OnePlus Nord CE 5G vs Nord vs Nord 2 5G: Has OnePlus just outdone itself with its latest launch?

OnePlus’ ‘flagship-killer’, the OnePlus Nord 2 5G, has been launched in India at a starting price of Rs 27,999. Although the company introduced the Nord range just last year, the latest entrant in the family makes the original Nord look old. OnePlus has introduced a couple of firsts with the Nord 2 5G, including the fact that it’s the company’s first MediaTek-powered smartphone. The Nord 2 5G is also the first smartphone to run on the new merged OxygenOS and ColorOS platform named OxygenOS 11.3. Other major highlights of the smartphone include its 4,500 mAh battery that supports 65 W fast charging and a 50 MP triple rear camera setup. [caption id=“attachment_9830761” align=“alignnone” width=“1280”] OnePlus Nord 2 5G[/caption] With the OnePlus Nord 2 5G, you will also see a few minor updates such as the return of the alert slider and dual speaker setup. But overall, do these updates make it better than the previous Nord smartphones? Let’s find out.

OnePlus Nord 2 5G pricing

The OnePlus Nord 2 5G comes in three storage variants. The 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage variant is priced at Rs 27,999,  and will be available for purchase starting August 2021. The 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage variant is priced at Rs 29,999,  and the 12 GB RAM + 256 GB storage variant is priced at Rs 34,999. These variants will go on open sale from 28 July. The smartphone comes in Blue Haze, Gray Sierra and Green Woods (India-exclusive) colour variants.

OnePlus Nord CE 5G vs OnePlus Nord vs OnePlus Nord 2 5G: What’s the difference?

Below is a detailed specifications comparison of OnePlus Nord CE 5G, OnePlus Nord and OnePlus Nord 2 5G.

| | Secondary Camera | 16 MP | 32 MP Sony IMX616 + 8 MP ultra-wide-angle lens | 32 MP | | Video Capture | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps | 1080p@30/60/240fps |

4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps

| | Flash | Yes | Yes | Yes | | OS Version | Android 11 | Android 11 | Android 11 | | GPS | Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, NavIC |

Yes, (L1+L5 Dual Band), GLONASS, Galileo (E1+E5a Dual Band), Beidou, A-GPS, NavIC

|  Yes, with dual-band A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, SBAS, NavIC | | Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, 2.4G/5G | 2x2 MIMO, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, 2.4G/5G |

Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, 2.4G/5G, 2x2MIMO

| | Bluetooth | 5.1 | 5.1 | 5.2 | | NFC | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Fingerprint Scanner | In-display | In-display | In-display | | 3.5mm jack | Yes | No | No | | USB Type | Type-C | Type-C | Type-C | | USB Standard | USB 2.0 | USB 2.0 | USB 2.0 | | Battery (mAh) | 4,500 | 4,115 | 4,500 | | Fast charging | Yes, 30 T Plus | Yes, Warp Charge 30T | Yes, Warp Charge 65 W | | Colors | Blue Void, Charcoal Ink, Silver Ray | Blue Marble, Gray Onyx |

Blue Haze, Gray Sierra and Green Woods

| | Starting price | Starts at 22,999 | Starts at Rs 24,999 | Starts at Rs 27,999 |

Conclusion

The OnePlus Nord 2 5G makes a compelling case for itself when compared to other Nord models. The smartphone comes with a flagship MediaTek Dimensity 1200 chipset, up to 12 GB RAM, up to 256 GB of storage, a triple rear camera setup that houses a 50 MP IMX766 sensor, and a 32 MP selfie camera. It also comes with a 4,500 mAh battery that supports 65 W fast charging. In my opinion, the new smartphone also impresses on the design front. It features a camera bump that looks quite similar to the one on the OnePlus 9. While the final verdict will only come after a comprehensive hands-on review, it’s clear that with the OnePlus Nord 2 5G, the company has bettered an already appealing package.