OnePlus Nord CE 5G was released in June 2021 and quickly became a popular choice among buyers. It was one the best mid-range phones at that time. However, smartphone brands have released many devices with better specs at a similar price point since its launch.
If you’re thinking of buying the OnePlus Nord CE 5G, make sure to check out these 7 best alternatives that offer more value for the money to make a better purchase decision.
The OnePlus Nord CE 5G is currently selling at Rs. 24,999 for the 8GB RAM variant, while the 12GB RAM option has a price tag of Rs. 25,990. It features a large Fluid AMOLED, Snapdragon 750G 5G processor, and 64MP triple rear cameras. Here’s the spec sheet for a quick overview:
| OnePlus Nord CE 5G | |
|---|---|
| Display | 6.43 inches Fluid AMOLED screen 1080 x 2400 pixels resolution 90Hz refresh rate |
| Rear Camera | 64MP (OIS) – Primary 8MP – Ultrawide 2MP – Depth |
| Video Recording | 4K @ 30 fps, 1080p @ 30/60 fps Slow motion: 1080p @ 120 fps, 720p @ 120/240 fps |
| Front Camera | 16MP |
| Chip | Snapdragon 750 5G (8 nm) Adreno 619 GPU |
| RAM/Storage | Up to 12GB LPDDR4X RAM Up to 256GB UFS 2.1 storage |
| OS | Android 11, OxygenOS 11 |
| Battery | 4,500 mAh battery 30W charging |
| Connectivity | 5G / 4G / 3G / 2G Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, 2.4G/5G Bluetooth 5.1 NFC GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou, A-GPS |
| Misc | In-display fingerprint sensor USB 2.0, Type-C Dual nano-SIM slot 3.5mm headphone jack Noise cancellation support |
1. OnePlus Nord CE 4 5G
| OnePlus Nord CE 4 5G | |
|---|---|
| Display | 6.7 inches Fluid AMOLED 120Hz refresh rate 1080 x 2412 pixels resolution HDR10+, 1B colors, 1100 nits (peak) |
| Rear Camera | 50MP (OIS) – Primary 8MP – Ultrawide |
| Front Camera | 16MP |
| Video Recording | 4K @ 30fps, 1080p @ 30/60fps, 720p @ 30/60fps Slow-mo: 1080p @ 12fps, 720p @ 240fps |
| Chip | Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 (4nm) Adreno 720 GPU |
| RAM/Storage | 8GB/128GB, 8GB/256GB Up to 1TB (MicroSD) |
| Battery | 5,500 mAh battery 100W SUPERVOOC charging |
| OS | Android 14, OxygenOS 14 |
| Connectivity | 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.4 |
OnePlus Nord CE 4 Price:
- 8GB + 128GB: Rs. 24,998
- 8GB + 256GB: Rs. 26,998
OnePlus Nord CE 4 5G is probably the best alternative to the Nord CE 5G if you’re a loyal OnePlus fan. This phone has a Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chipset, which has faster and more efficient cores than those in the Snapdragon 750 5G chip in the Nord CE 5G. Not just that, the 7 Gen 3 is fabricated using TSMC’s 4nm possess node, resulting in better power efficiency.
It is not just the CPU; the GPU is also more capable — Adreno 720 (vs. Adreno 619 in the Nord CE 5G). So, there’s a big performance gap between the two devices, with the Nord CE 4 5G leading the race.
The display is also bigger and better on the Nord CE 4 5G. You get a 120Hz refresh rate for smoother scrolling and 1100nits of peak brightness for better outdoor visibility.
There are also big differences on the camera front. The primary camera on the Nord CE 4 5G has OIS for better stabilization in photos and videos, which isn’t present in the Nord CE 5G. There’s also an 8MP ultrawide sensor but no depth sensor, which doesn’t make a big impact. For selfies, there’s a 16MP sensor on both smartphones.
Both the OnePlus Nord CE 5G and Nord CE 4 5G can record 4K videos. The latter has a 5,500 mAh battery with 100W fast charging support, more battery capacity, and faster charging than the Nord CE 5G. On the connectivity front, the Nord CE 4 5G has Wi-Fi support, USB type-C (no 3.5mm headphone jack), and Bluetooth 5.4.
One of the best benefits of purchasing newer models is that they come with the latest version of Android OS and receive longer software updates. Android 14 was the last OS upgrade for the Nord CE 5G, while the Nord CE 4 5G will receive OS updates until Android 16 at least.
2. Poco X6 Pro
| Poco X6 Pro | |
|---|---|
| Display | 6.67 inches AMOLED 120Hz refresh rate (adaptive) 1220 x 2712 px resolution HDR10+, Dolby Vision, 1800 nits (peak) |
| Rear Camera | 64MP (OIS) – Primary 8MP – Ultrawide 2MP – Macro |
| Front Camera | 16MP |
| Video Recording | 4K @ 30fps, 1080p @ 30/60fps |
| Chip | Dimensity 8300 Ultra (4nm) Mali-G615 MC6 |
| RAM/Storage | 8GB/256GB, 12GB/512GB |
| Battery | 5,000 mAh battery 67W charging |
| OS | Android 14, HyperOS |
| Connectivity | 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC |
Poco X6 Pro Price:
- 8GB + 256GB: Rs. 23,999
- 12GB + 512GB: Rs. 25,999
Poco X6 Pro is another great alternative to the OnePlus Nord CE 5G. It packs a powerful Dimensity 8300 Ultra chipset, much more powerful than the Snapdragon 750 5G in Nord CE 5G. The performance is great on the Poco X6 Pro, which is what Poco phones are known for.
The display on Poco is slightly bigger with HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and high refresh rate support. Also, the peak brightness is higher for better outdoor visibility.
This Poco phone has a similar camera configuration on the rear side — 64MP + 8MP + 2MP. However, the major difference is OIS, which the Nord CE 5G doesn’t have. It also has better speakers and supports a newer Bluetooth standard.
The Poco X6 Pro‘s battery has a 5,000 mAh capacity (vs. 4,500 mAh in the Nord CE 5G) and supports a faster charging of 67W (vs. 30W in the Nord CE 5G). Like the Nord CE 4 5G, the Poco X6 Pro also lacks a 3.5mm headphone jack. The Poco phone has all the necessary connectivity features. However, the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth standards are better than the OnePlus Nord CE 5G.
3. Samsung Galaxy F55 5G
| Poco X6 Pro | |
|---|---|
| Display | 6.7 inches Super AMOLED+ 1080 x 2400 px resolution 120Hz, 1000 nits (peak) |
| Rear Camera | 50MP (OIS) – Primary 8MP – Ultrawide 2MP – Macro |
| Front Camera | 50MP |
| Video Recording | 4K @ 30fps, 1080p @ 30/60fps |
| Chip | Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 (4nm) Adreno 644 |
| RAM/Storage | 8GB/128GB, 8GB/256GB, 12GB/256GB Up to 1TB (MicroSD) |
| Battery | 5,000 mAh battery 45W charging |
| OS | Android 14, One UI 6.1 |
| Connectivity | 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC |
Galaxy F55 5G Price:
- 8GB + 128GB: Rs. 26,200
- 8GB + 256GB: Rs. 29,999
- 12GB + 256GB: Rs. 32,999
The Galaxy F55 5G was launched in May. It’s the best Galaxy F-series phone to date and one of the best in the 20-30K segment. It has a slightly bigger display than the Nord CE 5G with a higher refresh rate and a peak brightness of 1000nits. The Galaxy F55 ships with Android 14 out of the box and should get at least two years of OS updates.
The Samsung smartphone is powered by a powerful Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 chipset with an integrated Adreno 644 GPU. The CPU and GPU performance of this chip is much faster and more efficient than the Snapdragon 750G 5G in the Nord CE 5G.
The OnePlus Nord CE 5G lacks OIS, which is offered in the Galaxy F55 5G for its primary camera on the rear side. The front camera is also a 50MP sensor. Both phones can record 4K videos with their rear camera setup, but the Galaxy F55 5G can record 4K videos with its front camera as well.
The Galaxy device supports newer Wi-Fi and Bluetooth standards for better connectivity. The battery is also bigger and has faster charging support compared to the OnePlus Nord CE 5G.
4. Nothing Phone 2a
| Nothing Phone 2a | |
|---|---|
| Display | 6.7 inches AMOLED 1080 x 2412 px resolution 120Hz (adaptive), HDR10+, 1300 nits (peak) |
| Rear Camera | 50MP (OIS) – Primary 50MP – Ultrawide |
| Front Camera | 32MP |
| Video Recording | 4K @ 30fps, 1080p @ 60fps Slow-Mo: 1080p @ 120fps |
| Chip | Dimensity 7200 Pro (4nm) Mali-G610 MC4 |
| RAM/Storage | 8GB/128GB, 8GB/256GB, 12GB/256GB |
| Battery | 5,000 mAh battery 45W charging |
| OS | Android 14, Nothing OS 2.5 |
| Connectivity | 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC |
Nothing Phone 2a Price:
- 8GB + 128GB: 23,999
- 8GB + 256GB: 25,999
- 12GB + 256GB: 27,999
Nothing Phone 2a is the company’s latest smartphone and a strong contender for the 20-30K price range. It has a 6.7-inch AMOLED screen with 1080p resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, and a peak brightness of 1300nits. It’s bigger and better than the OnePlus Nord CE 5G’s display with the added protection of Gorilla Glass 5.
The Nothing phone ships with Android 14 out of the box and is promised three years of Android updates. It’s powered by the Dimensity 7200 Pro chipset, a 4 nm chip with faster and more efficient cores and better GPU performance than the Snapdragon 750 5G in Nord CE 5G.
The Nothing Phone 2a features a dual rear camera setup—a 50MP primary sensor with OIS and another 50MP sensor for ultrawide shots. It has a 32MP sensor for selfies and video calling. The Nothing phone has OIS for better stability in images and videos and has better imaging capabilities overall compared to the Nord CE 5G.
There’s no 3.5mm headphone jack, but supports newer Wi-Fi and Bluetooth standards for better connectivity. The Nothing phone has got a bigger battery with faster charging support.
5. iQOO Neo 7
| iQOO Neo 7 | |
|---|---|
| Display | 6.78 inches AMOLED 1080 x 2400 px resolution 120Hz, HDR10+, 1300 nits (peak) |
| Rear Camera | 64MP (OIS) – Primary 2MP – Bokeh 2MP – Macro |
| Front Camera | 16MP |
| Video Recording | 4K @ 30fps, 1080p @ 30fps |
| Chip | Dimensity 8200 (4nm) Mali-G610 MC6 |
| RAM/Storage | 8GB/128GB, 12GB/256GB |
| Battery | 5,000 mAh battery 120W charging |
| OS | Android 13, Funtouch OS 13 |
| Connectivity | 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3 |
iQOO Neo 7 Price:
- 8GB + 128GB: 27,990
This iQOO phone was released last year with Android 13 out of the box. It has a bigger display than the OnePlus Nord CE 5G, with a 120Hz refresh rate and a higher peak brightness for smooth scrolling and better outdoor visibility.
The device gets its power from a 4nm Dimensity 8200 chip. It’s much faster and power efficient than the Snapdragon 750G 5G chip in the Nord CE 5G. Although both smartphones support up to 256GB storage, the Neo 7 has a faster UFS 3.1 storage, resulting in better performance.
The primary camera on the iQOO Neo 7 has the same resolution as in Nord CE 5G, but it’s the OIS support in the Neo 7 that makes the difference. The iQOO phone lacks an ultrawide camera but has two 2MP sensors for depth and macro.
Both the OnePlus Nord CE 5G and iQOO Neo 7 have similar connectivity features. However, the latter supports a newer Bluetooth standard but lacks a 3.5mm headphone jack. The Neo 7 has a bigger battery of 5,000 mAh capacity with 120W fast charging support.
There’s also an iQOO Neo 7 Pro with a more powerful chipset and better camera capabilities, but you’ll have to spend some extra bucks.
6. OnePlus Nord 3 5G
| OnePlus Nord 3 5G | |
|---|---|
| Display | 6.74 inches Super Fluid AMOLED 1240 x 2772 px resolution 120Hz, HDR10+, 1450 nits (peak) |
| Rear Camera | 50MP (OIS) – Primary 8MP – Ultrawide 2MP – Macro |
| Front Camera | 16MP |
| Video Recording | 4K @ 30/60fps, 1080p @ 30/60fps, 720p @ 30/60fps Super slow-mo: 1080p @ 120fps, 720p @ 240fps Ultra steady: 1080p @ 60fps |
| Chip | Dimensity 9000 (4nm) Mali-G710 MC10 |
| RAM/Storage | 8GB/128GB, 16GB/256GB |
| Battery | 5,000 mAh battery 80W charging |
| OS | Android 13, OxygenOS 13.1 |
| Connectivity | 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC |
OnePlus Nord 3 5G Price:
- 8GB + 128GB: Rs. 20,999
- 16GB + 256GB: Rs. 34,999
OnePlus Nord 3 5G is another solid upgrade over the Nord CE 5G. It has a bigger display with 1B colors, 120Hz refresh rate, high screen resolution, and a higher peak brightness. It runs OxygenOS 13 out of the box, based on Android 13.
There’s a MediaTek Dimensity 9000 chipset inside the Nord 3 5G, much more powerful and power efficient than the Snapdragon 750 5G in the Nord CE 5G. On top of this, the device has faster storage — UFS 3.1 (vs. UFS 2.1 in the Nord CE 5G). From your day-to-day tasks to gaming, the chip can handle them smoothly.
The camera specs are pretty similar to those of the Nord CE 5G, but the primary sensor has OIS support in the Nord 3 5G, which makes a significant difference. You also get a 5,000 mAh battery with 80W fast charging support. The connectivity is also better on the Nord 3 5G.
7. Realme GT 2 5G
| Realme GT 2 5G | |
|---|---|
| Display | 6.62 inches AMOLED 1080 x 2400 px resolution 120Hz, HDR10+, 1300 nits (peak) |
| Rear Camera | 50MP (OIS) – Primary 8MP – Ultrawide 2MP – Macro |
| Front Camera | 16MP |
| Video Recording | 4K @ 30fps, 1080p @ 30fps |
| Chip | Snapdragon 888 (5nm) Adreno 660 GPU |
| RAM/Storage | 8GB/128GB, 12GB/256GB |
| Battery | 5,000 mAh battery 65W charging |
| OS | Android 12, Realme UI 3.0 |
| Connectivity | 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC |
Realme GT 2 5G Price:
- 8GB + 128GB: Rs. 24,999
- 12GB + 256GB: Rs. 28,999
Realme GT 2 5G was launched in 2022 as a flagship phone with a starting price of Rs. 34,999. However, it’s now available at a much lower price, making it a strong choice in the under-30K segment.
Compared to the OnePlus Nord CE 5G, the Realme GT 2 5G has a bigger display with a higher screen refresh rate and peak brightness. The display is protected by Gorilla Glass 5.
The Realme phone runs Android 13 out of the box. It has a Snapdragon 888 5G at the helm, which offers better CPU and GPU performance compared to the Snapdragon 750G 5G chip inside the Nord CE 5G. The Realme GT 2 5G also has faster storage.
Instead of 64MP, the GT 2 5G has a 50MP primary camera, but with OIS support for better image and video stability. There’s also an 8MP ultrawide sensor and a 2MP macro shooter. On the front, you get a 16MP selfie shooter.
As with every other phone on this page, you get newer Wi-Fi and Bluetooth standards for better connectivity. There’s no 3.5mm headphone jack, though. The battery inside the Realme GT 2 5G has a 5,000 mAh capacity and supports 65W fast charging. That means a bigger battery and lesser charging time compared to the OnePlus Nord CE 5G.
So, these are the 7 best alternatives to the OnePlus Nord CE 5G. Which of these is a solid choice over the Nord CE 5G, in your opinion? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
