The OnePlus Nord 5's Marble Design Is My Favorite Thing About This Phone

CNET

08-07-2025

It's a little shallow that my favorite thing about the OnePlus Nord 5 -- and its cheaper sibling the Nord CE5 -- is the design on the back of the phone. But in a world where most budget-focused phones are identical gray slabs, it's refreshing to see something a bit different.
The back of the Nord 5 has an unusual design that looks like marble. I don't know how OnePlus has done it, but the way that the material catches the light makes it look deeply three dimensional. Running your finger across it however will prove that it is actually flat. The CE5 doesn't look as 'deep' but it includes hues of purple and a hint of green that gives it a pearlescent look that's different, but no less attractive to look at.
The marble-like appearance looks great in person -- the light refracts through the 'waves' in a way that makes it look genuinely three dimensional.
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It makes the phones look more premium than their prices would suggest. Starting at £299 in the UK the Nord CE5 is the cheaper of the two although the £399 Nord 5 doesn't exactly break the bank either. Both phones are up for preorder this week, and while neither will be officially available to buy in the US, those prices convert to $407 and $543, respectively.
Beyond the fancy aesthetics, the Nord 5 packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8S Gen 3 processor which should be more than powerful enough for all your everyday needs. The phone also includes a large 6.83-inch display and a 5,200mAh battery with a fast 80W charging speed.
It doesn't come across that easily in photographs, but the Nord CE 5's back has a more pearlescent finish which looks very pretty.
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The Nord CE5 uses a lower-end MediaTek Dimensity 8350 Apex chip, which should still be sufficient for most tasks. The CE5 has a slightly smaller 6.77-inch display and despite its lower price it too boasts a 5,200mAh battery with 80W fast charging. OnePlus says that both phones will receive four years of software updates and six years of security updates.
The Nord 5 and the Nord CE5. Both classy. Both cheap.
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For the price it's not a bad lineup of specs for either phone and I'm looking forward to seeing how they perform in everyday use. But if nothing else, it's certainly refreshing to see some fun design choices in the budget end of phones.