OnePlus Nord CE 5 Review: Best Phone Under Rs 30,000?

OnePlus phones used to be the darling of power users who weren’t too happy with the massive price tags of the other flagships.

But when OnePlus too decided to steer in the premium direction, it needed a line to bridge the gap and thus was born the Nord series.

But around that time, phones priced under Rs 20,000 were doing incredibly well in the market, and the outcome of that was the launch of the Nord CE series and its Lite cousins.

The Nord CE 5 is the fifth generation avatar of this lineage, and it’s looking to woo buyers with its attractive array of specs that are being offered at a starting price of Rs. 24,999, which applies to its 8GB + 128GB variant; the 8GB + 256GB version costs Rs 26,999, while the 12GB + 256GB edition retails at Rs 28,999.

Let me give you my take on this device’s overall user experience.

Design

The boxy iPhone-like design language is everywhere these days, so it’s no surprise to see it on the OnePlus Nord CE 5.

The polycarbonate matte surface on the rear  as well as the frame, manages to maintain a sophisticated look.

Although I must say, this is a considerably heavy slab, at 199 gms.

But that’s a trade-off that will be turned a blind eye to by those who demand big battery life.

Yes, the device has a massive 7,100mAh cell inside it, which I’ll talk about later.

Flipping the phone, you’ll find a 6.7-inch Fluid AMOLED display that’s blemished only slightly by a hole punch.

The bezels around this panel are considerably small and consistently sized on all four sides.

Coming to the in-display fingerprint reader, I’d have loved it had it been placed an inch higher, but that’s the way it goes.

There’s not much else to speak about the design of this phone, which is practical and attractive, with a few caveats.

Also Read: OnePlus Nord 5

Display and sound

You will have observed that there’s little wrong with most of the displays that smartphones these days are sporting.

The technology seems to have peeked in a way that even lower-end products are being graced by outstanding panels.

The Nord CE 5 gets OnePlus’ Fluid AMOLED display that’s got both a 120Hz fresh rate and an HDR10+ rating.

Also Read: OnePlus Nord 5 Review

With a peak brightness of 1,430 nits, it renders HDR footage with admirable contrast, and it’s perfect for those seeking an affordable device that serves their bedtime binge-watching cravings.

As for the speakers, you’re better off with a pair of good earbuds. OnePlus has given this device a single bottom-firing speaker, the sound profile of which goes haywire as soon as the volume is raised above 60 percent.

Camera

The OnePlus Nord CE 5 sports a dual-camera setup on the back, headlined by a 50MP main sensor.

This is the same Sony IMX600 unit that was present on last year’s Nord CE 4.

It delivers sharp images during the day, but a little zooming does make you realise that details are being compromised.

When the light dips a little, this camera is a hit or a miss. Under very low light, it may even struggle with its autofocus, rendering itself useless.

But with steady hands and a little bit of artificial light to help it, it can return good results.

Plus, there’s the Night Mode that helps brighten scenes, but often at the cost of sharpness.

The other camera is an 8MP ultra-wide unit that does its job satisfactorily.

As for selfies, they are taken care of by a 16MP front camera, which delivers sharp shots with good skin tones in bright conditions.

Performance

A specially branded MediaTek Dimensity 8350 Apex chip sits inside the OnePlus Nord CE 5.

I must say, performance is one of this device’s strong points.

During my time with it, never did I experience any hiccups when using it for my daily tasks that involved scrolling through and replying to emails, sifting through WhatsApp chats, doing some light video editing, clicking plenty of photographs on the go, and so on.

As for the other big usage scenario – gaming – I was also pleasantly surprised at how well the device handled even the most demanding games.

Playing BGMI on the phone was a pleasing experience. I got decently good framerates during the few sessions I played at Ultra settings.

Never did I experience any heating issues either, thanks to the Nord CE 5’s adoption of CryoVelocity VC Cooling.

Overall, the OnePlus Nord 5 CE can be classified as a high-performance device that can satisfy your gaming needs.

Battery Life

There’s no doubt that you’ll get mind-blowing battery life from this phone.

Its 7,100mAh battery easily lasted me two full days on moderate to heavy usage.

At one instance, I even stretched it to three days, but that was when I didn’t indulge in any gaming or long Reel-watching sessions.

Even for power users, it’s a phone that can comfortably make it through a day and a half.

The 80W SUPERVOOC charging support is another plus. I could get it from 0 to 100% in around an hour, which is incredibly convenient for a battery this size.

If battery anxiety is a dealbreaker for you, the Nord CE 5 is a no-brainer.

Software

The OnePlus Nord CE 5 runs Android 15 with OxygenOS 15 and promises four years of OS updates and six years of security patches, which is impressive for its price segment.

The software experience is smooth and responsive, comparable to the pricier Nord 5, with minimal bloatware aside from a few pre-selected apps during setup.

It supports several AI features seen on higher-end OnePlus models, including VoiceScribe for call summaries and a screen-scanning translate tool.

While it lacks the dedicated Plus Key for quick AI actions, a three-finger swipe performs the same function.

Performance is consistent, with only minor stutters under heat-intensive conditions like outdoor navigation.