OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G vs OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G: Which Nord phone is right for you?

OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G launched in India this week as a cheaper version of the OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G that arrived earlier this year. The phones are made for those who want a OnePlus device at a pocket-friendly price point and do not wish to compromise on performance. The newly launched OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite brings design and performance changes to the table at a slightly more affordable price than its elder sibling – the OnePlus Nord CE 2. In this article, we’ll look at which OnePlus Nord CE phone you should consider buying.

OnePlus Nord CE 2 vs OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite: price in India

ModelVariantPrice
OnePlus Nord CE 26GB/128GBRs 23,999
8GB/128GBRs 24,999
OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite6GB/128GBRs 19,999
8GB/128GBRs 21,999


OnePlus Nord CE 2 was launched in two storage options: 6GB/128GB priced at Rs 23,999 and 8GB/128GB at Rs 24,999. The handset comes in Gray Mirror and Bahamas Blue colour options. OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite, on the other hand, starts at Rs 19,999 for the base 6GB RAM/128GB model and Rs 21,999 for the 8GB RAM/128GB unit. It comes in Blue Tide and Black Dust colour options.

OnePlus Nord CE 2 vs OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite: design, specifications, and features

Design

OnePlus Nord CE 2

OnePlus Nord CE 2 has a curved back and rounded edges, which makes it easier for you to grab comfortably. The phone has a 6.4-inch display with a punch-hole cutout on the top left corner. OnePlus Nord CE 2 has a triple camera bump at the back alongside a LED Flash and OnePlus branding. The right side houses a power button, and the left side has a volume rocker. You’ll find a USB Type-C port, speaker grille, and a 3.5mm headphone jack at the bottom.

OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite

OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite comes with a curved rear panel that houses the OnePlus logo and a square camera bump, featuring a triple-camera setup and a LED flash. It has a bezel-less display with a punch-hole cutout for a selfie camera on the top left corner. OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite has a volume rocker on the left and a power button that doubles up as a fingerprint scanner on the right. At the bottom, we get a speaker grille, a USB Type-C port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Processor, storage, and RAM

OnePlus Nord CE 2 debuted with a MediaTek Dimensity 900 processor paired with a Mali-G68 MC4 GPU. OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite, on the other hand, draws power from a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G chipset paired with Adreno 619 GPU. The MediaTek Dimensity 900 supports higher memory bandwidth and outperforms Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G in day-to-day usage.

Moving to storage, both the OnePlus Nord CE 2 and OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite are available in two models – 6GB/128GB and 8GB/128GB. However, the OnePlus Nord CE 2 comes with a microSD card slot that supports up to 1TB of expandable storage, a privilege that the newly launched OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite does not have.

Display

OnePlus Nord CE 2

OnePlus Nord CE 2 is a 6.43-inch device with an AMOLED display that supports a 90Hz refresh rate, 2400×1080 pixels FHD+ resolution, HDR10+, and a Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection. It has an under-display fingerprint scanner.

OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite

OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite has a 6.58-inch Full-HD+ LCD display with support for 120Hz refresh rate.

Cameras

OnePlus Nord CE 2

OnePlus Nord CE 2 houses triple cameras at the back, featuring a 64MP primary camera paired with an 8MP ultra-wide lens and a 2MP macro shooter. A 16MP snapper at the front takes care of selfie needs.

OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite

OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite has a triple camera setup as well that includes a 64MP primary camera, a 2MP macro sensor, and a 2MP mono lens. It flaunts a 16MP camera at the front for selfies and video calls.

Battery

OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite

OnePlus Nord CE 2 packs a 4,500mAh battery with 65W fast charging. Whereas, the OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite draws power from a 5,000mAh battery that supports 33W fast charging. OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite has a bigger battery, but the OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite has a faster charger.

Connectivity

OnePlus Nord CE 2 comes with a 5G, dual SIM, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 6, NFC, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS, and a USB Type-C port. It boots Android 11-based OxygenOS 11 skin out of the box. OnePlus Nord CE 2 has an under-display fingerprint scanner and a 3.5mm audio jack.

OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite

OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite also features a 5G, dual SIM, 4G LTE, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS, and a USB Type-C port. It runs on Android 12-based OxygenOS 12.1 out of the box. OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite has a side-mounted fingerprint scanner and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

OnePlus Nord CE 2 vs OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite: verdict

OnePlus Nord CE 2, although older than the OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite, offers better performance, camera, and faster-charging speed than the OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite. If you’re on a budget, go for the OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite because it has a bigger battery than OnePlus Nord CE 2. It’ll serve you well in day-to-day activities like scrolling social media or playing casual games.