OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G

The new OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite may seem modest based on megapixels compared to its predecessor as it now features a 50MP primary camera instead of a 108MP sensor. However, the former gets an upgraded Sony LYT-600 sensor, which also features in Nord CE4. The rear camera system also includes a 2MP camera for improved portraits, and there's no macro mode anymore. The front gets a 16MP camera. This also means the phone lacks an ultra-wide camera.DaylightIn most cases, the Nord CE4 Lite applies a warm layer over its photos and as a result, you will notice images with high saturation, whether in daylight, low light, or for selfies. The camera system also plays around with shadows for a more dramatic approach. As a result, some details get comprised due to prominent shadows, and the dynamic range can be off. The sharpness can be inconsistent despite having OIS (optical image stabilisation).In short, the camera performance of the Nord CE4 Lite is average, though it fares well against its competitors. For instance, if you look at the image below, the result with Nord CE4 Lite will appear more natural. The phone also detected the correct shade of the sky and the textures of the buildings and leaves on the tree. Compared to Realme P1, the colours may appear slightly unnatural, but the phone does a decent job with sharpness and a balanced dynamic range.The new sensor also captures more light, and you can see an evident difference in the photos with Nord CE4 Lite and Nord CE3 Lite.Low lightThe 50MP primary camera performs seemingly well in dim-light conditions, though it struggles massively in poor lighting conditions. The phone tends to oversoften details, and as a result, the image loses sharp elements. The colours also get distorted in the process. You can see a significant difference in the shot with iQOO Z9. The iQOO smartphone by default increases exposure time to capture more light. It performs even better with night mode enabled.SelfiesAs mentioned, the Nord CE4 Lite can apply a warm layer on its selfies. I am mostly happy with the front camera results, as the Nord smartphone does not blemish the skin for a flawless look. I am aware that some users prefer this treatment, though I'd like it done in post-editing if it comes to that. The front camera in portrait mode does a brilliant job with edge detection. In fact, in my test, the Nord CE4 Lite offered the most natural bokeh compared to the Nord CE3 Lite, iQOO Z9, and Realme P1.At the same time, the Nord CE4 Lite struggles to detect accurate skin tones. The Realme P1, on the other, hand does surprisingly well.VideoVideo recording maxes out at 1080p at 30fps for both front and back cameras. In that case, 4K recording could've given it an edge. Compared to Nord CE3 Lite, the difference in stability is evident. However, most smartphones in this range have a way to go for videos - be it colour science or stability.

As mentioned, the Nord CE4 Lite utilises the same Snapdragon 695 SoC powering last year's OnePlus Nord CE3 Lite. Even the storage configuration remains the same. The base variant with 8GB RAM (LPDDR4X) costs Rs 19,999. The top variant with 258GBGB, which I am also reviewing, costs Rs 22,999 - Rs 1,000 more than the Nord CE3 Lite's original price for the same configuration.Naturally, there aren't big leaps in performance because of the same processor onboard. In our AnTuTu and Geekbench benchmarks, both smartphones attain similar scores. Notably, the Nord CE3 Lite achieved marginally higher scores in Geekbench. The Nord CE4 Lite exhibited better CPU stability in the throttle test via the Burnout app (images below).

Apart from the new display panel and primary camera sensor, Nord CEC4 Lite's biggest focus is the battery backup with the 5,500mAh. Moreover, the charging speed is also increased to 80W (charger and cable in the box).