The Android smartphone mid-range segment has become really competitive as of late, with all major manufacturers trying to outdo each other with compelling devices. The OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G we're reviewing today is no exception, sitting at the RM1099 price point as an "entry-level" mid-ranger.
Packing a fresh design and a rather quirky camera setup, how does it fare in this crowded market segment? More importantly, how does it perform in the real world and is this the device for you? Well, continue reading to find out!
Design - Simple, modern and fun
In terms of design, the Nord CE 3 Lite 5G is a divergence from its predecessor and other recent OnePlus smartphones. The most notable difference is its flat, boxy design and the lack of a separate camera module from the rest of the body.
Instead, the rear cameras are housed inside two protruding camera rings. As an entry-level mid-ranger, it's made out of plastic, though the coating at its rear is glass-like and glossy.
The rear design of the Nord CE 3 Lite 5G
A closer look at the dual camera rings
How the rear looks like with the transparent silicone casing on
We're huge fans of our review unit's Pastel Lime colour, which stands out in the crowd. However, the glossy finish makes it quite a fingerprint magnet. There's a transparent silicone case inside the box, so you can still rock the phone with a degree of protection but still showcase the striking colour.
The design reminds us a lot of the ASUS Zenfone 9, though quite a bit bigger, as the Nord CE 3 Lite 5G has a 6.72-inch IPS LCD display. We also like the boxy shape, which makes it feel modern. And having a flat display is always welcomed for minimal accidental touches and easier screen protector fitting. One thing we weren't too fond of was the placement of the cameras inside the dual rings, as it felt like the two secondary sensors of the triple-camera setup were arranged awkwardly inside the bottom ring.
Moving on, the power button located on the right side doubles as the fingerprint scanner. On the left side, you'll find the volume rocker and the dual SIM plus microSD hybrid slot. At the bottom, there's a USB-C port for charging and data transfer, a grille for one of the device's stereo speakers, a 3.5mm audio jack and a mic. There's nothing at the top except for another mic.
The punch-hole display with relatively thin bezels all around
Right: Power button with the fingerprint scanner embedded
Left: The volume rocker, dual SIM and microSD hybrid slot
Bottom: The USB-C port, speaker grille, 3.5mm audio jack, and mic
Top: Another mic
As for the front, the phone packs a 6.72-inch IPS LCD display with relatively thin bezels, except for the slightly thicker bottom one. This screen also has a punch-hole for the selfie camera in the top left corner.
Overall, we find the design modern and minimalistic, with the Pastel Lime colour a definite recommendation over the Chromatic Grey. One thing missing is OnePlus' iconic alert slider, which is a bummer but understandable to keep the price point low.
Tech specs & features - A pretty standard mid-range device
Under the hood, the Nord CE 3 Lite 5G shares a lot of similarities with its predecessor, though there are some key differences. Check out the full specs and features of the smartphone below:
- 6.72-inch Full HD+ (1080 x 2400 pixels) IPS LCD display, 120Hz refresh rate, 240Hz touch sampling rate, 87.1% screen-to-body-ratio, 550 nits (HBM), 680 nits (peak)
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G chipset
- 8GB of LPDDR4x RAM
- 256GB of USF2.2 storage
- 108MP main + 2MP depth + 2MP macro triple-camera setup
- 16MP selfie camera
- 5000mAh battery
- 67W SUPERVOOC Endurance Edition charging
- Android 13 OS via OxygenOS 13.1
- Bluetooth 5.1, supports A2DP, LE & aptX HD
- 5G connectivity
- Side-mounted fingerprint scanner (embedded in the power button)
- Stereo speakers, 3.5mm audio jack
- Dual SIM and microSD hybrid slot
- Colours - Pastel Lime and Chromatic Grey
The OS specs for the Nord CE 3 Lite 5G
The Nord CE 3 Lite 5G sports an IPS LCD panel, which isn't as vibrant or yields blacks as deep as an AMOLED panel. However, it's still adequate for consuming content and playing games. For the latter, the 120Hz refresh rate and 240Hz touch sampling rate make a world of difference.
In addition, the high refresh rate makes the Nord CE 3 Lite 5G feel snappy and responsive. But one minor complaint is the mediocre max brightness of 550 nits and the 680 nits peak brightness, which struggles a bit in direct sunlight.
Using the screen in direct sunlight
The 120Hz IPS LCD screen is good enough to consume content and play game with
In terms of OS, the device runs on Android 13-based OxygenOS 13.1, which is the closest you'd get to stock Android at this price range. The OxygenOS UI is very intuitive and has a clean design, with various special features and customisations that enhance the user experience without feeling too cluttered.
The special features include RAM expansion of up to 8GB, quick launch, split screen and more. Furthermore, longevity should not be an issue with OnePlus' track record of consistent OS and security updates for its devices.
The OxygenOS 13.1 UI on the device
Some of the special features and settings on the device
Moving toward the biometric lock/unlock, the fingerprint scanner on the power button is super fast and works really well. There's also an option for face unlocking using the selfie camera, which works fine except in pitch-dark environments.
Compared to other mid-rangers, OnePlus brings something different with this device for photography. Essentially, there's only one competent camera - a large 108MP sensor with a nifty 3x Lossless Zoom feature. The camera features available on the device include AI, Pro, Extra HD, Portrait, Night, Panorama, Slow Motion, Time Lapse, Dual-View Video and more. We'll be diving deeper into the camera performance further down this review.
The camera modes, features and UI
Performance - Adequate for daily tasks and light gaming
Next, let's dive deeper into the Nord CE 3 Lite 5G's performance. Accordingly, here are the results generated from the Geekbench 5 and 3DMark benchmark tests for the device:
Geekbench 5 comparison with popular devices
3DMark Wild Life benchmark result comparison
Under the hood, the smartphone is powered by the tried-and-tested Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G SoC found in its predecessor and other mid-range devices. While it's more than 2 years old now, the processor is still a capable SoC that breezes through daily tasks such as scrolling social media feeds and browsing the web.
Furthermore, the Nord CE 3 Lite 5G has enough RAM to ensure a smooth experience, especially when you turn on the virtual RAM expansion feature. Paired with the excellent 120Hz display, we have no complaints about the smartphone's user experience.
Of course, don't expect flagship-level speeds for gaming, as this is just an entry-level mid-range device. That being said, the phone is more than capable of running popular mobile game titles such as PUBG Mobile and Mobile Legends smoothly. It's also possible to run both on high graphics settings. But we recommend lowering it to medium or low for a more enjoyable experience.
Here are some gameplay screenshots of the Nord CE 3 Lite 5G and the graphics settings that popular mobile games defaulted to on the smartphone:
PUBG Mobile gameplay and graphics settings that the game defaulted to
Genshin Impact gameplay and graphics settings that the game defaulted to
The 120Hz IPS LCD screen is complemented with stereo audio to produce above-average sound quality. It can get quite loud too, with an Ultra volume mode that plays audio at 200 per cent. However, this makes the sound quality worse.
Thankfully, like many other devices in this price range, it still has a 3.5mm audio jack for a better audio experience at low latency. This is especially important when playing mobile multiplayer games.
Moving towards battery life, the Nord CE 3 Lite 5G's 5000mAh cell has impressive endurance. It can easily last two days with normal usage and is hard to kill off, even with heavy use. With intermittent use, the battery could even last up to 4 days.
Besides that, there are several power-saving modes to prolong battery life. As for charging speeds, the 67W fast charging can fully recharge the device from 0 per cent in just under 52 minutes. Overall, battery life is one of the device's strong suit.
The battery life and one of the power-saving modes of the Nord CE 3 Lite 5G
The 67W SUPERVOOC charging can fully recharge the device in just under 52 minutes
Next up, imaging. The Nord CE 3 Lite 5G sports a triple-camera setup at its rear. But let's be real, the two 2MP secondary sensors are only there to make up the numbers. The true star has to be the 108MP main camera, which utilises a 1/1.67-inch Samsung HM6 sensor with an F/1.75 aperture.
The image quality of the main shooter is excellent in well-lit conditions, and it performs admirably in low light, especially with Night mode turned on. However, Night mode tends to oversharpen the image, making noise and artefacts more noticeable.
Night mode with the 108MP main camera
Images are sharp with great details. And given the size of the sensor, there's natural Bokeh on closed-up shots that make your photos look more cinematic. Like other smartphones with a large sensor, you can shoot at the full 108MP resolution if you want, though it does take up more storage and has a slower processing speed.
As mentioned earlier, the phone features a nifty 3x Lossless Zoom trick that works really well. At 3x digital zoom, you'd still get excellent details, and the results are indistinguishable from optical zoom most of the time!
Sample shot from the 108MP main camera
Sample shot of the 3x Lossless Zoom with the 108MP main camera
6x digital zoom (max) from the 108MP main camera
With that being said, the device lacks a telephoto and an ultra-wide lens, with the latter being a noticeable omission as it has become a necessity nowadays. Nevertheless, we'd definitely prefer one excellent camera rather than one average and two below-par sensors.
As for the 16MP selfie camera, it yields good-quality images in decent lighting. More than enough for all your selfie needs!
Sample shot from the 16MP selfie camera
Like many other mid-range devices out there, the video quality of the Nord CE 3 Lite 5G is lacklustre. It produces noisy and shaky footage due to the lack of OIS. However, this is to be expected at this price range.
Conclusion - A mid-range device that most people can 'Settle' for
For RM1099, the Nord CE 3 Lite 5G is entering a highly competitive price range. However, thanks to the OnePlus software experience and stylish design, it's definitely a stand-out choice in this market segment. With excellent battery life, a 120Hz IPS LCD display and a capable 108MP main camera, this is definitely a mid-ranger that most people would 'Settle' for.
If your budget is within this range, you can't go wrong with the Nord CE 3 Lite 5G. Alternatively, for the same price, you can get the POCO X5 5G which has the same processor but sports a 120Hz AMOLED panel. However, you miss out on stereo speakers and have to settle for a much slower 33W charging.
Another option is the realme 10 (RM999), which has comparable specs but is RM100 cheaper. With the lower price point, you do have to settle for a 90Hz AMOLED display and no 5G connectivity though.
That's all, folks! So, what do you think of this latest entry-level mid-range device by OnePlus? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below, and as always, make sure to stay tuned to TechNave for more news and reviews such as this!
COMMENTS