The OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite has arrived in India, aiming to capture the hearts (and wallets) of budget-conscious consumers. A successor to the popular Nord CE 3 Lite, this new device boasts a few key upgrades, including an OLED display and a primary camera with optical image stabilisation (OIS). But is it enough to stand out in a fiercely competitive market where OLED screens, 5G connectivity, and fast charging are becoming the norm? We took it for a spin to see if the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite has what it takes to shine.
OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite Price in India
The OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite comes in two variants:
- 8GB+128GB: Rs. 19,999
- 8GB+256GB: Rs. 22,999
It’s available in three stylish colours: Mega Blue, Super Silver, and Ultra Orange.
Design: A Familiar Look with Subtle Updates
The OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite’s Mega Blue variant, the one we tested, features a plastic rear panel and flat edges that give off a metal-like finish. The slightly rounded corners and flat edges contribute to a comfortable grip. While it’s a bit heavy (191g), it’s not so heavy as to cause fatigue during prolonged use.
The rear camera layout, much like the previous model, is vertically aligned, but this time it’s housed in a new pill-shaped section that sits under the rear panel and includes a dual LED flash setup.
The phone’s bottom edge houses a 3.5mm audio jack, a microphone, a USB Type-C port, and a speaker grille. A second speaker is located on the top edge, while the power and volume buttons are on the right side. The SIM card tray resides on the left edge. The phone is certified IP54, resistant to splashes and dust, and the supplied transparent case provides added protection for the charging and audio ports.
Specifications and Software: A Mix of Familiar and Fresh
The OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite steps up its game with a couple of significant upgrades over its predecessor:
OLED Display: The phone boasts a 6.67-inch full-HD+ (1,080×2,400 pixels) AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate. This is a vast improvement over the LCD display of the previous model. The display can reach up to 1,200 nits of brightness with automatic brightness enabled, which is noticeably better for outdoor visibility.
- Camera Upgrade: The Nord CE 4 Lite’s primary camera receives a boost with the inclusion of optical image stabilisation (OIS). This feature is especially beneficial for capturing stable images in low light or when shooting video.
While the primary camera benefits from these features, the supporting 2-megapixel depth sensor remains largely inactive.
The Nord CE 4 Lite employs the Snapdragon 695 chipset, a consistent choice for the Nord CE Lite series over the past three years. The chipset, manufactured using a 6nm process, handles everyday tasks efficiently. The phone comes with 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM and up to 256GB of UFS 2.2 storage.
It runs Android 14 with OxygenOS 14, although the software support window remains undefined.
The connectivity options remain largely unchanged, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.1, 5G, 4G LTE, GPS, and a USB Type-C port. However, the phone unfortunately lacks NFC support.
OnePlus has bumped up the battery capacity to 5,500mAh, and it now supports 80W SuperVOOC charging for a significantly faster charging experience. The addition of an in-display fingerprint sensor for biometric authentication is another welcome addition, enabled by the new OLED screen.
Performance: Solid Execution, But Room for Improvement
The Snapdragon 695 is a competent processor for everyday tasks and provides comparable performance to competitors using MediaTek’s Dimensity 7050 chipset. It can handle popular games and apps, as long as they are not too demanding.
During testing, Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) performed well with the default graphics settings; however, there was some lag in certain scenarios when the phone warmed up. Asphalt 9, on the other hand, ran flawlessly with no issues, even after 30 minutes of continuous play.
The OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite’s synthetic benchmark results (shown below) highlight its performance compared to two other handsets with similar chipsets:
| Benchmark | OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite | Realme P1 5G | iQoo Z9 5G |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 Single Core | 904 | 956 | 1151 |
| Geekbench 6 Multi Core | 2015 | 2369 | 2669 |
| AnTuTu v10 | 448,127 | 570,926 | 687,545 |
| PCMark Work 3.0 | 9,850 | 13,319 | 13,319 |
| 3DMark Wild Life | 1508 | 4126 | 4126 |
| 3DMark Wild Life Unlimited | 1507 | 4205 | 4205 |
| 3DMark Sling Shot | 4226 | 6654 | 6654 |
| 3DMark Sling Shot Extreme | 3121 | 5766 | 5766 |
| GFXBench Car Chase | 17 | 21 | 33 |
| GFXBench Manhattan 3.1 | 30 | 39 | 60 |
| GFXBench T-Rex | 60 | 60 | 108 |
OxygenOS 14 proved to be a stable and efficient software experience, with apps remaining in memory for a reasonable period after use. Switching between apps was smooth, especially with navigation gestures, and app loading times were generally quick.
OnePlus’s continued inclusion of pre-installed bloatware remains a point of frustration. The Nord CE 4 Lite comes with several apps such as Agoda, Bubble Pop, Netflix, Facebook, LinkedIn, Microsoft 365, Myntra, Tile Match, and Word Connect. Fortunately, they can be uninstalled.
The new AMOLED screen is a significant upgrade over its predecessor’s LCD panel. The screen is sharp, vibrant, and reaches 1,200 nits of peak brightness, resulting in good visibility outdoors when automatic brightness is enabled.
Battery life is on par with other smartphones in this price segment. The Nord CE 4 Lite achieved 22 hours and 17 minutes in the HD video battery loop test. It delivers an average of 6 hours of screen-on time during routine use.
The 80W SuperVOOC charging is a game-changer. A 30-minute charge delivers 72 percent of battery while a full charge takes approximately 55 minutes.
Cameras: A Mixed Bag of Features and Results
The OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite’s camera system comprises a dual rear camera setup – a 50-megapixel shooter with a Sony LYT-600 sensor and an f/1.9 aperture, accompanied by a 2-megapixel depth sensor with an f/2.4 aperture. The primary camera is the only one practically useful for capturing images.
While the 50-megapixel primary camera sports a lower megapixel count than the previous model, it benefits from the inclusion of OIS and EIS.
The primary camera captured clear images during the day, as long as the subject was not too distant. These images are suitable for social media, but they lack detail if you zoom in.
The camera app provides in-sensor zoom for capturing 2x zoom images. The feature generates images with decent detail for close-up subjects. However, just like the standard 1x mode, detail dwindles when zoomed in.
The Night mode is helpful for improving images in low light scenarios, but requires manual activation. This feature is not automatically enabled when low light is detected, which can be inconsistent. The night mode significantly improves visibility, producing more detail compared to the default auto mode, but it’s not ideal for capturing fast-moving objects due to its slow capture time (more than a second). It also tends to smooth out noise excessively, resulting in an unnaturally brightened sky at night.
The 16-megapixel selfie camera does a good job of capturing clear selfies both indoors and outdoors in well-lit conditions. However, images taken at night are typically blurry, and colours appear less vibrant.
The primary rear camera can shoot 1080p/ 30fps video at both 1x and 2x zoom. Both modes use OIS and EIS, which cannot be switched off. The video quality is clear and suitable for social media uploads, but OIS effectiveness diminishes in low light scenarios. The selfie camera can record 1080p/ 30fps video, but without stabilisation.
Verdict: A Mixed Bag in a Tough Market
The OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite brings upgrades over its predecessor with the new OLED screen and OIS-enabled primary camera, but it faces intense competition in the under Rs. 20,000 segment. Other brands, in addition to OnePlus’s own models, offer strong competitors with better camera performance or more potent chipsets.
The older OnePlus Nord CE 3 boasts a more powerful processor and often drops below Rs. 20,000 on e-commerce platforms like Amazon.
Therefore, it’s hard to recommend the Nord CE 4 Lite unless you have a specific preference for OnePlus devices.
Several alternatives exist in the same price range. For example, the Poco X6 5G and Realme 12+ offer faster chipsets than the Nord CE 4 Lite and possess a more versatile camera array. Other contenders include the iQoo Z9, Realme P1 Pro 5G, Vivo T3, and Tecno Pova 6 Pro, all of which provide a strong challenge.
In conclusion, the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite is a decent offering in the budget segment, but it falls short in a highly competitive market. The AMOLED display and the OIS-enabled primary camera are welcome improvements, but the overall package isn’t enough
to distinguish itself from other compelling options.
