OnePlus Nord CE3 hands-on review

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Introduction

The Nord CE3 is the third and possibly the last Nord phone from OnePlus for 2023. Following the Nord 3 and the Nord CE 3 Lite, the Nord CE3 sits right between the two, marrying some aspects from each of them and choosing to potentially be the best value option.

The Nord CE3 sits closer to the Nord 3 than the CE 3 Lite. It features the same camera system along with battery and charging system as the more expensive model. Even the dimensions are mostly similar. The display is also AMOLED and not LCD, although not quite the same resolution. However, like the Lite model, the Nord CE3 has a plastic body and, frustratingly, lacks the alert slider.

The biggest differentiating factor between the three phones is the chipset. The Nord CE3 makes do with a Snapdragon 785G, not quite as powerful as Dimensity 9000 on the Nord 3 but a step up from the Snapdragon 695 on the Lite.

Priced roughly in the middle of the two other Nord phones, the Nord CE3 could potentially be the pick of the litter. Let’s see how it performs.

OnePlus Nord CE3 specs at a glance:

Body: 162.7×75.5×8.2mm, 184g; plastic frame; plastic back panel.
Display: 6.70″ Fluid AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1080x2412px resolution, 20.1:9 aspect ratio, 394ppi.
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 782G (6 nm): Octa-core (1×2.7 GHz Cortex-A78 & 3×2.4 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4×1.8 GHz Cortex-A55); Adreno 642L.
Memory: 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM; UFS 3.1; microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot).
OS/Software: Android 13, OxygenOS 13.1.
Rear camera: Wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.8, 24mm, 1/1.56″, 1.0µm, multi-directional PDAF, OIS; Ultra wide angle: 8 MP, f/2.2, 112˚, 1/4″, 1.12µm; Macro: 2 MP, f/2.4.
Front camera: 16 MP, f/2.4, 24mm (wide), 1.0µm.
Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS; Front camera: 1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS.
Battery: 5000mAh; 80W wired, 1-61% in 15 min (advertised).
Connectivity: 5G; Hybrid Dual SIM; Wi-Fi 6; BT 5.2, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive; NFC; Infrared port.
Misc: Fingerprint reader (under display, optical); stereo speakers.

Unboxing

The Nord CE3 has the standard OnePlus Nord black packaging that distinguishes it from the red boxes of regular OnePlus phones.

Inside, you will find the 80W SUPERVOOC fast charger with a compatible red charging cable that also supports USB 2.0 data transfer speeds. Also in the box is a matching blue silicone case and some Nord stickers.