OnePlus’s new OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite (review) is the company’s most affordable offering of 2024, and it comes with a bunch of thoughtful upgrades over last year’s Nord CE3 Lite (review). The new device now features an AMOLED display for a punchier viewing experience. It also has a new primary camera utilising the Sony LTY-600 sensor, which features in the relatively more expensive Nord CE4. Moreover, the battery has been upgraded to a 5,500mAh unit with 80W charging support.
However, Nord CE4 Lite and Nord CE3 Lite pack Qualcomm’s old Snapdragon 695 SoC. The same chipset powers the two-year-old OnePlus Nord CE2 Lite. Therefore, should you consider the new Nord CE4 Lite or the more affordable Nord CE3 Lite? Here’s a performance-focused comparison between the two smartphones.
Table of Contents
OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite vs OnePlus Nord CE3 Lite specifications
| Smartphone | OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite | OnePlus Nord CE3 Lite |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 SoC | Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 SoC |
| GPU | Adreno 619 GPU | Adreno 619 GPU |
| Memory | 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 256GB UFS 2.0 storage | 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 256GB UFS 2.0 storage |
Geekbench
In Geekbench’s single and multi-core tests, the Nord CE3 Lite was the surprising winner. The test essentially evaluates the CPU’s performance under stressful conditions. The scores suggest that Nord CE3 Lite would handle basic (app load, browsing, and so on) as well as demanding (editing and gaming) tasks relatively better. However, since the differences in the scores aren’t substantially wide, one may find it difficult to distinguish.
To be thorough with the results, we ran the tests multiple tests, and the Nord CE3 Lite performed better than the Nord CE4 Lite in Geekbench, despite both smartphones having the same memory configurations (8GB RAM and 256GB storage).
Winner: OnePlus Nord CE3 Lite
AnTuTu
Unlike Geekbench, AnTuTu evaluates major areas, including GPU performance and memory. Notably, the Nord CE4 Lite emerged as the winner this time.
For a fair contest, we ensured that both smartphones were running the latest version of the AnTuTu app. In the test, the Nord CE4 Lite had a higher CPU score (475981 vs 475914). It also exhibited a better GPU performance (85574 vs 83224).
Winner: OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite
CPU Throttle
We used the Burnout app to check each smartphone’s CPU performance under severe workloads. Surprisingly, the Nord CE4 Lite’s Snapdragon 695 SoC showed much better stability under throttle than the Nord CE3 Lite.
The result suggests that the Qualcomm chipset has been optimised on the Nord CE4 Lite more effectively.
Winner: OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite
Gaming
While benchmarks so far prove the Nord CE4 Lite’s superiority, it all depends on whether this translates into real-life usage. For gaming, we played Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) and Call of Duty (COD) on both smartphones for 30 minutes each.
While both smartphones exhibit similar performance, the overall gaming experience is better on the OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite, thanks to its AMOLED display.
After 30 minutes of BGMI playtime, the Nord CE 4 Lite’s internal temperature increased by 6.4 degrees Celsius, while the Nord CE 3 Lite’s internal temperature rose by 6.6 degrees Celsius. At the end of the COD gaming round, the temperature change on the Nord CE 4 Lite and Nord CE 3 Lite were at 7.9 degrees Celsius and 3.9 degrees Celsius, respectively. In a way, you can call it a tie, but the Nord CE4 Lite gains an edge for an improved viewing experience.
Winner: OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite
Verdict
Based on the benchmarks and gaming experience, the OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite is ahead of the OnePlus Nord CE3 Lite, despite both smartphones having the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 SoC. Do note, the viewing experience on the former is much better and wholesome.
Notably, the Nord CE4 Lite offered a brighter viewing experience outdoors compared to some of its peers as pointed out in my review.
