OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite review: An affordable OnePlus phone, but not the only option

In recent years, OnePlus has built a strong core in the budget segment with the Nord series, which now also has Nord CE and Nord CE Lite models on the market. The company claims that its sales numbers have been helped by the Nord range, which does not cost as much as regular OnePlus phones.

But on the Nord phone you will also see the absence of the OnePlus signature without the warning slider, but you will have the option to expand the storage. Nord CE 3 Lite is the latest addition from OnePlus. The Nord seems to be competing in a tight space, but does it have any features that set it apart from other options in this segment? We will tell you in this review.

OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite Review: What’s So Cool?

OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite has an eye-catching design thanks to the new pastel lime color. The overall quality of the phone oozes for its price range and most of you will be fine with the way the phone is held due to its lightweight dimensions. Although the back panel is made of plastic, including the body, you don’t feel cheap, and it is always well marked with the OnePlus logo, which adds to its value.

The new Nord CE Lite model gets 8GB of RAM by default, which is a clear upgrade from last year’s Nord CE 2 Lite’s 6GB of RAM. You get the 5G Snapdragon 695 chipset, which also works in the predecessor, but a little tweaking of the operating system seems to have helped its smoothness somewhat.

With this device, you can easily perform normal tasks, such as browsing the web, checking social media and playing games effortlessly. As we said, there is a microSD card slot (combined with the SIM slot) to help you with physical storage expansion, while you can actually expand the RAM using the internal storage.

The Nord CE 3 Lite gets an Android 13 based OxygenOS build that doesn’t have a lot of bloatware unlike most phones in this range. The customization options offered by OnePlus are also here with this phone and people can play around with the tools available out of the box.

The new Nord CE Lite camera has a 108 megapixel primary rear camera, which allows you to capture detailed images with balanced color inputs in most situations. The phone still has a 5,000mAh battery, but this year you get it with 67W fast charging out of the box, while an 80W charging adapter comes in the box.

The battery life should keep you happy all day, and when it runs out, just use the charger and you’re done in less than 40 minutes.

OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite Review: What’s Not So Great?

The Nord CE 3 Lite features an LCD screen that is claimed to give you a 120Hz refresh rate display. But we noticed that the highest number was hardly activated because there were no compatible apps or games. You’re often stuck at a 90Hz refresh rate (RR), which combined with the LCD panel doesn’t offer the best experience in that range. You will also notice that the colors look a little washed out, which indicates that the display is poorly calibrated.

The hardware that OnePlus uses in the Nord CE 3 Lite is average and not suitable for heavy gamers. We would have liked the company to source a new chipset, but this could increase the price. In terms of design, the Nord CE 3 Lite does not include the notification slider that OnePlus has been known for in its mobile phones. It might not be a deal breaker, but it seems to be part of OnePlus’ cost-cutting for these models.

We talked about the camera with a resolution of 108 megapixels, but the other two didn’t get a special mention because they just came up with numbers. You don’t get an ultra-wide sensor, instead you get two 2-megapixel depth sensors and a macro sensor.

OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite Review: Should You Buy?

Nord CE 3 Lite comes with some upgrades. The design looks fresh, the device gets 8GB of RAM, and there’s a new 108MP camera on the back that can take decent photos under normal conditions. The chipset is the same as before, so you won’t see significant performance improvements. The default program has less bloatware than competing programs with more customization options. The built-in battery gets a 67-watt charging support, which definitely extends the battery life. As for the shortcomings, you have an average LCD screen that barely reaches 120 RR. The device is not suitable for heavy gaming or heavy multitasking. The secondary cameras are nothing to write home about.

So where does the Nord CE 3 Lite stack up against its competitors? You get a competitive product, but it’s not the only option for buyers. You have the Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 with AMOLED display, better camera and design. The Realme 10 Pro is also worth considering for its stylish design and other features. OnePlus has clearly played it safe with the Nord CE 3 Lite, which in a way makes it one of many options for a buyer, not the only one worth buying.