OnePlus recently revealed that it would become an Oppo sub-brand, and the company has confirmed that its OxygenOS will be integrated with the ColorOS of its new parent company. The two companies have chosen to standardize the software experience across their whole portfolio to “better use [their] shared resources.”
According to recent rumors, OnePlus smartphones produced in China employ Oppo‘s ColorOS, and this is expected to be the case with all future OnePlus devices. Those who already have OxygenOS on their OnePlus smartphones will be updated to the latest version and will continue to receive regular updates with the new integration via OTA updates, according to Engadget.
It seems the company has been quite busy the past year. OnePlus released one of its most cheap 5G phones to date in June, which is a low-cost version of the company’s best-selling OnePlus Nord.
The Nord CE, or “core edition,” promises to improve your everyday life and aid with everyday tasks such as SMS transfer. The device costs £299 (about $420 or AU$ 550) and is the Chinese firm’s cheapest 5G device this year, if not ever. The real question is what cut-backs were made to make the device so cheap?
Considering its pricing, the Nord CE has a bevy of premium features, including 5G, an AMOLED display with a high refresh rate, and a huge battery. Compromise on the processor was one method OnePlus cut expenses for the Nord CE. There’s a Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G chipset, which is a step down from last year’s OnePlus Nord, which had a Snapdragon 765G chipset.
To keep the price low, OnePlus chose to employ lower-cost building materials. Unlike the OnePlus 9, the Nord CE has a plastic back instead of glass, as well as a plastic frame. Furthermore, it does not have an IP classification for water and dust resistance.
The device does have some drawbacks but it is still better than the mid-range devices available in the market at the moment. Plus, the compromise with some of the premium features is what makes it budget-friendly hence a sacrifice worth making.
Below are the specs of the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus Nord CE:
| OnePlus 9 | OnePlus Nord CE | |
| Display | 6.5 inches 2400 x 1080 pixels, 20:9 ratio, 402 PPI AMOLED 120Hz refresh rate, HDR support, Scratch-resistant glass (Corning Gorilla Glass), Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor | 6.4 inches2400 x 1080 pixels, 20:9 ratio, 409 PPIAMOLED90Hz refresh rate, Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor |
| Hardware | Qualcomm Snapdragon 888·Octa-core, 2840 MHz, Kryo 680, 64-bit, 5 nm RAM 8GB LPDDR5Internal Storage 128GB (UFS 3.1), not expandableAndroid (11), OxygenOS UI | Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G SM7225 Octa-core, 2200 MHz, Kryo 570 Gold, 64-bit, 8 nm RAM 6GBInternal Storage128 GB, no expandableAndroid (11) |
| Battery | 4500 mAh OnePlus Warp Charge, Qi wireless charging | 4500 mAhFast Charging |
| Camera | 48-megapixel (main), 50-megapixel (ultra-wide), 2-megapixel (monochrome) | 64-megapixel (wide), 8-megapixel (ultra-wide), 2-megapixel (monochrome) |
| Design | Back: Glass (Corning Gorilla Glass); Frame: Aluminum2D Face unlock, In-screen fingerprintAvailable in:Winter Mist, Arctic Sky, Astral Black | Back: Plastic; Frame: Plastic2D Face unlock, In-screen fingerprintAvailable in:Blue Void, Charcoal Ink, Silver Ray |
So which one should you get?
It depends on how much you are willing to spend on a smartphone. If you want a jacked-up device with multiple various features then you should go for the OnePlus Nord 9 however if you are willing to give up on some extra features then OnePlus Nord CE is the device for you.
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Robert Haba is the founder and editor-in-chief of Droid Tools. A lifelong gadget enthusiast with over a decade following the Android ecosystem, he built this publication to cut through the noise and give readers honest, real-world coverage of the tech they actually use.
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