OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite hands-on review

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Introduction

The OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite is the company's latest entry-level model for Asian and European markets. The third-generation variant is a modest upgrade over its predecessor, with the most notable changes on paper being the switch to a new 108MP main camera and faster 67W SUPERVOOC charging.

The Nord CE 3 Lite is also largely identical to the Realme 10 Pro, a phone we have reviewed in the past. This means it has the same 6.72-inch 120Hz 1080p display, 5000mAh battery, a headphone jack, and the aforementioned 108MP main camera. And since this is, after all, a rebranded Realme phone, it also lacks unique OnePlus features like the alert slider.

OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite specs at a glance:

• Body: 165.5x76.0x8.3mm, 195g; Glass front, plastic frame, plastic back.
• Display: 6.72" IPS LCD, 120Hz, 550 nits (typ), 680 nits (peak), 1080x2400px resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, 391ppi.
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM6375 Snapdragon 695 5G (6 nm): Octa-core (2x2.2 GHz Kryo 660 Gold & 6x1.7 GHz Kryo 660 Silver); Adreno 619.
• Memory: 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM; UFS 2.2; microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot).
• OS/Software: Android 13, OxygenOS 13.1.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 108 MP, f/1.8, 1/1.67", 0.64µm, PDAF; Macro: 2 MP, f/2.4; Depth: 2 MP, f/2.4.
• Front camera: 16 MP, f/2.4, (wide), 1.0µm.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 1080p@30fps; Front camera: 1080p@30fps.
• Battery: 5000mAh; 67W wired, 80% in 30 min (advertised).
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (side-mounted); 3.5mm jack; stereo speakers.

So at the risk of retreading familiar ground, let's get on with the review of the Nord CE 3 Lite.

Unboxing

The Nord CE 3 Lite comes with basic packaging including the phone, a clear silicone case, an 80W SUPERVOOC charger, and a charging and data cable.

The case has flaps for the USB port and the headphone jack, which aside from being annoying, can also block some headphones from being plugged in properly.