OnePlus’ new cheap phone has a worrying surprise inside

Andy Boxall
·2 min read
A promotional image showing the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite.
A promotional image showing the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite.

OnePlus started out making a single smartphone model, but that has changed over the years. The latest in its growing range of devices is the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G. In short, this is an entry into OnePlus’ budget-friendly CE range that promises some desirable features for a decent price. Lets see what’s new, and also what’s, unfortunately, a bit old, too.

If you’re familiar with the Nord CE phones, you’ll be pleased to know the screen has been given a significant upgrade compared to previous models. You look at a 6.67-inch Samsung AMOLED display  which is closer in technology to the old OnePlus 11 than it is to most Nord CE devices. The 2400 x 1080 pixel resolution is paired with a 60Hz to 120Hz maximum refresh rate and a peak 2,100-nit brightness. It also has the same Aqua Touch technology found on the OnePlus 12 and OnePlus 12R, which makes the screen more responsive when it or your fingers are wet.

It’s not quite such good news inside, though, as the Nord CE 4 Lite uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 processor. Those with long memories will remember it from the OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite, which came along in early 2022, and various other low-cost phones from the same period. It gets 8GB of RAM, 256GB of storage space, and a MicroSD card slot, but we’re not sure that entirely makes up for using a chip originally unveiled in 2021.

A promotional image showing the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite.
A promotional image showing the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite.

It’s better news when we get to the battery. The 5,110mAh battery gets 80-watt wired SuperVOOC charging that takes it to full in 50 minutes, and OnePlus estimates it’ll return about 50 hours of varied use before needing to visit the charger again. It even has 5W reverse charging to give other devices a quick top up, too. In some regions, the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite will have a 5,500mAh battery.

On the back is a 50-megapixel Sony Lytia 600 camera and a 2MP depth camera, but no wide-angle camera. A 16MP front camera takes care of selfies and video calls. The depth camera doesn’t only help with portrait shots — it also assists with a lossless digital zoom to 2x when using the rear camera. Other features on the Nord CE 4 Lite include Android 14 software, an IP54 water and dust resistance rating, dual stereo speakers, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

The OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite comes in two colors, Super Silver and Mega Blue, and has a plastic rear panel and chassis. It is available to preorder now for 299 British pounds, or about $378, and it will be released on July 1.

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest Stories

  • Huawei's Harmony aims to end China's reliance on Windows, Android

    Packed into a small room, a drone, bipedal robot, supermarket checkout and other devices showcase a vision of China's software future - one where an operating system developed by national champion Huawei has replaced Windows and Android. The collection is at the Harmony Ecosystem Innovation Centre in the southern city of Shenzhen, a local government-owned entity that encourages authorities, companies and hardware makers to develop software using OpenHarmony, an open-source version of the operating system Huawei launched five years ago after U.S. sanctions cut off support for Google's Android. While Huawei's recent strong-selling smartphone launches have been closely watched for signs of advances in China's chip supply chain, the company has also quietly built up expertise in sectors crucial to Beijing's vision of technology self-sufficiency from operating systems to in-vehicle software.

  • Chinese AI firm iFlyTek says its LLMs are trained completely on Huawei platform

    Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) firm iFlyTek says it has the only large language models (LLMs) trained completely on a home-grown computing platform, co-developed with Huawei Technologies, marking another step in the industry's pursuit of self-sufficiency in the face of US restrictions. While most of China's LLMs are underpinned by computing platforms that include US components such as graphics process units (GPUs) from Nvidia, iFlyTek is determined to train its LLMs on "self-developed, con

  • Chrome for mobile adds handy action shortcuts for local businesses

    Google is giving the Chrome mobile apps some TLC. The Android and iOS versions of the browser now offer quicker access to crucial info, trending searches and live sports scores in the Discovery Feed.

  • MWC Shanghai: AI in focus as China's telecoms operators and gear makers seek new growth

    Artificial intelligence (AI) took centre stage at MWC Shanghai, the regional edition of the world's largest mobile communications industry trade show, as China's telecommunications network operators and equipment suppliers look to advances in the technology to bolster their businesses. Senior executives from China Mobile, China Unicom, China Telecom, Huawei Technologies and ZTE Corp presented their AI strategies at Wednesday's opening of MWC Shanghai, which runs until Friday. The event's main th

  • Here are 10 stocks to own in the second half of 2024, according to Rosenblatt

    Investing.com -- Analysts at Rosenblatt have outlined their top stock picks in global technology for the second half of 2024:

  • Apple's AI Surge: Growth Potential With Limited Margin of Safety

    The surge, driven by new AI features, highlights growth potential, but narrow margin of safety calls for caution

  • Apple's iPhone shipments in China surge 40% in May amid aggressive discounting

    BEIJING (Reuters) -Apple's smartphone shipments in China rose nearly 40% in May from a year earlier, extending a rebound seen in April, data from a research firm affiliated with the Chinese government showed on Friday. Shipments of foreign-branded phones in China increased by 1.425 million in May to 5.028 million units from 3.603 million a year earlier，calculations based on the data from the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT) showed. Although the data did not explicitly mention Apple, the company is the dominant foreign phone maker in China's smartphone-dominated market.

  • This 'tiny lifesaving device' gives you ECG readings at home — it has over 71,000 reviews

    Track your heart rhythm on the go with this “easy to use” device.

  • Microsoft maintains AI services in Hong Kong, as OpenAI curbs API access from China

    Microsoft said it would continue to allow customers in Hong Kong to use OpenAI's artificial intelligence (AI) models through its Azure cloud computing platform, after the start-up announced it was moving to restrict access to its services from unsupported regions such as mainland China and Hong Kong. "There has been no change to our Azure OpenAI service offerings in Hong Kong," Microsoft's local office said in a statement to the South China Morning Post on Thursday. "We continue to provide acces

  • Alibaba taps China's top generative AI start-ups to boost offerings on DingTalk

    Alibaba Group Holding is giving developer access on DingTalk to six Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) start-ups to expand generative AI features on the workplace messaging platform, in its latest bid to gain an edge in the increasingly competitive market. The Hangzhou-based e-commerce and cloud computing giant, which has built its own AI model Tongyi Qianwen, is partnering with MiniMax, Moonshot AI, Orionstar, Baichuan, Zhipu Ai and 01.AI to develop new AI functions for DingTalk, the platform

  • The best gadgets to have this summer

    The best summer gadgets include a powerful speaker, lights to keep the bugs away and a warm ice cream scooper.

  • Nokia to acquire Infinera in $2.3 billion deal to scale up optical network

    Shares of Infinera surged nearly 22%. The deal price of $6.65 per share represents a premium of 26.4% to Infinera's closing price of $5.26 on Thursday. Nokia will pay Infinera at least 70% in cash.

  • China’s AI companies are reportedly rationing the use of their services because they don’t have enough chips

    Blame the U.S. and its export controls blocking AI chip sales to China.

  • Xbox App to Launch on Some Amazon Fire TV Devices

    The Xbox app is coming to two Amazon Fire TV devices beginning in July. Microsoft Gaming revealed on Thursday that Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta) will go live on Fire TV 4K Max (a device priced at $59.99) and Fire TV Stick 4K ($49.99) through the Xbox app, giving access to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (priced …

  • Russian hacker indicted for aiding Russia's invasion of Ukraine

    A Russian hacker has been indicted in the United States for aiding the Kremlin in its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

  • 7 Democrats who could replace Biden if he drops his 2024 reelection bid

    Some Democrats are saying there will be conversations about who could replace President Joe Biden after his disastrous debate performance.

  • Ford kicks backbencher out of Ontario PC caucus after she met with far-right figure

    TORONTO — Ontario Premier Doug Ford kicked a backbencher out of the Progressive Conservative caucus on Friday after what he called repeated and serious lapses in judgment. Goldie Ghamari, who represents the Ottawa-area riding of Carleton, recently took a virtual meeting with Tommy Robinson, the former leader of the far-right English Defence League. After Ghamari posted on social media about the meeting, the National Council of Canadian Muslims called Robinson an Islamophobe and urged Ford to rem

  • Democrats Question Replacing Biden: Here’s How It Could Work

    (Bloomberg) -- President Joe Biden’s debate performance is raising new questions about whether Democrats have any other options in November if the 81-year-old president is no longer willing or able to campaign.Most Read from BloombergBiden’s Disastrous Debate Accelerates Doubts Over CandidacyDemocrats Question Replacing Biden: Here’s How It Could WorkGavin Newsom Is Ready for the Biden EmergencyBiden Struggles as He Spars With Trump on Economy: Debate TakeawaysSupreme Court Overturns Chevron Rul

  • Bette Midler and Barbra Streisand lead celebrity reactions to Trump Biden debate

    The divas, and others, took to their social media accounts to express their views after the first presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden ahead of this year's American federal election. Bette, 78, wrote on X/Twitter: "All my friends are taking their blood pressure medicine now, preparing for the debate. I wonder how many TV screens are going to be broken tonight?" As the televised debate took place, Bette called out 78-year-old Donald's remarks, writing: "My God, the way this f**ker lies. It's just astonishing.”

  • Biden Campaign Has Just 3 Words After Trump Seems To Leak Debate Talking Points

    The former president's post marked a change from his previous remarks about climate change.