OnePlus reveals why some phones have different battery variants

OnePlus has just launched the Nord CE 4 Lite in global markets, but one major difference between the European model and other variants is the battery capacity. Other models, such as the Indian device, have a 5,500mAh battery, but the European variant brings a 5,110mAh battery instead.

Now, OnePlus has explained this disparity in an emailed statement, and it turns out that European regulations are to blame:

Due to applicable laws and regulations in certain European countries regarding the carriage of batteries, there are stringent requirements placed on the transportation and handling of battery cells with the watt-hour rating over 20 Wh (sic). As a result of the nominal voltage of our batteries being 3.88 V, the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite will be equipped with a 5,110mAh battery in Europe, instead of the 5,500mAh battery available in other markets.

You might think this explanation doesn’t hold up when you remember that the OnePlus 12 and OnePlus 12R both came to Europe. After all, the OnePlus 12 has a 5,400mAh battery, and the OnePlus 12R has a 5,500mAh battery.

OnePlus confirmed that the aforementioned phones both have dual-cell battery designs, though. The company explains that this European law specifically affects the size of a single battery cell.

“The rules for transport of batteries are based on the size of the cell rather than the size of the battery package in total,” a company representative said during a media briefing.

More battery capacity with a dual-cell design

This suggests that the Nord CE 4 Lite has a single-cell battery design. That does make us wonder why OnePlus didn’t opt for a dual-cell battery setup for the new phone instead. This alternative approach would mean that neither individual battery cell would breach the EU law. We’re guessing that it’s a little cheaper to implement a single-cell battery than a dual-cell design, though.

It wouldn’t be the first time we’ve seen global versions of a phone get a smaller battery, either. More recently, the Xiaomi Redmi K60 arrived as the POCO F5 Pro in global markets, but went from a 5,500mAh battery to a 5,160mAh battery. It’s unclear if this downgrade was due to the aforementioned EU battery regulations, though.

We’ve asked OnePlus about the feasibility of a dual-cell battery for the Nord CE 4 Lite and will update our article accordingly.