OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G smartphone review conclusion: Can less sometimes be more?

The rest of phone is not half bad either. This dual SIM-capable smartphone features a triple card slot, a 3.5-mm headphone jack, and very good battery life. Its 90 Hz OLED panel is solid, especially considering its price, although we should add that Xiaomi managed to do a better job with the Poco F3 and the Mi 11 Lite 5G. In addition, the display is basically identical to that of the Nord CE 2 5G’s predecessor.

OnePlus’s Core Edition smartphones are supposed to offer all the basics and necessities of a modern smartphone. As always you have to ultimately decide for yourself which aspects of a smartphone are important to you and which ones are not, and we found quite a few aspects in need of improvement.

Take, for example, the Nord CE 2 5G's mono speaker or its overall performance, which is lacking compared to other Qualcomm-equipped mid-range competitors. In addition, we would have liked a more premium case as the Nord CE 2 5G is made almost entirely of plastic (frame, rear cover, buttons, card slot cover).

If you are looking for an affordable mid-range smartphone with fast charging the OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G might be right for you. Find out more in our extensive review.