Both are neither flagships nor flagship killers. But they still have been amongst the most high-profile launches of 2022. They are also the phones …
Both are neither flagships nor flagship killers. But they still have been amongst the most high-profile launches of 2022. They are also the phones that spring to mind today when one wants a great smartphone on a budget in the vicinity of Rs 25,000. One brings insanely fast charging speeds and a very good design to the segment, while the other focuses on delivering the basics brilliantly while adding some premium touches to the core experience. We are talking of the OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G and the Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge 5G. Both phones have their share of strengths and flaws and both deliver very good value for the money they cost you. But which of the two is the one for you? Let us try to work the answer out for you. This is a clash between conventional and the newer design. On the front, the phones seem similar, with both having tall, tiny bezel-ed AMOLED displays, with punch hole notches – the Nord 2 CE (pictured above) has it in the top left corner while the 11i HyperCharge (below) has in the top centre. The backs and sides are, however, nowhere near alike. The OnePlus Nord CE 2 adheres to the more popular design theme of having a slightly curved back and sides, while the Xiaomi 11i HypeCharge has flat sides and a flat back as well. Both phones have glass backs, but we felt that the Xiaomi 11i Hypercharge felt a little more premium with an almost frosted glass-like finish and was also slightly less susceptible to smudges and scratches. It might not look as premium, but there is no doubt that the Nord CE 2 is way more compact, slim and light than the 11i HyperCharge which is unabashedly hefty. The Nord CE 2 is 160.6mm tall as compared to the 163.65mm of the 11i Hypercharge, is slimmer at 7.8mm as against 8.34mm, less wide at 73.2 against 76.2mm, and weighs 173 grammes as against the 207 grammes of the HyperCharge. While neither phone is designed for one-hand use, the Nord CE 2 is clearly handier (pun intended). Both phones look smart enough, and which one you pick is going to boil down to your own aesthetics and preferences. We think the 11i HyperCharge actually looks better but the much more compact form factor of the Nord CE 2 gets it back into contention and makes this round a tie. Winner: Tie When it comes to displays, both phones sport tall, full HD+ AMOLED displays with high refresh rates. Both are impressively bright as well and handle colours well too. They are, however, different in some regards. The 11i HyperCharge has a significantly larger display at 6.67-inches as compared to the 6.43-inch one on the Nord CE 2. Also, the display on the Xiaomi device has a refresh rate of 120Hz while the Nord CE 2 has a refresh rate of 90Hz. We found both displays to be rather good, but are handing this one to the 11i HyperCharge – that slightly bigger size does make a difference while viewing content. Winner: Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge The MediaTek Dimensity processor series lies at the heart of both these phones. However, while the Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge has a Dimensty 920 processor, the Nord CE 2 has a Dimensity 900.
