OnePlus Nord CE 2: Full Review
- Bhargav Khakhkhar
- Apr 3, 2022
- 5 min read
Updated: Jul 14, 2022
Nord CE 2 is the successor to Nord CE launched back in June 2021. Nord CE 2 starts from ₹23,999 for 6/128 GB variant and is available on Amazon and offline stores. I have 8/128GB variant and Bahamas Blue Color for the review.
Nord CE 2 has all the core elements of smartphone i.e., fast charging, high performance and good camera. But is it enough to get you through the day? Let's find out.
Display
Nord CE 2 comes with 6.43-inch 90Hz Fluid Amoled Display and it's such an eye pleaser. It is smooth, responsive and bright enough for direct sunlight in hot afternoon. I have no complain except that video on Nord CE 2 looked less bright than my OnePlus 6T. I have to increase the bright ness beyond 50% even in indoor. I pulled out my 6T and compared it with same video to confirm my speculation. I even compared with OnePlus Nord and still Nord CE 2 dis play looked less bright. I have attached the photo com paring it with Nord, Nord CE 2 and OnePlus 6T.
Under display fingerprint sensor is Snappy and always worked. Quick gesture comes handy when smartphone have under-display fingerprint sensor rather than side mounted.
Battery
Nord CE 2 In-Box 65-Watt SUPERVOOC Fast Charger. At the back of the mind, I know that it's just matter of minutes to charge the phone back to full. The only thing I am still not used to is how insanely fast it charges. I still forget to unplug the device after 30 minutes.
Nord CE 2 comes with 4500 mAh battery. It gave me on an average 6 hrs of screen on time which is good enough for the day. I encountered no heating issue during charging.
Audio & Haptic
Nord CE 2 comes with single bottom-firing speaker. It can get loud and has punch to the audio at maximum volume. You can also select from different sound profile in setting: Smart, movie, game and music. Nord CE 2 is budget smartphone so many users opting for this device might still prefer the 3.5 mm headphone jack and OnePlus has retained it in its Core Edition NORD.
Vibration feedback on Nord CE 2 is sufficient when it works. I found out that I probably have hardware issue with the unit that OnePlus sent me. Vibration stops suddenly and I have to hit the smartphone in my hand like TV remote and it starts again. I even checked with third party apps but I will know for sure when I visit the OnePlus service center.
OS
I believe Operating System makes-up for 75% of user experience. We have always loved Oxygen OS for being smooth. clean and fast. Even after OnePlus became independent sub-brand of OPPO. Pete announced that Oxygen OS will remain separate operating system. Listening to community is what makes OnePlus a unique brand.
Nord CE 2 comes with Android 11 out of the box and will get two major OS update. I wish It had Android 12 so we could get another 2 major OS update i.e. Android 13 and Android 14.
Performance
Performance
We have been used to blazing speed and smoothness, we never ask ourselves, how much speed do we need? Time has changed. I remember my brother's Samsung Galaxy S3. It was a decade ago when flagship phone couldn't handle daily task. Simply swiping right or left on home screen could tell you about the performance of the Smart phone. But now the technology is beyond the basics. It's all about how over-all the Smartphone can perform from Camera to battery life to multi-tasking.
I was skeptical about MediaTek chip-set like almost every other Snapdragon fan. I never tested it and I completely relied on the opinion of others. Now that I have used the Smartphone with MediaTek chip-set, my perspective on performance has changed. I will never hesitate to buy a smartphone with MediaTek processor. It's equally reliable and efficient.
Nord CE 2 comes with a MediaTek Dimensity 900 chip-set paired with 8GB RAM which had no lag or pause during multitasking, browsing or social media usage. I opened 20+ apps in background to check the multitasking and it was still buttery smooth with no hiccups.
To be honest I am not much of a gamer but I do indulge in occasional gaming with friends. I didn't experience much heating while gaming. It does get little warm but not too much. I rarely play PUBG so I won't comment on it. I did play Asphalt 9 and did not find any lag during the game play in default mode.
Camera
OnePlus Nord CE 2 comes with triple camera set-up-64 MP main camera, 8 MP ultra-wide camera and 2 MP macro camera. I would love to see macro camera get ditched in exchange of improved ultra-wide camera in any smartphone any day.
Let's start with main camera. The 64 MP camera can take just good enough photos. It can capture good detail with abundance of light. The shots came clear, sometimes over saturated but not bad. Under low light or dimly lit condition it struggled to get enough details and given that it has no OIS, I had to take re-shot with steady hand. Nightscape comes with some noise in the picture. OIS would have helped but there is always next time.
Ultra-wide camera has consistent colors with main camera but sometimes it over saturates the sky with deeper blue. I have some samples side by side for you to compare.
I have always been against unnecessary cameras. There is no need for separate Macro Camera if it can be integrated with ultra-wide lens. I have used macro camera only twice in my 15-day use. Once when I received the phone and second when I was writing this review. Honestly, I even didn't remember I had macro camera in my smartphone because I felt no urge to use it at any point. The Picture quality from 2 MP macro camera is average and you need brighter environment in order to make that camera look good. This Phone is called CORE EDITION because it is trimmed down to all the essential elements of Smartphone but I wish they could also trim down the macro camera and bump up the ultra-wide.
Conclusion
Nord CE 2 has all the elements you need in smartphone. If you are a fan of OnePlus or Oxygen OS but you do not wish to spend big bucks, Nord CE 2 is a good choice. It has a tight competition from other brands but as we all know OnePlus stands for clean and smooth experience and we are ready to spend some extra money for it. If you are planning to buy one, I personally suggest that you should go for Bahamas Blue.
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