OnePlus is rumoured to launching a raft of smartphones across 2022, but one that is drawing particular attention is the expected low-cost Nord CE 2 Lite. This is the more affordable version of the already inexpensive OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G, meaning that in these hard times even the tightest of budgets should have decent options available when it comes to smartphones.
Here’s all we know so far about the OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite.
When will the OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite be released?
OnePlus hasn’t officially announced the Nord CE 2 Lite yet, but we’re already seeing some rumours that suggest it could arrive quite soon.
Tech journalist Yogesh Brar, who writes for 91Mobiles and has a reliable track record when it comes to leaks, posted on his Twitter feed recently a list of the upcoming OnePlus models that will arrive this year. In it he states that the OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite will debut in April, so it’s practically on the doorstep.
Here are some of the upcoming Nord/number series products
•OnePlus 10 Pro – March•OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite – April•OnePlus Nord 2T – April End/Early May•OnePlus 10R – May•OnePlus Nord 3 (Nord Pro) – July•OnePlus 10 Ultra (10 Pro Plus) – Late Q3
— Yogesh Brar (@heyitsyogesh)
March 21, 2022
If you want to know more about the rest of those phones, check out our guides to the OnePlus 10 Pro, Nord 2T, 10R, Nord 3/Pro, and 10 Ultra.
As we haven’t seen a Lite version of the Nord CE before, we can’t use previous release windows to corroborate the April date, but we think there’s a very good chance that it’s accurate.
One thing that remains uncertain is whether the device will make it to the US market, with the previous Nord CE models not being released there in the past. It could be that OnePlus is sticking with its Nord N100 and N200 5G models, presumably which will be joined in the future by a OnePlus Nord N300 5G.
How much will the OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite cost?
As with the release date, there’s no confirmation from OnePlus on how much the Nord CE 2 Lite will set you back when it arrives. Thankfully, we do have the OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G to give us a clue.
Here’s how much that model cost in its two configurations:
OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G (6+128GB): ₹23,999
OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G (8+128GB): £299/€369/₹24,999
If we use the more widely available 8GB+128GB variant as our marker, then we can see that the Lite version will be available for less than the cost of that model.
The original OnePlus Nord CE 5G is still available and comes in the following options:
OnePlus Nord CE 5G (6GB+128GB): €299/₹22,999
OnePlus Nord CE 5G (8GB+128GB): £299/€329/₹24,999
OnePlus Nord CE 5G (12GB+256GB): £369/€399/₹27,999
It’s a little odd that OnePlus seems to have held the prices on the older model for the most part, and with the company often keeping older models in its catalogues for a while, there’s no real clues on how the Lite model will fit in terms of cost. The best way to think of it is that it should be cheaper than the OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G, and take it from there.
What specs and features will we see in the OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite?
There’s been several significant leaks regarding the specs that should appear in the Nord CE 2 Lite. Early in March, 91Mobiles revealed exclusive renders of the new model that it obtained from an ‘industry source’.
These show that the device could have a plastic back with curved edges, thin metal frame which accommodates a side-mounted fingerprint sensor built into the power button, plus a large camera area on the rear that is home to two main cameras, a smaller lens and the flash.
Joining these features are a hybrid SIM slot, 3.5mm headphone jack, USB-C charging port and a single speaker grill. According to Android Headlines, the front panel will consist of a 6.58in full HD+ LCD panel with a 120Hz refresh rate. The lack of AMOLED does indicate the more budget-conscious nature of the Lite device.
Following on from this, GSM Arena has also reported that a device has appeared in FCC listings for certification that is suspected to be the Nord CE 2 Lite. This shows that it will most likely have 5G capabilities, and agrees with the general expectation that the new model will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 processor.
Further information in the listing showed 6GB of RAM, which is the same as the base model in India for the OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G, and also for the OnePlus Nord CE 5G in Europe. Whether there will be multiple options, going up to 8GB or 12GB, is not clear. Other reports say that it will feature the same 4500mAh capacity battery as the Nord CE 2 5G, but with only half the fast charging capabilities (33W).
On the camera side of things, Yogesh Brar recently posted on Twitter that we would see a triple arrangement of 64Mp + 2Mp mono + 2Mp macro on the rear, with a 16Mp front-facing camera completing the set. He also confirmed many of the rumours listed above, though points to a larger 5000mAh battery.
OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G Specs
•6.59″ FHD+, 90Hz•Qualcomm Snapdragon 695•6/8GB RAM•128/256GB Storage•Rear Cam- 64MP + 2MP mono + 2MP macro•Front Cam- 16MP•5,000mAh Battery•33W Charging•Android 11, OxygenOS 11
3.5mm JackNo Alert sliderSide-mounted FP
— Yogesh Brar (@heyitsyogesh)
February 11, 2022
Hopefully we won’t have to wait long to see if all of these leaks are true, so keep checking back to this article as we’ll amend the details as more information becomes available. Be sure to also read our roundups to the best OnePlus phones and best budget phones to see what other models you might want to consider.