OnePlus Nord 2 CE design, release date and a surprising feature have all leaked

OnePlus Nord CE 5G
(Image credit: Truls Steinung)

While we're eagerly awaiting the OnePlus 10, there is one more OnePlus device that has started making its presence felt, namely the OnePlus Nord 2 CE.

Just a few days back we reported that the Chinese smartphone maker is apparently working on this successor to the OnePlus Nord CE, and now we've seen unofficial renders of the phone, along with information on its release date and features.

According to leaker Yogesh Brar speaking to 91Mobiles, the Nord 2 CE is expected to launch in the first few months of 2022, in Europe and India. But what's more interesting is that the Nord 2 CE will supposedly come with a microSD card slot for storage expansion – a feature that OnePlus removed long ago in favor of fast onboard storage.

An unofficial render of the OnePlus Nord 2 CE, showing it from both the front and back

(Image credit: Yogesh Brar / 91Mobiles)

The same leaker also shared images of the phone, one of which you can see above. As you can see, it has a triple-lens camera, a punch-hole cut-out in the screen,  a flat display and slim bezels.

The images also reveal a 3.5mm headphone port, and there's no sign of a fingerprint scanner, suggesting it's probably built into the screen.

We would of course take all of this with a pinch of salt, but the source has a reasonable track record, so these leaks may well be accurate.


Analysis: what we know so far

This isn't the first we've heard of the OnePlus Nord 2 CE. Based on previous leaks and reports, the phone is expected to sport a 6.4-inch AMOLED panel with a 90Hz refresh rate. The chipset could be a 5G-capable MediaTek Dimensity 900, and the handset could come with 6GB-12GB of RAM and a choice of 128GB or 256GB of storage.

The Nord 2 CE might additionally have a 64MP primary camera, an 8MP ultra-wide lens, and a 2MP sensor for macro shots. A 16MP camera on the front is expected to take care of selfies and video calls, and the phone might have a 4,500mAh battery with 65W fast charging support.

It's also reported that the Nord 2 CE will ship with the Android 12-based OxygenOS 12 skin out of the box. The company’s recent attempt to update its flagships with the latest version of the OS wasn’t successful and it had to be halted due to various bugs and issues reported by users, though.

In terms of pricing, the OnePlus Nord 2 CE is rumored to cost around Rs. 28,000 (roughly $365 / £275 / AU$510), though you should take all of this with a pinch of salt for now.

Jitendra Soni

Jitendra has been working in the Internet Industry for the last 7 years now and has written about a wide range of topics including gadgets, smartphones, reviews, games, software, apps, deep tech, AI, and consumer electronics.