OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite launched in India: 6 alternatives with a 108MP camera

With the launch of the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G last week, the Chinese smartphone maker entered the 108MP mobile camera segment, which has been around for over three years now. While the Nord CE 2 Lite offered a 64MP main camera along with a 2MP depth and 2MP macro lens, its newly released successor has amped up the resolution game to compete with almost all of OnePlus’ competitors, while the other two sensors remain the same.

However, does the increase in resolution necessarily translate to a proportionate enhancement in the photography experience? As per our review of the Nord CE 3 Lite, daylight shots turned out pretty decent, but the processing does leave much to be desired. On the brighter side of things, there’s a 3X lossless zoom mode which makes the most of the 108MP sensor, giving decently focussed images without a loss in quality. There is no OIS, but EIS support helps improve those shaky videos.

If you’re not entirely convinced about the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite’s photography prowess but do want a 108MP phone camera which will give you detailed images that can be zoomed in or blown up without loss in quality, you have a number of options, new and old. The OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite launched at a starting price of Rs 19,999 and we take a look at the other 108MP camera phone competitors in the segment. However, it must be noted that Samsung is currently the only developer of the 108MP sensor, and the differentiating factor is the pixel-binning and image processing.

Phones with 108MP camera in India

POCO X5 Pro

The POCO X5 Pro launched in India in February with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G SoC, a 6.67-inch AMOLED 120Hz display, 67W fast charging and a 108MP primary camera at a starting price of Rs 22,999 (6GB + 128GB variant). As per our review of the device, the images captured had ample detail, but there was slight over-saturation of colours. The POCO X5 Pro also has a 2MP macro shooter, but an 8MP ultra-wide lens, which the Nord CE 3 Lite lacks.

Realme 10 Pro

The Realme 10 Pro and Realme 10 Pro+ both launched in India in December last year with a 6.72-inch FHD+ 120Hz display, 108MP camera and up to 67W charging. While the Pro variant comes with an LCD screen, the Realme 10 Pro+ boasts of a Super AMOLED curved display. The Realme 10 Pro is priced at Rs 18,999 for the 6GB + 128GB model, while the 8GB + 128GB variants costs Rs 19,999.

The Realme 10 Pro runs on a Snapdragon 695 SoC. Our review of the device notes that low-light photography could do with some improvement. Besides, there’s lack of versatility as ultra-wide and macro shooters are absent, and there’s only a 2MP portrait lens.

Moto G72

The Moto G72 was introduced in India in October 2022 with a 108MP + 8MP + 2MP triple camera setup. Key specifications include a 6.6-inch display, MediaTek Helio G99 SoC, and Android 12 OS, with the Moto G72 priced at Rs 18,999 for the sole 6GB + 128GB model. A major drawback, albeit not in the optics department, is that the phone is only a 4G offering. Based on our review, the Moto G72 provides a good photography experience with great details via its pixel-binned 12.5MP shots. Even the low-light shots turned out pretty decent, with less noise and no over-processing, although the ultra-wide shooter could do with some improvements.

Infinix Note 12 Pro 5G

The Infinix Note 12 Pro 5G debuted in the country in July last year alongside the vanilla Infinix Note 12 5G, with the former priced at Rs 17,999 for the 8GB+128GB version. There is a cheaper 4G version of the Infinix Note 12 Pro too, which launched in India in August later at Rs 16,999 for the sole 8GB RAM with 256GB storage option. Both 4G and 5G variants of the Infinix Note 12 Pro come with a 108MP primary rear camera. The 5G variant has a 2MP depth + 2MP macro lens as well, while the 4G version comes with a 2MP depth lens and an AI lens.

According to our review of the Infinix Note 12 Pro 5G, the photography results were quite an upgrade over other Infinix phones in terms of detail and dynamic range, but the saturation was overdone. Even without the night mode, there was decent detailing even in the shadowy parts of the frame with natural colours; however, the absence of an ultra-wide shooter was missed here as well, as in the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite.

Samsung Galaxy M53

The Samsung Galaxy M53 launched in India way back in April 2022, and currently is the only 108MP budget/mid-range option from the Korean maker’s stable in India currently. Its successor, the Galaxy M54 has already debuted in the Middle East with a 108MP camera and should be coming to India soon.

Back to the Galaxy M53 – the phone launched at Rs 26,499 for the 6GB+128GB model, but is currently available at Rs 23,999 on Amazon, which is still a substantial difference from the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G starting price. The phone, however, has an edge over the Nord CE 3 Lite with its quad-camera setup, comprising a 108MP primary camera, an 8MP ultra-wide lens, a 2MP macro sensor, and a 2MP depth camera. In terms of other specs, the Galaxy M53 flaunts a 6.7-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED Infinity-0 display with a 120Hz refresh rate, and runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 900 chipset.

Basis our review, the Galaxy M53 does a more-than-decent job with its daylight photography, but there’s a considerable amount of noise in nighttime shots. The exposure was a tad too much for the liking of our reviewer.

Xiaomi 11i, Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge

Both Xiaomi 11i and 11i HyperCharge launched in India in January last year as rebrands of Redmi Note 11 Pro and Note 11 Pro+. Key specs include a 108MP primary camera, MediaTek Dimensity 920, Android 11 OS and 16MP selfie snapper. Both phones are pretty much the same save for the battery capacity and charging speeds. The 11i HyperCharge, at the time of launch, was the fastest charging phone in India at 120W, while standard Xiaomi 11i offers the same 67W charging speed as the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite.

Based on our review of the Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge, the phone leaves much to be desired in the photography department, especially for its price. There was a fair bit of over-processing, which was evident in every photograph. Alongside the 108MP primary sensor, there’s an 8MP ultra-wide shooter and a 2MP macro sensor in the Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge. 

The Xiaomi 11i price in India at launch was Rs 24,999 for the 6GB/128GB variant, while the Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge started at Rs 26,999 for the 6GB/128GB model.