OnePlus Nord CE 2 render leaks out as chipset gets confirmed

Here’s what’s coming on February 17

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We know that theOnePlus Nord CE 2is officially on the way, and that OnePlus is going to unveil the budget handset on February 17. Now we’ve also got a new look at the device, as well as confirmation of one of the most important specs.

The image, which is a leaked and unofficial render at this stage, comes from well-known tipsterIshan Agarwal, and shows off the handset in what’s known as Bahamas Blue. It would seem that the picture is lurking somewhere on the OnePlus website, but we don’t know exactly where.

Agarwal also fills us in on some of the specs we can expect to see from the OnePlus Nord CE 2, including a 6.43-inch AMOLED display, a dual-lens 64MP+8MP rear camera with ultrawide capabilities, and 1TB of expandable storage on board. There’s also mention of a MediaTek Dimensity 900 chipset running the show.

OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G “Bahamas Blue” color option spotted on official website#OnePlus #OnePlusNordCE2 https://t.co/FG0lnZd0BE pic.twitter.com/9pJveVUtqjFebruary 10, 2022

Chipset confirmed

We know at least one of those spec predictions is right, because OnePlus itself hastaken to social mediato let everyone know that the OnePlus Nord CE 2 will indeed be running the MediaTek Dimensity 900 chipset, with 5G support on board.

That means the phone will let you “multitask like a pro” in the words of OnePlus. While the processor is a budget one, it should prove the Nord CE 2 with enough oomph to get through day-to-day smartphone tasks without breaking a sweat – though it will of course be a long way behind the flagship phones in terms of benchmarks.

OnePlus may well reveal more about this phone in the coming days, ahead of the big February 17 reveal, and we will of course bring you everything you need to know about the affordable handset before, during, and after its launch.

Analysis: OnePlus is serious about budget phones

OnePlus originally made its name by offering smartphones with flagship-level specs and selling them at distinctly mid-range prices. Take a look at the recently unveiledOnePlus 10 Proand you’ll see it’s something that the company remains very good at.

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However, in recent years OnePlus has been exploring mid-range and budget phones too – most of which we’ve been very impressed by. TheOnePlus Nordstarted everything off in 2020, and that was of course followed by other affordable handsets, including last year’s originalOnePlus Nord CE.

While it’s fair to say there are plenty ofbrilliant budget phonesaround at the moment, that doesn’t seem to be deterring OnePlus in terms of trying to get market share in this particular market segment. On paper at least, it looks as though the OnePlus Nord CE 2 is going to be an appealing, value-for-money handset.

We’ll have to wait and see how the merger between Oppo and OnePlus affects this strategy going forward – it’s possible that we’re going to see fewer phones released overall – but in the meantime we’re looking forward to seeing what the OnePlus Nord CE 2 has to offer.

Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you’ll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.

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