The OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite is a new mid-range smartphone from the brand in India, succeeding the Nord CE 2 Lite from last year. It is priced at Rs 19,999 for the base model and competes with the Realme 10 Pro, which was released earlier this year. Interestingly, both phones have similar specs and are from the same parent company. In this article, we will be comparing the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite and the Realme 10 Pro to see which is a better value-for-money offering.
OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite vs Realme 10 Pro: price
The OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite is available in India in two models, the 8GB + 128GB variant, and the 8GB + 256GB model. The former costs Rs 19,999, while the latter is priced at Rs 21,999. Furthermore, during the first sale, the company is offering a discount of Rs 1,000 for ICICI bank cardholders.
On the other hand, the Realme 10 Pro comes with 128GB storage and is available in two versions with different RAM capacities. The entry-level model has 6GB RAM and costs Rs 18,999, while the 8GB RAM variant is priced at Rs 19,999. Therefore, the Realme 10 Pro offers a single storage configuration and two RAM options, while the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite has two storage options with the same RAM size.
OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite vs Realme 10 Pro: design, display, performance, and camera
Design
The design of the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite (review) and the Realme 10 Pro are virtually identical. Rather than having a camera island on the back, these phones feature two standard circular camera modules along with an LED flash. Both devices have a plastic build with a flat frame, which has become increasingly common to reduce costs.
Regarding button placement, the volume sliders and the power button, which also serves as a fingerprint sensor, can be found on the right side of the phones. The left side is unoccupied as the speaker unit, SIM tray, USB Type-C port, and microphone are situated at the bottom of the devices. Overall, these phones share a similar design language, including circular camera modules and a flat frame, with button and port placements that are also consistent across both devices.
Display
As both phones are essentially rebrands of each other, they feature identical displays. They both have a 6.72-inch IPS LCD screen with a Full HD+ resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, a 240Hz touch sampling rate, and a punch-hole cutout for the front camera. Additionally, the displays have up to 700nits peak brightness and Corning Gorilla Glass protection, with minimal bezels on the top and sides. However, the bottom area has a relatively large chin.
One downside of these displays is that they do not support HDR, and they are restricted to playing HD content on most popular OTT platforms, which is disappointing. Nevertheless, the colour reproduction on both displays is above average, and settings are available within the operating system to adjust the colours to your preference.
Processor, RAM, and storage
The OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite and the Realme 10 Pro (review) are both equipped with the mid-range Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 SoC, which was introduced in late 2021 and is used in numerous other devices. This chip is known for its power-saving feature, which is achieved through a 6nm manufacturing process and is paired with UFS 2.2 internal storage with LPDDR4X RAM. The OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite is available in two versions: 8GB RAM with 128GB ROM and 8GB RAM with 256GB ROM. In comparison, the Realme 10 Pro is available in a 6GB RAM with 128GB ROM model and an 8GB RAM with 128GB ROM option.
Regarding the operating system, the new OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite comes with pre-installed Android 13 and the company’s OxygenOS 13 user interface. Conversely, the Realme 10 Pro has pre-installed Android 13 and a realme UI 4 skin on top. Both phones are set to receive two future Android version updates and three years of security updates. Overall, these phones are similar in terms of processor, storage, and operating system, with minor differences in RAM and ROM.
Camera
The back of the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite has three cameras, including a 108MP Samsung HM6 primary sensor, along with a 2MP depth sensor and a 2MP macro lens. There is also a 16MP front-facing camera for selfies and video calls.
On the other hand, the Realme 10 Pro features a dual-camera setup on the back, consisting of the main Samsung HM6 108MP sensor, a 2MP secondary sensor, and a dual-LED flash. The front has a 16MP camera for selfies and video chats.
Despite the identical camera setup, the two phones have a similar performance. They lack support for optical image stabilization (OIS), which is becoming more common in phones priced below Rs 20,000.
Battery
The OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite and the Realme 10 Pro are equipped with a 5,000mAh battery, but there is a difference in their charging capabilities. The Realme 10 Pro has 33W fast charging support, while the Nord CE 3 Lite boasts the company’s own 67W fast charging technology, which can charge the phone quickly from zero to full in just a few minutes. Both companies include chargers in the retail package, which is a positive feature, especially since some brands, such as Samsung, have stopped providing wall chargers.
Verdict
Although OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite and the Realme 10 Pro are extremely close when it comes to specifications, the OnePlus offering edges out the Realme phone with its additional camera sensor and faster charging speeds. Whether you prefer OxygenOS over the realme UI or not would come down to individual preference so that’s one of the key factors that you need to consider before making up your mind for either of these handsets. Having said that, you can’t go wrong with either of these phones as they both offer good value for money.
