OnePlus Nord CE4 5G : In the increasingly crowded mid-range smartphone market, OnePlus has consistently carved out a reputation for delivering devices that punch above their weight class.
The latest addition to their Nord lineup, the OnePlus Nord CE4 5G, continues this tradition while introducing several meaningful upgrades over its predecessor.
Having spent the past two weeks with this device as my daily driver, I’ve developed a nuanced understanding of its strengths and limitations that go beyond the marketing hype.
Design That Turns Heads
OnePlus has clearly poured significant effort into the Nord CE4’s design, and it shows from the moment you take it out of the box.
Gone is the somewhat generic aesthetic of previous CE models, replaced by a more distinctive look that borrows design elements from the flagship OnePlus series while establishing its own identity.
The back panel features what OnePlus calls “Liquid Glass” – not actual glass, but a high-quality polymer composite that mimics the premium feel of glass while reducing weight and improving durability.
It has a subtle shimmer effect that shifts as it catches the light, creating an impression of depth that’s particularly striking on the Obsidian Navy variant I’ve been testing.
The phone is also available in Super Silver, which showcases a similar effect but with cooler undertones.
At 7.7mm thick and weighing 186g, the Nord CE4 strikes an excellent balance between substantiality and comfort.
The gently curved edges of both the frame and the back panel make it particularly comfortable to hold for extended periods, while the weight distribution feels perfectly balanced – not top-heavy like some devices with large camera modules.
Speaking of camera modules, OnePlus has adopted a cleaner, more minimalist approach here.
The two main lenses sit in circular cutouts within a rectangular island that barely protrudes from the back surface, reducing wobble when the phone is placed on a flat surface. It’s a design choice that feels both practical and aesthetically pleasing.
Along the sides, the familiar OnePlus alert slider makes a welcome return – a feature that was notably absent from the previous CE models.
This small toggle remains one of the most practical hardware features in the smartphone world, allowing you to quickly switch between silent, vibrate, and ring modes without having to unlock your phone or navigate through menus.
The frame is constructed from what OnePlus calls “Glacial Aluminum” – a fancy marketing term for what is essentially a high-quality aluminum alloy with a matte finish that resists fingerprints admirably.
The choice of materials here contributes significantly to the premium in-hand feel that belies the device’s mid-range price point.
Display: Brightness and Smoothness Combined
The Nord CE4 sports a 6.67-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and FHD+ resolution (2400×1080).
While these specifications aren’t groundbreaking for the segment, the quality of implementation elevates the experience beyond what the numbers might suggest.
Peak brightness has received a substantial boost, now reaching 1100 nits in high brightness mode – a significant improvement over the previous generation and a boon for outdoor visibility.
Colors are vivid without being oversaturated in the default “Vivid” color mode, while the “Natural” profile offers a more restrained palette for those who prefer accuracy over punch.
The 120Hz refresh rate makes scrolling and animations appear buttery smooth, while LTPO technology allows the display to dynamically adjust between 60Hz and 120Hz depending on on-screen content, helping to preserve battery life.
Touch sampling has also been improved to 240Hz, reducing input lag to imperceptible levels – something particularly noticeable in gaming scenarios.
One area where OnePlus hasn’t cut corners is display protection, with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 providing reassuring scratch resistance.
After two weeks of use without a screen protector, including several instances of sharing pocket space with keys, the display remains unmarked – a testament to its durability.
The optical in-display fingerprint sensor deserves special mention for its impressive speed and reliability.
It consistently recognizes my fingerprint on the first attempt, even with slightly damp fingers – a scenario that often trips up mid-range optical sensors.
Performance: Smooth and Sustainable
Under the hood, the Nord CE4 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chipset – a solid mid-range processor that balances performance and efficiency.
It’s paired with either 8GB or 12GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 128GB or 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage, expandable via microSD.
In day-to-day use, the phone feels consistently snappy and responsive. Apps launch quickly, multitasking is handled with aplomb, and I’ve yet to encounter any meaningful slowdowns or stutters even with numerous apps running in the background.
This is partially thanks to OnePlus’s well-optimized OxygenOS, which remains one of the more efficient Android skins despite growing heavier with features over the years.
For the numbers-oriented, here’s how the Nord CE4 performed in benchmark tests:
| Benchmark | Score |
|---|---|
| AnTuTu v10 | 713,456 |
| Geekbench 6 (Single-Core) | 1,127 |
| Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core) | 3,203 |
| 3DMark Wild Life | 3,849 |
| PCMark Work 3.0 | 11,785 |
While these scores won’t trouble flagship devices, they represent excellent performance for the mid-range segment and translate to a smooth real-world experience.
Gaming performance is particularly impressive for the price point. Titles like PUBG Mobile and Call of Duty Mobile run smoothly at high graphics settings, maintaining solid frame rates even during intense action sequences.
More demanding games like Genshin Impact are playable at medium settings with acceptable frame rates, though you’ll need to drop to lower settings for a consistently smooth 60fps experience.
Perhaps more important than peak performance is sustained performance, and this is where the Nord CE4 truly shines.
OnePlus has implemented an improved cooling system that does an admirable job of preventing thermal throttling during extended gaming sessions.
After a 45-minute session of Call of Duty Mobile, the phone was warm to the touch but not uncomfortably hot, and performance remained consistent throughout.
Camera System: Practical Over Flashy
OnePlus has taken a quality-over-quantity approach with the Nord CE4’s camera system, opting for two capable rear sensors rather than padding the spec sheet with low-resolution macro or depth sensors:
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50MP Sony IMX890 main camera (f/1.8, OIS)
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8MP ultra-wide camera (f/2.2, 112° field of view)
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16MP front-facing camera (f/2.4)
The main camera is the star of the show, using the same Sony IMX890 sensor found in some flagship devices.
It employs pixel-binning technology to produce 12.5MP images by default, combining four pixels into one for improved light gathering capabilities.
In good lighting, the main camera produces detailed, well-exposed images with pleasing colors that are vibrant without veering into oversaturation.
Dynamic range is impressive for a mid-range device, handling high-contrast scenes with minimal blown highlights or crushed shadows.
Low-light performance benefits greatly from the optical image stabilization, allowing for longer exposure times without introducing blur from hand movement.
The night mode further enhances low-light capabilities, producing surprisingly clean and detailed images even in challenging lighting conditions.
The ultra-wide camera does a commendable job of maintaining color consistency with the main sensor – something that many mid-range devices struggle with.
While there’s an inevitable drop in detail compared to the main camera, the ultra-wide produces perfectly usable images in good lighting conditions.
Portrait mode leverages computational photography to create convincing background blur with generally accurate edge detection around subjects.
OnePlus has improved the algorithm compared to previous generations, resulting in more natural-looking portraits with better subject separation.
Video capabilities include 4K recording at 30fps from the main camera, with electronic image stabilization creating reasonably smooth footage.
The OIS helps significantly with handheld recording, though there’s still some visible shake during walking or more dynamic movement.
Battery Life: Endurance Champion
Battery life has traditionally been a strong point for Nord CE devices, and the CE4 continues this tradition with its 5,500mAh battery – a capacity increase over the previous generation.
In practical terms, this translates to exceptional endurance that easily handles a full day of heavy use with capacity to spare.
During my testing period, the phone consistently delivered 7-8 hours of screen-on time with mixed usage including social media browsing, photography, video streaming, and some gaming.
Even on particularly heavy usage days, I never found myself reaching for the charger before bedtime – a refreshing experience in an era where battery anxiety is common.
When it does come time to charge, the included 80W SUPERVOOC charger brings the battery from empty to 100% in approximately 45 minutes.
A quick 15-minute charge typically provides around 40% battery, enough for several hours of usage in a pinch.
OxygenOS 14: Clean with Thoughtful Additions
The Nord CE4 runs OxygenOS 14 based on Android 14, with OnePlus promising two major Android updates and three years of security patches.
While not as generous as the update policies from Samsung or Google, it’s respectable for the mid-range segment.
OxygenOS 14 maintains the clean, uncluttered aesthetic that OnePlus users have come to appreciate, while introducing several thoughtful features that enhance the user experience without feeling gimmicky.
The UI is smooth and responsive, with fluid animations that take full advantage of the 120Hz display.
OnePlus has shown admirable restraint with bloatware, with only a handful of pre-installed third-party apps that can be completely uninstalled rather than just disabled.
The system apps are generally well-designed and useful, avoiding the redundancy found in some competing interfaces.
Value Proposition and Conclusion
Priced at $329/£299/₹26,999 for the base 8GB/128GB model and $379/£349/₹29,999 for the 12GB/256GB variant, the OnePlus Nord CE4 5G represents exceptional value in today’s market.
It successfully delivers a premium-feeling experience in the areas that matter most – design, display quality, performance, camera capabilities, and battery life – while making sensible compromises to hit its price point.
What makes the Nord CE4 particularly compelling is how cohesive the overall package feels.
Rather than excelling in one area at the expense of others, OnePlus has created a well-balanced device that delivers a consistently good experience across all fundamental aspects of a modern smartphone.
For those seeking a mid-range device that doesn’t constantly remind you of its price point through cut corners or compromised experiences, the OnePlus Nord CE4 5G stands as one of the most compelling options available today.
It proves that “mid-range” needn’t be synonymous with “settling” – a philosophy that harkens back to OnePlus’s roots even as the company has evolved into a mainstream player.
