OnePlus announced the successor to the Nord CE 5G at an event on 17 February. The device - aptly named the OnePlus Nord CE 2 - offers a slightly different design and a bump in specifications compared to its predecessor. The company then followed up with another Nord CE device in the Nord CE 2 Lite during an event on 19 May. 

We've stacked the specs of the OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite against the Nord CE 2 and OnePlus Nord CE 5G to help you work out all the differences and decide whether you should upgrade, or which you should buy.

OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite CPH2409 5G 128GB 8GB RAM Factory Unlocked (GSM Only | No CDMA - not Compatible with Verizon/Sprint) – Black Dusk

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Design

  • Nord CE 2 Lite: 164.3 x 75.6 x 8.5mm, 195g
  • Nord CE 2: 160.6 x 73.2 x 7.8mm, 173g
  • Nord CE: 159.3 x 73.5 x 7.9mm, 170g

The OnePlus Nord CE 2 features a change-up in design compared to its predecessor and the Nord CE 2 Lite follows in its footsteps, whilst also borrowing from the OnePlus Ace. Both have a flat display with the punch hole camera in the top left corner like the original Nord CE, but things are different on the rear compared to the first device.

In place of a vertical pill-shaped camera housing on the Nord CE 5G, the Nord CE 2 and Nord CE 2 Lite come with more prominent lenses and a more distinctive camera housing. The Nord CE 2 has a smaller lens next to the top lens, while the Nord 2 CE Lite puts the third lens in the middle of the two larger lenses on the right, making for a more symmetrical design. The Nord 2 CE Lite also has a textured panel across the the top third of the rear of the handset.

There's no alert slider on the Nord CE 2 or the Nord CE 2 Lite, but you'll find a microSD slot and a 3.5mm headphone jack on both.

The OnePlus Nord CE 5G features a similar look from the front to the Nord CE 2 and Nord CE 2 Lite, though it is pretty different from the back. A vertical pill-shaped camera housing sits in the top left corner, with three lenses. 

None of the devices being compared here offer any form of official waterproofing. The Nord CE 2 is slightly taller than the original Nord CE, as well as a little heavier, though it's slimmer and narrower. The Nord CE 2 Lite meanwhile, is taller, wider and quite a bit heavier than the Nord CE 2. In terms of colours, the Nord CE 2 Lite comes in Blue Tide and Black Dusk, the Nord CE 2 comes in Gray Mirror and Bahama Blue, while the Nord CE comes in Blue Void, Charcoal Ink and Silver Ray.

Display

  • Nord CE 2 Lite: 6.59-inches, 2412 x 1080, 120Hz
  • Nord CE 2: 6.43-inches, 2400 x 1080, 90Hz, HDR
  • Nord CE: 6.43-inches, 2400 x 1080, 90Hz

The OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite has a 6.59-inch display that features a 2412 x 1080 resolution that results in a pixel density of 401ppi. It's an LCD display so it won't be as punchy as the OnePlus Nord CE 2 or the original Nord CE, both of which have an AMOLED display. It does however offer a 120Hz refresh rate, which means it should be smoother than the Nord CE 2.

The OnePlus Nord CE 2 comes with a 6.43-inch display with a 2400 x 1080 pixel resolution, which is the same as the Nord CE. Both devices have a 90Hz refresh rate and both support sRGB and Display P3, which the Nord CE 2 Lite also does.

The Nord CE 2 comes with HDR10+ support too though, while the original Nord CE and Nord CE 2 Lite don't. The Nord CE 2 also offers an AI Colour Enhancement feature.

Unlocked Android Smartphone, OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G, EU Version, 8+128GB (Gray Mirror)

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Hardware and specs

  • Nord CE 2 Lite: Snapdragon 695, 6/8GB RAM, 128GB, 5000mAh
  • Nord CE 2: MediaTek Dimensity 900, 6/8GB RAM, 128GB, 4500mAh
  • Nord CE: Qualcomm SD750G, 6/8/12GB RAM, 128/256GB, 4500mAh

The OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 platform, supported by 6GB of RAM in Europe and 6GB or 8GB of RAM in India. There's 128GB of storage in all models but microSD is supported for storage expansion.

The OnePlus Nord CE 2 features the MediaTek Dimensity 900 chipset under its hood, supported by a choice of 6GB or 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. It too has microSD support for storage expansion. 

The Nord CE meanwhile, runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G chipset and it is offered in 6GB, 8GB and 12GB of RAM options with 128GB and 256GB storage options. Like the Nord CE 2 and Nord CE 2 Lite, it also offers microSD support for storage expansion.

In terms of battery, both the Nord CE 2 and the Nord CE come with 4500mAh battery capacities, while the Nord CE 2 Lite has a 5000mAh battery on board. The Nord CE 2 offers Oppo's 65W SUPERVOOC fast charging though, while the Nord CE has OnePlus' 30T fast charging. The Nord CE 2 Lite sits in the middle offering 33W SUPERVOOC charging.

All devices being compared are 5G capable.

Camera

  • Nord CE 2 Lite: Triple rear (64MP main, 8MP ultra wide, 2MP macro), 16MP front
  • Nord CE 2: Triple rear (64MP main, 8MP ultra wide, 2MP macro), 16MP front
  • Nord CE: Triple rear (64MP main, 8MP ultra wide, 2MP mono), 16MP front

The OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite has a triple rear camera consisting of a 64-megapixel main camera with f/1.7 aperture, a 2-megapixel depth-assist sensor with f/2.4 aperture and a 2-megapixel macro sensor with f/2.4 aperture.

The OnePlus Nord CE 2 also features a triple rear camera but it's a different make up. There's the same main sensor as the Nord CE 2 Lite, and the same macro sensor, but instead of the depth assist sensor, you'll find an 8-megapixel ultra wide camera with 119-degree field of view and f/2.2 aperture.

The OnePlus Nord CE meanwhile, has a triple rear camera too. Its system is made up of a 64-megapixel main camera and 8-megapixel ultra wide camera like the Nord CE 2, though it has a 2-megapixel mono camera instead of the macro camera offered on the Nord CE 2 and Nord CE 2 Lite.

There are a few extra features on the Nord CE 2 and Nord CE 2 Lite, like AI Scene Enhancement and Dual-View Video but otherwise there don't appear to be huge differences in this department.

On the front, the Nord CE 2 Lite, Nord CE 2 and the Nord CE have a 16-megapixel camera.

OnePlus Nord CE 5G - 8+128GB (Charcoal Ink)

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Conclusion

The OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite has a very similar design to the Nord CE 2, though it offers a larger display with a faster refresh rate, along with a bigger battery capacity. Its camera system isn't as useful though, with it lacking the ultra wide sensor, it opts for LCD instead of AMOLED for the display and it doesn't have as fast charging as the Nord CE 2, whilst also not offering features like HDR support.

As for the Nord CE 2 and Nord CE, design aside, there aren't huge differences. The design has of course improved whether you're looking at the Nord CE 2 or Nord CE 2 Lite - though this is of course subjective - and there are improvements in terms of display, hardware and a few extra features, like faster charging capabilities in the Nord CE 2.

Overall, the Nord CE 2 makes subtle improvements over the Nord CE, while the Nord CE 2 Lite takes the Nord CE 2's design and delivers some strong features, even if its not as powerful as the Nord CE 2. If you're considering upgrading from the Nord CE, both the Nord CE 2 and Nord CE 2 Lite could work depending on what features you want, while if you're choosing between the devices, the Nord CE 2 makes more sense if your budget allows.