The OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G is officially landing later this week, but the company has now provided TechRadar with exclusive images of the upcoming phone so you can see the design for the very first time.

The Nord CE 2 5G is expected to be an affordable alternative to the company's flagship phone range. The previous OnePlus Nord CE phone from 2021 cost £299 (around $420, AU$550), so we'd expect around a similar price for this model.

OnePlus has kept a similar look to the first-gen handset, but there are some differences, such as a new camera design on the rear of the phone. The new camera module looks to have rounded corners in a similar style to the Oppo Find X3 Pro from the company's sister brand.

Oliver Zhang, Head of Product at OnePlus, told TechRadar, "Using a one-piece molding process, the crystal-clear camera module rises naturally from the back of the phone in an elegant curve.

"Our designers also added a CD ring with a metal-like texture on the main and ultra-wide camera to enhance the futuristic impression of the camera module."

This design is less distinctive than the company's new OnePlus 10 Pro that features a much larger camera module that connects to the left hand edge of the phone. It also looks quite different to the company's existing OnePlus 9 range.

There's a new blue shade

The handset you've seen above is a new color for OnePlus phones, although it remains a variation of the blue theme that has become known as the flagship shade for the company's Nord handsets.

Zhang said, "When designing colors for the OnePlus Nord CE 2, the product team wanted to evolve its blue colorway and did this by adopting a brighter and bolder blue than the original OnePlus Nord CE’s Blue Void.

"The OnePlus Nord CE 2’s Bahama Blue colorway exhibits a multi-directional gradient of blue and yellow that blend together beautifully."

Zhang also confirmed that the company would be offering a second color for the handset, which is called Gray Mirror. It's currently unclear what that will look like, but we believe it'll be a silver variant similar to the original phone's Silver Ray.

Expect a similar shiny design to the company's flagship OnePlus 9 Pro , as well. Zhang confirmed that each model in the Nord CE 2 line undergoes "a low-diffusion cosmetic process" which is designed to "deliver a translucent visual effect on its rear cover."

What else do we know so far?

Zhang also confirmed to TechRadar some of the specs we can expect, including the fact it'll feature a 4,500mAh battery. That supports up to 65W fast-charging, which uses SuperVOOC branded technology that we've previously seen on Oppo products.

The company says this phone will charge twice as fast as the original Nord CE, and it'll provide "up to one day's power in just 15 minutes". We don't expect that means the phone will be fully charged in 15 minutes, so you'll likely want to spend longer to ensure a full day of use.

OnePlus has previously confirmed that microSD support would be coming to the OnePlus Nord CE 2, but we now know it'll be able to support cards up to 1TB in size.

Zhang said, "To add more versatility to the OnePlus Nord CE 2, we added space for a microSD card slot in its design that enables users to expand the device’s storage up to 1TB."

OnePlus has yet to confirm the internal storage sizes for the handset, but leaks suggest you'll have the option of either 128GB or 256GB of space.

We don't yet know when the OnePlus Nord CE 2 release date will be, and it's currently unclear where the phone will be available. The last-gen model was on sale in Europe (including the UK) and India, so this may not be a handset you can buy in the US or Australia.

There's a lot left to learn about this upcoming phone, and the company is hosting a launch event on February 17 where we expect to get those details. It starts at 8:30am ET / 5:30am PT or 1:30pm GMT (that's 12:30am AEDT on February 18).

New HDMI 2.1 monitors from Asus offer the latest 4K capabilities for gamers and creators alike

HDMI 2.1 arrived on the tech scene without much fanfare because there simply weren’t many devices supporting it. That’s all changing with a variety of monitors from ASUS offering the new standard in display connectivity. Whether you’re gaming on PC or console or you’re a creator looking for a pristine display, Asus has you covered.

For gamers, Asus provides several options between its TUF and ROG product lines.

The most approachable entry point is the Asus TUF Gaming VG28UQL1A . This feature-packed display sets you up for a quality gaming experience on both PC and console. The monitor packs in the pixels with its 4K resolution on its 28-inch display, and it can run at up to a 144Hz refresh rate. Its HDMI 2.1 connections will let you enjoy 4K at 120Hz without chroma subsampling, unlocking the supreme experience from your next-gen console. With a pair of HDMI 2.1 ports, you’ll be geared up to connect both a PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X alongside a gaming PC using DisplayPort for a complete gaming setup all on one display. Asus tops it all off with a hint of HDR, a wide color gamut, fast response times, and support for FreeSync Premium and G-Sync.

Gamers who want even more capability can step up to the Asus ROG Swift PG32UQ . This provides a bigger, brighter screen that can deliver DisplayHDR 600 while covering 98% of the DCI-P3 color space thanks to its Quantum Dot display technology. It also serves up that 4K resolution at up to 144Hz on PCs and 120Hz on consoles.

While 28- and 32-inch gaming monitors are ideal for desk-based setups, gamers who like to kick back and relax a bit farther away from their display will have a powerful ally in the Asus ROG Strix XG43UQ and XG43UQ Xbox Edition . These displays dial the capabilities up even higher on their expansive 43-inch panels. They provide the same 4K@144Hz over DisplayPort and 4K@120Hz over HDMI 2.1 capabilities as the others, but their HDR capabilities go over the top with incredible brightness levels up to 1,000 nits. That comes alongside a 4,000:1 contrast ratio for incredibly cinematic visuals. Screen tearing and motion blur won’t tarnish that pristine image either, as the displays support FreeSync Premium Pro and Extreme Low Motion Blur Sync technologies.

Even content creators can find an Asus monitor with HDMI 2.1 connectivity. The Asus ProArt Display PA32UCG-K lets creations shine through as intended with its incredibly color-accurate IPS display that offers 98% DCI-P3 and 99.5% Adobe RGB color gamut coverage. What’s more, it’s factory-calibrated to achieve an exceptional average delta-E of less than one, giving creators supreme color accuracy. Asus has made sure this image is as stunning as it is colorful by using Mini-LED backlighting to provide an incredible 1,600-nit peak brightness and amazing contrast through its 1,152 local dimming zones. The display supports HDR10 and Dolby Vision as well, letting creators work on and preview HDR content all from the same screen. Asus puts that all alongside a 48-120Hz variable refresh rate, making sure every frame coming from your computer or console gets displayed fully intact.

If you’re ready to upgrade your setup with the powerful displays enabled by HDMI 2.1, you can find all of these monitors and more available through Asus’s online store here . You can also see all of Asus’s monitors capable of 120Hz on console here .

CP+ 2022: what cameras and lenses have launched at the show?

The CP+ 2022 camera show has now opened its virtual doors and kicked off its celebration of all things photographic – including some previews of new camera and lens tech.

Following Photokina's seemingly permanent hiatus, the CP+ 2022 show (which runs from February 22-27) has emerged as one of the biggest dates in the calendar of photography fans. And while the Tokyo-based show sadly had to cancel its in-person event, the show is very much going ahead online.

We've recently seen a flurry of announcements from the likes of Sigma, OM System and Panasonic in the run-up to CP+ 2022, and that's no coincidence – camera and lens manufacturers often treat the show as a launchpad for newly announced tech.

So while the likes of the OM System OM-1 and Panasonic Lumix GH6 were announced on the eve of the show, CP+ 2022 could also see some further reveals, particularly in the lens department. The likes of Tamron, Laowa and Voigtlander, for example, have all been tipped to make announcements.

We've rounded up all of the latest CP+ 2022 news below, along with our thoughts on what might be to come. If you want to tune in to watch any of the show's videos or streams, you can register now for free to get access.

Cut to the chase

Like previous years, we've seen some big announcements on the eve of CP+ 2022. Over the past few days, Sigma has revealed its first lenses for Fujifilm X-series cameras, while Panasonic has finally launched the Panasonic Lumix GH6. Just last week we also saw the OM System OM-1, another Micro Four Thirds camera with some big new features including a 'stacked' sensor.

While it's unlikely that we'll see any more camera announcements as big as those, it's possible that some new lenses and accessories will emerge over the course of CP+ 2022. Here's a recap of what's been announced and what could be coming soon.

The OM System OM-1, which was announced on February 15, will be the last new camera to ever bear the Olympus name. While that's a bit sad, the camera is anything but – and with a big OM System presence at CP+ 2022, we can expect to hear a lot more about it at the show.

The OM-1 takes Micro Four Thirds performance up a few notches, thanks to its 'stacked' sensor. This gives it the read-out speeds needed for it to hit 50fps blackout-free burst shooting with continuous autofocus, and serve up some tasty computational photography treats.

Announced right on the eve of CP+ 2022, the Panasonic Lumix GH6 is one of the biggest camera announcements of the year for video shooters. Packing a huge menu of shooting modes, including the ability to shoot both 5.7K/60p and 4K/60p video with 10-bit color depth, it promises to be a serious workhorse for videographers and filmmakers.

The inclusion of fan cooling and a CFexpress card slot takes it up a notch from its GH series predecessors, and there are other treats in the form of 7.5-stops of image stabilization and support for 4-channel XLR audio recording powers. It's already a strong contender for the top spot in our list of the best video cameras .

They've been rumored for years, but Sigma's debut lenses for Fujifilm X-series cameras finally landed just before CP+ 2022. The three lenses are a 16mm f/1.4 DC DN, 30mm f/1.4 DC DN, and 56mm f/1.4 DC DN (all from its 'Contemporary' collection), which bring some affordable new options for Fuji fans.

Interestingly, they'll just be the start of Sigma's new Fuji-friendly glass, with the company announcing that the 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary is "under development" for the X-Mount. Sigma has since released some background info at CP+ 2022 about the making of its new lenses , and there could be more to come from the lens giant at the show.

Tamron has made some cracking lenses for Sony E-mount cameras recently, most notably the 35-150mm f/2-f/2.8 . And it's likely to continue its form at CP+ 2022, with its exhibitor page for the event promising the "the online introduction of lenses by popular photographers and new product development by our development team".

Which lenses will they be? It's hard to say for sure, but patents from last year include designs for an FE 20-50mm f/2.0 lens and a 24-70mm f/4.0, which could make for a lightweight, walkaround travel lens. Another possibility is a 90mm f/2.8 macro lens, which was first patented back in 2020, with that patent receiving an update late last year.

Of course, not all patents lead to real products, and Tamron could come out of leftfield with something completely unexpected like Canon's bizarre dual fish-eye lens . But it seems more likely that it'll continue its good recent track record in zoom lenses for Sony E-Mount, alongside providing more affordable alternatives to Sony lenses with that rumored macro lens.

Another manufacturer that's promising to reveal new lenses at the CP+ 2022 show is Cosina. The Japanese brand has been releasing glass under the classic Voigtländer name since the late 90s, with its most recent focus being Sony's E-mount and some stunning 'Vintage Line' options for Leica M-Mount.

The most recent example of the latter was the all-metal Color-Skopar 21mm f/3.5 Aspherical Type II (above). But manual prime lenses for Leica M-Mount cameras don't exactly have oodles of mainstream appeal.

Cosina did also register patents for three APO-Lanthar prime lenses last year, which are compatible with Sony E-mount cameras as well as the M-Mount. These included designs for 25mm f/2, 75mm f/1.8, 135mm f/2, and 135mm f/1.2 lenses. So if you're after a well-built, reasonably-priced throwback lens for your Sony, Leica or Nikon F-mount camera, it could be worth tuning into CP+ 2022 to see what Cosina has in store.

Here's the kind of camera accessory we love to stumble across at big shows like CP+ 2022. The Digi Swap is effectively a 'digital back' for your old 35mm film camera that lets you attach an iPhone to it, so you can shoot digital snaps that retain some of its analogue character.

While the resulting contraption isn't exactly an ergonomic delight, it does look like an intriguing way to breathe new life into your old film camera, if you've lost the enthusiasm for loading it with real film.

The Digi Swap will apparently work with phones released from the iPhone X to the iPhone 13 Pro inclusive and the company says it's working on adapters for medium format cameras, alongside the current one for 35mm film models. Expect to hear more about it when CP+ kicks off from February 22.

Laowa lenses are rarely dull affairs, preferring instead to dabble in extreme bokeh (like the Laowa Argus 35mm f/0.95 FFII), ultra wide-angle coverage (see the 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D) or even unique macro 'probe' lenses.

On its CP+ 2022 page, their manufacturer Venus Optics says that visitors will be able to "try out new products" on its stand. Does this mean it'll be launching new products at the show? That isn't yet clear, but the description suggests it's a possibility.

If so, the most likely candidate would be the 12-24mm f/5.6 lens that's been strongly rumored for full-frame mirrorless mounts including Canon RF, Nikon Z, Sony E and Leica M cameras. It was expected to arrive last year, but like most manufacturers Venus Optics was hit by delays. Fans of wide-angle zooms will be hoping it finally arrives at the CP+ show.

Nikon Rumors thinks there's a chance that we'll see a new Z Mount lens or two announced at CP+ 2022. Two new primes – the Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2 and Z 800mm f/6.3 – will apparently be the next additions to its roadmap, and it's possible we could see the development of one or both announced during the virtual event.

Portrait photographers will be particularly keen to see an 85mm f/1.2. The existing Z 85mm f/1.8 is a fine lens with an affordable price tag, but it was one of Nikon's first Z-Mount lenses. The Z 800mm f/6.3 would naturally be aimed more at wildlife snappers, though it'd likely carry a much higher price tag than Canon's unusual 800mm f/11 IS STM (which costs only $899 / £979 / AU$1,799).

It doesn't currently look too likely that we'll see any major announcements from Sony and Canon at CP+ 2022. None of their exhibitor descriptions hint at any big launches, although Canon is talking up its VR experiences and technology – so perhaps we'll see more concrete info about the Kokomo video calling platform it announced at CES 2022 .