OnePlus today introduced the latest Core Edition – the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite with a 108 megapixel main camera is here. There are also new affordable earphones with ANC, the OnePlus Nord Buds 2.
OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite
The 108 megapixel camera of the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite is based on the 1/1.67 inch Samsung ISOCELL HM6 sensor. This has 0.64 µm pixels, which after 9-in-1 binning result in 12 megapixel photos with an effective pixel size of 1.92 µm. The Nord CE 2 Lite still had a 64 megapixel camera with 0.7 µm pixels. The new camera offers triple lossless digital zoom and a max 6x-zoom. OnePlus also installs a 2-megapixel macro camera and a 2-megapixel depth sensor.
The OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite is powered by the same Snapdragon 695 chipset as the 2022 model. The 6nm processor offers decent performance for the class, but it can’t compete with the 7-series Snapdragons or the new Dimensity chips. One of the biggest limitations is the 1080p/30fps cap for video recording, which doesn’t quite match a 108-megapixel camera.
At least this year, OnePlus has increased the base RAM of the Nord CE 3 Lite to 8 GB, to which OxygenOS 13.1 based on Android 13 can add another 8 GB of virtual RAM. There’s 128 or 256GB of UFS 2.2 storage, plus a hybrid nano-SIM slot that accepts a second SIM or microSD card up to 1TB. The 6.72-inch LCD display resolves FHD+ (20:9, 8-bit) with 120 Hz refresh and 240 Hz touch sampling rates. Typical brightness is 550 nits and maximum is 680 nits, plus there’s Gorilla Glass protection.
The OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite is 8.3mm thick (up from 8.5mm) and still weighs the same 195g. The battery also stores unchanged 5,000 mAh, but now supports 67 watt SuperVOOC charging. This means that an empty cell goes to 80% after 30 minutes compared to 50% with the 33 watt predecessor. Also, SuperVOOC Endurance Edition protection is on board, which prevents overcharging and slows down battery aging. According to OnePlus, you should be on the safe side for four years of daily charging, without giving exact details.
Finally, there are stereo speakers with a 200% Ultra Volume Mode and a 3.5mm headphone jack for wired headphones. The package includes a charger, a USB-C cable (USB 2.0, which supports the OnePlus phone) and a pre-installed screen protector.
OnePlus Nord Buds 2
There are also new OnePlus earbuds called Nord Buds 2. Unlike the original Nord Buds, they have active noise cancellation (ANC) which can reduce background noise by 25 dB. With the ANC switched on, the Nord Buds 2 last up to 5 hours and without active noise cancellation 7 hours.
The good news is that the OnePlus Nord Buds 2 support fast charging, and a 10-minute recharge gives you five hours of ANC-free listening. Depending on the ANC status, the charging case provides an additional 27 to 36 hours of listening time. There are 12.4mm speakers and support for Dolby Atmos audio. There is also a Dirac tuner and a Sound Master equalizer on board, as well as Bluetooth 5.3. However, this has not changed the support for fast pairing and the 94 ms gaming mode. The AAC codec is available for HIgh-Res audio.
The OnePlus Nord Buds 2 are protected against dust and water according to IP55. Little has changed in the design with the short stems, which also contain the touch controls. The Nord Buds 2 are available in Lightning White and Thunder Gray.
Prices and availability
The OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite will go on sale in Europe starting April 25th. The 8/128GB model costs €330/$362/INR 20,000. The OnePlus Nord Buds 2 are changing hands for €70/$77/INR3,000 and are already available. In our OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite price comparison, however, the prices have already dropped.
