So, last year, the Nord CE 2 Lite was the highest-selling phone under Rs 20K. Now, we’ve got its successor, the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G, and honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if this phone becomes the highest-selling one in the same range this year too. There are a lot of great things about it, but there are a few things I was hoping to see that didn’t make the cut. Let’s break it all down—unboxing, first impressions, design, performance, camera, and everything else you need to know.
Table of Contents
OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G Review:
Unboxing: What’s Inside the Box?
Let’s start with the unboxing! The box itself is a little different from the usual OnePlus boxes. It’s blue with “Nord Nord Nord” written on it, and no, it’s not the red box you typically get with OnePlus flagships. Open it up, and you’ll find the usual documentation—stickers, sim card tool, safety guide, membership card, and a quick guide. We’ve also got a phone case, which is nice to have, especially if you like keeping your phone safe.
Oh, and there’s the charger. It’s an 80W adapter, even though the phone supports 67W charging. But still, 67W charging is pretty fast for a phone under Rs 20K! You also get the USB Type-A to Type-C cable with a little touch of red, which is a nice detail.
Design: Feels Premium but Plastic
Now, let’s talk about the design. The OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G comes in two colors—Pastel Lime and Chromatic Grey. The color options are super flashy and make the phone look premium. Honestly, it doesn’t feel like a budget phone at all, even though the back is made of plastic. It has a glossy finish that looks like glass, and the plastic frame gives it a sleek look.
The phone is flat-sided, which makes it feel secure in your hand. It’s got a power button on the right side, which also works as the fingerprint sensor. On the left, you’ve got the volume rocker and a hybrid SIM card tray (you can use either two SIM cards or one SIM card and one SD card). No alert slider this time, though—sadly, that’s missing.
The phone weighs about 198g, and surprisingly, it doesn’t feel that heavy in the hand. The weight distribution is pretty good, so it’s not a hassle to carry around all day.
Display: IPS LCD but Still Decent
The OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G features a 6.72-inch IPS LCD display with a 120Hz refresh rate. You get a 240Hz touch sampling rate, and the brightness goes up to 680 nits, which is pretty decent. The display looks sharp, and while I’d have loved to see an AMOLED panel at this price, the IPS LCD still does a good job.
The bezels are smaller than average, and the chin is not too big either. So, watching content and playing games on this screen is quite enjoyable, though it’s not the most vibrant display out there. But for a phone under Rs 20K, it’s more than good enough.
Performance: Snapdragon 695 is No Slouch
Under the hood, the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 SoC. You get either 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage or 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. The performance of this chip is pretty solid, especially for this price range.
We ran a few benchmark tests, and the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite scored an impressive 4.20L on AnTuTu. When it comes to gaming, this phone handles titles like Apex Legends and COD Mobile on the highest settings with ease. I was surprised to see how cool the phone stayed during extended gaming sessions—it didn’t heat up much, which is always a good thing.
Camera: A Solid 108MP Primary Sensor
Now, let’s talk about the camera. The OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G has a triple-camera setup, but here’s the catch: no ultra-wide sensor. You’ve got a 108MP primary sensor, a 2MP macro lens, and a 2MP depth sensor. Personally, I was hoping for an ultra-wide lens, but the 108MP sensor still does a great job, capturing sharp, natural-looking photos with good dynamic range.
For videography, you’re stuck with 1080p at 30fps, as the Snapdragon 695 doesn’t support 4K recording. It’s a bummer, but the camera quality is still solid, especially for daily use.
The 16MP front camera takes decent selfies, and you can also shoot videos using both the front and rear cameras at the same time, which is a fun feature for those who like creating content.
Battery and Charging: 5000mAh and 67W Fast Charging
The OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G comes with a 5000mAh battery, which easily lasts you a full day, even with heavy use. Plus, with 67W fast charging, you can juice it up from 0 to 80% in just around 30 minutes. That’s pretty fast for a phone in this price range, and it’s definitely one of the better charging speeds you’ll find under Rs 20K.
Software: OxygenOS 13.1, Clean and Bloat-Free
OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G runs on OxygenOS 13.1, based on Android 13. The software is pretty clean and doesn’t come with a lot of bloatware, though it does come with one app called “Hot Games” that you can’t remove during the initial setup. You’ll need to go into the settings later to deactivate it, which is a bit annoying. But other than that, it’s a smooth experience.
In terms of updates, we’re expecting 2-3 years of security updates, though we don’t have full clarity from OnePlus on that just yet.
Connectivity and Audio: Dual Stereo Speakers, 5G Support
The OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G has all the necessary connectivity features: dual 4G VoLTE, WiFi calling, 5G support (with 13 bands), dual-band WiFi, and Bluetooth 5.1. For audio, you get dual stereo speakers, which is a nice touch. The sound quality is decent, and while it’s not the best out there, you’ll still enjoy watching videos and playing games with decent audio.
Final Thoughts: A Strong Budget Option
Overall, the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G is a great budget phone with a lot going for it. The design is premium, the performance is solid, and the 108MP camera, while not perfect, takes some great shots. The lack of an ultra-wide camera and AMOLED display might be a downside for some, but for its price, the phone delivers excellent value.
If you’re looking for a phone under Rs 20K with good performance, a decent camera, and fast charging, the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G should definitely be on your radar. I wouldn’t be surprised if it becomes one of the top-selling phones this year.
Also Read :
- OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G – Full phone specifications
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