OnePlus Nord CE vs Redmi Note 10 Pro and Pro Max: Which one should you buy?

Since OnePlus entered the mid-range market last year with its Nord series, the company has taken on Redmi, realme, and Samsung in the category. The OnePlus Nord N10 5G was the middle child in the Nord series in 2020, and this year the new OnePlus Nord CE takes its place.

OnePlus Nord CE is launching in Europe and Asia, where the Redmi Note 10 series is very popular in the mid-range space. The Nord CE goes up specifically against the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max in India and the Redmi Note 10 Pro in Europe. (Both Redmi devices have the same specs, they are just named differently in the two regions.)

In this OnePlus Nord CE vs Redmi Note 10 Pro/Pro Max comparison, we’re going to see how the phones stack up in terms of specs, features, pricing, performance, and more.

Our verdict: OnePlus Nord CE review | Redmi Note 10 Pro

OnePlus Nord CE vs Redmi Note 10 Pro/Redmi Note 10 Pro Max

Specs

Design

The OnePlus Nord CE and the Redmi Note 10 Pro/Pro Max are decent-looking phones for their price. However, if you compare their dimensions, the Nord CE is slightly more compact in terms of height, width, and thickness.

Put them side by side and it’ll be very easy to distinguish between the phones. The OnePlus Nord CE features a more minimalistic triple rear camera setup stacked vertically. Meanwhile, the Redmi Note 10 Pro/Pro Max gets a chunky quad-camera setup with two modules stacked one atop the other. So if pure simplicity is what you want from the rear cover of your phone, the Nord CE is much more subtle than the Redmi Note 10 Pro/Redmi Note 10 Pro Max.

On the front, the OnePlus Nord CE features slim bezels just like the Redmi Note 10 Pro/Pro Max. The placement of the punch-hole selfie camera differs — OnePlus has it on the top left corner, while the Redmi phone moves it to the center.

The designs of both devices are deceptive, in that they seem posher than they actually are. They’re both made of plastic. The OnePlus Nord has a matte rear finish. Both its back panel and mid-frame are made of plastic, although the latter has a glossy finish to it, making it seem metallic. That said, the construction of the OnePlus Nord CE is sturdy. It won’t seem like a high-end phone once you hold it, though.

The same goes for the Redmi Note 10 Pro/Pro Max. It looks like a glass and metal slab with its glossy finish, but in truth, it’s all plastic. It might look more premium than the Nord CE, but it’s a magnet for fingerprints and grime.

The Nord CE also removes a prominent OnePlus feature this time around. It doesn’t have an alert slider. However, it was upgraded from the rear fingerprint sensor we saw on the Nord N10 to an in-display fingerprint sensor. The Redmi Note 10 Pro/Pro Max sticks to a side-mounted solution for fingerprint unlock.

Features

The OnePlus Nord CE and the Redmi Note 10 Pro/Pro Max are two very different phones when it comes to the hardware they pack under the hood.

The main major difference between the two is the processor — Snapdragon 750G on the OnePlus Nord CE and Snapdragon 732G on the Redmi Note 10 Pro/Pro Max. While both are octa-core Qualcomm CPUs, only the Nord CE’s chipset is 5G enabled. OnePlus also has newer CPU cores and an upgraded GPU for more grunt compared to the Redmi device.

So when it comes to pure performance on paper, the OnePlus Nord CE slightly outpaces the Redmi Note 10 Pro/Pro Max. However, in our experience, the difference is negligible and the Note 10 Pro/Pro Max offers solid everyday usability.

As for RAM and storage, the OnePlus Nord CE one-ups the Redmi Note 10 Pro/Pro Max. While base versions of both phones start with 6GB of RAM, the Nord tops out with a 12GB RAM variant while the Redmi Note 10 Pro/Pro Max goes up to 8GB RAM.

Storage on the OnePlus Nord CE goes up to 256GB, while the Redmi Note 10 Pro/Pro Max is capped at 128GB. However, the Redmi twins feature a dedicated microSD slot for storage expansion, a feature that’s missing on the Nord CE.

The display of the Xiaomi phone is larger at 6.67-inches, while the Nord CE’s screen measures 6.43-inches. The Redmi Note 10 Pro/Pro Max also boasts a 120Hz refresh rate compared to the 90Hz refresh rate you get on the Nord CE. Both high refresh rate displays work well, but the Redmi phones stand out with a smoother on-screen experience.

A 64MP primary sensor handles photography on the OnePlus Nord CE. The Redmi Note 10 Pro phones take the resolution up to 108MP. Both phones also feature 8MP ultra-wide sensors. The Nord’s camera setup closes out with a 2MP monochrome sensor, while the Redmi Note 10 Pro/Pro Max gets two 2MP sensors (Telemacro and depth) to complete the quad-camera array. At the front is a 16MP shooter on both phones.

Also read: The best phones under 20,000 rupees in India

Photography features on the Nord CE include Nightscape — OnePlus’ implementation of night mode, Pro mode, filters, and more. The Redmi Note 10 Pro also boasts beauty effects and filters, a Pro mode, a Long Exposure mode, a Night Mode, and more, so you can have quite a bit of fun with your photos and videos.

In our experience, the Redmi phone delivers a brighter, saturated social media look with its images. Photography basics like exposure and focus work well on the phone and it’s a fine shooter overall for its price.

The OnePlus Nord CE, on the other hand, aims for accuracy but doesn’t quite nail it. The camera setup left us utterly unimpressed. You can read more about the imaging performance of the phone in our OnePlus Nord CE review.

Software

As far as software is concerned, both the OnePlus Nord CE and Redmi Note 10 Pro/Pro Max get Android 11 out of the box. The OnePlus phone features the Oxygen OS 11 UI, while Xiaomi uses its MIUI skin, specifically MIUI 12.

It’s really a matter of choice as to which software you prefer. Oxygen OS is no longer the stock Android-like UI it once was but it’s got less bloatware and ads compared to MIUI, especially in countries like India. The global version of MIUI doesn’t suffer all that much from unwanted bloat or ads.

OnePlus has guaranteed three years of security updates and two years of software updates for the Nord CE, so you should see Android 13 on the phone in the future.

Meanwhile, Xiaomi hasn’t promised anything but it usually gives two years of Android updates for its popular mid-rangers like the Redmi Note 10 Pro/Pro Max.

Price

The Redmi Note 10 Pro is available in Europe at a starting price of €279 (~$339) for the 6GB RAM/64GB storage model, €289 (~$352) for the 6GB RAM/128GB storage variant, and €349 (~$425) for the 8GB RAM version. Meanwhile, its renamed version, the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max, starts at Rs 19,999 (~$274) in India and goes up to Rs 21,999 (~$301).

The OnePlus Nord CE, with its upgraded chipset, is naturally more expensive at €329/£299 (~$399) for the 8GB RAM/128GB storage model and €399/£369 (~$484)  for 12GB RAM/256GB variant.

It starts at Rs 22,999 (~$384) in India for an exclusive 6GB RAM/128GB storage version, Rs 24,999 (~$342) for the 8GB + 128GB model, and Rs 27,999 (~$383) for the top-end 12GB RAM variant.

OnePlus Nord CE vs Redmi Note 10 Pro/Pro Max: Which one should you buy?

As you might have concluded, the Redmi Note 10 Pro/Pro Max and OnePlus Nord CE are not similar at all, except for the price range in which they operate. Based on future-proofing, the Nord gets more marks with its slightly better chipset and 5G connectivity. The simple design and build quality of the Nord CE may also appeal to some more than the “loud” design of the Redmi phone. However, that’s about all the OnePlus phone has going for it.

Also read: The best OnePlus phones you can buy right now

On the other hand, if a fast and vibrant display, a feature-rich camera app, and a high-resolution camera are priorities for you, then the Redmi Note 10 Pro/Pro Max has the edge over the OnePlus Nord CE. It might have a slightly weaker chipset, but its performance is comparable to the Nord CE. It also doesn’t offer a massive amount of RAM and storage like the Nord, but 8GB is more than enough RAM for a device of its caliber. Plus a dedicated microSD slot takes care of storage worries. Add to that IP53 rating for protection against dust and water sprays, and you have a pretty solid mid-ranger on your hands.

If you don’t want to spend that extra money for 5G connectivity and a slightly better chipset, we suggest you go for the Redmi Note 10 Pro/Pro Max. It has a fast display, a solid battery life, dual-SIM connectivity, expandable storage, and a great price.

The OnePlus Nord CE might be competitively priced in India, Europe, and the UK compared to the Redmi Note 10 Pro/Pro Max, but if you really want an upgrade, you may as well go for something like the POCO X3 Pro or even the Mi 10i.

Now that you know how the OnePlus Nord CE compares to the Redmi Note 10 Pro/Pro Max, what are your thoughts on the phones? Which one would you prefer to buy and why? Vote in our poll above and tell us your reasons in the comments section below.