OnePlus Nord CE 5G vs POCO F3 5G: Specs Comparison

The OnePlus Nord CE 5G has officially arrived in the Philippines, equipped with a Snapdragon 750 5G chipset, an AMOLED display, and a 4,500mAh battery. But how would it fare against the POCO F3 5G that’s within the same price range? Find out in this specs comparison.

OnePlus Nord CE 5G	POCO F3 5G
6.43-inch FHD+ (2400 x 1080), AMOLED	6.67-inch FHD+ (2400 × 1080) AMOLED
90Hz refresh rate	120Hz refresh rate, 360Hz touch sampling rate, HDR10+
	Corning Gorilla Glass 5 (front and back)
Qualcomm Snapdragon 750 5G	Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 5G
Adreno 619 GPU	Adreno 650 GPU
8GB, 12GB LPDDR4X RAM	6GB, 8GB LPDDR5 RAM
128GB, 256GB UFS 2.1 storage	128GB, 256GB UFS 3.1 storage
Storage shared	Storage shared
Triple rear cameras:	Triple-rear cameras:
• 64MP F1.79 (main)	• 48MP F1.79 4-in-1 large pixel (main)
• 8MP F2.25 (ultrawide)	• 8MP F2.2 (ultra-wide)
• 2MP F2.4 (mono)	• 5MP F2.4 (tele-macro)
16MP F2.45 front camera	20MP front camera
5G, 4G LTE	5G, 4G LTE
WiFi 5	WiFi 6
Bluetooth 5.1	Bluetooth 5.1
NFC	NFC
	IR Blaster
GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou, NaVIC	GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS, NavIC
USB Type-C	USB Type-C
3.5mm audio jack
	Hi-Res Audio & Hi-Res Audio Wireless certified
Fingerprint scanner (in-display)	Fingerprint scanner (side)
OxygenOS (Android 11)	MIUI 12.5 (Android 11)
4,500mAh battery w/ 30W fast charge	4,520mAh battery w/ 33W fast charge
159.2 x 73.5 x 7.9mm	163.7 x 76.4 x 7.8mm
170g	196g

Summary of Advantages:

OnePlus Nord CE 5G
• Higher RAM configuration
• Higher main camera resolution (64MP)
• Dedicated mono lens
• 3.5mm audio jack

POCO F3 5G
• Larger display
• 120Hz refresh rate, 360Hz touch sample rate, HDR10+
• Corning Gorilla Glass 5
• Better performing chipset
• LPDDR5 RAM
• UFS 3.1
• Dedicated tele-macro lens
• Higher front camera resolution
• WiFi 6
• IR Blaster
• Hi-Res Audio & Hi-Res Audio Wireless certified
• Larger Battery capacity
• Faster charging rate

Display

The POCO F3 5G presents a slightly larger screen at 6.67-inches as compared to the 6.43-inch screen of the OnePlus Nord CE 5G. Both smartphones are equipped with an FHD+ AMOLED screen for those deep blacks. However, the POCO F3 5G sports a faster screen refresh rate at 120Hz, while the OnePlus Nord CE 5G sits at 90Hz. Additionally, the POCO F3 5G has a 360Hz touch sample rate and an HDR10+ rating, giving users a snappier experience when gaming or using applications.

Moreover, for the phone’s protection, the POCO F3 5G is equipped with a Corning Gorilla Glass 5 for the front and back parts of the smartphone. In comparison, the OnePlus Nord CE 5G has a glass front and a plastic frame, which contributes to its lighter weight.

CPU and GPU

The OnePlus Nord CE 5G is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 750 5G and an Adreno 619 GPU, while the POCO F3 5G sports the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 5G and Adreno 650 GPU. Looking at Kimovil’s AnTuTu scores, the OnePlus Nord CE 5G scored 385,000 while the POCO F3 5G outperforms its competitor at 714,008. However, keep in mind that we can only determine the extent of their performance and thermals once we have both units for review.

RAM and Storage

As for RAM and Storage, both phones give two options for configuration. The OnePlus Nord CE 5G offers 8GB + 128GB and 12GB + 256GB configurations. On the other hand, the POCO F3 5G has 6GB + 128GB and 8GB + 256GB options. The former has a larger RAM option at 12GB, but the POCO F3 5G is equipped with LPDDR5 RAM. It is 1.5x faster than the LPDDR4X in terms of data transfer and is 15% faster in performance.

Lastly, the POCO F3 5G storage sports an updated UFS 3.1 over the OnePlus Nord CE 5G’s 2.1, which offers two times the data rate, giving faster read and write speeds for your smartphone. But, unfortunately, both don’t support microSD cards.

Camera

The OnePlus Nord CE 5G is equipped with a stronger main camera at 64MP than the POCO F3 5G’s 48MP main shooter. They both sport the same 8MP ultra-wide lens, but each sport a dedicated lens; the 2MP mono lens for the OnePlus Nord CE 5G and the 5MP tele-macro lens for the POCO F3 5G. Upfront, the POCO F3 5G does sport a higher selfie shooter at 20MP, while the OnePlus Nord CE 5G sits at 16MP. Take note that these numbers don’t always equate to quality. We will be providing proof of which camera is better once we test both units for comparison.

Other features

As for connectivity, the two smartphones are capable of 5G connections, Bluetooth 5.1 and NFC. The difference lies in POCO F3 5G’s WiFi 6 and IR Blaster. But at least the OnePlus Nord CE 5G still supports a 3.5mm audio jack, which is good for folks with wired audio peripherals. However, the POCO F3 5G is certified with Hi-Res Audio & Hi-Res Audio Wireless.

Battery

The battery competition is won by the POCO F3 5G with its 4,520mAh battery and 33W fast charge, while the OnePlus Nord CE 5G has a 4,500mAh battery with 30W of fast charge. Each device has different battery consumption, so that will be clarified when we have both units in for further testing.

Price

OnePlus Nord CE 5G	POCO F3 5G
8GB + 128GB - PHP 16,990	6GB + 128GB - PHP 17,990
12GB + 256GB - PHP 19,990	8GB + 256GB - PHP 20,990

Which one to get?

Based on the advantages, the clear winner for this ‘spec off’ is the POCO F3 5G because it has much more to offer users compared to the OnePlus Nord CE 5G.

Yes, the POCO F3 5G is slightly more expensive, but it offers a faster and larger display with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection. Its chipset also performs much better, aided with an updated LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage. In addition, it has access to a dedicated macro lens, higher front camera resolution, WiFi 6, IR Blaster, and Hi-Res audio certification. All these plus a slightly larger battery capacity and faster charging rate.

However, the OnePlus Nord CE 5G offers a bigger RAM, a higher main camera resolution, a dedicated mono lens, and a 3.5mm audio jack at a lower asking price. So if budget is an issue and RAM is more of a priority, get this one instead.

So what do you think? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.