Losing a bet is never pretty. But losing to your sister, who is pure evil, is just downright ugly. And the consequence of this latest bet with my sister meant that I had to give her my beautiful OnePlus Nord 2 5G for a week. Of course, I had to use her OnePlus Nord CE 5G in exchange.

Surviving a whole week without your phone is a big deal. I mean it doesn’t matter what phone I get, my phone is my phone right? I remember, a lot of consideration went into buying my Nord 2 5G which is referred to as the ‘flagship killer’ of the OnePlus family. So exchanging it for the OnePlus Nord CE 5G for a week did make my teeth itch. But by the end of the week, I wasn’t complaining at all. 

OnePlus Nord CE

The first day was just spent trying to get rid of everything tacky that she had put in the phone, including a super colourful BTS wallpaper. But after having customised the display and the ringtone to my preference, it wasn’t until I saw my sister later in the day, that I remembered I was not using my phone.

OnePlus Nord 2 5G & OnePlus Nord CE 5G

Both the phones weren’t too different in looks and in fact, felt very similar in my hand too. Just like my Nord 2 5G, the Nord CE 5G comes with a 6.43 inches long screen with a 90Hz refresh ratio. So while browsing videos and playing games, I could completely immerse myself in its colourful and vibrant screen. 

By the third day, I was convinced that I actually wasn’t a loser in this phone exchange. The joke was on my sister really, because I was having a fairly good time with her Nord CE 5G. I mean even if there were differences, they weren’t big enough to get on my nerves. While I know that the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 750G 5G processor of the Nord CE 5G was not as fast as my Nord 2 5G’s MediaTek Dimensity 1200-AI, the difference was barely noticeable. My patience was not tested and I was able to jump between multiple apps without having to wait for the phone to load them.

OnePlus Nord CE 5G

And then came the sixth day, when I was knocked sideways with the Nord CE 5G’s surprisingly good camera. Considering it was the most affordable offering in the OnePlus lineup, I really didn’t think it was going to hold a candle to the Nord 2 5G camera experience. So when I stepped out for a fun brunch party with my friends, I definitely wasn’t volunteering to be the one clicking all the wonderful and fun selfies. But a few cocktails and my favourite lasagna down, I found myself slipping the phone out of my pocket to capture all the happy moments. 

OnePlus Nord CE 5G

I managed to take some crisp snaps of the gang with Nord CE 5G’s 16-megapixel selfie camera. The phone also comes packed with a triple camera setup, which includes a 64-megapixel primary camera, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera, and 2-megapixel mono lens. Due to the fact that it captures textures so well, the photos offered me clarity in the fine details. What else could I ask for? 

OnePlus Nord 2 5G
OnePlus Nord 2 5G

Of course, I’m sure my sister was enjoying the Nord 2 5G camera as well. For starters, its camera has a 50-megapixel Sony IMX766 main sensor, which comes along with an 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens and a 2-megapixel mono lens camera. The rear triple-camera delivers an excellent exposure and stable autofocus for the price it comes in, which gave me pictures that are more punchy, vibrant and packed with details. Having said that, the Nord CE 5G impressed me with its camera and I am definitely not complaining! Again you have to remember that this is a budget phone that belonged to a college kid.

In my week of using the Nord CE 5G, I never worried about battery issues. I would plug in my charger and within an hour (or probably less) it would be fully charged and last me an entire day. The Nord 2 5G’s Warp charge 65 takes only 30 minutes to go from zero to full but the Nord CE 5G was not too far behind in this regard too. 

And then came the final day, when I finally got my Nord 2 5G back. But as I look back, losing the bet didn’t turn out half as bad. Using the Nord CE 5G didn’t feel like there was anything amiss. The phone is definitely the best option for anyone like my sister who was looking to purchase a phone with decent features at a lower range before moving on to a higher-end device. She is a college student and honestly couldn’t ask for a better bang for her buck. With Nord CE 5G, OnePlus is giving its users an essential OnePlus experience at the price of only ₹24,999.

OnePlus Nord 2 5G

But of course, there is a reason why you will miss the Nord 2 5G, if you have used it before the Nord CE 5G. The phone is an extremely capable device, offering high-quality software for fast and smooth performance in day-to-day tasks, especially in gaming, video streaming and photography. For the range it belongs to, the phone offers a premium user experience that other smartphones may not be able to deliver. Personally, the phone has been a perfect find for me, who has been using OnePlus for a while and was looking to upgrade to a device with more fine-tuned features. The phone is priced at ₹29,999. Just go for it without giving it a second thought. 

So which phone are you going to buy?