OnePlus has completely turned its strategy around in recent years. What began as a kind of start-up within the BBK group and as part of OPPO, with which they shared a supply chain, among other things, has transmuted into a company firmly committed to markets such as the United States and to others. Like Spain, where his Nord family is doing very well.
MediaTek continues to surprise for good.
Last week we published the analysis of the realme 9 Pro Plus, a terminal that used the MediaTek Dimensity 920, a chipset that left us with a great taste in our mouths regarding performance.
This Density 900 does not reach precisely the same levels, and it shows, but we still liked it a lot, especially for being in a cheaper mobile.
OnePlus Nord CE 2
The feeling we have in daily use is excellent, even in very demanding games, as long as we leave the graphics in automatic mode. The present RAM, 8 GB, and the 128 GB of internal memory give us more than remarkable sensations, both in the use of applications and moving through the system.
As for connectivity, missing the secondary speaker. As we have already said, we can boast of Wifi, 6, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, headphone jack, and micro SD card slot… but we do not have FM radio or infrared.
A very decent screen that does not shine at all
It seems that OnePlus has wanted to force the separation of its flagships from the Nord, especially the CE. We say this because it is striking that you have not opted for the 120 Hz refresh rate on the panel of this model, which is not bad at all. In fact, that figure is possibly the only one that can be criticized, to say the least.
The panel has a reasonably restrained size for these times, at 6.43 inches, with an aspect ratio of 20:9, making the phone elongated but not excessively. On the hand, this is noticeable but does not bother and makes the final size more compact.
OnePlus Nord CE 2
The resolution is as expected, with 2400 x 1080 pixels and 409 dots per inch density. The update rate is 90 Hz, so we can choose a lower one if we need it, but we already told you there is no reason for it.
As expected, the panel is AMOLED, with very bright colors and green tones when turning that is not excessive. In addition to being protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 5, we have compatibility with HDR10 +.
Oxygen OS incorporated some time ago the possibility of using the ambient screen so that it shows us the notifications or the time when picking up the mobile, but we still cannot unlock it with our face as soon as we pick it up, having to press the power button before, or use the footprint.
Even the brightness seems sufficient to us to use the mobile outdoors without problem, and the automatic brightness does not give failures.
A current and conservative design at the same time
OnePlus Nord CE 2
OnePlus has opted for this Nord CE 2 for a conservative design if we look at the curves of the edges. When many brands are committed to straight edges, a terminal like this is appreciated because it is very comfortable to use in hand.
This is accentuated by the camera module, which comes out of the plastic at the rear and is both pleasant to the touch and visually different. And let’s not forget the weight, only 173 grams and even reminiscent of the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE.
The only drawback is that the touch of this model is not very premium, something that most users do not care about because they will use a cover.
Honestly, I prefer a lower quality touch than glass or metal if we have an organic design that does not make the mobile sharp in hand and has a very restrained weight.
Of course, the criticism is simple: there is no double speaker. This is already an obligation, having bet both Realme and Xiaomi on them in similarly priced mobiles.
Standing out, and a lot, in drums
But before, I wanted to mention the fast charge of this terminal, 65 W. I say again that it is something that, when you use it, is difficult to put aside. I have gone from using a mobile with a 30 W charge (they were 45, but the compatible charger only gave 30 W) to this one, and the change has been drastic. Not bad for mobile of 359 euros.
In the first battery test, we used the mobile outdoors to take photos and videos and use the GPS. Despite that, we have also used it indoors, and the battery life has surprised us. We have reached 7 hours of the screen with 30 hours of autonomy.
In the second battery test, we used the mobile more indoors, mainly playing, which was noticed in the battery time. We have reached 7 and a half hours on the screen with 42 total hours of autonomy. Crazy, considering that we have left the refresh rate active at 90 Hz, as in the previous test.
In the third test, we also made more use of the mobile indoors than outdoors, especially playing HearthStone. We have verified how games like Honkai Impact Thir are the ones that penalize the most, as is logical. We have reached 7 hours on the screen with 47 hours of autonomy.
We continue with Android 11
OnePlus Nord CE 2
We might think that if a mobile is presented in February 2022, almost half a year after Android 12 and with Android 13 taking its first steps, it would be the first version chosen. But we would be wrong if we thought that.
OnePlus has opted for Oxygen OS 11 and Android 11 in this model, and the company’s software and update policy leaves much to be desired, especially compared to what it was a few years ago.
