OnePlus announced an addition to itsNord range of smartphonesduring an event in June in the form of the Nord CE 5G.

The device sits below the original Nord, which means it subsequently sits under theflagship OnePlus 9 series.

You canread more about how the Nord CE 5G compares to the original Nordin our separate feature, but here we are covering how it stacks up against the OnePlus 9. Should you spend the extra cash?

OnePlus Nord CE 5G - 8+128GB (Charcoal Ink)

The OnePlus Nord CE 5G features an all-plastic design that has a pill-shaped rear camera housing in the top left corner, a 3.5mm headphone jack at the bottom of the device alongside the charging port, and a singularpunch hole camerain the top left corner of the display.

The display is flat, there is noofficial IP ratingand the Nord CE 5G comes in three colour options.

TheOnePlus 9meanwhile, has a glass rear, though it has a plastic frame, and it features a more prominent rectangular camera housing on the rear. Two of the three camera lenses are larger and have a metal surround, making more of a feature on the back.

On the front, the display is flat on the OnePlus 9, like the Nord CE 5G, and it also features a punch hole camera in the top left corner. There is no official IP waterproof rating, thoughthe 9 Pro modeldoes offer this if that’s a feature you are desperate for.

The OnePlus 9 has an alert slider - something the Nord CE 5G doesn’t have - but there is no 3.5mm headphone jack.

The OnePlus Nord CE 5G has a 6.43-inch display that sports a 2400 x 1080 pixel resolution to deliver a pixel density of 410ppi.

The flat display has an aspect ratio of 20:9 and it offers a90Hz refresh rate. It’s a Fluid AMOLED screen.

The OnePlus 9 meanwhile, has a slightly larger screen at 6.55-inches. It has a Full HD+ resolution like the Nord CE 5G though, which results in a pixel density of 402ppi.

The 9 has a Fluid AMOLED display like the Nord CE 5G, but it offers a higher refresh rate at 120Hz and it alsosupports HDR. Both the OnePlus 9 and Nord CE 5G haveunder-display fingerprint sensors.

Hardware and specs

Under the hood, the OnePlus Nord CE 5G has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G 5G processor, with a choice of 6GB, 8GB and 12GB of RAM and 128GB or 256GB of storage, though not all variants will be available in all regions.

There’s a 4500mAh battery that supports Warp Charge 30T fast charging. There is nowireless chargingon board.

The OnePlus 9 meanwhile has the flagship - and more powerful -Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processorunder its hood, with either 8GB or 12GB of RAM and either 128GB or 256GB of storage.

The same 4500mAh battery capacity is on board the OnePlus 9 too, but it offers support of 65W fast charging and there is support for wireless charging too.

Both devices are5G capable.

The OnePlus Nord CE 5G and OnePlus 9 both have a triple camera on their rears, but they are made up of different lenses, while the OnePlus 9 also has a Hasselblad partnership on board.

The triple camera on the Nord CE 5G is comprised of a 64-megapixel main camera (f/1.79), an 8-megapixel ultra wide-angle camera (f/2.25) and a 2-megapixel mono-lens camera (f/2.4).

The triple camera on the OnePlus 9 meanwhile, is a 48-megapixel main camera with f/1.8 aperture, a 50-megapixel ultra wide-angle camera with f/2.4 aperture and a 2-megapixel monochrome sensor.

Both the OnePlus Nord CE 5G and the OnePlus 9 have a 16-megapixel front camera on board.

OnePlus 9 5G - 8+128GB (Astral Black)

The OnePlus Nord CE 5G starts at £299 in the UK.

The OnePlus 9 starts at £629 in the UK, making it quite a bit more expensive.

Conclusion

The OnePlus 9 is likely to feel like a more premium device compared to the Nord CE 5G thanks to the materials used. It also delivers a more powerful processor, faster charging capabilities, a larger display with a faster refresh rate, and likely better camera capabilities.

The Nord CE 5G appears to offer quite a lot for its price point though, with a good battery size, 5G capabilities, nice design and what looks like it could be a good camera load out.

We would expect the OnePlus 9 to be the better device, naturally, but based on the specifications alone, the OnePlus Nord CE 5G looks like it could be a good option to consider if the 9 is too expensive.