OnePlus Nord CE 4 Review — Delightful display, classic design, powerful performance and no major surprises!

• OnePlus Nord CE 4 is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 3
• The smartphone starts at ₹24,999 and enters an extremely competitive market
• It packs the biggest battery in a Nord device so far with 5500 mAh
  

OnePlus recently launched the Nord CE 4, expanding the bandwidth of their Nord series of smartphones and hoping that the new release would help their mega plan to dominate the market. However, times have changed. Nord CE 4 comes at a point when the mid-20K market is already hot with the likes of the Realme 12 series, Redmi Note 13 series and the latest entrant Nothing Phone 2A.

Better competition always means a win for us the consumers, but it also means a lot more confusion among products with comparable features. So, cutting the noise, where does the Nord CE 4 stand? Who should consider this device? I tell you all in my review after using the device personally over the past few weeks.

Price & Availability
OnePlus Nord CE 4 is available in 2 variants. You can buy the device from Amazon, and select offline stores.

Design

OnePlus Nord CE 4 shows the evolution of OnePlus devices over time, with traces of the previous Nord smartphones in its flat-screen design but a shift in approach with the colour options.

OnePlus has followed a minimalistic approach to the CE 4 when it comes to design. The smartphone, as mentioned above, sports a glass sandwich design along with flat edges. Even though it carries a massive 5500mAh battery the weight distribution is commendable. It feels light in the hands and the edges make it easier to hold.

I used the colour variant Celadon Marble, which appears to be inspired by the Marble Odyssey variant of the OnePlus 11. As one would expect, it is clean and has been executed really well. I am personally not a fan of funky colors but this one grew on me over time. However, if you are not one for experiments, then I suggest checking out the Dark Chrome variant, which has a much sober dark grey shade.


On the back, we have the dual camera set-up which is vertically aligned towards the left. Replacing the triple camera set-up on the CE 3 the design definitely looks more premium.

True to its price point, you don’t get the user-favorite alert slider here, but you get an in-display fingerprint sensor. This makes the device sit perfectly between the CE 3 Lite and Nord 3. Plus, you do get the essentials like the IP54 water & splash-resistant rating.


Nord CE 4 also comes with Aquatouch, which basically allows you to interact with the display even when it is fairly wet. I have tested this out and it does work. I have typed and scrolled across the device with a wet screen and it didn’t miss a beat.

Another feature that I personally like a lot is the IR blaster on the CE 4. Practically making your device a universal remote is very handy and I am glad more brands are bringing it back. It also gives me hope that maybe someday we will see the return of the headphone jack on devices as well.


Towards the right edge, we have the volume rockers and the power button which are tactile. At the bottom, we have the Type-C port and the SIM card slot. The smartphone supports 2 nano SIMs or a nano SIM and a memory card up to 1TB.

Overall, Nord CE 4 hasn’t taken any risks with its design and follows the classic OnePlus philosophy — minimalism and upgrades in areas that are important. Some people might dub the design boring, however, I believe there is a huge chunk of buyers who still look for a simple-looking device.

Display

The OnePlus Nord CE 4 boasts a 6.7-inch AMOLED display with an impressive resolution of 2412 x 1080 pixels. Moreover, you get a peak brightness of 1100 Nits.

I tested the display during a recent weekend outing, where the CE 4 lite served as my primary device. Outdoor visibility was not a concern but the always-on screen's brightness proved inadequate, making it challenging to read text. Once engaged, the device performed admirably. The auto-brightness feature on the CE4 functioned remarkably well, consistently adjusting brightness levels.

Viewing content on the 11R is a delightful experience. I indulged in a Netflix session with "X-men 97," and the smartphone's support for HDR10+ was evident in the vibrant colours and top-notch details. Nevertheless, the self-adjusting brightness in HDR content remains a slight annoyance, and I hope this aspect is addressed in future updates for a more consistent performance.

The display is complemented by a robust stereo speaker setup, delivering surprisingly loud audio output capable of filling a small room.

In terms of responsiveness, the display performs solidly. With a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz and an auto-switch feature between variable refresh rates, the execution, while occasionally choppy when transitioning between a web page and a game, remains overall satisfactory. Opting for the maximum 120Hz refresh rate provides a smooth and visually pleasing experience.

The in-display fingerprint sensor on the CE 4 is adequately responsive, albeit not as swift as the side-mounted unit we see on the CE 3 Lite. An alternative quick unlocking method is the face unlock feature, which I have personally set up for added convenience.

Software

The Nord CE 4 comes preloaded with Android 14, featuring the Oxygen OS skin. While the distinction between Oxygen OS and Oppo's Color OS has become less clear, the legacy of the older Oxygen OS remains evident, primarily due to the device's minimal bloatware. As long as this remains the case, the amalgamation doesn't pose a concern for me.

The software experience aligns with expectations for a OnePlus device — clean and visually appealing. As always, users have ample customisation options. I recommend an immediate tweak: changing the icon designs to pills instead of squares, providing a less blocky appearance to the display.

The return of the shelf on the OnePlus CE4 is a feature I appreciate, having never encountered issues with it. Proper customization, with preferred applications like calendar, Gmail notifications, and Instagram, can enhance productivity. A simple right swipe allows quick access to these applications.

The device also incorporates familiar OnePlus features such as Zen mode, which I find beneficial at the gym with a custom profile that silences all notifications except those I choose to keep on.

For existing OnePlus users concerned about the OS experience, be assured that familiar elements are still present. However, we do have some additions this year from Oppos Color OS, like pixelation.

This feature automatically blurs the display of people in screenshots to protect their identity. Although it may miss some instances when working automatically, you can manually blur objects. The option to do so directly from the screenshot menu is a welcome addition. I hope to see more of such features added to OnePlus devices down the line.

One notable commitment from OnePlus is the promise of 2 years of major Android updates and 3 years of security updates for the CE 4. This is underwhelming, to say the least, considering Nothing Phone 2(a) provides 3 years of Android updates and 4 years of security updates. If you plan on being a long-term user of your smartphone, it's advisable to consider this aspect when making a decision.

Performance
Coming to the section which to me ensures why the Nord CE 4 is a top contender for most people - performance.

The Nord CE 4 is equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7S Gen 3 5G SoC, a tried and tested chipset. As expected, the smartphone delivers a consistent and reliable performance.

This can be attributed to the overall package that OnePlus offers with this device. It comes with 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM, which is more than enough for most users. There is also the option to expand the RAM internally by using spare storage, but I haven't found a use case where this would be necessary.

Let's talk about performance, especially in power-hungry tasks like gaming. During my testing, I played BGMI on the Nord CE 4 daily for at least 2 hours. I had the settings maxed out with HDR graphics and solid frame rates, and so far, I haven't experienced any glitches or frame drops.

The 6.7-inch massive display is excellent for gaming, allowing you to spot and eliminate your targets with ease. The combination of the high refresh rate and powerful SoC provides a smooth and fluid gaming experience. After about 50 minutes of continuous gaming, the phone does heat up, but it becomes noticeably uncomfortable only after the 1-hour mark. However, it cools down quickly, allowing you to get back to your games without much delay.

This performance extends to everyday use, and general users will not encounter any issues. The specifications and real-life performance of the CE 4 may be overkill for basic users who don't push the limits or engage in heavy gaming.

The device offers 256GB of internal storage, of which the system takes up around 25 GB. The remaining 225GB is more than sufficient for most consumers. I recommend buying the 256GB variant if you are a dynamic user since 128GB will just not be enough.

Before concluding this section, it's important to mention the battery performance of the CE 4. It is equipped with a 5500mAh battery that is difficult to drain, especially for light users. The numbers are impressive. With casual to heavy usage, I was averaging around 7 hours of screen time. This includes gaming sessions, video calls, and YouTube consumption.

For light users, the battery life extends even further, easily lasting a bit over a workday. The device supports 100W SuperVOOC charging, which works wonders as expected. With the bundled 100W charger, it takes about 30 minutes to charge the device from 0% to 100%, which is remarkably efficient. This is with mobile data turned on, of course.

Camera
OnePlus Nord CE 4 sports a dual camera set-up which is down from the triple camera set-up we saw on the CE 3. I am not complaining about it particularly because the one sensor that has been let go is the 2MP macro sensor, which I wasn’t a fan of. What we do get this time is an upgraded Sony IMX882 50MP primary sensor with OIS paired with an 8MP ultra-wide sensor.

Let's start with the primary camera sensor. OnePlus claims that with the help of a new and improved sensor, the camera output is better on the Nord CE 4 compared to the Nord CE 3. This claim is true, in my opinion.

In natural lighting or ample lighting, the image results are surprisingly good. The images are well-detailed, with colours mostly matching the subject in the frame. However, there were times when the phone did falter with reds, especially indoors and in artificial light.

However, the smartphone bounces back in portrait photography, since the edge detection is solid here. And you can also play around with the depth effect there. The 8MP ultra-wide angle gives you a 120-degree field of view. So yes, it definitely expands the frame to cover more room. I shoot big cars sometimes with Business Insider India. However, the details might be lost if you shoot something indoors.

The video recording experience is similar to Nord 2. The camera can record 4K videos at 30. And the performance is suitable for basic usage. However, it might not be the best option if you want to make content with your device. You get additional features like dual video mode as well, which is helpful if you are a vlogger.

The audio recording is satisfactory, and the in-built microphone does cancel out external noise to a large extent.

The front camera is a 16 MP shooter that tones down natural colours significantly, delivering under-saturated output. The results do get better with the default AI turned off. Yes, AI is big time here with what I call an AI makeover. You can change your skin tone and even tweak your cheeks. I mentioned it in my previous reviews, I don't particularly appreciate promoting this, but there could be a consumer base that wants this.

Verdict
OnePlus Nord CE 4 is a textbook smartphone. The device offers a fairly new design, a bright display, an efficient processor and an improved camera. It’s a smartphone for people who don’t want to experiment with their smartphone usage experience.

That being said, if you are open to experiments then you can consider Nothing Phone(2A) or Realme 12 Pro as well.

Disclaimer: The content on this website is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as a purchasing guide or recommendation. We advise readers to do additional research, including hands-on usage of the device at a retail outlet, before making a decision.