The OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite (review) has just launched in India at a starting price of Rs 19,999. The price segment is filled with a lot of viable options from all major brands, including the iQOO Z9 (review), which is our current choice for the best phone to buy under Rs 20,000. We’ll be conducting a performance comparison between the OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite and the iQOO Z9 to find out which phone is the superior performer.
Here are the key specifications of both phones:
| OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite | iQOO Z9 | |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 | MediaTek Dimensity 7200 |
| Graphics | Qualcomm Adreno 619 GPU | Arm Mali-G610 MC4 GPU |
| RAM + storage | Up to 8GB of LPDDR4x RAM & 256GB of UFS 2.2 storage | Up to 8GB of LPDDR4x RAM & 256GB UFS 2.2 storage |
Note: We’ll be using the top RAM and storage variants of both phones for our comparison.
Table of Contents
Geekbench
The Geekbench benchmark test evaluates the CPU performance of a smartphone. From the image below, you can observe that the iQOO Z9 logs substantially better scores in both single-core and multi-core performance than the OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite.
This suggests that the iQOO Z9 should deliver better performance in single-core tasks like web browsing, app loading speeds and multi-core based processes like gaming and photo/video editing.
Winner: iQOO Z9
AnTuTu
Unlike the Geekbench test, the AnTuTu benchmark, in addition to the CPU performance, also evaluates the GPU performance, memory performance and UX (user experience). The iQOO Z9 registered a significantly better score in the AnTuTu benchmark test compared to the OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite (image below). The higher score can be attributed to its significantly better CPU, GPU performance and user experience.
Winner: iQOO Z9
Throttling test
We use the Burnout benchmark app to gauge the performance output of smartphones under throttling. The performance output of both phones under stress is quite comparable, with the iQOO Z9 taking a slight lead over the OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite. Thus, the former should deliver better performance under stress.
Winner: iQOO Z9
Gaming test
For the gaming test, we played games like COD: Mobile, Real Racing 3 and BGMI for 30 minutes each to gauge the gaming capabilities of both phones and their thermal management. In Real Racing 3, the iQOO Z9 logs an average of 59FPS, while the OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite logs an average of 56FPS. Keep in mind the game adjusts the graphical settings to match the smartphone’s capabilities. The iQOO Z9 had a higher visual fidelity compared to the OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite during gameplay.
GAME | OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite SETTINGS | AVG. FPS | iQOO Z9 SETTINGS | AVG. FPS |
COD: Mobile | High (graphics) + Max (frames) | 54 | High (graphics) +Max (frames) | 54 |
BGMI | HD (graphics) + High (frames) | 29 | HDR (graphics) + Ultra (frames) | 39 |
The iQOO Z9 can even support up to ‘Very High’ graphics at ‘Very High’ frame rate settings in COD: Mobile which is a notch above the OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite. Coming to the thermals, the OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite showcased an aggregate temperature increase of 21 degrees Celsius (7 degrees average) compared to the aggregate increase of 17 degrees Celsius (5.6 degrees average) on the iQOO Z9.
Verdict
In our performance comparison, the iQOO Z9 emerges as the clear winner over the OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite. The iQOO Z9 outshines its competitor with significantly higher scores across all synthetic benchmarks and delivers superior performance under stress. Additionally, it proves to be a better gaming device, boasting higher average frame rates and impressive thermal management that keeps the device cool even during intensive tasks.
If you’re looking for a capable smartphone under the Rs 20,000 price bracket and performance is non-negotiable for you, the iQOO Z9 is the better choice compared to the OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite. The latter instead offers a cleaner OS experience and is still a compelling option for users who are not avid gamers.
Smartphones tested by: Ujjwal Sharma & Gaurav Sharma
