OnePlus Nord CE 6 Review: specs and features, camera quality test, gaming benchmark, user opinions and photos

OnePlus Nord CE 6 – From Hit to Bland?

The Nord series of smartphones from the Chinese company OnePlus clearly demonstrated that a developer known for its flagships can produce excellent smartphones at a lower price. However, over time, the line's competitiveness began to wane when compared to competing models. And today's review subject evokes mixed emotions, given its many equally worthy competitors.

The new device's appearance is not bad, but far from ideal. The photo module assembly looks simple, the glass panel colors are unremarkable, and the frame of the all-in-one device is made of polycarbonate rather than metal. However, the screen bezels are thin, it has a built-in fingerprint scanner, and the manufacturer hasn't forgotten about IP68 water resistance. The nearly 7-inch AMOLED panel delivers crisp images with a resolution of 2700x1228 pixels, smooth 144Hz refresh rate, and realistic color reproduction. Peak brightness exceeds 1800 nits, so direct sunlight won't completely obscure content.

Technical specifications are typical for the price segment. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 processor, 8GB/12GB RAM, and Adreno 810 GPU are used throughout. It achieves a far-from-record 850,000-900,000 points in AnTuTu, delivers smooth Android 16 with OxygenOS, and offers comfortable gameplay in the vast majority of modern games. However, the most demanding titles will require lowering graphics settings to Medium or even lower. The battery capacity has been increased to 8000 mAh, so the phablet is incredibly impressive in terms of battery life. You can expect more than three days of active use. Wireless charging, as is typical for the series, is absent, but a wired 80W option is available. Storage options include 256 or 512 GB of non-expandable memory.

To maintain cost savings, the company had to skimp on the camera's capabilities. The secondary 8-megapixel wide-angle lens only works in daylight, and the 50-megapixel Sony LYT600 sensor, although equipped with hybrid image stabilization, falls short in more challenging shooting scenarios. Evening photo sessions will lack the necessary level of detail and be noisy. Stereo sound is present, but lacks bass. Of course, the device also supports 5G networks, NFC contactless payments, and an IR port for controlling home appliances. However, the device in question simply lacks any clear competitive advantages, which is why it cannot be unequivocally recommended for purchase.