The OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G is the smartphone manufacturer’s current entry-level model. The device is designed for simple use and has few special features, but excels in some crucial areas.

The OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G (329 euros including VAT) is OnePlus’ entry-level model in its current smartphone generation. For the money, the Oppo subsidiary wants to offer a complete smartphone that still stands out from the competition in some features that OnePlus considers important. Take into account the battery life, but certainly also the charging time and the camera. On the other hand, the smartphone is not that special, but that is not necessary.

Specifications

Let’s start with the specifications. For 329 euros you can buy a device with light but sufficient hardware. The internal components are from Qualcomm, with the modest but powerful Snapdragon 695. RAM (8 GB) and storage (256 GB) are what you would expect in this price range.

We are pleasantly surprised by the screen resolution (1,080 x 2,400) and the OLED technology. When using this device, you will enjoy a beautiful, sharp and colorful display despite the higher price. The other important specifications are as follows:

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G
• 8GB LPDDR4X RAM
• 256GB UFS 2.2 storage
• 5,110 mAh battery (max. 80 watts fast charge)
• 6.67-inch screen (OLED, 1,080 x 2,400 pixels)
• Main camera: 50 MP, iOS; f/1.8
• Selfie camera: 16 MP, f/2.4
• Android 14
• IP54

Not a math expert…

The hardware inside does what it’s supposed to, but that’s about it. Use this device for browsing, consuming multimedia, keeping up with your social media, checking emails, sending messages, and making calls. Such basic use will go smoothly. If you want to play games, open other demanding apps, or do intensive multitasking, you’ll want to look for a slightly sturdier phone.

This experience is reflected in the numbers. The Snapdragon 695 5G is a processor with older technology, which means that the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite cannot keep up with the competition in terms of calculations.

…and not a gamer

Graphically, the built-in Adreno 619 can only mean very little. The GPU does not perform very well and is inferior to even most alternatives in the lower mid-range segment.

Do not buy this device if you want to use applications with 3D functionality. For WhatsApp, Instagram and Outlook, this low performance has no noticeable impact.

Endurance and recovery time

A bright interior doesn’t necessarily have to be a disadvantage. If you don’t need the extra horsepower, you get an excellent battery life in return. We can easily get through a day with a single charge, and even two days with economical use. This is also reflected in the test results.

Even in the performance test, the device achieves an autonomy of more than fifteen hours. This means you can spend your daily mobile time confidently without having to look for a power outlet.

When it’s time to charge, the smartphone is quickly recharged. Unfortunately, OnePlus follows its parent brand Oppo and supports 80-watt fast charging, but only for those who buy a charger with its own SuperVooc technology, which is not included in the box. Charging with a classic USB-C Power Delivery (PD) compatible charger is also possible, but a bit slower. We test with a universal charger like the one you probably have on your laptop or another mobile phone or tablet. The results are quite good.

The results are similar to the Oppo Reno 11 F, which uses the same sad charging strategy. Be sure to check out the Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro+, which fully supports PD 3.0 at 120 watts, to see the difference in charging time. However, you can also charge this OnePlus Nord CE Lite in half an hour, so you’re good to go for another full day.

A camera, but a good one

OnePlus is also holding back when it comes to photos. The manufacturer makes the somewhat strange design decision of placing two prominent lenses on the back of the device, while there is actually only one camera available: a 50 MP camera with optical image stabilization. The other lens houses a depth camera that supports the main camera but does not contribute as much.

As a result, you don’t have many options in the camera app, but we don’t think that’s a bad thing. Too often, manufacturers are tempted to focus on quantity rather than quality. With the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite, it’s all about the main camera, which performs well, especially in good light.

As you can see, OnePlus also offers a 2x digital zoom. The 50MP sensor is of sufficient quality to support this, so the 2X images are not really inferior in quality to photos without zoom.

Both in regular mode and with 2x zoom enabled, the OnePlus Nord CE Lite retains the necessary details. The quality in daylight is even better than the more expensive Oppo Reno 11 F. In the photos below, look especially at the difference in detail on the planks of the table.

OnePlus relies on a good main camera that takes better photos in sufficient light than some more expensive devices. When the sun goes down, the quality also decreases.

Night photography is more difficult and results in heavily processed results that look a bit dirtier near light sources. As expected, the digital zoom has a particularly hard time here. The night photo mode provides some relief, but not that much. However, we can’t call the snaps bad in this price range. Overall, the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite retains a lot of detail even from a distance.

No wide angle, no loss

Other manufacturers rely on macro and wide-angle lenses on their devices, which excel primarily in moderation. We fully support OnePlus’ decision to focus on a camera that impresses in this price range. In our opinion, the 8 MP wide-angle lens that comes standard in this price range almost never adds anything valuable to the overall picture.

OnePlus tried this approach last year with its predecessor, the Nord CE Lite, but with much less success. The camera then performed worse than stated in the specifications. The Nord CE 3 Lite was equipped with a 108 MP sensor, but above all showed that megapixels are not everything. OnePlus has now learned from its mistakes and is fulfilling the promises of the main camera with a much better 50 MP sensor.

Bloatware and insufficient updates

The OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G runs OnePlus’ Oxygen OS 14 shell on top of Android 14. It works well and doesn’t contain any oddities. The bloatware disappoints us. Keep your Block Blast, Weer24 and AliExpress apps with OnePlus, they shouldn’t be pre-installed on an otherwise excellent device.

The biggest disappointment that this smartphone brings, in our opinion, is the poor update policy. OnePlus only guarantees two years of Android updates and three years of security updates. That’s not much, especially when you know that OnePlus, like Oppo, guarantees that the battery will still have 80 percent of its capacity after 1,600 charging cycles (around four years).

In other words, just like the Oppo Reno 11F, you get a device with a battery life that is longer than the software. Within three years of purchase, you get a smartphone that is still functional but no longer guaranteed to be secure.

Muscles where it counts

In our opinion, the update policy is the only major drawback. After all, the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite is a humble phone that can steal the limelight when it matters. OnePlus doesn’t pack a lot of power, but it makes the phone feel smooth in everyday use. The beautiful screen adds to the smooth experience.

The limited performance of the processor is partially compensated by the good battery. Charging is also fast, but it is a pity that OnePlus does not fully support the PD standard, while others can.

Finally, you only get one real camera, but it’s a top-of-the-line camera that takes better photos than cameras in phones with a higher price tag. With the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite, you’re buying a smartphone that not only does what it’s supposed to, but also keeps you happy when you’re taking photos, wanting to charge quickly, or are away from a power outlet for long periods of time.

Lifespan too limited

We’d say you’ll probably get a lot of enjoyment out of the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite, but the update policy puts a stop to that. Meanwhile, the OnePlus Nord 4 is also available, for 120 euros more. It will get six years of updates. If you’re normally cautious with your new smartphones, the regular OnePlus Nord 4 is a better investment in this regard. This is where OnePlus shoots itself in the foot with the limited update guarantee for this device compared to its big brother.

With a year of additional updates, we’d happily recommend the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite in this price range. As it stands now, we find that a little harder.

Update Policy: OnePlus will provide two years of Android updates and three years of security updates for the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite starting from its launch on June 24.