OnePlus continues to impress with its Nord lineup, offering premium features at a mid-range price. The latest OnePlus Nord 4, launched in August 2024, upholds this tradition by blending high-end specifications with an attractive design. Let’s dive into an in-depth review of this promising device.
Design and Build
The Nord 4 showcases a premium build, featuring a glass front, aluminium back, and aluminium frame, a design usually seen in flagship devices. The phone’s dimensions (162.6 x 75 x 8 mm) make it slim and ergonomic, while the 199.5 g weight gives it a solid, balanced feel in hand. Notably, the device is IP65 certified, making it resistant to dust and water splashes—a feature that adds peace of mind for outdoor usage.
Colour Options:
- Obsidian Midnight (classic black)
- Mercurial Silver (sleek metallic)
- Oasis Green (unique and vibrant)
The Nord 4’s aesthetic appeal and durability make it an excellent choice for those who value style and substance.
Display
The display is one of the Nord 4’s standout features. It sports a 6.74-inch Fluid AMOLED panel supporting 1 billion colours, ensuring vivid and accurate colour reproduction. The 120Hz refresh rate delivers smooth scrolling and enhanced gaming experiences, while HDR10+ adds richness to video content.
With a peak brightness of 2150 nits, the screen performs exceptionally well under direct sunlight. Whether binge-watching shows, gaming, or browsing, the display does not disappoint.
Key Display Specs:
- Resolution: 1240 x 2772 pixels (~450 PPI)
- Screen-to-body ratio: ~90%
- Ultra HDR image support for dynamic and vibrant visuals
Performance
Under the hood, the OnePlus Nord 4 is powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 chipset, built on a 4nm process. This octa-core processor combines raw power and efficiency, making the phone capable of handling intensive tasks, from high-end gaming to multitasking. The Adreno 732 GPU further enhances graphical performance, ensuring smooth visuals for gamers and creators alike.
The phone ships with Android 14 and OxygenOS 14.1, offering a clean, fast, customizable user interface. OnePlus guarantees four major Android updates, ensuring longevity and value.
Performance Benchmarks:
- AnTuTu: 1,315,847 (v10)
- GeekBench: 4791 (v6)
- 3DMark: 3080 (Wild Life Extreme)
Camera
The dual-camera setup on the Nord 4 strikes a balance between versatility and quality.
Rear Cameras:
- 50 MP (wide): Excellent for sharp and detailed photos, even in low light, thanks to PDAF and OIS.
- 8 MP (ultrawide): Perfect for group photos and landscapes, offering a 112° field of view.
The camera system supports 4K video recording at 30/60fps, with gyro-EIS ensuring stable footage.
Front Camera:
- 16 MP (wide): Delivers decent selfies with good detail but struggles slightly in low-light conditions.
While the camera setup is reliable, it lacks the versatility of triple or quad-camera systems offered by competitors.
Battery and Charging
The Nord 4 has a 5500mAh battery, which provides exceptional battery life. It lasted an impressive 14 hours and 41 minutes of active use during testing, making it ideal for power users.
What sets this phone apart is its 100W wired charging. OnePlus advertises a full charge in just 28 minutes, and real-world tests confirm its incredible speed. This feature is a lifesaver for users constantly on the go.
Audio and Connectivity
The Nord 4 features stereo speakers that produce clear and loud audio with a -24.6 LUFS rating (Perfect). Unfortunately, the phone lacks a 3.5mm headphone jack, which might disappoint users who prefer wired audio devices.
Connectivity options are robust:
- Wi-Fi 6 ensures faster and more reliable wireless internet.
- Bluetooth 5.4 supports seamless connections and high-quality audio codecs like aptX HD and LHDC.
- NFC and Infrared support add functionality, such as contactless payments and remote control capabilities.
Storage Options
The Nord 4 offers a range of storage configurations, catering to different user needs:
- 128GB/8GB RAM
- 256GB/8GB RAM
- 256GB/12GB RAM
- 512GB/16GB RAM
The UFS 4.0 storage (for variants above 128GB) ensures blazing-fast read/write speeds. However, the need for expandable storage might be a drawback for some users.
Pricing and Availability
The OnePlus Nord 4 is competitively priced:
- €389 / £349 / ₹27,999
Given its feature set, the Nord 4 offers excellent value for money, making it an attractive option for mid-range buyers.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Stunning Fluid AMOLED display with HDR10+ and Ultra HDR
- Powerful Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 chipset
- Excellent battery life and 100W fast charging
- Sleek and durable design with an IP65 rating
- Competitive Pricing
Cons:
- No expandable storage
- Average selfie camera
- Lacks a 3.5mm headphone jack
Conclusion
The OnePlus Nord 4 is a stellar mid-range smartphone that excels in design, display, performance, and charging speed. While it has a few shortcomings, such as the absence of expandable storage and a primary selfie camera, the overall package offers incredible value for its price.
If you want a phone that delivers flagship-like performance without breaking the bank, the OnePlus Nord 4 is a top contender.
