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The company OnePlus used to focus on only two devices per year until 2020. Then, they launched the mid-range OnePlus Nord, followed by a bunch of other mid-segment devices in 2021 and 2022.
The OnePlus Nord CE 2 was released in 2022 and mostly remained similar in specifications to Realme’s 9 Pro Plus. It swapped out the IMX766 on the 9 Pro Plus with a more standard and smaller 64MP primary camera without OIS.
However, the OnePlus Nord CE 3 does not look like it’s a successor to the Nord CE 2. OnePlus released the Nord CE 2 Lite in 2022, a rebadged version of the Realme 9 Pro.
This time, the “Lite” moniker is being dropped, and the successor to the Nord CE 2 Lite will be the Nord CE 3. The Realme 10 Pro came out this year already, and the only significant change from the previous 9 Pro was the design on the front.
The Realme 9 Pro had underwhelming specifications at the time. Primary complaints rested on the fact that it shipped with a not-very-good LCD panel, as opposed to the OLED panels others imported at the price range.
The 10 Pro has a design shift, with skinny bezels and a narrow chin for the price with a new flashy design. However, the rest of the specifications remain identical to the Realme 9 Pro, and there’s one downgrade too.
The Realme 10 Pro drops the 8MP Ultra Wide Angle camera on the 9 Pro and ships with a useless 2MP depth sensor. No Macro either.
The Nord CE 3 is supposedly a rebadged Realme 10 Pro, which runs OxygenOS and has no annoying advertisements or bloatware. This article will explore everything you need to know about Nord CE 3.
OnePlus Nord CE 3 Expected Specifications
Display
- The phone is said to have a 6.72″ 120Hz 1080P IPS LCD Display.
The screen on the Nord CE 3 is easily one of the most disappointing aspects of the product. It uses LCD tech, which isn’t bad, but clearly behind the competition. LCD panels have lower contrast ratios, worse blacks, and worse viewing angles. They don’t get as bright on smartphones.
The panel is expected to feature a 120Hz high refresh rate, which is good. The size is mostly 6.72″, the same as the Realme 10 Pro. The resolution is decent at 1080P, but compromises have been made here.
The screens on competing phones like the Moto G52, G72, and Redmi Note 12 are much better than the screen OnePlus offers in this sub-20,000 INR segment.
Cameras
- The Nord CE 3 may have a 108MP primary sensor with 2MP depth/ macro cameras.
Since the Realme 10 Pro has no ultra-wide angle lens, the OnePlus Nord CE 3 will not feature it either. The phone will have a 24mm 1/1.67″ 108MP primary sensor, which is not the best in the price range and has no OIS.
Instead of an ultra-wide, the Nord CE 3 might have two useless 2MP Depth and 2MP Marco cameras. Some rumors point to the phone having only a 2MP Depth sensor, but it’s still equally annoying that there’s no Ultra Wide.
The Realme 10 Pro has a 25mm 16MP front camera, so we expect the same one for the Nord CE 3. It maxes out at 1080P video recording at 30FPS.
The Nord CE 3 is not for people who want the best camera setup in the price range. Other Moto or Redmi phones will do this better. The Realme Narzo 50 Pro periodically drops to the 17K mark during sales, which has a better overall camera system.
Performance
- The Nord CE 3 will likely have the Snapdragon 695 5G Chipset.
The Snapdragon 695 is built on an efficient 6nm node, and the performance is slightly worse than the Mediatek Dimensity 920. It’s not the best performer at a price. The Redmi K50i occasionally drops to under 20,000 and obliterates it with the Dimensity 8100 SOC.
Realme’s 9 SE with the 778G also beats the 695 in performance. Gamers can look past this phone since they can find much better options in the smartphone market. The Nord CE 3’s apparent 695 SOC has a lot of problems.
The ISP is not very capable, and the photos don’t look great. It tops out at 1080P video recording and is incapable of 4K. The chip has no heating problems and is good with battery, but it’s not for a performance-centric crowd or a camera-centric crowd.
Design
Since the phone takes design cues from the Realme 10 Pro, it has slightly slimmer borders. Live images for Nord CE 3 and CAD renders have already surfaced online.
The phone has a center punch hole with a slightly thick chin but slimmer side bezels with a boxy design with flat sides. There are two camera rings on the back, with the primary sensor at the top and the rest at the bottom. There’s a 3.5mm headphone jack too.
The codename of this device is “Larry,” and it’s currently under testing and is also undergoing the necessary certifications to launch in the Indian market.
Miscellaneous
The phone is said to have a side-mounted fingerprint scanner since LCD panels cannot do under-display technology, and the development has seen no progress in recent years. The 8GB RAM variant is said to have 128GB of storage, and the 12GB model will have 256 GB.
The battery capacity is 5000 mAh, and the phone can reportedly charge with 67W fast charging. The Nord CE 3 will also have a stereo speaker setup.
The approach OnePlus is taking with this phone looks very obvious. Since Realme undercuts OnePlus, the positioning of this product is to make people buy the higher-priced model. However, some changes would have made this a fantastic offering.
Instead of a 120Hz IPS panel, a basic 90hz AMOLED with 700 Nits isn’t very expensive to make. The same panel as the Narzo 50 Pro would have worked wonders. The 695 SOC would have been excusable if the phone had an AMOLED panel.
Furthermore, adding an 8MP basic ultra wide angle lens is what would have made this a balanced offering. Pricing it higher than the 10 Pro with no meaningful changes does not make this an easy product to recommend under the 20,000 price point.
OnePlus Nord CE 3 Release Prediction
- OnePlus Nord CE 3 could be released in April 2023.
There are currently no credible rumors about the release date. Analysts predict a July launch in the middle of the year or a launch on February 7th along with the flagship OnePlus 11.
OnePlus Nord CE 3 Price Prediction
- The OnePlus Nord CE 3 pricing may be between 19,000 and 21,000 INR.
While there is no official price information yet, we can expect a similar price to the Realme 10 Pro. The pricing will be at least 18,999 with introductory offers or card discounts.
Since OnePlus offerings don’t have advertisements or bloatware bringing prices down, the phone might shoot up to 19,999 or 20,999.
Note: This live article will update the latest news about the OnePlus Nord CE 3.
