OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite alternatives: Realme Narzo 70 Pro, Moto G84, iQOO Z9, and more – Technology News

The OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite is probably the first Nord phone in years that doesn’t feel right. Something is amiss. The design feels more Oppo-like than ever before. So does the software. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but if someone wanted to buy an Oppo phone, they would go buy an Oppo phone. Why OnePlus? Previously, that reasoning was clear. OnePlus’s big sale pitch used to be clean Android. It’s not as clean anymore, not at least in the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite anyway. For those seeking an unadulterated software experience, Nothing is their only hope with the upcoming CMF Phone 1 expected to steal OnePlus’s remaining thunder.

In addition to the promise of clean software—which isn’t the case anymore—OnePlus was also able to provide differentiated hardware before. The OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite does offer some notable upgrades including a brighter AMOLED screen and 80W fast charging. Especially on the display front, OnePlus claims the panel can top 2,100 nits, but what good is that, when there is no official HDR support—none whatsoever. The biggest con of the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite however is the choice of processor. The phone is powered by the 3-year-old Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 processor. OnePlus in fact has used the same processor in these phones three years in a row starting with the OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite.

And so, if you’re disappointed by OnePlus’s new phone, you’re not alone. The good thing is, there are enough options in the market, for you to consider over it.

Here are some top OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite alternatives for you:

1. OnePlus Nord 3: The OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite’s biggest rival right now is OnePlus’s own OnePlus Nord 3, all thanks to Amazon. The e-commerce platform is currently running a promo sale event and has put up the OnePlus Nord 3 for grabs for as low as Rs 19,998 (Rs 19,999 if you go for the green variant). The Nord 3 is a much superior phone in every sense of the word. It has a glass back made out of Corning Gorilla Glass 5 and IP54 splash resistant rating. It also retains OnePlus’s alert slider. Flip over to the front and you’ll find a 6.74-inch AMOLED display with 1080p resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. The panel supports HDR10+ and is protected by Dragontrail glass. Under the hood, the phone has the MediaTek Dimensity 9000 and a 5,000mAh battery with 80W fast charging. For photography, the Nord 3 has a triple camera setup which is a combination of 50MP wide (Sony IMX890/OIS), 8MP ultrawide and 2MP macro. It support 4K video recording. On the front, you get a 16MP camera. Basically, get this while you still can.
2. Realme Narzo 70 Pro: The Narzo 70 Pro is another formidable opponent with a glass back with a unique dual-tone finish. The chassis is flat and has an IP54 rating. Flip over to the front and you’ll find a 6.7-inch 1.5K AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and up to 2,000 nits of peak brightness. HDR10+ support is available. So is Realme’s rainwater smart touch. Powering the Narzo 70 Pro is the MediaTek Dimensity 7050 chip paired with Realme UI 5.0 based on Android 14. Realme claims the phone ships with up to 65 percent less pre-installed apps for a “near stock like software experience.” The phone also supports “air gestures” which is to say that you’ll be able to o navigate through certain aspects without touching it. Elsewhere, the phone has a triple camera setup headlined by a 50-megapixel Sony IMX890 sensor with an optically stabilised lens, a 16-megapixel front camera, dual speakers, 5,000mAh battery with 67W fast charging. The Realme Narzo 70 Pro starts at Rs 19,999 for a version with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. A model with double the storage will set you back by only Rs 21,999.
3. iQOO Z9: The MediaTek Dimensity 7200 powered iQOO Z9 is billed as the fastest phone under Rs 20,000 at the time of writing though. The choice of chip isn’t its only highlight. The iQOO Z9 also has a 50-megapixel Sony IMX882 primary sensor with OIS also with 4K video recording capability (@30fps). The phone runs Android 14 rightly out of the gate and starts at Rs 19,999 for 8GB/128GB. Given that it also packs quality-of-life updates including a fast AMOLED display, dual speakers, Wi-Fi 6 and IP54 rating, it’s a phone to definitely look out for when you’re in the market.
4. Lava Blaze Curve: The Lava Blaze Curve is stacked with a curved 120Hz AMOLED screen, MediaTek Dimensity 7050 processor, and 5,000mAh battery. Though it runs the older Android 13, Lava’s big sale pitch is that it’s offering a near stock experience without any ads or unwanted apps/bloatware. The Blaze Curve 5G starts at Rs 17,999 for 8GB/128GB.
5. Moto G84: The Moto G84 comes in sole 12GB/256GB trim at a price of Rs 18,999. You get a 6.55-inch full HD+ pOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate in this phone with a hole punch cut-out at the centre. Under the hood, it has the Snapdragon 695 processor and a 5,000mAh battery with 33W fast charging. For photography, it has a dual rear camera setup with 50MP wide and 8MP ultrawide joined by a 16MP selfie shooter. You also get dual speakers in this phone.

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