Buzz
As a new member of the 'flagship killer' family, the OnePlus Nord CE 5G offers users a choice of a mid-range smartphone equipped with many modern features, including 5G connectivity. Currently available in the Vietnamese market, is this a good choice for users given its features?
Let's delve into a detailed evaluation of this smartphone and gather some useful insights.
1. Brief Overview of the Name 'Nord CE 5G' by OnePlus Brand
OnePlus, a brand under the umbrella of BBK Electronics (owner of Oppo, Vivo, Realme...), since its inception in 2014, has adopted the slogan 'flagship killer' and aims to provide a smartphone that combines many modern features at a price point suitable for users.
However, OnePlus introducing the Nord line since 7/2020 indicates that the company not only wants to stop at the near-premium segment but also expand into other segments, and Nord is a representative example.
According to the director in charge of developing the Nord series at OnePlus, the name 'Nord' is because it sounds like 'North' - meaning the direction North, in the compass, the needle always points North, and choosing this name shows that the company continues to maintain the direction towards modern smartphones affordable for consumers. In addition, Nord also means leading, it also hopes to be the best model in its segment.
The “CE” in the Nord CE 5G phone just introduced to the market stands for “Core Edition” - it means core. This means that the Nord CE 5G is created with the principle of expressing the core values of the Nord series, and is equipped with 5G - of course.
2. Unboxing and Specifications of the OnePlus Nord CE 5G Phone
2.1 Specifications of the OnePlus Nord CE 5G Phone
Before evaluating, let's go over the specifications of this mid-range OnePlus phone:
- Body: Dimensions 159.2×73.5×7.9mm, 170g; Front glass, plastic frame, plastic back.
- Display: 6.43-inch AMOLED, 90Hz, 1080x2400px resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, 410ppi.
- Chipset: Qualcomm SM7225 Snapdragon 750G 5G (8 nm): Octa-core (2×2.2 GHz Kryo 570 & 6×1.8 GHz Kryo 570); Adreno 619.
- Memory: 128GB storage with 6GB RAM, 128GB storage with 8GB RAM, 256GB storage with 12GB RAM; UFS 2.1.
- Operating System / Software: Android 11, OxygenOS 11.
- Rear Camera: Wide (main): 64 MP, f/1.8, 26mm, 0.7µm, PDAF; Ultra-wide: 8 MP, f/2.3, 119˚; Depth: 2 MP, f/2.4.
- Front Camera: 16 MP, f/2.5, (wide), 1/3.0”, 1.0µm.
- Video Recording: Rear Camera: 4K @ 30fps, 1080p @ 30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS; Front Camera: 1080p @ 30/60fps.
- Battery: 4500mAh; 30W Fast Charging, 70% in 30 minutes (advertised).
- Other Features: In-display fingerprint reader; NFC; 3.5mm headphone jack.
2.2 What's Inside the Box of OnePlus Nord CE 5G?
With the iPhone 12 removing the charger and earphones from the new phone box, many companies have also ditched the charger in their new smartphones. Does this hold true for the OnePlus Nord CE 5G?
Fortunately, yes, because when you unbox the OnePlus Nord CE 5G, you'll have the complete charger, charging cable, SIM ejector pin, and a complimentary protective case for this smartphone.
3. Detailed Review of the OnePlus Nord CE 5G Phone
3.1 Review of the Design of OnePlus Nord CE 5G
The OnePlus Nord CE 5G features a modern design with a full-screen display, a punch-hole front camera, and vertically-aligned rear cameras, giving a tidy look. With the entire frame and back of the OnePlus Nord CE 5G made of plastic, despite having a nearly 6.5-inch display, the device weighs only 170 grams and is very slim, at just 7.6mm thick, along with a 20:9 aspect ratio, making it comfortable to hold and use with one hand.
The plastic material on the back is faux-metal patterned and creates a gradient effect, making the edges of the device appear darker than the middle of the back, giving many the impression that the frame of the OnePlus Nord CE 5G is made of metal.
Regarding physical buttons, we still see the power button on the right side and the volume rocker along with the SIM tray placed on the left side. Additionally, the OnePlus Nord CE 5G also features a 3.5mm headphone jack and utilizes the ubiquitous USB Type-C port.
Along with the in-display camera, the OnePlus Nord CE 5G also features an in-display fingerprint sensor, positioned right in the middle of the bottom edge, providing convenience and user experience. The screen has slight curves on the edges but still maintains a distinct edge, so users don't accidentally touch the screen.
A drawback in the design of the OnePlus Nord CE 5G is the back surface prone to fingerprint smudges, so users should use the provided case.
3.2 Review of the Display of OnePlus Nord CE 5G Phone
OnePlus equips its mid-range smartphone with a 6.43-inch Fluid AMOLED display with a 20:9 aspect ratio and a resolution of 1080×2400 pixels. Additionally, this screen also supports full sRGB color display, HDR10, DCI-P3 technology, and a 90Hz refresh rate. These are all near-premium and premium specifications in today's market, clearly showing that the OnePlus Nord CE 5G brings an impressive display capability in its price range.
Of course, it's not the top contender in display when the Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro even comes with a 120Hz refresh rate screen. However, in practical terms, with mid-range specs, a 120Hz screen doesn't really optimize smoothness, so it can be said that the OnePlus Nord CE 5G is already excellent.
3.3 Review of Battery Capacity and Usage Time on Nord CE 5G
OnePlus equips the Nord CE 5G with a 4500mAh battery, and according to GSMArena's test, this smartphone can last up to 117 hours on standby. Along with that is a quite impressive usage time. Compared to other smartphones in the same segment like Xiaomi's Poco F3 or Oppo's Realme 8 Pro, OnePlus Nord CE 5G will certainly outperform them.
OnePlus equips the Nord CE 5G with Warp Charge 30T Plus fast charging technology, which can recharge 67% from 0% in just 30 minutes, and full charge takes just over 1 hour. Compared to competitors in the segment, this is quite an impressive charging technology. Therefore, users can be satisfied with its performance.
3.4 Review of the Configuration and Processing Performance of Nord CE 5G
Configuration is always a point of pride for OnePlus compared to its competitors, and the OnePlus Nord CE 5G is no exception as it is equipped with the Snapdragon 750G chipset, manufactured on an 8nm process, with 2 cores – 2x Kryo 570 cores (Cortex-A77 derivative) and 6 Kryo 570 cores (Cortex-A55 derivative). The GPU used here is the Adreno 619.
When comparing it to the commonly used Snapdragon 732G chipset in this segment, the OnePlus Nord CE 5G excels as its multi-core score on Geekbench 5 surpasses competitors in the same segment.
However, a weakness is that the OnePlus Nord CE 5G does not support microSD cards, which means users can only purchase a larger memory variant if they want to store more information or rely on online storage.
Currently, the version of OnePlus Nord CE 5G available in Vietnam is the 8GB RAM and 128GB internal storage variant, with this configuration, the device meets the needs of most users in the current market quite well.
OnePlus Nord CE 5G comes pre-installed with Android 11 operating system and customized Oxygen OS 11 interface.
3.5 Camera and Photography Capability on Nord CE 5G
OnePlus Nord CE 5G features a rear triple camera setup with the following specifications:
- Main Camera 64MP, f/1.8 aperture, without OIS
- Ultra-wide Camera 8MP, f/2.3 aperture, with a 119-degree field of view
- 2MP Depth Sensor
Meanwhile, the front selfie camera is a 16MP sensor, with an f/2.5 aperture.
With this setup, OnePlus Nord CE 5G offers decent rather than outstanding photography capabilities in its segment. OnePlus Nord CE 5G also caps at 4K video recording.
4. Pricing of the OnePlus Nord CE 5G Phone, Should You Buy?
The price of the OnePlus Nord CE 5G phone in the 8GB/128GB variant in the Vietnamese market is 8,990,000 VND.
In this price range, OnePlus Nord CE 5G competes with rivals such as Samsung Galaxy A52, Oppo Reno5, Samsung Galaxy M51, Realme 8 Pro, and others.
Comparing with its competitors, OnePlus Nord CE 5G holds strong advantages in processing power and 5G connectivity. Although its battery life is decent, its photography capabilities still lag behind its rivals.
Therefore, if you prioritize processing performance when buying a smartphone, then undoubtedly OnePlus Nord CE 5G will be one of the best choices in the under 10 million VND price range in 2021.
