OnePlus Nord CE5 review

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Introduction

OnePlus continues its mission to deliver compelling mid-range smartphones with the latest addition to the Nord Core Edition lineup - the Nord CE5. As the affordable sibling in the Nord family, the CE series has always focused on offering the essentials that matter most, without straying too far from that. With the CE5, OnePlus appears to have doubled down on that formula, bringing some surprisingly ambitious hardware to the table.

At the heart of the Nord CE5 is the MediaTek Dimensity 8350 Apex chipset - an efficient 4nm platform paired with speedy LPDDR5X memory, promising responsive performance for everyday tasks and multitasking alike. We expect the CE5 to hold its own among devices in its class.

The battery setup is particularly eye-catching this time around. The Indian Nord CE5 packs a massive 7,100 mAh battery - nearly unheard of in this category. Unfortunately, however, we are reviewing the global unit, which only has a 5,200mAh cell. At least it supports equally fast 80W charging.

OnePlus Nord CE5 5G specs at a glance:

• Body: 163.6x76.0x8.2mm, 199g; plastic frame; IP65 dust tight and water resistant (low pressure water jets).
• Display: 6.77" Fluid AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10+, 800 nits (typ), 1300 nits (HBM), 1430 nits (peak), 1080x2392px resolution, 19.93:9 aspect ratio, 387ppi; Ultra HDR image support.
• Chipset: Mediatek Dimensity 8350 Apex (4 nm): Octa-core (1x3.35 GHz Cortex-A715 & 3x3.20 GHz Cortex-A715 & 4x2.20 GHz Cortex-A510); Mali G615-MC6.
• Memory: 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM; UFS 3.1; microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot).
• OS/Software: Android 15, ColorOS 15.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.8, 26mm, 1/1.95", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS; Ultra wide angle: 8 MP, f/2.2, 16mm, 112˚, 1/4.0", 1.12µm.
• Front camera: 16 MP, f/2.4, 23mm (wide), 1/3.0", 1.0µm.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@30/60fps (HDR), 1080p@30/60/120/480fps, 720p@960fps, gyro-EIS, OIS; Front camera: 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS.
• Battery: 5200mAh (7100mAh in India); 80W wired, Bypass charging.
• Connectivity: 5G; Wi-Fi 6; BT 5.4, aptX HD, LHDC 5; Infrared port.
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (under display, optical); Circle to Search.

Photography also gets a boost with the inclusion of a 50MP Sony LYT-600 sensor on the back, complete with optical image stabilization and support for 4K 60fps HDR video recording. While we'll have to see how it performs in real-world testing, these specs certainly place the CE5 a notch above your typical budget camera setup.

The OnePlus Nord CE5 sits just below the new flagship-killing Nord 5 and more premium models in the brand's portfolio, but it's clear that OnePlus isn't treating it as an afterthought. With a massive battery, capable imaging hardware, and a modern mid-range chipset, the CE5 is shaping up to be more than just a "Core Edition". It could represent a great value offer in OnePlus' lineup.

Unboxing

The OnePlus Nord CE5 ships in a pretty eye-catching teal-colored two-piece box. It is made of cardboard, but it is pretty thick and rigid. A nice and snug cradle on the inside of the box also protects the phone.

You may recall that we previously conducted a quick unboxing of the Nord CE5, but that was not the European version. The main difference, of course, in our European review unit is that the 80W fast charger is missing. At least you still get a USB Type-A to Type-C cable, and OnePlus seems to currently be including a charger if you want one (the European Commission mandates that users be given a choice of whether to get the phone with or without one). That said, while we understand why the charger isn't included in the box, we also don't understand why there is no bundled protective case with our European unit.