OnePlus Nord CE4 vs OnePlus Nord CE3: What’s different this time around?

OnePlus has just launched the OnePlus Nord CE4 5G in India, the first of the fourth generation of its Nord series of mid-range smartphones. The phone looks to take on several other rivals in the mid—range segment, including the recently launched Realme 12 Pro 5G and the Nothing Phone (2a).

However, keeping aside how it fares against its rivals, many may also be grappling with whether or not to upgrade to the device from older Nord devices such as the Nord CE3 5G. Well, to help with just that, we’ve put together this little comparison between the two. Read on.

OnePlus Nord CE4 5G vs OnePlus Nord CE3 5G: Performance and storage

The OnePlus Nord CE4 is powered by the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chipset, whereas the Snapdragon 782G chipset powers the OnePlus Nord CE3. Interestingly, clock speeds on the Nord CE4 are marginally lower than those on the Nord CE3– 2.63Ghz in the case of the former, compared to 2.7Ghz in the case of the latter. However, the difference isn’t huge and should be barely noticeable. That said, the newer Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 does support better multitasking, higher image resolutions, and more.

ALSO READ: OnePlus Nord CE4 launched in India with 100W fast charging

The OnePlus Nord CE4 is available in two variants – one with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage, and another with 8GB RAM and 256GB of storage. The Nord CE3 though, is available in a 12GB variant as well, with 256GB storage.

OnePlus Nord CE4 5G vs OnePlus Nord CE3 5G: Battery and charging

The OnePlus Nord CE4 packs a 5,500mAh battery with support for 100W wired SuperVOOC fast charging. The OnePlus Nord CE3 5G on the other hand, sports a slightly smaller 5,000mAh unit, with support for 80W SuperVOOC fast charging.

The larger capacity, in addition to the fact that the OnePlus Nord CE4 also gets the newer Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chipset, means that it should last a user for longer than its predecessor with ease. With faster charging the newer Nord CE4 will also be a quicker phone to top up.

OnePlus Nord CE4 5G vs OnePlus Nord CE3 5G: Display and audio

The OnePlus Nord CE4 sports a 6.7-inch AMOLED display, with a Full HD+ resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate with a peak brightness of 1,100 nits. On offer is also a touch response rate of up to 240Hz.

The OnePlus Nord CE3’s display is largely the same in terms of display size, resolution, as well as refresh rate, except for one key difference. Peak brightness on the device stands at 950 nits.

For audio, both devices feature a dual stereo-speaker setup. However, while the Nord CE3 5G gets support for Dolby Atmos, strangely, the OnePlus website makes no mention of the same in the case of the OnePlus Nord CE4 5G.

OnePlus Nord CE4 5G vs OnePlus Nord CE3 5G: Cameras

The OnePlus Nord CE4 5G gets a 50MP Sony LYT600 primary sensor with optical image stabilisation support and a secondary 8MP Sony IMX355 ultra-wide-angle sensor. The phone supports 4K video at 30fps, and gets 20x digital zoom capabilities for photos, and 10x digital zoom capabilities for videos. On the front is a 16MP camera for selfies and video calls.

The OnePlus Nord CE3 also gets a 50MP Sony IMX890 sensor with support for OIS, and the same 8MP secondary Sony IMX355 ultra-wide-angle sensor. On the front too, it gets a 16MP camera, similar to the Nord CE4 5G.

OnePlus Nord CE4 5G vs OnePlus Nord CE3 5G: Connectivity and operating system

While both the OnePlus Nord CE4 and the OnePlus Nord CE3 get support for Wi-Fi-6 and a dual sim slot, the former gets Bluetooth 5.4 support vs the Bluetooth 5.2 support in the case of the latter.

The OnePlus Nord CE4 5G, being a newer model, comes running Android 14-based ColorOS 14 straight out of the box. On the other hand, the OnePlus Nord CE3 5G gets the Android 13-based Oxygen OS 13 operating system pre-installed.

OnePlus Nord CE4 5G vs OnePlus Nord CE3 5G: Pricing and availability

The OnePlus Nord CE4 is available in Dark Chrome and Celadon Marble colourways, whereas the OnePlus Nord CE3 can be had in Grey Shimmer and Aqua Surge colourways.

The former is priced at Rs 24,999 for the 8GB RAM and 128GB storage variant, while the 8GB RAM and 256GB storage variant is priced at Rs 26,999.

ALSO READ: OnePlus Nord CE4 vs Nothing Phone (2a): A head-on-comparison

The latter on the other hand, is priced at Rs 24,999 for the 8GB RAM and 128GB storage variant, whereas the 12GB RAM and 256GB storage variant is priced at Rs 27,999.

Should you upgrade to the OnePlus Nord CE4 5G?

The OnePlus Nord CE4 5G does offer several upgrades over its predecessor under the hood. Namely, the display, processor, and battery. While the camera setup is similar, the newer LYT sensors on the Nord CE4 5G also ensure higher-quality images. All of these factors combined, make the device a worthy upgrade, if said perks matter a lot to you.

If they don’t, however, the OnePlus Nord CE3 5G remains an extremely potent device and need not be upgraded just yet.