Realme 9 Pro Plus vs OnePlus Nord CE 2: Which is better

Realme 9 Pro Plus vs OnePlus Nord CE 2: Both OnePlus and Realme have this history of releasing good budge mid-range smartphones. The latest phones from respective companies are the OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G and the Realme 9 Pro+. So, between these phones which is better?

To be clear, both smartphones are really good phones and feature some really impressive specifications. In this comparison post, I’ll be comparing the specs of both phones and see which actually offer better value for money.

Realme 9 Pro Plus vs OnePlus Nord CE 2

Specifications	Realme 9 Pro+	Nord CE 2
Display	6.4-inch, 90Hz	6.43-inch, 90Hz
RAM	6/8GB	8GB
Storage	128/256GB	128/256GB
Back Camera	50 + 8 + 2MP	64 + 8 + 2MP
Front Camera	16MP	16MP
Chipset	Dimensity 920 5G	Dimensity 900 5G
Software	Android 12	Android 12
Battery	4,500mAh (60W)	4,500mAh (65W)
IP68 Rating	NO	NO

Display and Design

The Realme 9 Pro+ and OnePlus Nord CE 2 have the same display features and size. Both phones come with a 6.4-inches display, AMOLED panel, a 90Hz refresh rate, and FHD+ resolution. None of the phones is water, dust, or splash resistant.

When it comes to design, both phones look very similar. Both smartphones have a punch-hole at the top left corner and even spot similar rear camera modules. These two smartphones also feature flat-screen displays. Overall, the display quality on both smartphones is the same.

Camera

The camera segment is where things get a little tricky. Realme 9 Pro+ has a total of four cameras, a 50MP main camera with OIS, an 8MP ultra-wide lens, a 2MP macro lens, and a 16MP selfie camera. The 50MP rear camera of the Realme 9 Pro+ is the Sony IMX766 sensor and it offers great clarity in photography and videography.

The OnePlus Nord CE 2 also has a total of four cameras but with different sensors: a 64MP main camera, an 8MP ultra-wide lens, a 2MP macro lens, and a 16MP selfie camera. Unlike the main camera of the Realme phone, the 64MP camera of the Nord CE 2 does not have OIS.

At the rear, both phones have the same triple rear camera setup. But, the 50MP Realme 9 Pro+ is way better than the 64MP main camera of the Nord CE 2 5G. It offers better stability features and the Sony IMX766 offers incredible quality.

Upfront, both phones have the same 16MP selfie camera that can shoot videos in 1080p resolution. For a good camera experience, the Realme 9 Pro+ is your device. It has a better camera sensor and comes with a stabilization feature that is not available in the Nord CE 2.

Performance | Storage | RAM | 5G

The performance of both phones is very different. This is because the chipset inside both smartphones is very different. The Realme 9 Pro+ features the MediaTek Dimensity 920 5G chip while the chipset inside the Nord CE 2 is the MediaTek Dimensity 900 5G.

The Realme 9 Pro+ offers better performance because it has a more powerful chipset. The chipset inside the Realme phone has better ISP, NPU, CPU cores, and GPU cores.

These two smartphones have support for 5G network connectivity. The RAM inside the Realme 9 Pro+ is 6/8GB with storage options are 128 and 256GB. The RAM inside the OnePlus Nord CE 2 is 8GB with storage options 128 and 256GB.

Software

OnePlus Nord CE 2 boots Android 11 out of the box while the Realme 9 Pro+ boots Android 12 out of the box. Both smartphones will get at least two years of major software updates. The Realme 9 Pro+ offers better value for a long-term plan. This is because it is one software update ahead of the Nord CE 2 from OnePlus.

Battery

Realme 9 Pro+ is powered by a 4,700mAh battery with support for a 60W fast charge. While the OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G is powered by a 4,500mAh battery with support for a 65W fast charge technology. None of the phones have support for wireless charge.

The Realme 9 Pro+ has a bigger battery inside and it also comes with a nice fast charge tech. The Nord CE 2 battery is a little smaller but has a faster charge tech inside.

Realme 9 Pro Plus vs OnePlus Nord CE 2: Price

The price of the OnePlus Nord CE 2 8 + 128GB storage option is about $399 and the 8 +256GB storage of the Realme 9 Pro+ is priced at $475.

Buy Realme 9 Pro+ and OnePlus Nord CE 2

Realme 9 Pro+	Price	Buy Nord CE 2	Price
Realme UK Store	$475	OnePlus UK Store	£299.00

Realme 9 Pro Plus vs OnePlus Nord CE 2: Verdict

Between the Realme 9 Pro+ and OnePlus Nord CE 2 which is better? The Realme 9 Pro+ is better than the Nord CE 2 in a few ways.

One, the Realme 9 Pro+ has better camera features, has a bigger battery, and a fast charge technology. Secondly, the Realme 9 Pro+ is also decently priced and is one software update ahead of the Nord CE 2. This makes it a device that offers better value for money between the two phones. Lastly, the chipset inside the Realme 9 Pro+ is better than the chipset inside the Nord CE 2.

Don’t get it twisted, the OnePlus Nord CE 2 is still a good smartphone but I can only recommend it as a good alternative smartphone to buy. I’ll recommend the Realme 9 Pro+ ahead of the Nord CE 2.

If I’m to score both phones, I’ll give the Realme 9 Pro+ (58%) and the OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G (42%).