First Impressions and Unboxing: OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G (8GB+256GB)

In a couple of weeks, OnePlus will be launching its latest affordable mid-range phone the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G.

Prior to its official launch, we had the opportunity to have a review unit by OnePlus Philippines to spend some time with it, experience the phone and share the latest features of the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G.

OnePlus claims that the new phone will offer users a fast and smooth experience powered by a long-lasting battery, fast charging support, a high-resolution camera, and spec-wised hardware.

We begin our review as we share our unboxing and first impressions of the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G.

Unboxing

Normally, we would be reviewing a OnePlus device wrapped in a bright red box. But the packaging box for the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G features a simple black box with a blue design and a Nord logo found on the top cover.

The overall box is made of thick cardboard-type material with a nice matte finish. The box is very simple with its designs as you can spot a few elements printed on it.

Opening the box revealed a separate compartment box that holds the included accessories, and underneath it, the phone nestled snugly inside.

Taking everything out of the box you’ll get the following contents:

OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G Unit
67W SUPERVOOC Charger
USB-A to USB-C Cable
Protective Jelly Case
SIM Ejector Tool
Quick Start Guide and Safety Guide

OnePlus included a screen protector already pre-applied on the phone.

Design and Display

The OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite will be available in two colorways in Pastel Lime and our review unit in Chromatic Gray.

At 8.3mm thickness, it has a flat-edge design with a 2.8D curve around the edges wrapped together with the frame in a textured matte metal brush-type finish for a nice comfortable grip.

The back of the phone is made of durable plastic material with a glossy finish which easily attracts fingerprints and smudges. It is best to use the included clear case cover plus, you also get added protection against accidental drops on the phone.

You’ll immediately spot a large dual circular camera on the top left and beside it having a more sizeable flash that’s moved to a more central location. The camera housing is removed and now replaced with the protruding cameras making it more minimalist for the design of its back cover.

A OnePlus logo and certification markings are printed there on the cover panel.

Checking on the buttons and port placements, you have a fingerprint reader embedded together with the power/sleep button is present on the right.

A SIM card tray and two buttons for the volume up and down are present on the left side.

It uses a hybrid SIM card tray that can accommodate either two nano SIMs or one nano SIM and a microSD card if you need to expand your storage space.

The 3.5mm audio jack, primary microphone, USB-C port, and speaker grille are present on the bottom, while a secondary microphone is found on the top.

The front features slim bezels on all three sides except for the bottom with a slightly thicker chin. There’s a tiny punch-hole design placed on the top center for the front camera which does not get in the way of the viewing experience. Just above it is an earpiece that doubles up as your secondary speaker.

The Nord CE 3 Lite has a bright 6.72-inch Full HD+ display with resolutions at 2400×1080 pixels and supports refresh rates up to 120Hz.

“Smooth scrolling up to 120Hz refresh rate on the

phone’s Full HD+ display”

Hardware and Software

Under the hood, the Nord CE 3 Lite 5G is powered by a 6nm octa-core Snapdragon 695 processor, 8GB RAM, and 256GB internal storage.

No problems using the phone throughout the day as it is built with a 5,000mAh battery and supports fast charging feature to quickly juice up the phone.

The phone ships in with the latest Android 13 with OxygenOS 13.1. Good thing OnePlus has promised that the device will get two Android OS updates and three years of security updates.

Camera

The phone is equipped with a triple rear camera comprising a 108MP main camera, 2MP depth, and 2MP macro camera.

Record your videos up to 1080p resolution at 30fps.

To get smooth video recordings and lessen hand jitter the device has an Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) feature.

Check out a few camera samples we took on the Nord CE 3 Lite 5G.

1x Main Camera – Outdoor

1x Main Camera – Indoor

1x Photo mode – Outdoor

Selfie – Outdoor

We will publish our full review on the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G in just a few weeks as there’s still a lot for us to do and to share the other built-in features of this phone. So stay tuned!