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OnePlus provides official 'first look' at Nord 3 and Nord CE 3 5G mid-rangers ahead of July 5 launch

By Adrian Diaconescu

Published: Jun 27, 2023, 1:28 AM

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OnePlus provides official 'first look' at Nord 3 and Nord CE 3 5G mid-rangers ahead of July 5 launch

One of the most unconventional smartphone manufacturers in the world strikes again, confirming not only when its next "Summer Launch Event" is scheduled to take place but, well, pretty much everything set to see daylight on July 5 in India.

We're talking two different Nord-branded mid-end smartphones and an undoubtedly ultra-affordable new pair of true wireless earbuds, and just in case all of the information officially revealed today feels a little cryptic or incomplete, additional announcements will come tomorrow, June 28 to essentially ensure no question remains unanswered until July 5.

The OnePlus Nord 3 5G looks positively dreamy

There's obviously a good reason why OnePlus is willing to drop the secrecy regarding its next big Nord release, and that's all the leaks preceding Kinder Liu's "first look" on Twitter. We've known for a while how the handset is supposed to look, so we're definitely not surprised to see its triple rear-facing camera system, "flat display design", and beloved alert slider officially rendered on social media and the OnePlus India website today.

Technically, most of the phone's key specs and features are still under wraps (and they will probably remain so until... tomorrow), but in reality, very reputable sources have disclosed almost every major technical detail as well.

We're pretty sure we're looking at a jumbo-sized 6.74-inch affair here with a silky smooth 120Hz AMOLED screen in tow, as well as a more than respectable MediaTek Dimensity 9000 processor under the hood and up to a whopping 16 gigs of RAM paired with as much as 256GB internal storage space.

Of course, the entry-level Nord 3 5G configuration is only set to offer 8GB RAM and 128GB storage, and according to two different tipsters, its starting price will be set at a fairly reasonable €449 in Europe. Yes, the handset is headed for the old continent in addition to India, while the US market is unfortunately likely to miss out on official OnePlus Nord 3 availability, just like it did with the OG Nord and the Nord 2.

The OnePlus Nord CE 3 5G is also... coming soon

All that the company is ready to reveal about this other Nord smartphone slated for a full July 5 announcement is its single Aqua Surge colorway and a fairly similar rear cover design with that of the Nord 3. The Nord CE 3 looks to feature a 50MP primary shooter of its own joined by two far humbler imaging sensors on its back, and according to a report from way back in March, its spec sheet will include a Snapdragon 782 processor and a 6.72-inch AMOLED screen with 120Hz refresh rate technology.

In other words, OnePlus is evidently gearing up to unveil two different but extremely similar new contenders for the title of best budget 5G phone in the world, and although we don't have the full story just yet, the Nord CE 3 is likely to cost less than the Nord 3 in both Europe and India.

The OnePlus Nord Buds 2r are decidedly eye-catching and reportedly dirt-cheap

Rumored for the first time just yesterday, the company's next affordable alternative to Apple's industry-leading AirPods are officially confirmed to come in beautiful Deep Gray and Triple Blue paint jobs. That's pretty much the extent of this particular pre-launch reveal, but rumor has it these puppies will set you back as little as the rough equivalent of $28 in India.

Regardless of how humble the Nord Buds 2r might sound and how few premium features and capabilities they'll offer, that's an incredibly low price point bargain hunters are unlikely to be able to resist this summer. Too bad this product is also expected to skip a US release... even though the Nord Buds 2are available stateside, which does give us a little hope the rumors will prove inaccurate on this particular topic.

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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.