Skip to main content

The new OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite is perfect if you hate expensive phones

OnePlus describes the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite as, “exuding a simple charm,” and in the world of folding smartphones and $1,500 iPhone models, there are probably a lot of people looking for a phone exactly like it.

If you’re new to the Nord series, these occupy the lower end of the market compared to the flagship OnePlus 11 and are released outside of the U.S., where instead the company releases phones like the OnePlus N300.

Promotional image showing the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite.
OnePlus

Let’s get back to the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite. It looks great in lime green, and the back is made from an anti-fingerprint material with a “ceramic-like texture,” which we take to mean plastic, just like previous Nord CE models. On the front is a 6.72-inch screen with a desirable 120Hz refresh rate, but a less desirable 1080p resolution. It also has a Global DC Dimming feature, which manages the backlight to reduce eye strain.

Inside the phone is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 processor, which is a chip released at the end of 2021, and an unusual choice for a brand-new phone released in early 2023. It has never been the greatest performer, and age isn’t on its side here, so it’s unfortunate OnePlus hasn’t leveraged its partnership with MediaTek for the Nord CE 3 Lite. The phone does have 5G connectivity and comes with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage space.

The OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite in black and green.
OnePlus

On the back of the phone is a 108-megapixel camera along with a 2MP depth camera, and OnePlus says the massive main camera provides a 3x lossless zoom. This isn’t going to be the same as optical zoom, and likely still crops the photo like a digital zoom. However, due to the large amount of information the sensor pulls in, the quality won’t suffer as much. The selfie camera is a 16MP sensor.

OnePlus is known for its fast charging, and the Nord CE 3 Lite has a 67W SuperVOOC fast charging system for the 5,000mAh battery. Exact recharge times have not been confirmed yet, but a similar system is used for the Oppo Reno8 T, where it takes 44 minutes to recharge the 4,800mAh cell in that phone. Other Nord CE 3 Lite features include various sensors and software features to make sure the phone’s temperature is kept under control when charging, dual speakers, OxygenOS 13.1 software based on Android 13, and even a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Promotional image showing the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite and OnePlus Nord Buds 2.
OnePlus

OnePlus is launching the Nord CE 3 Lite alongside the OnePlus Nord Buds 2 headphones. Equipped with a 12.4mm driver and active noise cancelation (ANC) to 25dB, the tiny earbuds have a battery that lasts up to seven hours without ANC active. Expect 36 hours of use in total with the case. An IP55 rating means they can be used in the rain, and when exercising.

The OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite will cost 299 British pounds when it’s released on April 20, which is around $370. A release in the U.S. isn’t expected. The OnePlus Nord Buds 2 will be released in the U.S. and cost $59, while they will cost 69 pounds in the U.K., and will be available from April 4.

Editors' Recommendations

Andy Boxall
Senior Mobile Writer
Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…
This is OnePlus’ next Android tablet — the OnePlus Pad Go
OnePlus Pad Go official imagery.

OnePlus Pad Go OnePlus

OnePlus started its journey making fast phones that didn't cost an outrageous amount of money — a strategy that soon trickled down to earbuds and subsequently made its way to the tablet segment. The OnePlus Pad arrived in April, serving a sleek slate with a high-resolution 144Hz screen and a top-tier chip for a price lower than Apple’s entry-level iPad.

Read more
The OnePlus 12 just leaked again — and with an odd camera change
Leaked OnePlus 12 product renders.

OnePlus is preparing to launch its next flagship phone in the coming months, but a fresh leak predicts an unpleasant surprise. A few weeks ago, purported renders of the OnePlus 12 depicted a phone that borrows heavily from the OnePlus 11 but adds a rectangular lens element at the back to fit a periscope-style telephoto camera.

Now, leaker OnLeaks (via MySmartPrice) has shared updated renders "based on pre-production unit pictures" that don't show any telephoto lens upgrade. Instead, we have three camera lenses with distinct circular lens inlets and a fourth cutout of the same size without any visible lens element on the camera island.

Read more
The OnePlus 12 just leaked again, and it sounds incredible
Leaked OnePlus 12 render

It seems OnePlus won’t have much left to reveal when its next flagship is officially announced next year. After leaking alleged renders of the OnePlus 12, OnLeaks (via SmartPrix) has now dropped the purported specs sheet of the upcoming budget flagship. 

The OnePlus 12 is said to draw power from Qualcomm’s yet-to-be-announced Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor. Rumors suggest it will be based on TSMC’s next-gen 3nm process node, which means a significant performance and efficiency boost can be expected compared to the 4nm-based Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip. 

Read more