OnePlus Nord 4 hasn’t forgotten why it exists, and it’s a reason for consistency
It is clear that this phone will have strong competition to contend with, and what should help is the Nord 4’s metal build, strong battery life and a familiar software
OnePlus’ Nord really is now in its fourth generation, as the name suggests, which makes any attempts to justify its positioning and proposition as irrelevant as pressure washing your car on a rainy day. The OnePlus Nord 4 follows through on a legacy that began dressed in the beautiful marble-esque finish of the first-generation Nord back in 2020. A rare bright spark, in those dark times. Through the years, OnePlus hasn’t derailed from the core proposition that originally defined the Nord phones – an alternative flagship phone experience. Not easy to achieve as the smartphone market still finds itself largely hemmed into two major category boxes – mid-range Android phones and premium, flagship Android phones. This doesn’t sit in either of those boxes, and that remains its charm.
The OnePlus Nord 4’s charm offensive begins with an aluminium unibody, which isn’t always the case (in fact, it’s rarely ever the case) with phones that are priced around ₹29,999 onwards. Competition landscape includes Xiaomi Redmi Note 13, the Vivo V30, Samsung Galaxy A35, for those who find it relevant the Galaxy S23 FE, and for higher spec variants, the Google Pixel 8a. An ode to the OnePlus 3T perhaps? You may remember how far ahead of the curve OnePlus used to be in that era, a foundation that serves it well today. There are three variants to choose from, take your pick. I’d recommend the green, with a stand-out dual tone finish on the back. That said, just an IP65 dust and water resistance rating – don’t complicate with specifics, just keep this phone away from water.
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It is logical that the Nord 4 is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7 Plus Gen 3 chip. This, in their hierarchy, sits a notch below the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. A good fit then, for a phone that also positioned below a flagship. In fact, the Nord 4’s performance competition comes from the Google Pixel 8a and the Tensor G3 chip it shares with the rest of the Pixel 8 series. As far as thermals go on a warm summers day, the Snapdragon 7 Plus Gen 3 is a step ahead. It is a fairly consistent chip in terms of overall performance, the way it holds that during sustained multitasking and the overall snappiness when you’re loading apps, switching between then or navigating the interface.
It is therefore a tad perplexing that the Nord 4 will eventually begin to show signs of a struggle after about 30 minutes of playing Asphalt 9 Legenda. To iron out any game specific variables, the same was replicated with a couple of other titles. It is not certain whether this clocking down of performance is due to heating because of an unfortunate timing with the seasons, or something that can potentially be solved with a software update to change how the process loading is handled.
OnePlus’ pitch says the metal body, apart from necessitating changes to antenna design, acts as an amplifier for 5G signals. I really cannot tell you how true that is and to what extent, since the Nord 4 held signals at the same level as a OnePlus 12 and other accompanying Android phones (the same networks across all).
A reason why the OnePlus Nord 4 feels fresh, responsive and fluid to use whilst multitasking, are a number of OxygenOS improvements too. That has always been a strong point for OnePlus phones, across its portfolio. In fact, software is one of the reasons why I recommend OnePlus phones over its rivals, to the many who ask. The familiarity with OxygenOS 14.1 remains too, which is great for anyone who’s considering upgrading to yet another OnePlus phone. There’s AI in the mix too now, some genuinely utilitarian and some good to haves. I’d file audio transcriptions (there are summaries too) and AI Note Summary, in the former.
That said, it is difficult to ignore that the OnePlus Nord 4 does come with a rather unexpected bunch of preloaded apps and games that you may not exactly want to keep around. Delete the ones you can, is all I can suggest, as it seems another phone maker has fallen to the lure of preloaded apps as a revenue stream. Cannot hold a grudge, the market is such.
I must note my partial surprise at the Nord 4’s robust battery stamina. Two hours of continuous video streaming at around 60% display brightness level, and the battery dropped from 100% to 91% only. Couple that 100-watt fast charging, and battery anxiety may not really figure during the time you use the Nord 4. The numbers and real-world usage are better than expected.
We need to talk about the camera. The dual camera setup at the back is led by a 50-megapixel Sony LYTIA sensor, alongside an 8-megapixel ultrawide sensor. OnePlus also says the RAW photo algorithms have been taken straight from the flagship OnePlus 12’s book. The predecessor has a 2-megapixel macro shooter as well, but that’s not around anymore. And safe to say, it won’t be missed.
Nevertheless, each photo you take will return with some positives and some elements that aren’t as much. Chances are, much like I did, you’ll like how colours look. They’re well separated, not too vivid and not too dull. Equally, there will be times when the look too subdued, and that often has to do with lesser than optimal lighting. Sharpness is not as much as I’d have liked, which also has an impact on finer details. I’d recommend sticking to the main camera, and not as much on the ultrawide. I have a feeling this phone needs a couple of camera focused updates before it’ll achieve the sort of performance you’d expect from the optical hardware in place.
Before tackling anything else, it is good to see that OnePlus has kept the Nord 4’s price very much in check, and in turn, competitive. The 6.7-inch display doesn’t elicit any complaints, and neither does the metal build, battery optimisations and overall performance. Cameras need some work, and nothing tells me OnePlus will ignore that aspect. After all, its competition is the Google Pixel 8a, and the camera performance is significantly better there. The Nord 4 must continue to improve. It just has to.