Introduction
After the flagship OnePlus 12, the company is shifting its focus to the mid-range segment with the launch of the OnePlus Nord CE4. While it’s not the most affordable model in the lineup — that title would go to the yet-to-be-announced CE4 Lite — the Nord CE4 sits in the sweet spot of the Nord family, promising a solid mix of performance and value.
What’s New?
The Nord CE4 comes with several key upgrades over its predecessor. It packs the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chipset, replacing the older 782G, and introduces a new 50MP Sony LYT600 primary camera. Powering it all is a 5500mAh battery that supports an incredible 100W SuperVOOC charging, one of the fastest in its segment.
Design
The Nord CE4’s design brings back some nostalgia, resembling the original Nord CE with its vertically stacked triple-ring camera layout. This time, however, only two are functional cameras — the third circle houses the flash. The phone is available in Celadon Marble and Dark Chrome, both offering a clean yet premium look.
Display
On the front, you get a 6.7-inch Fluid AMOLED display with Full-HD+ (2412 x 1080 pixels) resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, and HDR10+ support. It’s bright, smooth, and color-rich with 10-bit color depth and up to 1100 nits peak brightness.
However, color accuracy isn’t its strongest point. The Vivid mode produces oversaturated tones and cool whites, while the Natural mode limits the color range but still looks slightly bluish. Even adjusting the color temperature manually doesn’t completely fix this, which might bother those particular about display calibration.
Charging — The Showstopper
If there’s one feature that truly shines, it’s the charging speed. The 5500mAh battery charges from 0 to 100% in just 29 minutes, with 69% reached in just 15 minutes. These numbers match OnePlus’ official claims perfectly — making it one of the fastest-charging phones under ₹20,000.
Software
The Nord CE4 runs on OxygenOS 14 based on Android 14, featuring the March security patch right out of the box. The interface is nearly identical to Oppo’s ColorOS 14, with only minor tweaks depending on the phone’s price tier. It’s smooth, bloat-free, and packed with smart features while maintaining OnePlus’ trademark clean feel.
Performance
Under the hood, the Nord CE4 uses the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chip paired with 8GB LPDDR4X RAM and 128GB or 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage. Benchmark scores are solid — AnTuTu: 839,564, GeekBench: 3029, and 3DMark: 1494 (Wild Life Extreme). Everyday tasks, gaming, and multitasking feel effortless, though there’s no 12GB variant this time, unlike the CE3.
Cameras
The dual rear camera setup includes a 50MP Sony LYT600 primary sensor with OIS, and an 8MP ultra-wide Sony IMX355. There’s no unnecessary 2MP macro camera here — a smart decision by OnePlus. The main camera delivers crisp, detailed shots with good color balance, even in tricky lighting conditions. However, since there’s no macro mode, close-up enthusiasts might miss that extra flexibility.
Verdict
The OnePlus Nord CE4 is a dependable mid-ranger that delivers where it counts — performance, camera quality, and exceptionally fast charging. While it doesn’t bring any jaw-dropping innovations, it nails the fundamentals. If you want a balanced, no-nonsense phone under ₹20,000 that charges in under half an hour, the Nord CE4 won’t disappoint.
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