OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite 5G Review : The phone’s design is quite tasteful and comes with minimalist lines characteristic to the Nord line. The boxy frame is heavily present with flat edges; a side-mounted fingerprint scanner is given on the outside of the phone, while the back panel is gloss-finished and available in flamboyant colors like Mega Blue and Ultra Orange.
Big on the hand because of a completely plastic built, but the robust feel it possesses well soothes the heart. Weighing 191 grams, it is an excellent fit when held between one palm and another while keeping the usage comfortable with one hand. It comes with an IP54 rating, meaning it will be protected from very light splashes and spills that you wouldn’t want to intentionally test.
Display And Performance
The Nord CE 4 Lite is one such phone with a display reputed to be very bright (2100 nits) under direct sunlight, with better outdoor visibility as well as refresh rate (120Hz). Users would combine it with an AMOLED panel to enjoy a vibrant engaging color experience with deep rich contrast-no need to seek media of any kind that can provide what is possible in that price range.
Leaving out the 120 Hz AMOLED, it also has a very noticeable lower flicker (flickering at 2160Hz), which is a pretty nice consideration to save the eyes of its users from strain over prolonged use.
Processor And Performance
OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite is powered by Snapdragon 695. It multitasks quite well, sailing smoothly through internet browsing, WhatsApp Messenger, social networking, and a little bit of gaming. But the processor in the SoC has fallen a couple of generations behind and will cause a few stutters while dealing with heavy games or while switching between more demanding applications.
Casual gaming is a breeze. An 8GB RAM makes sure that gameplay, app launching, and multitasking proceed all in smoothness. With 128GB or 256GB of storage, intense UFS 2.2 speeds gave a performance boost. OxygenOS 14 is running on Android 14 and promises a smooth and hassle-free experience without bloatware, enhancing the user’s experience.
Camera Quality
It features a Sony LYT-600 with a 50 MP main sensor with OIS and a 2 MP depth. OIS did very well for sunny bright days. Low light shots did feel underwhelming with noticeable grain and details. An ultra-wide sensor could have made things more interesting for shooting. The front houses a 16 MP standard camera that does an okay job in bright conditions but doesn’t fare well in low light.
Battery And Charging
Battery has always been and still remains this device’s strongest point, just above the mark of 5,500mAh-which on normal usage would usually allow more than one day’s use. It is supported by an 80W SuperVOOC fast charging so that within about 25-30 minutes, the device can charge to about 50% and then fully charge within an hour. It can also carry out reverse charging, adorning a power bank-like capability at 5W.
Speakers and Connectivity
Necessary for watching video streaming and gaming, the loudest, clearest sound emanates from that dual front-firing speaker. This one does not come with Dolby Atmos, but at this price point, it might be excused. Other connectivities include a 3.5mm headset jack, dual SIM 5G, Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.1, and Type-C USB.
Pros
- Bright, colorful AMOLED display
- Excellent battery life with super fast charging
- Clean OxygenOS software experience.
- IP54 dust and water-resistant
- Reverse charging support
Cons
- Snapdragon 695 feels quite outdated by 2025
- No ultra-wide camera
- Camera performance during low light needs work
- Only two Android updates are promised
OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G is a phone well worth its money under 20,000. For people who want a phone with a super display, lasting battery life, and a decent fast-charge, this automatically puts it in the plus column. Sure, it may not hold you captive regarding camera performance or raw power, but this is probably forgivable given the sense of assurance it lends when held. This phone may be a good bet if battery life was the utmost number one priority and software second. But if gaming and photography made one go for this phone, the iQOO Z9 or Realme Narzo70 Pro could be considered best in this price segment instead.