The OnePlus Nord CE 5G went on sale in India for the first time today. The Nord CE is a mid-range 5G smartphone that aims to deliver a well-rounded 5G performance at the best price. However, the Nord CE 5G isn’t the only value-added affordable 5G phone available in India, with its primary competitors being the Mi 10i 5G and more recently unveiled iQOO Z3 5G.
iQOO Z3 vs OnePlus Nord CE vs Mi 10i
| Model | Mi 10i | OnePlus Nord CE | iQOO Z3 |
| Chipset | Snapdragon 750G | Snapdragon 750G | Snapdragon 768G |
| Display | 6.67-inch FHD+ IPS LCD, 120Hz, HDR10 | 6.43-inch FHD+ AMOLED, 90Hz | 6.58-inch FHD+ IPS LCD, 120Hz, HDR10 |
| RAM | 6GB / 8GB | 6GB / 8GB / 12GB | 6GB / 8GB |
| Storage | 64GB / 128GB | 128GB / 256GB | 128GB / 256GB |
| Rear Camera | 108 MP + 8 MP (Ultrawide) + 2 MP + 2 MP, 4K @30fps | 64 MP + 8 MP (Ultrawide) + 2 MP, 4K @30fps | 64 MP + 8 MP (Ultrawide) + 2 MP, 4K @60fps |
| Front Camera | 16 MP, f/2.5 | 16 MP f/2.5 | 16 MP, f/2.0 |
| Battery | 4,400 mAh (55W) | 4,820 mAh (33W) | 4,500 mAh (30W) |
| Software | Android 11, MIUI 12 | Android 11, OxygenOS 11 | Android 11, Funtouch 11.1 |
| Price (Rs) | 20,999 / 21,999 / 23,999 | 22,999 / 24,999 / 27,999 | 19,990 / 20,990 / 22,990 |
While the design is anyone’s game, the Mi 10i does feature a glass back and finish, featuring a more solid build. The Nord CE 5G and iQOO Z3 opt for a plastic back instead.
Display
In terms of the display, both the iQOO Z3 and Mi 10i feature LCD panels with 120Hz refresh rates, while the OnePlus Nord CE opts for a more vibrant 90Hz AMOLED screen.
Performance
For performance, the iQOO Z3 offers the best performance of all three devices with its Snapdragon 768G SoC. Moreover, as the most affordable of the three phones, the iQOO Z3 also delivers the best price-to-performance ratio of the three devices.
Cameras
When it comes to optics, the triple-camera setups on the new Nord and iQOO Z3 offer decent performance, in line with most sub-25K phones. However, the 108 MP primary sensor on the Mi 10i should offer an advantage over the 64 MP shooters on the OnePlus Nord CE and iQOO Z3. We’ve yet to test camera performance on the OnePlus Nord CE 5G, but you can get a more in-depth look at camera performance in our Mi 10i 5G and iQOO Z3 5G reviews.
Battery and Charging
Battery life is anyone’s game. While the Mi 10i has a larger battery capacity, the OnePlus Nord CE 5G’s AMOLED display will consume less power than the LCD panel on the Mi 10i. Additionally, the iQOO Z3 may have a smaller battery but offers almost twice the charging speed as the other two devices.
Software
On the software side, OxygenOS on the OnePlus Nord CE 5G is a ‘no-brainer'. OxygenOS manages to offer just the right amount of customisation while keeping the interface generally bloatware-free. MIUI and FunTouchOS, on the other hand, still have a long way to find this balance.
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