OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G vs Realme 9 Pro+: which is the best phone under Rs 25,000?

OnePlus has added another Nord smartphone to its portfolio, called the OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G. The device was launched in India on Thursday with a price tag under Rs 25,000. The phone competes against the likes of the Realme 9 Pro+ that arrived in India earlier this week. Both the OnePlus Nord CE 2 and Realme 9 Pro+(review) support 5G connectivity and are powered by the MediaTek Dimensity chipsets. The phones share certain similarities with each other but also differ in some places. We take a look at which phone you should consider buying under Rs 25,000.

OnePlus Nord CE 2 vs Realme 9 Pro+: price in India

OnePlus Nord CE 2 is available in two storage options: 6GB+128GB and 8GB+128GB. The phone comes in Gray Mirror and Bahamas Blue colour options. On the other hand, Realme 9 Pro+ has three storage options: 6GB+128GB, 8GB+128GB, and 8GB+256GB. The device comes in Midnight Black, Aurora Green, Sunrise Blue colour options. Here are the prices of both devices:

OnePlus Nord CE 2 vs Realme 9 Pro+: design, specifications, and features

Design

OnePlus Nord CE 2 comes with a curved back and rounded edges. The rear panel houses a triple camera system and LED flash alongside the OnePlus branding. It has a power button on the right and volume rockers on the left. At the bottom, it has a microphone, USB Type-C port, and speaker grille. The device has a 6.4-inch with a punch-hole cutout on the left corner and an in-display fingerprint scanner. 

The Realme 9 Pro+ also comes with a curved back and round edges. It houses a volume rocker on the left paired with a SIM tray and a power button on the left that double-ups as a fingerprint scanner. The device has a 3.5mm headphone jack alongside the USB C slot and a speaker grille at the bottom. The Realme 9 Pro+ flaunts a 6.4-inch display with a punch-hole camera cutout on the left. 

Processor, storage, and RAM

Here where things get exciting, The newly launched OnePlus Nord CE 2 comes with a MediaTek Dimensity 900 chipset paired with Mali-G68 MC4 GPU. Whereas, the Realme 9 Pro+ packs a MediaTek Dimensity 920 processor paired with Mali-G68 MC4 GPU. As a result, the Realme 9 Pro+ with Dimensity 920 SoC should perform slightly better than Dimensity 900 on OnePlus Nord CE 2, but only slightly.

In terms of storage, the OnePlus Nord CE 2 comes in two configurations – 6GB+128GB and 8GB+128GB. The Realme 9 Pro+ has three storage options – 6GB+128GB, 8GB+128GB, and 8GB+256GB configurations. However, OnePlus Nord CE 2 has a microSD card slot that allow up to 1TB of expandable storage, a privalge that cannot be found on the Realme 9 Pro+.

Display

OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G flaunts a 6.43-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate, 2400 x 1080 pixels resolution, HDR10+ and sRGB support, Display P3, and a Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection. The handset has an in-display fingerprint scanner. 

Realme 9 Pro+ sports a 6.4-inch FHD+ AMOLED panel with a 1080×2400 pixels resolution and 409 PPI, 90Hz refresh rate, 2.5D curved glass, and Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection. The device has an in-display fingerprint scanner.

Cameras

OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G has triple cameras on the rear, including a 64MP primary f/1.7 sensor, an 8MP f/2.2 ultrawide lens, and a 2MP f/2.4 macro lens. It can comfortably shoot 4k video at 30fps. The device has a 16MP snapper for selfies and video chats on the front, which can capture 1080p videos at 60 fps.

Realme 9 Pro+ has triple cameras on the back, featuring a 50MP f/1.8 primary camera, an 8MP f/2.2 ultrawide lens, and a 2MP f/2.4 macro lens. The camera can shoot 4K video at 30fps. It has a 16MP snapper for selfies and video calls on the front that supports HDR and can capture 1080p video at 30fps. Realme 9 Pro+ comes with OIS support, which we don’t get to see on OnePlus Nord CE 2.

Battery

OnePlus Nord CE 2 draws power from a 4,500mAh battery with 65W fast charging. OnePlus claims the 65W SuperVOOC charger can deliver one day’s power in just 15 minutes of charge. Whereas, the Realme 9 Pro packs a 4,500mAh battery that supports 60W fast charging. OnePlus offers a faster-charging technology among both smartphones.

Connectivity

Realme 9 Pro+ features an in-display fingerprint scanner, 3.5mm audio jack, Dolby Atmos dual stereo speakers, vapor chamber cooling system, X-axis linear motor, GPS, USB Type-C port, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, and 5G support. The device ships with Android 12 based Realme UI skin out of the box.

On the other hand, the OnePlus Nord CE 2 features an in-display fingerprint scanner, 3.5mm audio jack, 5G, dual SIM, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 6, NFC, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS, and a USB Type-C port. The phone runs on an older Android 11 software with OxygenOS 11 custom skin out of the box.

OnePlus Nord CE 2 vs Realme 9 Pro+: verdict

The OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G offers a better camera and faster-charging support than Realme 9 Pro+ 5G. On the other hand, Realme 9 Pro+ provides a better and faster processor and more in-built storage than OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G. The Realme phone also ships with a newer Android software compared to the OnePlus device. Overall, if you want better performance, Realme 9 Pro+ 5G is a superior deal, and if you want a better camera and fast charging, the OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G is for you.

Both phones have equal advantages, so you shouldn’t have any difficulty choosing between them.