This is the OnePlus Nord CE 5G — and it’s launching today

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A last-minute teaser from OnePlus shows us what the Nord CE 5G looks like

OnePlus Nord CE 5G
(Image credit: OnePlus/TechRadar)

Get a last-minute look at the OnePlus Nord CE 5G, just before OnePlus officially launches it.

This render, given as an exclusive to TechRadar, is part of a detailed teaser for OnePlus' new phone. The article focuses a lot on OnePlus' design philosophy when it came to crafting the phone's body and selecting its features, but we also learn a few of its most important specs.

The color of this model is named Blue Void. It's similar to the Blue Marble of the original Nord but different enough to give the CE a unique look. It's also got a matte, fingerprint-resistant finish, a nice premium touch that the first Nord lacked.

The physical design has only been gently modified. The phone's flash module has moved, from the top right of the oblong camera module to the bottom right, and there are also three cameras on the back, instead of the Nord's four. Our bet is that the main and ultrawide lenses will remain, but either the macro or depth sensors may disappear.

If you didn't already know, the CE in the phone's name stands for "Core Edition". As Oliver Zhang explained to TechRadar, this means cutting down the original Nord while focussing on an all-round experience, with features like a 90Hz display, 30W fast charging and 5G connectivity.

Most of the phone's details are being kept for today's announcement, which takes place on YouTube at 3pm BST/10am EDT. However, with a last-minute rumor coming from Mukul Sharma on Twitter, all the gaps OnePlus deliberately left in the Nord CE's specs are seemingly filled in.

OnePlus Nord CE 5G rumored specs

According to Sharma's tweets, the Nord CE will be a 6.4-inch handset with an FHD resolution display. Unlike the original Nord, the CE may feature a 3.5mm headphone jack for your wired audio needs.

The three cameras on the back are allegedly a 64MP main sensor, an 8MP ultrawide sensor and a 2MP mono camera for black and white shots. That differs slightly from a previous Nord CE specs leak, which said the 2MP camera was a macro sensor.

The two sources agree on the front camera, however, which is said to be a 16MP selfie shooter. There's no sign of the ultrawide selfie camera that appeared on the original Nord.

The OnePlus Nord CE 5G is expected to be powered by a Snapdragon 750G chipset, with either 6GB, 8GB or 12GB of RAM accompanied by 128GB or 256GB storage. That's again a little different from the other rumor, which mentioned there would be a 64GB storage option, but nothing of 12GB RAM or 256GB storage. The Nord CE 5G may have a 4,500 mAh battery, equipped with the 30W wired fast charging already revealed by OnePlus.

This stripped-back Nord still sounds like a well-equipped rival for the Google Pixel 4a and Pixel 4a 5G or the Samsung Galaxy A52 5G. The only problem is, like the original Nord, this won't come to the U.S. according to Sharma, just Europe and India. 

We'll likely see a successor to the Nord N100 and Nord N10 for American customers soon though. Plus, if we're lucky the Nord 2 that's starting to be rumored will come across the Atlantic when its time comes.

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Richard Priday
Richard Priday
Assistant Phones Editor

Richard is based in London, covering news, reviews and how-tos for phones, tablets, gaming, and whatever else people need advice on. Following on from his MA in Magazine Journalism at the University of Sheffield, he's also written for WIRED U.K., The Register and Creative Bloq. When not at work, he's likely thinking about how to brew the perfect cup of specialty coffee.