OnePlus Nord N30 / OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G smartphone review – Good, but also special?
For a long time, OnePlus was regarded as a brand for people searching for an alternative to mainstream manufacturers such as Samsung or Apple. What made the brand so successful was its individuality and close contact to its community in particular. The OnePlus smartphones' independence has gotten much more limited in the past few years - for example, they now use their sister brands' software: realme, Oppo and Vivo.
The OnePlus Nord N30 is a mid-range phone being sold below the $300 threshold - a rare achievement when you look at this year's other releases. The device is also sold under the name OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G in other countries, the only difference being that the Nord N30 has a slightly slower charger.
Can the OnePlus Nord N30 still prove itself to be a high-quality alternative to other mid-range smartphones? Or have OnePlus' phones become replaceable in the meantime?
Possible competitors compared
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Drive | Size | Resolution | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 81.4 % v7 (old) | 06 / 2023 | OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G SD 695 5G, Adreno 619 | 195 g | 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | 6.72" | 2400x1080 | |
| 81.4 % v7 (old) | 05 / 2023 | Xiaomi Poco X5 SD 695 5G, Adreno 619 | 190 g | 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | 6.67" | 2400x1080 | |
| 79.2 % v7 (old) | 01 / 2023 | Realme 10 Helio G99, Mali-G57 MP2 | 178 g | 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | 6.40" | 2400x1080 | |
| 79.1 % v7 (old) | 03 / 2023 | Motorola Moto G53 SD 480+, Adreno 619 | 183 g | 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | 6.50" | 1600x720 | |
| 80.8 % v7 (old) | 07 / 2022 | OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G SD 695 5G, Adreno 619 | 195 g | 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | 6.59" | 2412x1080 |
Case – Available in a striking green color
The OnePlus Nord N30 comes in black and light green - the back of the phone's case is shiny, which means that grease or fingerprint marks quickly become a real problem for the device. Both camera openings are identical in size and are positioned below one other. A matte plastic frame surrounds the phone's case.
The front side features a small "chin" below the screen - in general, the device has quite slim bezels, meaning that 87 % of its surface is taken up by the display. Gorilla Glass 5 protects the Nord N30's screen.
Corners are nicely rounded off and all-in-all, the phone feels quite ergonomic. If you feel the corners on the front of the device, the transition does feel a little rough, which overall worsens the feel of the build quality a bit. At 195 grams, the phone weighs the exact same as its predecessor, the Nord CE 2 Lite. There are definitely lighter phones in this price category, but with regard to its screen size, we find the weight to be acceptable.
The phone's case is stable, can hardly be twisted and only strong pressure gets through to the liquid crystal. In total, the phone has a high-quality feel.
Connectivity – The OnePlus phone with a 3.5-mm jack
The OnePlus phone retails for $299.99 - something rarely achieved by phones in this price range released in the last year. For the money, you get 128 GB UFS 2.2 flash storage and 8 GB RAM.
The smartphone also features a 3.5-mm jack, NFC and Dual-SIM. Although, one of the two Nano SIM slots is also occupied by the microSD card, which means you have to choose between the two.
microSD card reader
The microSD card reader supports cards up to 1 TB and it was a little slower than other phones in our copying test. In the CPDT, the phone also achieved slightly below-average transfer rates. In everyday use, this shouldn't be terribly noticeable.
| SD Card Reader - average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
| Realme 10 (Angelbird V60) | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G (Angelbird V60) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X5 (Angelbird AV Pro V60) | |
| Motorola Moto G53 (Angelbird V60) | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G (Angelbird V60) | |
Cross Platform Disk Test (CPDT)
Software – 3 years of software support
OxygenOS 13.1 is based on Android 13 and shares a software base with ColorOS, FuntouchOS and the realme UI. At the time of testing, the last safety patch was from May 2023, so relatively up-to-date. The device is set to receive two big Android updates and 3 years of smaller patches.
Many of the pre-installed apps are doubles of functions taken care of by Google apps, such as the photo gallery or the proprietary browser. You can deactivate some of them, but you can't delete them entirely. Even so, the manufacturer has chosen to not install any third-party sponsored apps.
Communication and GNSS – Useful on trips, too
The phone supports WiFi5 and thus, it has similar transfer rates to those of its competitors. During our test, data was transferred consistently and without any hitches. Near the router, the phone keeps a good signal and internet pages are loaded quickly. With a ten-metre distance to the router and with three walls in between, however, you only get about half of the original signal and it takes quite a bit longer to load pages.
The Nord N30 is a 5G smartphone that supports lots of frequencies, meaning it is perfect for taking with you on trips. Although, it isn't entirely a world phone. Its signal strength always lay a little behind that of high-end smartphones - but the signal never cut out entirely in bigger cities.
Outside, our phone was quickly located within a 3-metre accuracy. All the big satellite networks used for locating are supported, as well as SBAS for even more precise locating.
During our test bike trip and using the Garmin Venu 2 as a comparison device, the Nord N30's performance was a little disappointing when it came to determining our position. The phone recorded our route in a way that suggested we sometimes cycled straight through houses and gardens, instead of on the road.
In tight alleyways within the Old Town, this worked a little better and the phone's accuracy was acceptable. If you occasionally use your phone to navigate, you will be just fine with the Nord N30. If you require extremely precise locating, then you will likely need to turn to using a different device for this.
Phoning functions and call quality – With background noise
The OnePlus Nord N30 uses Android's standard telephone app.
While on a call, you can turn the internal earpiece's volume up quite far, but voices never quite sound totally clear and you also start to hear a bit of background noise. Even so, you can still understand the person you are talking to and the microphone transmits your voice well, even when you talk quietly.
The built-in speaker outputs callers' voices much more clearly and precisely. The hands-free microphone also does a great job.
Cameras – Lots of pixels, lots of quality?
Compared to its predecessor, the OnePlus Nord N30 has a much stronger main camera: Now it features a striking 108 megapixels - however, the aperture remains to be f/1.7, meaning the camera isn't any more light-sensitive.
Images taken using the main camera struggle a little with lacklustre color depiction. Especially very light and very dark areas lose a lot of detail. On the landscape image, we liked the sharpness of some of the details and in total, it left a good impression on us. In lower lighting conditions, you have to expect more gloomy-looking photos. You can still see some of the lighter areas, but darker areas remain completely black.
Videos can be recorded in a maximum of Full HD and at 30 fps. Within this price range, you can't really expect any more. The autofocus works a little less consistently: Sometimes, it reacts quickly and other times there is quite a delay. However, the camera adapts quickly and reliably to different lighting conditions.
The phone still doesn't have a wide-angle lens - only a low-resolution macro camera and a lens to support a higher depth-of-field effect.
Image Comparison
Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.
Main camera flowerMain camera landscapeMain camera low light
In terms of image sharpness, the main camera did well in our laboratory test - at only 1 lux lighting brightness, the subject was still just recognizable, but it was very grainy.
Accessories and warranty – Sandstone case available
Next to a USB cable and a fast charger, the phone also comes with a SIM tool and a silicone bumper. On OnePlus' website, you can buy the iconic sandstone bumper case which the brand is well-known for.
The phone comes with a standard one-year warranty in the US.
Input devices & operation – Quick fingerprint sensor
The OnePlus Nord N30 can be operated very smoothly thanks to its 120-Hz display, which samples the screen for touch inputs up to 240 times a second. The whole display is sensitive right up to the corners and inputs are acted upon quickly.
You can also choose to unlock the phone biometrically. The fingerprint sensor is integrated into the standby button and practically unlocks the phone instantaneously, even if it was in standby mode before. You can also unlock the phone via a facial recognition function which uses the phone's front-facing camera. It works quickly and reliably, but it isn't quite as safe.
Display – No fear of PWM
The Nord N30's IPS screen is 6.72 inches in size, has a 20:9 Full HD resolution and is considerably brighter than its predecessor's screen. Compared to many other phones within this price range, our test device provides better brightness levels with an average of 656 cd/m² more.
And no need to worry: We didn't measure any PWM on our test device - even at very low brightness levels.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 90 %
Center on Battery: 672 cd/m²
Contrast: 1723:1 (Black: 0.39 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 3.88 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.91
ΔE Greyscale 5.2 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
95.6% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.218
| OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G IPS, 2400x1080, 6.7" | Xiaomi Poco X5 AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.7" | Realme 10 AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.4" | Motorola Moto G53 IPS, 1600x720, 6.5" | OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G IPS, 2412x1080, 6.6" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | 26% | -8% | 7% | -17% | |
| Brightness middle | 672 | 674 0% | 553 -18% | 587 -13% | 590 -12% |
| Brightness | 656 | 683 4% | 553 -16% | 559 -15% | 561 -14% |
| Brightness Distribution | 90 | 98 9% | 91 1% | 91 1% | 92 2% |
| Black Level * | 0.39 | 0.4 -3% | 0.38 3% | ||
| Contrast | 1723 | 1468 -15% | 1553 -10% | ||
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 3.88 | 1.6 59% | 4.23 -9% | 2.6 33% | 5.15 -33% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 7.89 | 5.3 33% | 10.83 -37% | 5.62 29% | 10.35 -31% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 5.2 | 2.5 52% | 3.6 31% | 3.3 37% | 7.1 -37% |
| Gamma | 2.218 99% | 2.21 100% | 2.24 98% | 2.463 89% | 2.143 103% |
| CCT | 7734 84% | 6346 102% | 7171 91% | 6288 103% | 8540 76% |
* ... smaller is better
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM not detected |  | ||
In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8705 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
According to our measurements using CalMAN and a spectrophotometer, the phone's color reproduction is not on the typical level of OLED displays and shows a slight blue cast in light gray tones. Especially bright blue tones are depicted somewhat distorted, but its overall color accuracy is sufficient for private use.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 14 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 10 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 4 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 31 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (20.9 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 26 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 15 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 11 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 32 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (32.8 ms). | ||
Outside, the display struggles with reflections - in the sun, the screen is very difficult to read from. In bright conditions without direct light, it works just fine.
The viewing-angle images show no color or brightness differences when you view the display from flat angles.
Performance – The same SoC as its predecessor
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 shows no progress over the phone's predecessor, the OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite, as this processor was already used in the last phone. Our test device was about the same as other phones within this price range in our benchmarks.
In everyday use, this should prove to be enough power for almost all apps. Only using lots of programs at the same time could push the phone toward its limits.
| UL Procyon AI Inference for Android - Overall Score NNAPI | |
| Average of class Smartphone (1267 - 75143, n=147, last 2 years) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G (5442 - 9348, n=15) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X5 | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G | |
| Motorola Moto G53 | |
| AImark - Score v3.x | |
| Average of class Smartphone (82 - 307528, n=139, last 2 years) | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G (426 - 3080, n=7) | |
| Motorola Moto G53 | |
In our graphics benchmarks, the phone behaved just like a typical mid-range phone: Average benchmarks in Full HD were completed at 30 fps but rendering in 4K was only possible to do very slowly.
If you just want to game occasionally using the phone's native resolution, then you will have no problems if you use medium settings. The phone doesn't have much more in reserve.
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7: T-Rex Onscreen | 1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen
GFXBench 3.0: on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL | 1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen
GFXBench 3.1: on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen | 1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen
GFXBench: on screen Car Chase Onscreen | 1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen | on screen Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen | 2560x1440 Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen | on screen Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen | 1920x1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen | 3840x2160 4K Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen
| 3DMark / Wild Life Extreme Unlimited | |
| Realme 10 | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G | |
| Motorola Moto G53 | |
| 3DMark / Wild Life Extreme | |
| Realme 10 | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G | |
| Motorola Moto G53 | |
| 3DMark / Wild Life Unlimited Score | |
| Realme 10 | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G | |
| Motorola Moto G53 | |
| 3DMark / Wild Life Score | |
| Realme 10 | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G | |
| Motorola Moto G53 | |
| GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 / T-Rex Onscreen | |
| Motorola Moto G53 | |
| Xiaomi Poco X5 | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G | |
| GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 / T-Rex Offscreen | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G | |
| Xiaomi Poco X5 | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G | |
| Motorola Moto G53 | |
| GFXBench 3.0 / Manhattan Onscreen OGL | |
| Motorola Moto G53 | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G | |
| Xiaomi Poco X5 | |
| GFXBench 3.0 / 1080p Manhattan Offscreen | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G | |
| Xiaomi Poco X5 | |
| Motorola Moto G53 | |
| GFXBench 3.1 / Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen | |
| Motorola Moto G53 | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G | |
| Xiaomi Poco X5 | |
| GFXBench 3.1 / Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G | |
| Xiaomi Poco X5 | |
| Motorola Moto G53 | |
| GFXBench / Car Chase Onscreen | |
| Motorola Moto G53 | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G | |
| Xiaomi Poco X5 | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G | |
| GFXBench / Car Chase Offscreen | |
| Xiaomi Poco X5 | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G | |
| Motorola Moto G53 | |
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen | |
| Motorola Moto G53 | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G | |
| Xiaomi Poco X5 | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G | |
| Realme 10 | |
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen | |
| Motorola Moto G53 | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G | |
| Xiaomi Poco X5 | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G | |
| Realme 10 | |
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen | |
| Motorola Moto G53 | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G | |
| Xiaomi Poco X5 | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G | |
| Realme 10 | |
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G | |
| Xiaomi Poco X5 | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G | |
| Realme 10 | |
| Motorola Moto G53 | |
| GFXBench / 4K Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen | |
| Xiaomi Poco X5 | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G | |
| Motorola Moto G53 | |
| Realme 10 | |
Internet pages load quite quickly, but you occasionally have to wait for pictures. Scrolling through the pages works very smoothly thanks to the 120-Hz display.
The phone was also very fast in our browser benchmarks, which might partly be due to the newer version of the Chrome browser.
| Jetstream 2 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Smartphone (13.8 - 387, n=166, last 2 years) | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G (Chrome 114) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G (48.6 - 105.3, n=19) | |
| Motorola Moto G53 (Chrome 111) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X5 (Chrome 113) | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G (Chrome 103.0.5060.129) | |
| Speedometer 2.0 - Result | |
| Average of class Smartphone (15.2 - 569, n=151, last 2 years) | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G (Chome 114) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G (38.7 - 80.1, n=16) | |
| Motorola Moto G53 (Chrome 111) | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G (Chrome 103.0.5060.129) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X5 (chrome 113) | |
| WebXPRT 4 - Overall | |
| Average of class Smartphone (22 - 271, n=156, last 2 years) | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G (Chrome 114) | |
| Motorola Moto G53 (Chrome 111) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G (58 - 111, n=18) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X5 (Chrome 113) | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G (Chrome 103.0.5060.129) | |
| WebXPRT 3 - Overall | |
| Average of class Smartphone (38 - 347, n=79, last 2 years) | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G (Chrome 114) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G (75 - 156, n=12) | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G (Chrome 103.0.5060.129) | |
| Octane V2 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Smartphone (2228 - 100368, n=206, last 2 years) | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G (Chrome 114) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G (17849 - 31647, n=21) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X5 (Chrome 113) | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G (Chrome 103.0.5060.129) | |
| Realme 10 (Chrome 109) | |
| Motorola Moto G53 (Chrome 111) | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G (Chrome 103.0.5060.129) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X5 (Chrome 113) | |
| Motorola Moto G53 (Chrome 111) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G (1298 - 2501, n=18) | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G (Chrome 114) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (277 - 28190, n=164, last 2 years) | |
* ... smaller is better
Modern UFS 2.2 memory can be found in many mid-range phones. However, the storage controller has to be able to use the high possible data throughput rates of the flash devices, which only works really well in realme 10. The OnePlus Nord N30 is on par with many similarly priced phones, but it cannot stand out in terms of storage speed.
| OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G | Xiaomi Poco X5 | Realme 10 | Motorola Moto G53 | OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G | Average 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | 12% | 51% | -12% | 6% | 28% | 170% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB | 506.1 | 522.64 3% | 881 74% | 474.6 -6% | 509.21 1% | 728 ? 44% | 1859 ? 267% |
| Sequential Write 256KB | 466.6 | 497.38 7% | 530.1 14% | 243.87 -48% | 482.15 3% | 527 ? 13% | 1445 ? 210% |
| Random Read 4KB | 162.5 | 185.09 14% | 200.5 23% | 166.24 2% | 179.02 10% | 191.7 ? 18% | 278 ? 71% |
| Random Write 4KB | 134.9 | 168.49 25% | 257.7 91% | 139.83 4% | 147.46 9% | 185.8 ? 38% | 310 ? 130% |
Games – Gaming for medium demands
60-fps gaming is possible on the Nord N30, but only when playing simple games such as Armajet. PUBG Mobile can be run at 40 fps using low settings; in Diablo: Immortal, there is only a 30-fps option to pick. We tested the frame rates using software from GameBench.
For a mid-range device, the rates we measured were acceptable - there weren't any major drops. If you just want to play games occasionally on the phone, then you will be sure to have fun with the Nord N30. For more demanding games, you will likely have to look elsewhere.
Emissions – Throttle-free through everyday life
Temperature
The phone heats up to 44.1 °C at room temperature, which can definitely be felt - but that in itself isn't too problematic. It is only in higher surrounding temperatures and when demanding more from the phone that things might start to get a bit tricky.
A raise in temperature certainly didn't affect the phone's performance, as the 3DMark stress test confirmed: After 20 runs, the phone had the same amount of power available as it did at the beginning of the test.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 44.1 °C / 111 F, compared to the average of 35.1 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 63.7 °C for the class Smartphone.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 41.7 °C / 107 F, compared to the average of 33.9 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 25.3 °C / 78 F, compared to the device average of 32.8 °C / 91 F.
3DMark Wild Life Stress Test
| 3DMark | |
| Wild Life Stress Test Stability | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G | |
| Realme 10 | |
| Motorola Moto G53 | |
| Wild Life Extreme Stress Test | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G | |
| Motorola Moto G53 | |
Speakers
The OnePlus phone's sound system consists of only one mono speaker, but it can get quite loud (up to 84.9 dB(A)) and still sounds pleasant. Even very high sounds aren't overemphasized and varied types of music all sound different.
Of course, real audio enthusiasts will still need to use headphones or external speakers. These can either be connected via the 3.5 mm jack or via Bluetooth 5.1. If you choose the wireless option, a good selection of codecs is available. At most, we miss very high-quality (but not yet widely used) codecs like LDHC.
OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (84.9 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 24.4% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (8.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (6.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 6.5% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (5.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (19.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 28% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 65% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 37%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 48% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 45% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (80.7 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 30.2% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (6.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (6.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (24.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 52% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 40% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 37%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 70% of all tested devices were better, 6% similar, 24% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Battery life – Great fast-charging function
Power consumption
The OnePlus Nord N30 doesn't have to shy away when it comes to power consumption - in total, it is about on the same level as other similarly priced devices. Although, its predecessor was a little more frugal. Especially when the system is under relatively little load, its base consumption is quite high.
It is great that the OnePlus smartphone can be charged at up to 65 watts; the matching power adapter can be found in the package. Thus, it takes about 40 minutes until the 5,000 mAh battery is fully charged again from 0%. At the same time, the Nord CE 3 Lite can be connected to the charger for a short time if you do not have much time, and you will have enough power for several hours of operation after a few minutes.
| Off / Standby |   0.1 / 0.2 Watt |
| Idle |  1.1 / 1.5 / 1.7 Watt |
| Load |
4.1 / 5.8 Watt |
    
| |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Metrahit Energy | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G 5000 mAh | Xiaomi Poco X5 5000 mAh | Motorola Moto G53 5000 mAh | OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G 5000 mAh | Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | 13% | -2% | 28% | 0% | -21% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 1.1 | 0.96 13% | 0.8 27% | 0.8 27% | 0.886 ? 19% | 0.885 ? 20% |
| Idle Average * | 1.5 | 1.49 1% | 1.5 -0% | 1 33% | 1.76 ? -17% | 1.451 ? 3% |
| Idle Maximum * | 1.7 | 1.53 10% | 2 -18% | 1.4 18% | 1.92 ? -13% | 1.608 ? 5% |
| Load Average * | 4.1 | 3.52 14% | 4.6 -12% | 2.4 41% | 3.86 ? 6% | 6.55 ? -60% |
| Load Maximum * | 5.8 | 4.32 26% | 6.3 -9% | 4.6 21% | 5.45 ? 6% | 9.92 ? -71% |
* ... smaller is better
Power consumption: Geekbench (150 cd/m²)
Power consumption: GFXBench (150 cd/m²)
Runtimes
In fact, the phone's slightly higher power consumption is noticeable in the form of slightly shorter battery runtimes compared to its predecessor. Nevertheless, our test device lasted for 16:26 hours while surfing using WLAN, which is a good result.
This should easily last for a full work day - and it should even prove to be enough for two days if used sparingly.
| OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G 5000 mAh | Xiaomi Poco X5 5000 mAh | Realme 10 5000 mAh | Motorola Moto G53 5000 mAh | OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G 5000 mAh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | -15% | -2% | 10% | 8% | |
| Reader / Idle | 2165 | 1482 -32% | 2301 6% | 1985 -8% | |
| H.264 | 1029 | 896 -13% | 1165 13% | 1255 22% | |
| WiFi v1.3 | 986 | 662 -33% | 966 -2% | 1035 5% | 1064 8% |
| Load | 254 | 304 20% | 297 17% | 277 9% |
Pros
Cons
Verdict – Still a little bit unique
The OnePlus Nord N30 features a good main camera, bright screen, decent sound system and mid-range performance levels.
Slight weaknesses can be found in the phone's locating functions: Despite supporting SBAS, our recorded routes were sometimes quite far off the routes we actually took. A wide-angle camera is also missing, and the incoming sound could be a little clearer when phoning.
Operating the phone is easy and reliable, its runtimes are sufficient for everyday use and it can be charged quickly.
But - does the Nord N30 still feel like a OnePlus phone? Well, its case is sleek and stable, and this relatively cheap OnePlus series never did feature an alert slider. Its new software is now fast and intuitive. However, it is understandable that many fans miss previous models' high-quality and community-developed OxygenOS.
The OnePlus Nord N30 is a good mid-range phone for an affordable price of under $300. Its main camera is capable of taking quite good photos.
Its predecessor, the Nord CE 2 Lite, can now be found for quite a bit cheaper. However, it features slower charging times and shorter updates - apart from that, its changes are minimal. It is also worth taking a look at the realme 10, which features a very quick storage controller.
Price and availability
Currently, the OnePlus Nord N30 can be found on Amazon for $299.99.
OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G
- 06/21/2023 v7 (old)
Florian Schmitt
Transparency
The selection of devices to be reviewed is made by our editorial team. The test sample was provided to the author as a loan by the manufacturer or retailer for the purpose of this review. The lender had no influence on this review, nor did the manufacturer receive a copy of this review before publication. There was no obligation to publish this review. We never accept compensation or payment in return for our reviews. As an independent media company, Notebookcheck is not subjected to the authority of manufacturers, retailers or publishers.
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