The OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G is official, distilling the core experience of last year’s Nord 2 5G into an even more affordable package while still offering a number of premium features such as 65W charging and a 90Hz AMOLED display. Priced at £299 in Europe, the Nord CE 2 5G can be pre-ordered from March 3rd before going on general sale on March 10th.
The 6.43-inch Fluid AMOLED display boasts FHD+ resolution and has a 90Hz refresh rate along with HDR10+ certification. This time around, the Nord CE 2 5G is powered by MediaTek’s 6nm Dimensity 900 chipset which is bolstered by 8GB and 128GB of expandable storage. Yup, you read that right, MicroSD card support is present as is a 3.5mm audio jack, although fans of the traditional OnePlus alert slider will be disappointed by its continuing omission in the CE series. Dual 5G SIMs are supported,
A 64MP main rear camera is accompanied by an 8MP ultra-wide lens and a 2MP macro camera, with a 16MP selfie camera housed in the punch-hole cutout on the top-left corner of the display.
Nightscape is supported on the OnePlus Nord CE 2 and is perfect for capturing photos in low light. In an instant, Nightscape takes up to nine different pictures at varying exposures and intelligently weaves them together to produce clearer, brighter, and more dramatic photos. Portrait Mode is improved on the OnePlus Nord CE 2 with more accurate edge detection and the ability to adjust the level of software-produced depth of field when capturing a subject for greater creative control. Portrait Mode is supported on both the 64 MP rear camera and its 16 MP selfie camera.
OnePlus has included 65W fast-charging that will charge the 4,500mAh battery from 0-100% in just 32 minutes, the branding of the technology has switched from Warp Charge to OPPO’s SuperVOOC but that’s just a superficial change and nothing to fret about. You’ll be glad to know that OnePlus is including a 65W SuperVOOC wall charger in the box, so there’s no need to go out and buy one separately. Finally, the Nord CE 2 5G runs OxygenOS 11 out of the box with OxygenOS 12 scheduled to roll out in the second half of 2022. OnePlus is promising 2 years of OS upgrades and 3 years of security patches, although it seems to me that the Nord CE 2 should really be running OxygenOS 12 from the start.
“The OnePlus Nord CE 2 enhances the essential features our community users value most at an accessible price point,” said Pete Lau, Founder of OnePlus. “With flagship 65W SUPERVOOC fast charging, a more powerful chipset, and an upgraded camera system – the OnePlus Nord CE 2 is an excellent everyday phone that maintains OnePlus’ high standard of quality.”
The Nord CE 2 5G will go on general sale on the OnePlus Store, Amazon, and John Lewis in the UK for £299 from March 10th and will be available in Gray Mirror which is a mirror-like finish, and Bahama Blue which offers a blue/yellow gradient.
