OnePlus Nord CE 5G vs Mi 10i 5G vs iQOO Z3 5G: Which 5G phone is better under Rs 25,000?

OnePlus Nord was a massive hit last year, and the new OnePlus Nord CE 5G now seems to bet big on the price factor. The new smartphone has been launched in India at Rs 22,999 for the base model. The mid-range OnePlus Nord CE (Core Edition) 5G bags a few noticeable upgrades over its elder sibling- from a sleek profile, high camera resolution, to a bigger battery. For the price, the specs of the new Nord-series phone looks good on paper.

But smartphone manufacturers have upped the game and now offers featured-packed devices at a modest price. With the market filled with a bunch of options, the new OnePlus Nord CE 5G has tough competition ahead from rivals like Xiaomi, Samsung, Vivo, etc. These brands offer near similar or better spec’d smartphone in the same price bracket. In this article, we compare the new OnePlus Nord CE 5G with Xiaomi’s Mi 10i 5G and iQOO’s newly launched iQOO Z3 5G phone.

OnePlus Nord CE 5G vs Mi 10i 5G vs iQOO Z3 5G: Price in India

The new OnePlus Nord CE 5G price in India starts at Rs 22,999 for the base model with 6GB RAM. The iQOO Z3 5G comes for a price of Rs 19,990 for the standard 6GB RAM variant. As for the Mi 10i 5G, it costs Rs 21,999 for the regular variant with 6GB RAM/128GB storage.

OnePlus Nord CE 5G vs Mi 10i 5G vs iQOO Z3 5G: Specs, features comparison

Design

OnePlus Nord CE 5G resembles its older sibling when it comes to design aesthetics. Even the colour coat (except for the Silver Ray model) is the same. The standout difference on the new Nord-series phone is the headphone jack which was missing on the original model. However, OnePlus has ditched the signature alert slider this time on its new Nord-series model. That aside, the OnePlus Nord CE 5G is slimmer than the Nord. The phone features a plastic frame with a chrome finish.

As for the Xiaomi Mi 10i 5G, the phone looks slightly similar to the Poco X3 Pro, at least from the backside with the dial-shaped camera module. The phone features a glass sandwich design with a curved glass back panel and a flat display. The frame is built out of plastic and has a metallic finish. That aside, the contrasting colour fusion really gives the Mi 10i a visual appeal. The phone offers a mono-speaker grill and a 3.5mm audio jack. In addition, the phone has IP53 water and dust resistance rating as well which is missing on the new OnePlus Nord CE 5G phone.

Speaking of the newly launched iQOO Z3 5G, the phone features a plastic body with a rainbow effect back panel (Cyber Blue variant). The iQOO Z3 5G is also rated IP52 dust and water-resistant which means it can take light spills and splash. The power button on both iQOO Z3 5G and Mi 10i 5G doubles up as a fingerprint sensor. Meanwhile, on the OnePlus Nord CE, the fingerprint scanner is embedded on the display.

Display

Talking about the display, the new OnePlus phone features a punch-hole cutout panel with slim bezels surrounding the perimeters. It sports a 6.43-inch AMOLED display with a 2400 x 1080 pixel resolution and a 90Hz screen refresh rate.

The Mi 10i 5G equips a 6.67-inch LCD with a hole punch at the centre of the top edge. The display supports a 120Hz screen refresh rate and offers a dynamic refresh rate switching option as well. The panel has a resolution of 1,080 x 2,400 pixels and a 20:9 aspect ratio.

As for the iQOO Z3 5G, it features a tall 6.58-inch IPS LCD panel with a 120Hz refresh rate and HDR10 compatibility. The display comes with a 1,080 x 2,408-pixel resolution and an aspect ratio of 20:9.

Software, processing hardware

On the software front, the OnePlus Nord CE 5G runs OxygenOS based Android 11 OS. The Mi 10i 5G runs MIUI 12 based Android 11 OS, while the iQOO Z3 ships with Funtouch 11.1 based Android 11 onboard.

In terms of hardware, both Nord CE and Mi 10i equips an octa-core Snapdragon 75G chipset which is paired with up to 12GB RAM and 8GB RAM respectively. Meanwhile, the iQOO Z3 is powered by a Snapdragon 768G SoC and paired with up to 8GB RAM. If one is to compare the benchmark scores of the mobile platforms, the 768G outperforms the 750G chipset.

However, a smartphone’s performance depends on how well the hardware and the software work in tandem. That said, a good aspect of the iQOO Z3 is it comes equipped with virtual RAM expansion, where a slight chunk from the ROM is converted into vRAM for better performance.

Camera

As for the optics, the Nord CE 5G carries a triple rear camera having a 64-megapixel primary sensor, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide lens and a 2-megapixel monochrome sensor. For selfies, it gets a single front 16-megapixel camera.

The Mi 10i 5G, on the other hand, boasts a huge 108-megapixel primary sensor which is paired with an 8-megapixel ultra-wide lens, a 2-megapixel macro lens and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. There is a single 16-megapixel camera upfront for shooting selfies.

OnePlus Nord CE 5G First Look: Here’s everything you need to know

As for the iQOO Z3 5G, it offers a triple rear camera setup consisting of a 64-megapixel Samsung GW3 primary sensor, an 8-megapixel ultrawide sensor, and a 2-megapixel macro lens. For selfies, the phone carries an average 8-megapixel ultrawide camera.

Battery

The OnePlus Nord CE 5G is fueled by a 4500mAh, and it supports 30T Plus Warp Charge fast charging tech. The Mi 10i 5G packs a 4,820mAh battery and comes with 33W fast charging support. The iQOO Z3 ships with a 4,400mAh non-removable battery and supports a 55W fast charging solution.

OnePlus Nord CE 5G vs Mi 10i 5G vs iQOO Z3 5G: Which 5G phone is better to buy under Rs 25,000?

If one is to consider the preliminary specs, the OnePlus Nord CE 5G takes the spot on the design and software front. Compared to the other two models, the Nord phone is slim, plus the near-stock Android OS sweeten the pot.

For the camera enthusiasts, the Mi 10i 5G would preferably be a viable option. And in case you are looking for an affordable 5G that can offer better performance, and good battery life, than iQOO Z3 would the right pick for you.