OnePlus Nord CE5 Review: The “Battery King” of 2026?

Let’s address the elephant in the room. The “CE” (Core Edition) series was supposed to be the “lite” version of the premium Nord phones. But looking at the OnePlus Nord CE5, I’m confused.

With a massive 7,100mAh battery (yes, you read that right) and the new Dimensity 8350 Apex chipset, this phone isn’t acting like a “lite” version of anything. It’s acting like a flagship killer.

Launching at a starting price of ₹24,999 (and already selling for ₹22,999 in the Freedom Sale), the Nord CE5 is targeting the throat of the sub-25K market. I’ve used this device as my primary driver for 10 days in Delhi’s winter, pushing it through BGMI sessions and endless 5G speed tests. Is it just a battery bank with a screen, or a complete package? Let’s find out.

Quick Specs: The Numbers Game

Feature	OnePlus Nord CE5 Specifications
Display	6.77″ FHD+ AMOLED, 120Hz, 1430 Nits Peak Brightness
Processor	MediaTek Dimensity 8350 Apex (4nm)
RAM/Storage	8GB/128GB (Base) | UFS 3.1 Storage
Rear Camera	50MP (Sony LYT-600 OIS) + 8MP (Ultrawide)
Front Camera	16MP (Sony IMX471)
Battery	7,100 mAh (Segment Leading)
Charging	80W SuperVOOC (0-100% in ~59 mins)
OS	OxygenOS 15 based on Android 15
Weight	199 grams (Surprisingly balanced)

Design & “Road Presence”: Does it Feel Premium?

Read more: Nokia X500 

In the car world, we talk about road presence. In phones, it’s “Table Presence.” When you keep the Nord CE5 on a café table, does it turn heads?

• The Look: The new Marble Mist colorway is stunning. It has a smoky, textured finish that looks like expensive Italian marble. It doesn’t catch fingerprints, which is a huge plus.
• The Feel: Despite packing a 7,100mAh battery, it doesn’t feel like a brick. OnePlus has distributed the weight (199g) perfectly. It feels substantial but not heavy.
• The Ports: You get a reliable Alert Slider (finally on CE series!) and an IR Blaster, but sadly, the 3.5mm jack is gone for good.

Display & Visuals: A Cinematic Joyride

The screen is a 6.77-inch Super Fluid AMOLED.

• Brightness: With 1,430 nits peak brightness, outdoor visibility is excellent. I used Google Maps under direct sunlight, and I didn’t have to squint once.
• Smoothness: The 120Hz refresh rate is adaptive. Scrolling through Instagram Reels feels buttery smooth.
• Bezels: The chin is slightly thicker than the Nord 5, but for ₹25,000, it’s very acceptable. The punch-hole is tiny and non-intrusive.

Performance: The “Engine” Test

Under the hood, we have the MediaTek Dimensity 8350 Apex. This is a custom-tuned chip for OnePlus.

• City Drive (Daily Usage): Apps open instantly. OxygenOS 15 is optimized well—no jitter, no lag. Multitasking with 15 apps open was a breeze thanks to the 8GB LPDDR5X RAM.
• Highway Drive (Gaming):
  • BGMI: It supports 90 FPS out of the box. I played for 2 hours straight. The phone got warm (41°C), but it didn’t throttle. Frame rates were stable at 85-90 FPS.
  • Genshin Impact: Playable at Medium settings. High settings cause some stuttering in crowded areas.
• Haptics: The X-axis linear motor is tight and “clicky.” Typing feels premium, unlike the mushy vibration motors in older CE phones.

Camera: Good, But Not “Pro”

This is a mid-range phone, so keep your expectations realistic.

1. Main Camera (50MP Sony LYT-600):

• Daylight: Photos are punchy and sharp. The OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) helps a lot. The shutter speed is instant.
• Low Light: The “Nightscape” mode is aggressive. It brightens up the scene significantly, sometimes making night look like evening. But detail retention is good.

2. Ultrawide (8MP):

• It’s average. Good for landscapes in daylight, but detail falls apart if you zoom in. Soft edges are visible.

3. Selfie (16MP):

• The classic OnePlus skin tone handling—slightly whitening the face, but you can turn off the beauty filters. Good enough for social media.

Real World Battery (The Truth): A 2-Day Phone?

This is the selling point. 7,100 mAh.

• Claimed: “2 days of power.”
• Real World: I took the phone off charge at 8 AM.
  • 4 hours of 5G hotspot.
  • 2 hours of BGMI.
  • 3 hours of YouTube.
  • All-day WhatsApp & Instagram.
  • Result: At 11 PM, I still had 35% battery left.
  • Verdict: For a normal user (office/college), this is easily a 2-day phone.
• Charging: The 80W SuperVOOC charger is in the box.
  • 0-100% takes about 59 minutes. It takes longer than the Nord 4 because the battery is physically massive.

The Competition: Nord CE5 vs Rivals

We auto-detected the strongest rivals: Poco X7 Pro and Realme P4 Pro.

Feature	OnePlus Nord CE5	Poco X7 Pro	Realme P4 Pro
Price	₹24,999	₹21,999	₹24,999
Battery	Winner (7100 mAh)	6000 mAh	5500 mAh
Processor	Dimensity 8350	Snapdragon 7s Gen 3	Snapdragon 7 Gen 3
Display	120Hz AMOLED	144Hz Flow AMOLED	120Hz Curved AMOLED
Camera	Good (Sony LYT-600)	Average	Better Portrait Mode
UI	OxygenOS (Clean)	HyperOS (Ads)	RealmeUI (Bloatware)
Verdict	Battery King	Performance Value	Style King

Final Verdict: The Practical Choice

The OnePlus Nord CE5 is not trying to be a camera flagship. It is built for the Indian reality: long commutes, 5G usage, and no time to charge.

If you are a college student who games, or a professional who travels a lot, that 7,100mAh battery is a lifesaver. It is the most practical phone under ₹25k right now.

Buy it if:

You have “Battery Anxiety”: This phone simply refuses to die.

You want Clean Software: OxygenOS 15 is still cleaner than MIUI or RealmeUI.

You are a casual gamer: 90 FPS on BGMI is sweet at this price.

Skip it if:

• You want the best Camera: The Pixel 8a (on sale) or Vivo V-series take better portraits.
• You hate heavy phones: While balanced, you definitely feel the weight of the battery.
• You need a curved screen: The flat display is practical, but less “premium” looking than Realme.

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