OnePlus Nord CE 5 review: Stunning design and a battery that refuses to die

India Today

6 hours ago

OnePlus has established itself as one of the big players in the smartphone market. While its flagship devices often make the headlines, the mainstream phones have also gained a lot of traction. It all began in 2020, when OnePlus launched its first-ever Nord, and over time, it has become a posterchild for good, affordable phones that often punch above their weight. Building on the initial success, the company introduced the Nord CE in 2021 as a more streamlined offering, further widening its reach and appeal. Fast forward to today, it has launched the fifth edition – the OnePlus Nord CE 5.
advertisementLaunched at Rs 24,999, the OnePlus Nord CE 5 features a MediaTek Dimensity 8350 Apex chip, a 50-megapixel camera, and a stunning design. It is also equipped with a big 7,100 battery, which is quite the highlight in this price segment. On paper, the Nord CE 5 seems perfect and flawless, but is it? We put the OnePlus Nord CE 5 through its paces to see how it truly performs in real-world scenarios. From design and display to battery life and camera performance, here's a detailed breakdown of its strengths and shortcomings if any.OnePlus Nord CE 5: Looks stunningThis year, OnePlus has truly raised the bar in terms of design, especially with the OnePlus Nord CE 5. It is sleek, light and sits comfortably in the hand. It's impressively slim, and easily slides into my jeans pocket, even with its case on. A big reason for this streamlined profile is the camera setup on the rear panel. Unlike several rivals in this segment that flaunt oversized camera modules, the Nord CE 5 opts for a more refined, pill-shaped camera island. This minimalist approach also means the phone remains fairly stable when placed on a flat surface, without excessive wobble.
The back panel of the Nord CE 5 has a smooth, matte finish that lends it a premium feel. I've been using the Nexus Blue variant, and it's absolutely stunning. To give you a clearer picture, the shade is quite similar to the iPhone 16's blue colour.
That said, the combination of a sleek profile and smooth back does make the device a bit slippery. Fortunately, OnePlus includes a protective case in the box, which effectively takes care of that issue.OnePlus Nord CE 5: Big and bright displayThe OnePlus Nord CE 5 features a large 6.77-inch display with a smooth 120Hz refresh rate. Throughout my review period, I used it as my daily driver and was thoroughly impressed by the display. It is bright enough to remain perfectly legible even under direct sunlight, and the vivid colours on the display make everything look more immersive. The slim bezels surrounding the display add to the overall appeal, giving it a premium look.
Whether it was the vibrant palette of Friends or the shadowy tones of Gotham City, the Nord CE 5 consistently delivered a bright, crisp, and visually rich viewing experience.
The OnePlus Nord CE 5 has a dynamic bar that shows background apps like flash, music, calls, and more.
OnePlus Nord CE 5: PerformancePowered by a MediaTek Dimensity 8350 Apex chip, the OnePlus Nord CE 5 runs on OxygenOS 15, which is based on Android 15. The phone offers a smooth and snappy performance. Whether it is scrolling Instagram for hours or WhatsApp chatting or binge-watching videos on YouTube, the Nord CE 5 powers through these tasks without breaking a sweat.
To really put it through its paces, I also ran a few benchmark tests on the device. On Geekbench, the phone clocked 1079 for single-core, and 3009 for multi-core. That's a decent score. But when tested for the 3D Mark Wild life stress test, the phone's stability score clocks 51.8 per cent, which raises a few concerns. For context, most of the smartphones in this price segment usually achieve a stability score above 95 per cent.advertisementFor simple tasks, the phone gets full marks, but there were also instances when I wanted to switch between 2-3 apps, and it ended up lagging.
The Nord CE 5 is also equipped with several AI features, including AI Search, AI Toolbox 2.0, and AI Voice Scribe. Additionally, it also borrows Google's AI Circle and Gemini Live.OnePlus Nord CE 5: BatteryI'll admit it, I'm one of those people who is constantly on their phone. Not exactly something to brag about, but I easily clock in over 7 hours of screen time daily on my phone. Using the OnePlus Nord CE 5 as my primary device during the review period brought two things into focus: first, thankfully, smartphones don't judge; and second, the Nord CE 5's battery is the real hero.
advertisementIt comes equipped with a massive 7,100mAh lithium-ion polymer battery and supports 80W SUPERVOOC fast charging. Despite my heavy day-to-day use, whether it was drafting news stories, chatting on WhatsApp, binge-watching Netflix, playing demanding games, or endlessly scrolling through Instagram, the phone handled it all with ease. On most days, it powered through 20 to 24 hours before I even thought about reaching for the charger. While the company claims that the Nord CE 5 can keep up for 2.5 days (60 hours), it might only be true for light users.To give you a real-world example, I managed to stream 5 episodes of Friends (around 2 hours) while the battery was down to 10 per cent, and it still had 2 per cent remaining by the end.And when it was time to recharge, the Nord CE 5 didn't keep me waiting. It charged from 0 to 80 per cent in just 47 minutes. Fast-charging phones often tend to heat up during this process, but the Nord CE 5 only warmed up slightly and cooled off just as quickly.advertisementOnePlus Nord CE 5: CameraThe OnePlus Nord CE 5 sports a dual rear camera setup: 50-megapixel primary camera and 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera. On the bright side, it captures colours that are fairly true to life, with bright and vivid tones that make photos visually appealing. It especially shines when it comes to landscape and scenic shots, producing images that are easily Instagram-worthy.
However, when it comes to finer details, the camera falls a bit short. Photos often lack the sharpness and crispness one might expect from a OnePlus device, with some softness creeping in—particularly in complex textures or low-light situations. While it may not satisfy hardcore photography enthusiasts, it's more than capable for everyday use and social media sharing.
That said, the portrait mode makes it up for the lack of detailing in the normal mode. It clicks crisp and detailed images, especially the rear camera. Now you must be wondering how is that possible, since both the modes use the same camera shooter, 50-megapixel in this case. While the main camera should ideally capture high-detail images, the specific settings, scene composition, and processing applied by portrait mode can result in the subject appearing sharper and more detailed in portrait mode photos than in regular photos taken with the main camera.
Coming to the front camera, the Nord CE 5 features a 16-megapixel shooter. It clicks decent selfies day-light selfies but struggles a little in low-light. Take a look at the photo samples clicked by the OnePlus Nord CE 5.OnePlus Nord CE 5: Is it worth it?At Rs 24,999, the OnePlus Nord CE 5 is definitely worth it. It sports a big 6.77-inch display, a huge 7,100mAh battery, a 50-megapixel primary camera, and a gorgeous design. While it offers a snappy performance, the Nord CE 5 lags when it comes to hardcore multitasking and graphics-intensive gaming, but it was largely expected given the price point. Having said that, for anybody who seeks an all-rounder smartphone for daily use on a budget, the Nord CE 5 comes highly recommended.- Ends