus Nord CE4: What I like
OnePlus likes to change up the design of Nord CE telephones with each technology, and that is the case with the CE4 as effectively. The cellphone does not have many similarities to the Nord CE3, with OnePlus now providing an rectangular digital camera housing that appears lots cleaner.
The selection of shade is attention-grabbing as effectively; the Celadon Marble variant has a particular sample on the again that stands out, and whereas the hue is not as vibrant, it evokes similarities to the OnePlus 11 Marble Odyssey and even the OnePlus 12. The again has a shiny end and is vulnerable to choosing up smudges, and it has a refined curve the place the again meets the mid-frame.
The again and mid-frame are made out of polycarbonate, and I’ve no issues with that. The cellphone has flat sides, however you get beveled edges that make holding and utilizing it a bit simpler. There’s additionally an IR blaster and MicroSD slot, so if you want to lengthen storage the old school method, you are able to do that with ease.
I believe the design seems contemporary and stylish — notably with the Celadon Marble model — and the addition of IP54 ingress safety makes the Nord CE4 that rather more resilient to the weather. One other intriguing function that made its method from the OnePlus 12/12R is the Aqua Contact tech that allows you to use the system with moist fingers.
Coming to the panel, the Nord CE4 has the identical 6.7-inch 120Hz AMOLED display screen as final 12 months, and it’s serviceable. You possibly can set the refresh price to 60Hz or 120Hz, and there is an auto mode that modifications it on the fly. OnePlus is utilizing a customized Panda Glass resolution as a substitute of the usual Gorilla Glass over the display screen, and whereas the producer says the cellphone is ready to face up to a tumble from 1.5 meters, I did not put that to the check.
| Class | Nothing Cellphone 2a | OnePlus Nord CE4 |
|---|---|---|
| PCMark Work 3.0 (General) | 13898 | 11879 |
| PCMark Work 3.0 (Internet Looking) | 16009 | 12835 |
| PCMark Work 3.0 (Video Enhancing) | 5246 | 5731 |
| PCMark Work 3.0 (Writing) | 19519 | 13754 |
| PCMark Work 3.0 (Photograph Enhancing) | 24538 | 19769 |
| Geekbench 6 (single-core) | 1125 | 1019 |
| Geekbench 6 (multi-core) | 2412 | 2891 |
| 3DMark Wild Life Excessive (rating) | 1144 | 1473 |
| 3DMark Wild Life Excessive (FPS) | 6.85 | 8.82 |
As for the {hardware}, the Nord CE4 is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7 Gen 3; it makes use of the brand new Cortex A715 and A510 cores and is constructed on a 4nm node. You get 8GB of RAM as customary, and the bottom mannequin has 128GB of UFS 3.1 storage, with the 256GB variant additionally providing UFS 3.1. The Nord CE3 had 12GB of RAM with the 256GB mannequin, however the CE4 is restricted to 8GB throughout the board. That mentioned, extra RAM does not actually make a distinction, and 8GB is enough on this state of affairs.
The cellphone does not have noticeable lag in day by day use, and it does a good sufficient job on the subject of gaming — supplied you persist with informal video games. I did not see any points with overheating or whereas making calls and generally day by day utilization conditions, and the Nord CE4 proved to be dependable. The system has Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.4, and the standard AptX HD codec.
The most important change with the Nord CE4 is the battery — the cellphone now has a 5500mAh battery, and there is 100W charging. It takes simply over half-hour to totally cost the battery, and there actually is not one other system on this section that comes near the Nord CE4 on this regard. Battery life is excellent as effectively, and I simply acquired a day and a half between expenses.
Cameras proceed to be a giant differentiator on this class, and the Nord CE4 makes use of a brand new 50MP Sony LYT600 sensor with OIS. That is joined by an 8MP wide-angle lens that options the Sony IMX355, and on the entrance, you get a 16MP module.
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The digital camera takes good images in most conditions, and I haven’t got any issues on this regard. Daylight images have good element rendition and dynamic vary, and the system is ready to lock in on a topic with ease, and keep focus. The digital camera does a good job in low-light eventualities as effectively, and whereas there may be some noise, you get good particulars and colours.
On the software program aspect of issues, you get the identical ColorOS 14 interface primarily based on Android 14 as different OnePlus telephones, and there is not a lot to speak about. The UI is fashionable and has a number of Materials You-based choices that permit you to customise accent colours to your preferences, and there’s no scarcity of customizability.
OnePlus Nord CE4: What I do not like
Whereas the design is sweet, the Nord CE4 does not fairly have the identical in-hand really feel as different gadgets on this section; the sides are inclined to dig into the palm, and that makes utilizing the cellphone with no case mildly annoying. Then there’s the truth that you miss out on the alert slider — even OPPO telephones now have the slider, so I do not perceive why OnePlus cannot be bothered so as to add the function to its gadgets.
There are points with the display screen as effectively; colours have a definite cooler tone that’s evident when streaming movies on the system. Switching to the Pure mode makes a distinction, however even then the colour stability is not dialed in, and I needed to alter the slider all the way in which to the nice and cozy finish of the dimensions to get practical colours. I did not see points with brightness, however the cellphone does not get as vibrant as its rivals — the Cellphone 2a was a lot better in out of doors use.
All video games are locked to 60fps, and this can be a limitation inside ColorOS, so no matter what OnePlus system you are utilizing, you will not be capable of play excessive refresh price titles. So regardless that you get playable framerates in informal titles, the Adreno 720 is not in a position to deal with demanding video games, and there may be noticeable jitter.
The Cellphone 2a does a a lot better job on this space, and regardless that it does not have {hardware} that is considerably extra highly effective than what you are getting right here, Nothing’s optimization makes all of the distinction. And as regards to {hardware}, you aren’t getting NFC; I nonetheless do not get why cellphone producers omit the function on their gadgets, however in case you want the radio, you may must get the Nord 3.
It is good to see OnePlus not bothering with ineffective sensors just like the 2MP macro lens that was a mainstay on its gadgets, however the draw back is that it does not supply a strategy to shoot macro images in any respect. Most manufacturers allow you to use the primary digital camera or the wide-angle lens to shoot macro pictures, however OnePlus hasn’t bothered to take action right here.
On that be aware, the wide-angle lens is not anyplace pretty much as good as the primary digital camera, and it barely delivers satisfactory pictures in low-light conditions. Video recording is equally hobbled, and movies taken in daylight are grainy and do not have a lot in the way in which of element.
However the largest limitation with the Nord CE4 is the software program. OnePlus ensures simply two platform updates with the cellphone, and that isn’t sufficient in 2024. The perfect OnePlus telephones get 4 updates as customary, and different gadgets on this section now supply three Android OS updates, and that places the Nord CE4 on the backfoot.
OnePlus Nord CE4: The competitors
If you would like one of the best cellphone that this section has to supply, you want to get the Nothing Cellphone 2a. The system has a way more attention-grabbing design with LED lights on the again, the software program is clear, uncluttered, fluid, and does not have any bloatware. You additionally get extra software program updates, the {hardware} is optimized like no different funds cellphone, and there are two usable cameras on the again.
The POCO X6 Professional is a superb alternative if you would like one of the best {hardware}. I just like the design of the X6 Professional — notably in yellow — the panel will get brighter, you get UFS 4.0 storage, NFC, and the Dimensity 8300 Extremely is nice at enjoying demanding video games. The software program is not uncluttered, however it’s fluid, and also you get three platform updates.
OnePlus Nord CE4: Do you have to purchase it?
You should purchase this if:
- You need a cellphone with 100W charging
- You want a MicroSD card slot
- You need a good digital camera on the again
You should not purchase this if:
- You need a funds cellphone with one of the best {hardware}
- You want clear software program
- You need long-term software program updates
- You want usable auxiliary cameras
The Nord CE4 has a number of issues going for it; the cellphone has one of the best battery lifetime of any funds cellphone I examined this 12 months, and the digital camera holds its personal in opposition to its rivals. However the remainder of the bundle is lackluster to say the least. OnePlus ought to have put in additional effort to distinguish the cellphone, as a result of because it stands, I do not see any motive to advocate it.
The {hardware} is not one of the best on this section, the shortage of NFC is irksome, the wide-angle digital camera does not measure as much as the primary lens, and there is not any alert slider. Nevertheless it’s the replace coverage that in the end hinders the Nord CE4 — two platform updates are simply not ok anymore, notably when rapid rivals just like the Cellphone 2a and X6 Professional assure three updates as customary.
OnePlus says the Nord CE collection is all about delivering the core necessities that customers want, and if that’s certainly the case, the corporate ought to have considered including options that its prospects really care about, like long-term updates and optimized {hardware}.
