OnePlus Nord 2 5G vs OnePlus Nord CE 5G: Which one is for you?

Finally, here comes the successor of the OnePlus Nord — the OnePlus Nord 2 5G. Just recently, the brand also brought the OnePlus Nord CE 5G. With the arrival of these latest OnePlus smartphones in the Philippines, you might be wondering which one you must get considering their specs and price tags. So to help you with that, let’s pin both phones against each other in a specs comparison.

Summary of advantages

OnePlus Nord 2 5G:
• Flagship processor (MediaTek Dimensity 1200-AI)
• 32MP front camera
• UFS 3.1
• Bluetooth 5.2
• 65W fast charging

OnePlus Nord CE 5G:
• 64MP main shooter
• 3.5mm audio jack
• More affordable

Display

Both smartphones sport a 6.43-inch FHD+ (2040 x 1800) Fluid AMOLED display with a 2400 x 1080px resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, and 410PPI. With this, you can expect the same immersive viewing experience on both devices with rich colors and deep blacks. Both also offer a 90Hz refresh rate for some smooth animations and transitions.

CPU and GPU

The OnePlus Nord 2 5G is equipped with a flagship MediaTek Dimensity 1200-AI chipset paired with ARM G77 MC9 GPU. According to OnePlus, they have partnered with MediaTek to bring the MediaTek Dimensity 1200-AI chipset to the Nord 2 5G. Hence, it boasts a developed Dimensity 1200 with new AI capabilities, including AI-assisted photography, display enhancements to user experience, better response times in gaming, and the like.

On the flip side, the Nord CE 5G comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G 5G CPU paired with Adreno 619 GPU.

Looking at their Kimovil’s AnTuTu scores, the OnePlus Nord 2 5G outperforms its cousin at 624,572, as the Nord CE 5G scores 385,000. However, keep in mind that we can only determine the extent of their performance and thermals once we have both units for review.

RAM and Storage

The OnePlus Nord 2 5G and Nord CE 5G are available in two confi gurations: 8GB + 128GB and 12GB + 256GB.

Both smartphones offer up to 12GB LPDDR4X RAM. Meanwhile, the OnePlus Nord 2 5G’s storage sports an updated UFS 3.1 over the Nord CE 5G’s 2.1, which offers two times the data rate, giving faster read and write speeds for your smartphone.

Cameras

The smartphones come with triple rear cameras. The OnePlus Nord CE 5G is equipped with a stronger main camera at 64MP than the Nord 2 5G’s 50MP main shooter. Completing their set of cameras are the same 8MP ultra-wide and 2MP mono lens.

Upfront, the Nord 2 5G does sport a higher selfie shooter at 32MP, while the OnePlus Nord CE 5G sits at 16MP. However, take note that these numbers don’t always equate to quality. We will be providing proof of which camera is better once we test both units for comparison.

Battery

Both OnePlus Nord 2 5G and Nord CE 5G are equipped with a 4,500mAh battery. Nonetheless, the Nord 2 5G comes with a higher 65W Warp Charge support than Nord CE 5G’s 30W. This means you can expect that the Nord 2 5G can replenish its juice twice faster than the Nord CE 5G.

Connectivity & Other Features

As for connectivity, the two are powered with the same specs, such as 5G connectivity, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, and dual-SIM.

However, the OnePlus Nord 2 5G has more advanced Bluetooth 5.2 than the Nord CE 5G’s Bluetooth 5.1. Even if the difference between the two Bluetooth versions is not that huge, with Bluetooth 5.2, larger amounts of information can finally be transmitted over lower bandwidth and at lower power.

For security, both sport in-display fingerprint scanners.

Furthermore, audio is another edge of the OnePlus Nord 2 5G as it is equipped with dual stereo speakers. Meanwhile, the 3.5mm audio jack is what’s missing on the Nord 2 5G. There’s no problem with this, though, if you prefer using wireless audio peripherals.

Price

The OnePlus Nord 2 5G is priced at PHP 21,990USD 375INR 31,767EUR 357CNY 2,729 for the 8GB + 128GB, and PHP 25,990USD 443INR 37,545EUR 422CNY 3,225 for the 12GB + 256GB.

On the other hand, the OnePlus Nord CE 5G comes more affordable at PHP 16,990USD 290INR 24,544EUR 276CNY 2,108 for the 8GB + 128GB, and PHP 19,990USD 341INR 28,878EUR 324CNY 2,481 for the 12GB + 256GB.

Which one to get?

As we pin them side-by-side, we noticed that the two smartphones have lots of similarities. However, choosing the OnePlus Nord 2 5G gives you the advantage of having a powerful Flagship performance with the customized MediaTek Dimensity 1200-AI. It also offers a 32MP front camera for better selfies and a 65W Warp Charge for faster charging.

But, if you opt for a more affordable one and don’t mind missing the said Nord 2 5G’s advantages, go get the OnePlus Nord CE 5G instead. Saving you PHP 5K-6K, the Nord CE 5G still gives you a higher resolution 64MP main camera for phone photography and a 3.5mm audio jack for your wired audio devices.

So what do you think? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.