The OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite is great in some areas, but compromised in others

OnePlus has been a strong performer within the mid-range and flagship smartphone markets of late.

The OnePlus 12 and OnePlus Open can maintain their very own on the prime of the market, whereas the OnePlus Nord 3 and OnePlus 12R have a lot to supply for individuals who wish to spend rather less cash.

Whereas it might be a stretch to say that the model’s extra reasonably priced telephones have let the facet down, they’ve undoubtedly underwhelmed. After a very flat exhibiting with the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G final yr, we’re intrigued to see if the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G can inject some pleasure into the sub-£300 class.

Enhancements to the show, digicam, battery, and design supply cause for hope, whereas the value has mercifully stayed precisely the identical. Does that every one add as much as a compelling bundle, although?

Design & Construct

• Barely smaller and lighter than earlier than
• Flat-edged all-plastic design
• Tremendous Silver or Mega Blue, latter impressed by Mega Man

The OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G felt like a reasonably large and heavy telephone contemplating its worth and supplies, so it’s good to see that OnePlus has shaved a couple of millimetres off in all instructions.

At 162.9 x 75.6 x 8.1mm and 191g, you’ll nonetheless realize it’s there in your pocket, nevertheless it’s not excessively chunky. The invoice of supplies nonetheless contains loads of plastic and no trace of (exterior) steel however the design has at the least gotten a bit extra distinctive.

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

This time across the again is as flat as the edges, lending a extra industrial look. The Tremendous Silver mannequin that I acquired actually leans into this, although I’ve to say that the Mega Blue different appears to be like far more attention-grabbing. OnePlus claims that the latter shade has been impressed by Capcom’s Mega Man character, which places me in thoughts of the OnePlus Nord 2 Pac-Man Version from a few years again.

One more reason to go together with the blue variant is that it guarantees a sure stage of fingerprint resistance. The mirror-like end on this silver mannequin virtually immediately donned a coat of greasy prints. The majority of the physique has a barely subtle impact, whereas an prolonged lozenge-shaped space across the digicam module is full-on reflective.

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

One noteworthy benefit over the earlier mannequin is the inclusion of an IP54 ranking, which implies it’s higher outfitted to tackle this damp squib of a summer time British persons are residing by way of on the time of writing. It nonetheless falls effectively behind the Motorola Edge 50 Fusion with its IP68 ranking, thoughts.

One other ostensible improve is the availability of an in-display fingerprint sensor, quite than the earlier side-mounted variant. It’s not the speediest unlock round, probably because of the humble chip on the telephone’s core, however I discovered it to be far more dependable than rival efforts from Xiaomi’s price range sub-brands.

The return of a 3.5mm headphone jack might be excellent news to these nonetheless residing the wired headphones life.

Display screen & Audio system

• 6.67-inch OLED
• FHD+ & 120Hz
• Stereo audio system with ‘300% Extremely Quantity Mode’

OnePlus has modified up its price range show sport with the Nord CE 4 Lite 5G, and the display could be the most important space of enchancment for the entire telephone.

Whereas it’s barely smaller than earlier than at 6.67in, the essential distinction is a elementary improve to OLED panel expertise. Not simply any OLED both, however a top quality Samsung E4 panel that provides the identical illumination materials because the OnePlus 11, which was the model’s 2023 flagship.

The result’s a method richer and extra vibrant output, to not point out extra correct colors. I recorded an sRGB gamut protection of 99.8% and a median Delta E of 1.38 within the Pure color mode, which is phenomenal at this worth.

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

It will get actually brilliant too, with a recorded peak handbook brightness of 586 nits. OnePlus claims that it may well hit 1200 nits in HBM situations (with autobrightness on), and as much as 2100 nits in HDR eventualities.

Along with a 120Hz refresh charge, these are figures we’d usually affiliate with far more costly telephones.

OnePlus can be shouting about its ‘Aqua Contact’ function, which guarantees to allow you to make use of the display even with moist fingers, or certainly when the display itself is moist. I put this to the check, and whereas the fingerprint sensor didn’t work correctly, the display itself was certainly fairly conscious of my contact straight from having simply run my fingers beneath the faucet.

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

As soon as once more, you possibly can rely on a powerful pair of stereo audio system. You don’t anticipate distinctive bass at this worth, however I used to be impressed by the depth and readability for a £300 telephone.

OnePlus’s claims of a “300% Extremely Quantity Mode” sounds spectacular, however the function is outwardly topic to a obscure “OTA content material” software program replace. What can’t be disputed is that the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G audio system get good and loud with out extreme distortion.

Specs & Efficiency

• Historic Snapdragon 695 chip
• 8GB RAM
• microSD slot

Final yr I grumbled a bit over the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G‘s use of the very same Snapdragon 695 chip because the OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G. I can scarcely imagine it, however the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G makes use of the exact same chip once more.

Qualcomm’s chip is now a few years previous, and it was hardly a super-speedy element when model new. It’s backed by 8GB of RAM, which is a lot, however that processor actually holds issues again.

OnePlus claims to have made its UI smoother than earlier than, however there’s no disguising the juddery scrolling I skilled in Chrome and on the Google Uncover display. Or, even worse, the slight stuttering delay while you bounce into the Settings menu. Hopping between a number of open apps isn’t the silky expertise that you just get with different telephones promoting for related cash, both.

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Benchmark scores aren’t notably nice, as you would possibly anticipate from such an underwhelming element. In comparison with contemporaries just like the Redmi Word 13 Professional 5G and the Motorola Edge 50 Fusion, each of which supply the extra trendy Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 chip, it’s not even shut. Nor can it stand as much as the Samsung Galaxy A35, which is hardly recognised as a velocity demon.

The Pixel 7a and the Motorola Edge 40 Neo – two older telephones that may now be at for a similar and even much less cash – additionally comfortably trounce the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G in most if not all metrics.

Gaming efficiency isn’t nice both. Wreckfest efficiency appeared downright damaged, with the sport persistently stuttering to a freeze after lower than a minute, till I cranked the settings proper down and steadily edged them up with not one of the graphical bells and whistles lively.

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

It’s clear that OnePlus has prioritised areas apart from efficiency this time round, however I’d argue that the processor was in as a lot want of a refresh because the show and the digicam. Possibly much more so, on condition that it impacts the basic expertise of utilizing the telephone.

The spec is a bit more aggressive elsewhere, with 256GB of storage as normal, together with a microSD slot offering as much as 2TB of growth. But when there’s one space OnePlus badly wants to enhance for the Nord CE 5 Lite 5G, it’s this one.

OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G benchmarks

Digicam

• 50Mp Sony LYT-600 sensor
• 2Mp depth sensor
• No ultra-wide or telephoto

Final yr’s OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G disillusioned within the digicam division, with its 108Mp principal sensor not residing as much as the pixel rely. Understandably, OnePlus has modified issues up for the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G.

It now makes use of the identical 50Mp Sony LYT-600 sensor that discovered its method (in another areas at the least) into the OnePlus Nord CE 4 earlier this yr. In some methods this can be a downgrade, with fewer pixels and a smaller 1/1.953-inch measurement. Nevertheless, it’s price noting that mixture ends in bigger pixels, that means superior mild seize.

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

The photographs this digicam produces are detailed and wealthy with color in good lighting situations. Nevertheless, I discovered that it tended to blow out highlights, and that it didn’t cope effectively when capturing on a sunny day, opting to darken the general image past what I’d have most well-liked.

Finally, picture high quality falls effectively wanting what the Pixel 7a can now supply for related cash. Google’s telephones are an outlier, after all, and the Pixel 7a nonetheless technically carries an RRP of £449. However the £349 Motorola Edge 50 Fusion packs in a better grade of Sony picture sensor, to not point out a greater processor. The Samsung Galaxy A35 additionally gives a better-balanced digicam set-up.

Certainly, all of these rivals additionally present a devoted ultra-wide digicam, which OnePlus has chosen to omit right here. There’s a sturdy argument for this strategy, with ultra-wide cameras invariably being sub-par in something wanting flagship telephones. Nonetheless, having further capturing choices is all the time welcome.

As it’s, the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G options solely a 2Mp depth sensor along with that principal digicam. On the plus facet, the cropped 2x photographs that it produces are fairly good.

Night time photographs are fairly typical for a contemporary telephone at this worth. It will possibly brighten the photographs to an inexpensive diploma, aided by OIS (one thing the earlier mannequin omitted), however there’s evident noise to be present in darker areas.

Video is restricted to 1080p and 30fps, nonetheless, which is fairly poor. All the aforementioned rivals supply 4K.

Selfie high quality from the 16Mp entrance sensor is fairly good for a telephone of this worth, capturing pores and skin tones and colors fairly precisely.

Battery Life & Charging

• 5110mAh battery
• Two days of average utilization
• 64% cost in half-hour

OnePlus has needed to compromise on the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G’s battery right here within the EU. As a substitute of the worldwide mannequin’s 5500mAh battery, we now have to make do with a 5110mAh one. How on Earth will we cope?

I jest, after all. Most full-sized Android telephones – together with the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G – will pack in a 5000mAh battery, so OnePlus continues to be going above and past with this yr’s mannequin, if solely barely.

The ensuing stamina is predictably sturdy. A median day of sunshine utilization, with 2 hour half-hour of display on time, dropped the battery gauge to simply 74%. You possibly can fairly conceivably undergo two full days of average utilization on a single cost.

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Within the PC Mark Work 3.0 battery check, which simulates a continuing combined workload, the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G scored 13 hours and 49 minutes, which is about 45 minutes longer than its predecessor.

The Redmi Word 13 Professional, with its equally capacious battery, lasted virtually two hours much less. The OnePlus additionally outlasted the Samsung Galaxy A35 by about 1 hour half-hour. You get the image: stamina is a powerful level right here.

OnePlus has additionally cranked up the potential charging velocity to 80W. The operative phrase right here is ‘potential’ although, because it has additionally left the charger out of the field this time. OnePlus has historically been one of many holdouts on this money-saving transfer, so it’s a little bit of a disappointment.

After I did hook up an acceptable charger (the OnePlus 12R‘s 100W instance), it obtained the telephone from empty to 37% in quarter-hour and on to 64% in half-hour. That’s truly a bit slower than the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G with its 67W charger, presumably because of the larger capability.

One different attention-grabbing trick right here is the power to reverse cost your headphones with the telephone utilizing the bundled USB-C to USB-C cable. It’s not as handy because the wi-fi model, maybe, nevertheless it’s a pleasant inclusion nonetheless.

Software program

• Android 14
• OxygenOS 14.0
• Solely two Android updates

The excellent news is that you just’re getting the most recent model of Android out of the field right here in Android 14. The marginally much less excellent news is that OnePlus is now not at the forefront of customized UIs, and OxygenOS 14 is principally a mildly reskinned tackle Oppo’s ColorOS.

Proof of its origins are everywhere in the UI, from the drop-down notification shade to the Settings menu to the massive ugly icons. All of it works simply effective, nevertheless it’s merely not as sharp or intuitive as Google’s inventory OS.

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Bloatware isn’t as large a difficulty right here as it’s with among the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G’s rivals. You get TikTok, Fb, Netflix, and Reserving.com preloaded, plus three naff video games, however that’s it for third get together apps.

OnePlus/Oppo is one other firm that insists on offering its personal net browser, regardless of the far superior Chrome being pre-installed on just about each Android telephone, nevertheless it’s simply ignored. You additionally get a folder stuffed with OnePlus instruments, together with the standard Clone Cellphone, Recordsdata, Calculator, Notes, and Climate apps. All as anticipated, and once more, simple sufficient to make use of or ignore as crucial.

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

OnePlus/Oppo additionally implements its personal gesture shortcut system, although they’re all turned off by default. You may make it in order that drawing an ‘O’ on the display when the telephone is asleep boots up the digicam, or a ‘V’ to activate the torch. In follow, they’re not as intuitive or dependable as Motorola’s gesture shortcuts, and the telephone’s sluggish efficiency means they’re not particularly snappy both.

OnePlus is offering two years of main Android updates, and three years of safety updates. That’s a bit behind the Motorola Edge 50 Fusion’s 4 and three years respectively, and effectively behind the Samsung Galaxy A35 5G’s 4 and 5, nevertheless it matches the anticipated longevity of the Redmi Word 13 Professional.

Value & Availability

OnePlus is promote the Nord CE 4 Lite 5G for £299 direct from its web site. It’s not launching within the US in any respect, so far as we all know.

On contract, see the perfect choices beneath, or pair it with a SIM-only deal.

Going by its RRP, the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G prices the identical because the earlier mannequin. Nowadays, staying the identical worth may be very a lot excellent news, with worth bumps having turn out to be the norm throughout the trade.

This worth additionally sees the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G undercutting a few of its contemporaries, with the Samsung Galaxy A35 5G and the Redmi Word 13 Professional each costing £339, and the Motorola Edge 50 Fusion coming in at £349. In fact, every of these fashions has a bonus over the OnePlus ultimately or different, so the slight premium would possibly effectively be price paying.

It’s additionally price noting that the Google Pixel 7a is promoting for across the identical worth because the OnePlus on the time of writing. Sure, it’s not the most recent mannequin in Google’s vary, nevertheless it nonetheless outperforms the Nord CE 4 Lite 5G in a variety of key areas.

Do you have to purchase the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G?

The OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G is one other solidly constructed and keenly priced mid-range telephone, and it’s made some sensible enhancements. The show is a real spotlight, with its spectacular brightness and colour-accuracy.

It’s good to see OnePlus persevering with to work at its principal digicam providing too, although the outcomes proceed to be a bit hit or miss. In the meantime, the persevering with lack of a devoted ultra-wide makes it stand out from its contemporaries in a method that many received’t understand as constructive.

Battery life is even stronger than earlier than, too, with real two-day utilization potential. Whereas 80W charging assist is respectable, nonetheless, OnePlus now not bundles that charger within the field, which can symbolize a hidden value for some.

Maybe the most important difficulty with the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G is efficiency. Sticking with the identical gradual chip for a number of generations in a row is absolutely taking its toll, particularly in comparison with the telephone’s slicker and speedier competitors.

Finally, whereas the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G is a reliable telephone, you possibly can spend just a bit extra money on the Samsung Galaxy A35 5G, Redmi Word 13 Professional, or Motorola Edge 50 Fusion, and get a way more balanced bundle.

Specs

• OxygenOS 14 on Android 14
• 6.67in, FHD+, OLED, 120Hz, flat show
• In-display fingerprint sensor
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 695
• 8GB LPDDR4X RAM
• 256GB storage
• 50Mp, f/1.8 principal digicam
• 2Mp depth-assisted digicam
• As much as 1080p @ 30fps rear video
• 16Mp front-facing digicam
• Stereo audio system
• Twin-SIM
• Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n
• Bluetooth 5.1
• 5110mAh battery
• 80W charging assist
• 162.9 x 75.6 x 8.1mm
• 191g
• Launch colors: Tremendous Silver, Mega Blue