If you missed the launch, the OnePlus Nord CE 6 comes as the successor to the highly popular Nord CE 5. Launched at a starting price of Rs 29,999, This device builds upon its predecessor by packing a larger battery, faster refresh rates, and improved durability. That said, it also steps back in key areas, which could make the Nord CE 5 still a worthy buy. In this specifications-based comparison, we pit the Nord CE 6 and Nord CE 5 against each other to figure out the improvements and compromises made on the latest Nord CE release.

Storage variants | OnePlus Nord CE 5 price | OnePlus Nord CE 6 price
8GB + 128GB | Rs 24,999 | Rs 29,999
8GB + 256GB | Rs 26,999 | Rs 32,999

OnePlus Nord CE 6 vs Nord CE 5: design and build

OnePlus Nord CE 6 vs Nord CE 5: display

OnePlus Nord CE 6 vs Nord CE 5: performance

OnePlus Nord CE 6 vs Nord CE 5: cameras

OnePlus Nord CE 6 vs Nord CE 5: software

OnePlus Nord CE 6 vs Nord CE 5: battery and charging

Summing up

OnePlus Nord CE 6 5G Images

OnePlus Nord CE 5 5G Images

Specs | OnePlus Nord CE 5 | OnePlus Nord CE 6
Display | 6.77-inch full HD+ AMOLED display, 120Hz refresh rate | 6.78-inch 1.5K AMOLED display, 144Hz refresh rate
Processor | MediaTek Dimensity 8350 Apex | Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 4
Rear cameras | 50MP 1/2-inch main + 8MP ultrawide | 50MP 1/2.88-inch main + 2MP
Selfie camera | 16MP (up to 1080p 60fps video) | 32MP (up to 4K 60fps video)
Battery | 7,100mAh | 8,000mAh
Charging | 80W | 80W

When viewing the OnePlus Nord CE 5 and Nord CE 6 side-by-side, it’s evident that the latest iteration of Nord CE has more rounded corners, making This product a tad smaller height-wise. That said, possibly due to the larger battery, the Nord CE 6 is now 0.3mm thicker than the Nord CE 5 at 8.5mm. OnePlus Nord CE 6 design

Towards the back, the camera island has been revamped from a pill-shaped module to a squarish deco, reminiscent of the premium-tier OnePlus 15 and 13s. Just like the Nord CE 5, which came in three colours: Marble Mist, Black Infinity, and Nexus Blue, the Nord CE 6 also flaunts three colourways, namely Fresh Blue, Lunar Pearl, and Pitch Black. To further enhance the aesthetics of the rear panel, the phone sports a 3D Luminous border along the edges that emits a rainbow-like effect under strong light sources. OnePlus Nord CE 5 design

Apart from that, the Nord CE 6 gains IP66, IP68, IP69, and IP69K ratings and MIL-STD-810H durability, a first for a Nord CE series smartphone. Another major addition made to the latest Nord CE model is the revival of stereo speakers, which were last present on the Nord CE 3. Lastly, the Nord CE 6 utilises OnePlus’ proprietary Crystal Guard layer for protecting the display from scratches and scuffs. The company claims its Crystal Guard is as durable as the premium-tier Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+.

The OnePlus Nord CE 6 ups the stakes in the display department by boasting a 6.78-inch 1.5K AMOLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate. On the other hand, the Nord CE 5 comes with a 6.77-inch full HD+ AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. The 1.5K resolution on the Nord CE 6 should translate to greater detail output when watching supported YouTube videos, as OTT content is generally restricted to 1080p on smartphones.

Apart from that, the Nord CE 6’s panel also introduces higher brightness numbers by packing up to 3,600 nits peak brightness and 1,800 nits high brightness levels. In comparison, the Nord CE 5 was limited to 1,430 peak brightness and 1,300 nits in high brightness mode. Moving on to the refresh rate, while the entire UI and apps will be limited to 120Hz, the Nord CE 6 can run games like Subway Surfers, Clash Royale, Clash of Clans, and a few others natively at 144Hz, resulting in smoother gameplay.

Going by the specifications on spec sheets, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 powering the OnePlus Nord CE 6 may not be as skilful as the Nord CE 5’s MediaTek Dimensity 8350 Apex. While both chipsets are built on a 4nm fabrication process and feature an octa-core architecture, the Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 has a maximum clock speed of 2.7GHz. In contrast, the Dimensity 8350 Apex is faster, reaching up to 3.35GHz, giving it an edge in running tasks faster.

This is also evident in the AnTuTu scores showcased by OnePlus, where the Nord CE 6 achieves over 11,70,000 on AnTuTu benchmark, a noticeable downgrade from the Nord CE 5’s AnTuTu score of over 14,70,000. Assisting the Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 on the Nord CE 6 is a Touch Reflex chip, which is responsible for delivering a 3,200Hz instant touch sampling rate, ensuring smoother flicks and scrolling in intensive games. The Nord CE 5, on the other hand, didn’t carry such a chip. Moving on to thermal efficiency, the Nord CE 6 gets a smaller 5,000 mm² vapour chamber compared to the Nord CE 5’s larger 7,041 mm² chamber. That said, this may not result in any significant everyday difference, especially since the CE 6 is likely more power-efficient.

Both handsets rock UFS 3.1 and feature LPPDDR4X RAM, which is the standard offering at around the Rs 30,000 price point.

The camera hardware is another area where the OnePlus Nord CE 6 has taken a backseat, not only because it ditches the ultrawide lens, but also because it rocks a smaller primary camera sensor. For context, the Nord CE 6 utilises a 50MP 1/2.88-inch OV50D40 sensor on the main lens, while a 2MP secondary camera tags along. On the other hand, the Nord CE 5’s photography is taken care of by a 50MP 1/2-inch Sony LYT600 primary sensor, along with an 8MP ultrawide on the rear. On the bright side, several upgrades have been made with regard to videography and selfie outputs on the Nord CE 6, as it gains up to 4K 30FPS video recording support on both rear and front cameras and an upgraded 32MP selfie shooter up from 16MP found on the CE 5.

It should also be noted that even though OnePlus is using a slightly inferior primary sensor, the quality of the results ultimately comes down to tuning and image processing, which we’ll have to wait and see whether OnePlus has optimised it well enough to match the output of the Nord CE 5.

With the OnePlus Nord CE 5 bagging the Android 16-based OxygenOS 16 update a few months back, both the Nord CE 5 and Nord CE 6 currently run the same software version. These smartphones essentially carry the same features, customisation options, security and privacy systems, and AI functionalities. For a deeper dive into what exactly OxygenOS 16 brings to the table, feel free to Take a look at our detailed hands-on guide for the same. Moving on to software updates, while the Nord CE 5 boasted a respectable four OS and six years of security updates policy, the Nord CE 6 cuts down on the updates by offering two Android OS upgrades and four years of security updates. Since the Nord CE 5 has already received the Android 16 update, it is set to get three more major Android updates.

The OnePlus Nord CE 6 is equipped with an 8,000mAh battery, offering a 900mAh increase compared to the Nord CE 5. This should translate to long battery endurance on a single charge. The charging speeds remained unchanged from the Nord CE 5, as the latest Nord CE smartphone comes with 80W charging support. What’s more, the Nord CE 6 adds 27W reverse wired charging for topping up other devices, such as phones and headphones.

From the specifications, it’s evident that the OnePlus Nord CE 6 brings major and much-needed improvements in key areas. This includes a higher resolution 1.5K display over the Nord CE 5’s 1080p panel, a larger 8,000mAh battery for long endurance on a single charge, and a significantly upgraded build in the form of IP66, IP68, IP69, and IP69K ratings and MIL-STD-810H certifications. The Nord CE 5 was limited to just IP64.

While the Nord CE 6’s display gains a faster 144Hz refresh rate, most regular-use apps are likely to run at 120Hz, the native refresh rate supported by the Nord CE 5. On the other hand, the Nord CE 6’s Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 may not offer as great performance in games as the Nord CE 5’s Dimensity 8350 Apex chipset due to inferior CPU and GPU, though both phones should be equally fine in running daily use apps and quick multitasking.

Similarly, the Nord CE 6 cuts down on the cameras by ditching the 8MP ultrawide found on the Nord CE 5 in favour of a 2MP secondary lens, potentially removing the opportunity to capture wide-perspective shots. That said, if we look at the broader picture, most brands have cut down on cameras and performance. For instance, the Vivo T5 Pro also comes with a 50MP + 2MP rear camera and ditches the telephoto lens from its predecessor, while opting for a lower-tier chipset.This being an industry-wide trend to compensate for the surges in component pricing, the OnePlus Nord CE 6 is turning out to be a well-rounded smartphone for people seeking long battery life, a crisp AMOLED display, and robust durability. For cameras, the Nord CE 5 may still be the better option, while phones like the Nothing Phone (3a) offer impressive camera flexibility with the addition of a telephoto lens at around the same price as the Nord CE 6.