OnePlus has returned to its roots this year with the launch of the value-oriented OnePlus Nord. Two more North devices followed later, and last month I heard rumors about a North SE that sounded quite interesting. Now new information about the phone has appeared and, even if SE could be the special edition, it doesn’t sound as special as some had hoped.
Rather than providing a completely new form factor, as Apple does with its iPhone SE, a new report claims that the upcoming North SE is just a new edition of the original North, which is unlikely to include significant updates then when it comes to internals. Instead, it is created in collaboration with designer Joshua Vides to provide largely aesthetic changes, such as unique custom wallpapers and redesigned back panel.
Nord SE may have a different rear panel, but it probably won’t be much different internally.
Since significant hardware updates are unlikely to appear on the cards, fans can expect to see the same 6.4 “90Hz AMOLED display, Snapdragon 765G and quad rear camera setup. Previous rumors indicated that OnePlus could bring Warp Charge 65 technology, which debuted on the OnePlus 8T, to the new North – which could be a way to distinguish the new model without costly component upgrades.
We’ll know the truth about SE soon enough, as OnePlus will likely introduce new hardware sooner than usual. We could hear more about the OnePlus SE along with the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus smartwatch immediately after March 2021. Whatever turns out to be the SE, hopefully it will be better than the last Nord phone launched by the company, which called “a disappointment at all costs.”
