Comparing OnePlus Nord 3 and Nord CE 3: how different are the two phones from each other?

The OnePlus Nord 3 and Nord CE 3 5G are the latest Nord-branded phones to launch in India. These succeed the earlier Nord branded phones in the country and bring some notable improvements in terms of design and hardware. The OnePlus Nord 3 ships with the mighty MediaTek Dimensity 9000 SoC and a 120Hz fluid AMOLED display. While the Nord CE 3 also get an AMOLED panel and is powered by the Snapdragon 782G chipset. In this article, we will be comparing to see how both the Nord 3 and Nord CE 3 differ.

OnePlus Nord 3 and Nord CE 3 prices in India

• OnePlus Nord 3 is priced at Rs 33,999 for the 8GB/ 128GB model and Rs 37,999 for the 16GB/256GB model.
• The OnePlus Nord 3 will go on open sale from July 15th.
• OnePlus Nord CE 3 is priced at Rs 26,999 for the 8GB+128GB version and Rs 28,999 for the 12GB+256GB option.
• The OnePlus Nord CE 3 will go on open sale in August.

OnePlus Nord 3 and Nord CE 3: specs at a Glance

OnePlus Nord 3 and Nord CE 3: Design

• Design-wise, the OnePlus Nord 3 and Nord CE 3 look almost the same.
• There is a centre-positioned punch-hole cutout for the selfie snapper and very slim bezels.
• The OnePlus Nord CE 3 has a volume rocker and power button on the right edge. While the Nord 3 has the power button and alert slider on the right and a volume rocker on the left. 
• The USB Type-C port, speaker grill, and primary microphone are at the bottom.
• At the back of the phones, there are two circular rings housing the triple camera sensors and an LED flash.
• Both phones have a boxy design with rounded edges for better grip on hands.

OnePlus Nord 3 and Nord CE 3: Display

The OnePlus Nord 3 5G has a 6.74-inch 1.5K AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, 1440Hz high-frequency PWM dimming, 1450nits peak brightness, 100 percent DCI-P3 colour gamut and a punch-hole cutout for the selfie shooter.

The OnePlus Nord CE 3 features a 6.7-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with 2412 x 1080 pixels resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, a P3 colour gamut, 10-bit Color Depth, HDR10+, and a punch-hole cutout for the selfie shooter.

OnePlus Nord 3 and Nord CE 3: Performance

The OnePlus Nord 3 is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 9000 SoC paired with Mali-G710 10-core GPU. There is up to 16GB RAM and 256GB storage.

With the Nord CE 3, you get the Qualcomm Snapdragon 782G SoC with Adreno 642L GPU. The handset packs up to 12GB RAM and 256GB storage.

OnePlus Nord 3 and Nord CE 3: Camera

Both the OnePlus Nord 3 and Nord CE 3 offer the same camera setup. This includes a 50MP Sony IMX890 primary camera paired with an 8MP ultra-wide angle lens and a 2MP macro sensor. For selfies, there’s a 16MP front camera on the two phones.

OnePlus Nord 3 and Nord CE 3: Battery

The OnePlus Nord CE 3 and OnePlus Nord 3 pack the same 5,000mAh battery with 80W fast charging support.

OnePlus Nord 3 and Nord CE 3: Others

The OnePlus Nord 3 and OnePlus Nord CE 3 feature 5G SA/ NSA, Dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3 (Bluetooth 5.2 on the Nord CE 3), GPS, and a USB Type-C port. There is an in-display fingerprint sensor for security.

Key takeaways

The OnePlus Nord 3 and Nord CE 3 are targeting two different price segments. While the Nord 3 can be considered a premium mid-range flagship (in the Nord series), the Nord CE 3 is a budget mid-ranger. Both phones get a gorgeous display with a silky-smooth 120Hz refresh rate and 80W fast charging support. As the phones offer the latest hardware, the performance should be top-class. Since the price difference is almost Rs 7,000, you can pick one basis your budget.