OnePlus Nord CE 5G has just launched. A look at all the four OnePlus phones from 2021. OnePlus Nord CE 5G on the left and the OnePlus 9 Pro on the right. The OnePlus lineup for 2021 now has four phones with the Nord CE 5G being the latest entrant. It is also the slimmest and most budget friendly option this year, starting at Rs 22,999. If you are in the market for a OnePlus device or hoping to upgrade, the options from OnePlus might seem confusing. We take a detailed look at all the four phones, and highlight which might be the right pick for you, depending on budget and needs.
OnePlus Nord CE 5G
Price in India: Starts at Rs 22,999
Who can consider: Those buying their first ‘expensive’ smartphone, want all features without breaking the bank
OnePlus Nord CE 5G starts at Rs 22,999 for the base 6GB RAM+128GB option, making it the most affordable device from the brand. But if you want more RAM or storage, you will have to shell out extra. The 8GB RAM+128GB version costs Rs 24,999 — the starting price for last year’s Nord. The highest 12GB RAM+256GB version costs Rs 27,999. The original Nord’s most expensive variant cost Rs 29,999 for those who wish to compare. However, that phone is no longer listed on Amazon India or shows out of stock on the original OnePlus website as well.
Going by the price and the promotional videos in the launch event, OnePlus Nord CE 5G is pitched towards the younger audience, those who might be buying their first slightly, more expensive smartphone, and want all the latest features, without spending above Rs 30,000.
OnePlus Nord CE 5G starts at Rs 22,999 for the base 6GB RAM+128GB option
And the Nord does pack all the features you would want in a mid-range device. It has a big 6.43-inch AMOLED display with Full HD+ resolution and 90Hz refresh rate. It is also quite slim at 7.9 mm thickness and comes in three colour variants: Blue Void, Charcoal Ink and Silver Ray, and looks stylish. The brand has brought back the headphone jack, which was missing on the earlier OnePlus Nord.
It runs the Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G processor and gets a triple camera at the back with 64MP+8MP ultra-wide and a 2MP monochrome camera. The front camera is 16MP. OnePlus has also increased the battery size on the phone to 4500 mAh with 30W fast charing, which will get it to 70 per cent charge in just thirty minutes.
The phone sports has an in-display fingerprint sensor, runs Oxygen OS 11 based on Android 11. Further, OnePlus is offering assured updates for two years and security updates for three years as well so the phone, which makes it future proof.
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OnePlus 9R
Price in India: Starts at Rs 39,999
Who can consider: Those who want a OnePlus device, but don’t want to pay the premium of the 9, 9 Pro
OnePlus 9R has a starting price of Rs 39,999 for the 8GB RAM + 128GB storage version, while the 12GB RAM+256GB version will cost Rs 43,999. The OnePlus 9R is aimed at those who might be comfortable spending Rs 40,000 or more for a OnePlus smartphone, but don’t wish to push the budget beyond this range.
Those who want their device to be geared towards gaming can also pick this phone, given some of the features such as the high-touch sample rating of 240 Hz and 120Hz refresh rate on the display.
The phone has a 6.55-inch flexible OLED panel with full HD+ resolution, and the higher refresh rate will mean a smoother gaming experience. It runs the Snapdragon 870 processor, which is a capable one. This one also comes with a 4500 mAh battery, but gets a higher 65W fast charging support. The phone also has dual stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos support and better haptic feedback.
OnePlus 9R has a quad-camera at the back, and runs the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 processor. (Image credit: Nandagopal Rajan/Indian Express)
The OnePlus 9R camera setup includes a 48MP main camera, a 16 MP ultra-wide angle one, 5MP macro camera and a 2 MP monochrome one. The front camera is 16MP. It should be noted that the camera setup is the same at the OnePlus 8T from 2020.
OnePlus 9
Price in India: Starts at Rs 49,999
Who can consider: Those who want the latest camera on OnePlus 9, high-end processor and don’t mind spend nearly Rs 50,000
OnePlus 9 is the second most expensive variant in this year’s list. It has a starting price of Rs 49,999 for 8GB RAM+ 128GB storage, while the 12GB RAM + 256GB storage option cost Rs 54,999. So if you are comfortable spending Rs 50,000 or more, this is an excellent choice.
Just like the Pro, the OnePlus 9 also gets the Hasselblad branded camera at the back, though it has a triple camera and not the quad-camera seen on the Pro version.
OnePlus 9 seen in this photo. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
The camera on the OnePlus 9 is the 48MP main wide-angle one coupled with the 50MP ultra-wide camera and a 2MP monochrome camera sensor. This one has a similar 6.55-inch AMOLED full HD+ display just like the OnePlus 9R, but runs the top-end Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor. It comes with 4500 mAh battery and 65W fast-charging as well. The front camera is 16MP.
OnePlus 9 Pro
Price in India: Starts at Rs 64,999
Who can consider: Wants a premium phone with all the high-end camera features, price no bar
OnePlus 9 Pro starts at Rs 64,999 for 8GB/128GB version while the 12GB RAM option costs Rs 69,999 and has 256GB storage. The main difference between the Pro and the non-Pro is the camera and the display. Both are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor.
The Pro gets 48MP main camera + 50MP ultra wide + 2MP monochrome camera and an 8MP telephoto camera. Of course, this has the Hasselblad branding. The front camera remains 16MP front camera and battery is 4500 mAh battery with Warp Charge 65T.
The display on the OnePlus 9 Pro is 6.7-inches and this is higher QHD+ resolution. This is an AMOLED screen with adaptive 120Hz refresh rate and Corning Gorilla Glass protection. There’s also MEMC and HDR10+ certification support on the Pro variant.
As we noted in our review, the Pro variant offers a serious jump in photography and screen and is geared for those using their phone for serious photography and video work. The camera offered very natural results, which makes it stand out from previous OnePlus devices.
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