These days the Nord series has been the bread and butter for OnePlus. The company has seen unprecedented growth in the budget space thanks to products like the Nord CE 4 Lite. This all started with the OG Nord, and we now have the fourth generation of it with us.
The OnePlus Nord 4 is a reimagined Nord with some series firsts. For starters, Nord 4 gets a new metal unibody construction, a large battery, a redesigned vapor cooling chamber, a near bezel-less display, and much more. But does it still have the allure that made the original Nord devices popular among consumers? Let’s find out in our review.
OnePlus Nord 4 Design
The OnePlus Nord 4 is a significant departure from its plastic-shelled predecessors. The phone now gets a premium metal unibody design which adds a sense of sophistication, especially in the mid-range smartphone market. On top of that the dual-tone finish on the rear panel is a bold design choice that adds a touch of personality.
Keeping this aside, the Nord 4 fits comfortably in the hand thanks to gently curved edges. The cameras on the back are placed individually with the LED flash placed next to them. The button placement is just standard. The volume rockers are on the right side, the OnePlus signature alert slider is on the left. The top edge has the IR sensor, and a secondary microphone while the bottom edge houses the USB Type C port, speaker grill, and SIM card slot.
Flipping the phone over, we are greeted by a large 6.7-inch display with minimal bezels, creating a sleek and modern look. This maximizes the screen real estate, delivering an immersive viewing experience.
OnePlus Nord 4 Display
The OnePlus Nord 4 boasts a 6.7-inch AMOLED panel with minimal bezels. The display is a step up from the previous model. The resolution is now 1.5K along with a 120Hz refresh rate. The display has deeper colors, richer viewing experiences, and improved battery efficiency.
While the display is generally impressive, there are areas for improvement. Outdoor visibility, while decent, could be enhanced for optimal performance under bright sunlight. Moving past this, the Nord 4 is still a solid phone for content consumption. We get HDR support on leading OTT apps delivering top-notch experience.
OnePlus Nord 4 Software
When it comes to the software experience, the OnePlus Nord 4 ships with the latest version of OxygenOS which is based on Android 14. The UI is generally clean and intuitive, with a focus on providing a smooth and efficient user experience. OxygenOS has always been praised for its minimalist and bloatware-free approach, and the Nord 4 tries to stick with that approach.
Unfortunately, some bloatware has started to seep into the Nord series which has been noticeable since the last two launches. Thankfully they can be removed but it just adds an extra step during the phone setup.
In terms of performance, OxygenOS 14 is snappy and responsive. Animations are smooth, and there is minimal lag during everyday tasks. The inclusion of Android 14 features adds value, particularly in terms of enhanced privacy controls and app permission management.
OnePlus has made a slight change in the software update cycle of the Nord 4 compared to other models in the lineup. Nord 4 is slated to get four Android version upgrades and six years of security updates. This is a welcome move and is mainly targeted at Samsung.
OnePlus Nord 4 Performance
Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 SoC, the OnePlus Nord 4 delivers solid performance in day-to-day tasks. Apps launch swiftly, multitasking is smooth, and the overall user experience is responsive. The phone is paired with upto 12GB LPDDR5X RAM and upto 256GB of UFS4.0 storage.
Whether you’re scrolling through social media, managing emails, streaming videos, or engaging in serious gaming sessions, the Nord 4 handles these tasks with ease. Multitasking is seamless, and app launches are quick without any noticeable stuttering.
In synthetic benchmarks, the Nord 4 demonstrates competitive scores compared to devices in and above its price range. Although we start to see Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 powered phones in this price bracket but the difference between the two chips is not too huge on paper.
One noteworthy aspect is the device’s thermal performance. Under normal usage scenarios, the Nord 4 remains relatively cool. However, during prolonged heavy usage such as gaming or benchmarking, the device may warm up noticeably.
Moving to the battery life, sticking to the other recent Nord series members, OnePlus has also gone with a high-density 5,500mAh battery on the Nord 4. OnePlus says that this battery can last upto 4 years with minimal degradation.
With moderate use, the Nord 4 easily lasts 2 full days and gets you around 7 hours of screen-on-time (SOT). Furthermore, the phone comes with a 100W charging brick, which allows for a remarkable 0 to 100% charge in under 30 minutes.
OnePlus Nord 4 Camera
OnePlus has made little to no change in the optics of the Nord 4. The phone comes with a dual camera setup on the back with a 50MP Sony LYT600 primary sensor along with an 8MP Ultra-wide angle lens. For selfies, the phone uses a 16MP front-facing camera, which is seen on other Nord series phones as well.
In terms of camera performance, the primary camera excels at capturing vibrant images with saturated colors. The dynamic range is impressive, ensuring good detail in shadows when shooting in bright daylight. The autofocus system is generally quick and accurate, ensuring sharp subjects. However, in low-light conditions, the camera struggles. Photos tend to be noticeably noisier, details get lost, and sharpness diminishes.
The ultra-wide camera is nothing extraordinary either and delivers passable images. The color science and processing have been mostly kept the same as the primary camera.
The front-facing camera takes decent selfies in well-lit conditions. However, similar to the rear camera, details can appear smudged in less-than-ideal lighting conditions. Portrait mode with background blur is available, but edge detection can be inconsistent, resulting in unnatural-looking separations between the subject and the background.
OnePlus Nord 4: Pros and Cons
Pros
- Premium design with a metal unibody
- Large, vibrant 6.7-inch AMOLED display
- Powerful performance with the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 SoC
- Long-lasting 5,500mAh battery with 100W fast charging
- Clean software experience with OxygenOS
Cons
- Camera performance could be better, especially in low light
- Software needs some optimizations
- Some bloatware present in the software
OnePlus Nord 4 The Verdict
The OnePlus Nord 4 is a solid effort to deliver a well-rounded mid-range smartphone. Its got some standout features including an updated design language, a rich bezel-less display, a powerful processor, and a solid battery life.
However, the Nord 4 is not without its shortcomings. The cameras fail to impress, the software needs a bit more optimizations, and the display brightness is not ideal for outdoor use.
To sum it up, the OnePlus Nord 4 is for you if design, performance, and a clean user interface are your priority. For everything else, its better to look elsewhere.
OnePlus Nord 4 FAQs
Q: What are the key features of the OnePlus Nord 4?
A: The OnePlus Nord 4 features a premium metal unibody design, a 6.7-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, a powerful Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 SoC, a large 5,500mAh battery with 100W fast charging, and OxygenOS based on Android 14.
Q: How does the OnePlus Nord 4 perform in terms of camera quality?
A: The OnePlus Nord 4 has a 50MP primary camera and an 8MP ultrawide camera. The primary camera performs well in daylight conditions, capturing vibrant images with good dynamic range. However, low-light performance could be improved.
Q: Does the OnePlus Nord 4 come with bloatware?
A: The OnePlus Nord 4 comes with some bloatware, but thankfully, it can be removed during the phone setup.
Q: How long will the OnePlus Nord 4 receive software updates?
A: OnePlus has promised four Android version upgrades and six years of security updates for the Nord 4.
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