OnePlus has once again thrown its hat into the budget smartphone ring with the Nord CE 4 Lite.
As the successor to the popular Nord CE 3 Lite, this new offering aims to strike a balance between affordability and feature-rich performance.
But does it live up to the OnePlus legacy? There certainly seems a bit of an overlap in specs like the processor.
What kind of incremental changes make the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite worth it?
Let’s dive in and find out if this budget warrior can hold its own in the fiercely competitive sub-20K segment.
| Pros | Cons |
| Vibrant AMOLED display | Older processor |
| Long-lasting battery | Struggles in low-light photography |
| Clean software | No ultra-wide camera |
| Premium feel despite budget price | No alert slider |
Cracking open the box, you’re greeted with the usual OnePlus fare – a sleek device nestled in red packaging.
The phone comes with a hefty 80W SuperVOOC charger, a USB-C cable, and a clear case for those who like to play it safe.
No earphones in sight, but hey, it’s 2024 – we’re all about those wireless buds now, right? In any case, the unboxing for the CE 4 Lite is a highly standard OnePlus affair.
| Feature | Specification |
| Display | 6.67-inch AMOLED, 120Hz refresh rate, 2100 nits peak brightness |
| Build | Plastic with glass-like finish |
| Colors | Mega Blue, Grey, Orange |
| Dimensions | 8.1mm thickness |
| Weight | 191 grams |
| Additional Features | 3.5mm audio jack, fingerprint magnet |
The Nord CE 4 Lite’s crown jewel is undoubtedly its 6.67-inch AMOLED display.
This is one of the few upgrades over the predecessor.
It’s like OnePlus heard our collective sighs and finally decided to bless the budget line with those deep blacks and punchy colors.
With a 120Hz refresh rate and a whopping 2100 nits peak brightness, scrolling through your Instagram feed or battling it out in BGMI feels smoother and more vibrant than most budget phones out there.
While the phone’s build is primarily plastic, OnePlus has worked some magic to make it feel more premium than its price tag suggests.
The back panel sports a glass-like finish that’s smoother than any of the previous CE series phones out there.
Available in Mega Blue, Grey, and Orange, it’s a fingerprint magnet, but that’s what the included case is for, right? Anyway, I have the Orange variant and it looks as pretty as a picture.
At 8.1mm thick and weighing in at 191 grams, the Nord CE 4 Lite is comfortable to hold and doesn’t weigh down your pockets like some of its chunky competitors.
Alas, the beloved alert slider is still MIA on this Lite model.
Maybe it’s off on a vacation with the missing headphone jack from flagship phones.
Speaking of jacks, the 3.5mm audio port is still here, ready for your wired earphone needs.
| Feature | Specification |
| Rear Cameras | 50MP Sony LYT-600 with OIS + 2MP Depth Camera |
| Front Camera | 16MP |
| Video Recording | 1080p at 30fps |
| Camera Performance | Good in well-lit conditions, struggles in low-light |
OnePlus has taken a step back from the megapixel race, opting for a 50MP Sony LYT-600 main sensor instead of last year’s 108MP shooter.
But don’t let the numbers fool you – this new sensor is the one you should be looking out for. It’s larger, sharper, and has a wider aperture to let in more light.
In well-lit conditions, the Nord CE 4 Lite captures images with a warm, saturated look that’s more Instagram-ready than some would like but I think that users who prefer natural colours could be a bit on the fence about this.
The OIS helps keep things steady, though sharpness can be as inconsistent as your gym routine.
When the sun goes down, the camera starts doing the limbo – how low can it go? In dim lighting, it manages to capture decent shots, but in truly dark conditions, it struggles a lot.
Details get soft, and colors start to look as confused as a chameleon in a bag of Skittles.
The 16MP front camera is about the same as all the previous selfie shooters that OnePlus has shipped out.
It doesn’t go overboard with skin smoothing, keeping things natural.
The portrait mode edge detection is so good, that it could probably separate your ex from your group photos if you asked nicely.
There are some extraneous shooting modes that you can tinker around with but let’s be serious, in your hands the device is going to largely be used as a point-and-shoot device.
To that end, the device is highly serviceable in sufficient lighting.
Video capabilities max out at 1080p at 30fps, which isn’t quite the best given its 2024. The quality is serviceable, but don’t expect to be the next Spielberg with this setup.
| Feature | OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite | OnePlus Nord CE 4 |
| Main Camera | 50MP Sony LYT-600 with OIS | 50MP Sony IMX890 with OIS |
| Additional Cameras | 2MP Depth Camera | 8MP Ultra-wide, 2MP Macro Camera |
| Front Camera | 16MP | 16MP |
| Video Recording | 1080p at 30fps | 4K at 30fps, 1080p at 60fps |
| Camera Performance | Good in well-lit conditions, struggles in low-light | Excellent in both well-lit and low-light conditions |
Comparing the picture quality of the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite to the Nord CE 4, marked differences come out, especially in versatility and detail.
As mentioned above, the Nord CE 4 Lite comes with a primary 50MP Sony LYT-600 main sensor that captures sharp, vivid images on its own in good lighting conditions.
This goes a notch further in the Nord CE 4 with an additional 50MP Sony IMX 890 sensor.
In well-lit conditions, the Nord CE 4 Lite captures images with a warm, saturated look that’s more Instagram-ready than some would like.
The OIS helps keep things steady, though sharpness can be as inconsistent as your gym routine.
The Nord CE 4’s ultra-wide lens also provides an advantage in capturing more dynamic shots, especially in landscape and architectural photography.
In terms of low-light performance, the Nord CE 4 Lite struggles more compared to the Nord CE 4.
The latter benefits from improved image processing and better overall sensor quality, resulting in clearer and more detailed photos when the lighting is less than ideal.
| Feature | Specification |
| Processor | Snapdragon 695 |
| RAM and Storage | 8GB + 256GB |
| Gaming Performance | Suitable for casual gaming, medium settings for BGMI |
| Additional Features | IR blaster, IP54 water resistance, 3.5mm headphone jack, stereo speaker |
Under the hood, the Nord CE 4 Lite packs the same Snapdragon 695 chip as its predecessor.
Figuratively OnePlus has decided to keep the engine but give the car a new paint job. For everyday tasks, it purrs along nicely, handling social media, video streaming, and light multitasking with ease.
When it comes to gaming, the Nord CE 4 Lite is more of a casual player than a pro gamer.
It can handle titles like BGMI on medium settings, but don’t expect it to be your weapon of choice in competitive esports.
| Game | Settings | FPS | Result |
| BGMI | · Graphics: Medium
· Frame Rate: High · Graphics: Low |
30-40 FPS | Smooth gameplay, minor frame drops |
| 40-50 FPS | Very smooth gameplay, no frame drops | ||
| Call of Duty Mobile | · Graphics: Medium
· Frame Rate: High · Graphics: Low |
30-40 FPS | Smooth gameplay, minor frame drops |
| 40-50 FPS | Very smooth gameplay, no frame drops |
OnePlus has sprinkled in some nifty features such as an IR blaster and IP54 water resistance.
It’s not exactly submersible, but it should survive an accidental splash or two – just don’t take it snorkeling.
There’s a 3.5mm headphone jack for wired audio enthusiasts and a stereo speaker for those who want to listen without it.
Finally, authentication is done via the in-display fingerprint sensor
| Feature | Specification |
| Operating System | OxygenOS 14 based on Android 14 |
| Battery | 5,500mAh |
| Charging | 80W fast charging, approx. 50 minutes to full charge |
Running on OxygenOS 14 based on Android 14, the software experience is clean and intuitive.
It’s a zen garden in a world of cluttered UIs. With two years of OS updates promised, your phone won’t be left in the software dust anytime soon
You can trust OnePlus to keep bringing software updates as quickly as possible.
Beyond that there is the usual suite of OxygenOS features that will make your life easier.
The 5,500mAh battery is the unsung hero here.
It’s a sizeable capacity cell with go. With moderate use, you’re looking at a solid day and a half of juice.
The 80W fast charging is the cherry on top, getting you from zero to hero in about 50 minutes.
The OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite is the underdog of the burgeoning sub-Rs 20,000 segment – it might not have the fanciest pedigree, but it’s got heart.
With its gorgeous AMOLED display, capable main camera, and marathon battery life, it offers a compelling package for budget-conscious buyers.
Sure, it’s not perfect. The low-light camera performance could use some work, and the processor, while reliable, isn’t exactly cutting-edge.
But for everyday users who want a taste of the OnePlus experience without breaking the bank, the Nord CE 4 Lite delivers.
In a world of flashy spec sheets and gimmicky features, this phone focuses on what matters most – a solid user experience.
It’s not trying to be the best at everything, but rather the best at being good enough for most people.
So, if you’re in the market for a budget phone that doesn’t feel budget, the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite might just be what you’ve been looking for – not too expensive, not too basic, but just right.
The OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite, Nord CE 4, and Nord CE 3 Lite each cater to different segments within the mid-range and budget smartphone market, offering a range of features and performance levels.
Both the Nord CE 4 Lite and Nord CE 4 flash their screens with lively AMOLEDs, while only the former walks away with the more powerful Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chipset, compared to only a Snapdragon 695 on the Lite.
This gives a bump needed in performance, especially gaming and using many apps at the same time.
The Nord CE 4 comes with a dual camera setup, more versatile due to an additional 8MP ultra-wide camera that just cannot be fitted into the Lite version.
Other areas include peak brightness, which can be even higher, while HDR has become better for more immersive media consumption.
On the other hand, battery capacity and fast charging will remain the same.
Though it comes with incremental upgrades compared to the Nord CE 3 Lite, it offers a brighter AMOLED display with its refresh rate and peak brightness maxed out at 120Hz.
Though there is a 50MP main sensor at the back, which is down from the 108MP on the CE 3 Lite, the improvements in image processing and stabilization are there in the Nord CE 4 Lite.
On the very same Snapdragon 695 processor, it comes with the promise of appreciably better battery life and times for the software on Android 14-based OxygenOS 14.
| Feature | OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite | OnePlus Nord CE 4 | OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite |
| Display | 6.67-inch AMOLED, 120Hz, 2100 nits | 6.7-inch AMOLED, 120Hz, 1200 nits | 6.72-inch IPS LCD, 120Hz, 680 nits |
| Processor | Snapdragon 695 | Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 | Snapdragon 695 |
| RAM | 8GB | 8GB | 8GB |
| Storage | 128GB (UFS 2.2) | 128GB (UFS 3.1) | 128GB (UFS 2.2) |
| Main Camera | 50MP with OIS | 50MP with OIS, 8MP ultra-wide | 108MP |
| Front Camera | 16MP | 16MP | 16MP |
| Battery | 5500mAh, 80W fast charging | 5500mAh, 80W fast charging | 5000mAh, 67W fast charging |
| OS | OxygenOS 14 (Android 14) | OxygenOS 14 (Android 14) | OxygenOS 13.1 (Android 13) |
| IP Rating | IP54 | IP54 | IP54 |
| Additional Features | 3.5mm headphone jack, IR blaster | No 3.5mm jack, NFC | 3.5mm headphone jack |
The OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite comes with a vibrant 6.67-inch AMOLED display, a 5,500mAh battery with 80W fast charging, and a 50MP main camera with OIS, making it a strong contender in the budget smartphone market.
The 50MP main camera with OIS performs well in well-lit conditions, but it struggles in low-light environments. Details can become soft, and colors may appear less accurate.
Yes, the Nord CE 4 Lite can handle casual gaming well, especially on medium settings. It provides smooth gameplay for popular games like BGMI and Call of Duty Mobile, though it may experience minor frame drops during intensive sessions.
The Nord CE 4 Lite features a 5,500mAh battery that can last up to a day and a half with moderate use. The 80W fast charging capability ensures the phone charges quickly, reaching full charge in about 50 minutes.
Yes, the Nord CE 4 Lite includes a 3.5mm headphone jack, catering to users who prefer wired audio connections.
Read More : OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite vs OnePlus Nord CE 4: A Detailed Comparison
Read More: OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite vs OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite: A Detailed Comparison
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