OnePlus has just lifted the lid on the Nord CE 3 Lite, the company’s latest budget smartphone with a plethora of new additions when compared to its predecessor.
This year is already shaping up to be a fantastic time for budget mobile phone lovers, with a multitude of cheap handsets hitting the market including the Samsung Galaxy A34 5G and Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro 5G. The OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite is the latest to add to that growing list, boasting key specs including a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G chipset and a large 6.72-inch display.
Pre-orders for the handset start today with release set for 20th April, and it starts at just £299.
With all that in mind, we wanted to take a closer look at how the latest OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite stacks up against its predecessor, the OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite. Here are a few key differences between the two smartphones to help you decide which is best for your needs.
The Nord CE 3 Lite supports faster SuperVOOC charging
Both handsets come with a large 5,000mAh battery which should provide a lot of power during day-to-day use. However, we noted that the Nord CE 2 Lite had a large capacity but surprisingly underwhelming endurance, with the battery dropping 10-15% while on standby overnight.
Thanks to the SuperVOOC fast charging support, it was able to hit 50% charge in 32 minutes and 100% in 72 minutes.
We can’t attest to the endurance of the Nord CE 3 Lite, however, the 67W SuperVOOC charging should make it a lot easier to charge up on the go. OnePlus claims that it can go from 0% to 80% in just 30 minutes and a full 100% in 41 minutes, making it a lot more alluring than the last-generation Nord CE Lite.
108-megapixel camera on the Nord CE 3 Lite
The Nord CE 3 Lite packs an impressive-looking camera array, notably the 108MP main camera. There is also a 2MP macro lens and 2MP depth-assist camera. The company claims that the latter can help the depth of field for life-like clarity, with electronic image stabilisation (EIS) adding extra detail in low-light shots.
The Nord CE 2 Lite comes with a 64-megapixel main camera, 2MP depth-assist sensor and a 2MP macro lens. We thought that the main sensor is where most of the photographic merits rest, with images coming out sharp and clear but without the detail and dynamic range you can find on some other camera phones. Since we found that the 2MP depth-assist and macro lenses offer a lot less quality, users may find that the Norc CE 3 Lite has a similar issue, since it sports the same secondary lenses.
Different colourways on the Nord CE 3 Lite
The latest Nord CE 3 Lite comes in two colourways, Pastel Lime and Chromatic Grey. The latter is bright and eye-catching, while the former may be better suited for professionals or those who prefer a neutral design.
The Nord CE 2 Lite can be found in Black Dusk or Blue Tide. The Blue Tide option is more vibrant, with the Black Dusk option being a lot more subtle. We noted in our review that this handset is not particularly flashy, with a matte finish and minimalistic design. It looks like its successor has followed this trend, making this one of the safer handsets to go for in terms of design.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
