TL; DR
- OnePlus has launched the Nord CE, which stands for “Core Edition”.
- The mid-range phone revives the headphone jack, albeit with a few trimmed features.
- It will initially be available in much of Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, but there are no US plans yet.
You didn’t have to wait long to see the next Nord phone from OnePlus. OnePlus has introduced the Nord CE (also known as the “Core Edition”), a counterpart to the original mid-range model that adds a higher quality camera sensor and fixes some complaints – while cutting some functions at the same time.
The OnePlus Nord CE still revolves around a 6.4-inch AMOLED screen with 2,400 x 1,080 pixels and a refresh rate of 90 Hz. However, it also revives the 3.5 mm headphone jack, even when it is on one Shrinked by 7.9 mm (0.31 in) in thickness – it’s proof that you don’t always have to use bluetooth earbuds or a dongle on a slim phone. This is the sleekest design from OnePlus since the 6T, according to the company.
OnePlus Nord CE specs: some upgrades, some downgrades
You will also find a higher resolution 64MP ƒ / 1.8 main rear camera along with the familiar 8MP ƒ / 2.3 ultra wide angle camera and a 2MP ƒ / 2.4 monochrome lens. OnePlus also ships a larger 4,500 mAh battery in the Nord CE (around 385 mAh) and Warp Charge 30T technology that allows you to still get 70% battery in half an hour. There’s even a new color, Blue Void, called fingerprint resistant.
Don’t call this a full continuation of the north, however. The OnePlus Nord CE uses a Snapdragon 750G chip instead of the 765G on the first model. There are only three cameras on the back, so you won’t find the first Nord’s separate macro and depth sensors. You also get just a 16 MP ƒ / 2.5 front camera instead of the 32 MP main and 8 MP ultra-wide shooters from the previous phone.
See also: OnePlus Buyer’s Guide: Everything You Need to Know About the Brand
The phone will start at € 299 (~ $ 365) in Europe and £ 299 (~ $ 423) in the UK. In India it will start at Rs 22,999 (~ $ 315 US). These prices apply to the 8GB / 128GB version, with the exception of the Indian price, which applies to an exclusive 6GB / 128GB variant. There will also be a 12GB / 256GB version starting at € 369. It will go on sale on June 21, 2021 and will be available in 47 countries at launch. It is unlikely to come to the United States, however.
OnePlus is effectively refocusing itself with the Nord CE. As the name of the Core Edition suggests, it is a back-to-basics handset that offers the features that are more important to people while reducing what a lot of people haven’t used. Again, this isn’t a real sequel – you might get annoyed if you hope the first big Nord launch in a while is a remix for the budget conscious.