OnePlus Nord 4 review: "Never Settle" ambition lives on

It's a pleasant evening in Milan and OnePlus picked this fashion capital of the world to take the wraps off its latest product range: the all-new Nord 4, Nord Buds 3 Pro, Watch 2r and Pad 2. One thing these new products seem to have in common with Milan is just how stylish they are. But there can only be one showstopper and it is Nord 4. OnePlus has spent a great deal on this phone's look and feel. But is this phone as good as it looks? Let's find out.

OnePlus Nord 4 may have left very little to everyone's imagination with all the pictures and videos out, but we set out to put this phone through our routine tests and trials. Here's a quick look at the phone's key specs before we move forward.

OnePlus Nord 4: Key specs

1. Display: 6.74 inch 1.5K Super Fluid AMOLED
2. Camera: 50MP Sony LYTIA, OIS, EIS + 112-degree 8MP ultrawide lens
3. Selfie: 16MP
4. CPU: Snapdragon 7 Plus Gen 3
5. RAM: 8/12/16 GB LPDDR5X
6. Storage: 128 GB UFS3.1 / 256 GB or 512GB UFS4.0
7. Battery: 5,500mAh with 100W SUPERVOOC
8. Software: OxygenOS 14.1
9. Add-ons: IP65, dual stereo speakers, Alert Slider

Pricing: OnePlus Nord 4 has been launched with some special offers: Rs 28,999 (8+256GB) and Rs 31,999 (12+256GB) in the case of pre-orders (20th July–30th July 2024). The open sale begins on August 2 and the prices will be Rs 27,999 (8+128 GB); Rs 29,999 (8+256GB) and Rs 32,999 (12+256 GB). The actual market prices are set at Rs 29,999 (8+128GB); Rs 32,999 (8+256GB) and Rs 35,999 (12+256 GB).

Note: OnePlus sent us the Nord 4 for review purposes. The device is in Mercurial Silver shade, running OxygenOS 14.1 following a software update.

Quick overview

OnePlus Nord 4 levels up a big way. From metallic construction to capable cameras and powerful performance, the Nord 4 is a complete mid-ranger. The design is premium, battery tech is the latest and software support is as expected. It's got an IP65 rating, dual stereo speakers, AI sprinkled here and there and the signature Alert Slider. What more can you ask for? Well, the Nord 4 checks all the right boxes.

Design

The OnePlus Nord 4 brings a significant leap in design aesthetics and functionality, presenting a matte silver variant with a 2D laser-etched design, aptly named Mercurial Silver. This unique design features over 28,000 nano-laser cuts, creating an intricate texture that plays with light and shadow, giving an almost dynamic appearance, OnePlus says. And the craftsmanship is so refined that it creates an illusion of texture on the back, which, surprisingly, is smooth to the touch, but a contradiction that teases the senses.

The challenge of incorporating metal without obstructing 5G antennas has been ingeniously addressed. Inside the phone's rear cover, a series of small pillars allow the antennas to be half the size of traditional ones while still maintaining robust 5G signal clarity. Furthermore, the metal body of the Nord 4 acts as an amplifier, enhancing signal strength. There were no issues while using the network in India, but couldn't put it through to testing in Milan. 

The repositioned horizontal camera layout not only makes room for a larger battery, but also contributes to a balanced weight distribution. The physical buttons are thoughtfully placed on the right side, ensuring they are easily accessible. The Alert Slider provides a satisfying click, ideal for fidgeting, and the USB Type-C port sits conveniently at the bottom alongside the stereo speaker grille. Overall, the design of the Nord 4 is arguably the best in the Nord series, showcasing OnePlus's commitment to innovation and user-centric design.

Display

OnePlus Nord 4 boasts a 6.74-inch 1.5K display with a pixel density of 450 pixels per inch, ensuring that images and videos are rendered with detail. The display is bright, with a peak brightness of 2,150 nits, making text readable outdoors. But it can get tricky in direct sunlight, especially when the sun shines on a 37-degree summer afternoon. The smooth 120Hz refresh rate guarantees a seamless viewing experience, whether you're scrolling through social media or playing games.

A standout feature is the ProXDR, inherited from the OnePlus 12 series. This technology dynamically adjusts the brightness and clarity of images and videos in the gallery, presenting them in their best possible light.

AquaTouch technology is another notable addition, especially useful in places like Bangalore where sudden drizzles are common. A hilarious representation of this feature was done at the launch and we did try it out by sprinkling some water drops to send out texts and voila, it works. This feature ensures that the screen responds accurately to touch inputs even when wet, ignoring accidental raindrop touches.

Camera

OnePlus Nord 4's camera setup is designed to cater to a wide range of photography needs. It features a 50-megapixel Sony LYT-600 sensor that excels in capturing high-quality images, especially portrait shots. Having shot a few portraits in different light conditions, it is clear that the subject identification and outlining are on point. The colours pop in well-lit scenes, but harsh sunlight can imbalance the dynamic range at times. In case of low lighting, the camera captures decent shots, retaining a good colour palette. But it is wise to stick to the primary lens rather than switch to the ultra-wide. 

But speaking of ultrawide, the 112-degree 8-megapixel ultra-wide lens is perfect for capturing expansive landscape shots, something we did a lot in Milan, as you can see from the samples below. The colours are retained well in daylight, corners aren't losing a lot of details, and the HDR is well balanced around the centre. 

For selfie enthusiasts, the 16-megapixel front camera is finely tuned to produce stunning portrait shots. You'll not be disappointed with the results as the colours and contrast are handled with care, without artificial vibrancy added in. 

Check out the camera samples below:

Performance

At the heart of the OnePlus Nord 4 is the octa-core 4-nanometre Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Plus Gen 3 chip, an upgrade from the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chip. The new processor delivers reliable all-round performance but what's interesting to note here are some AI features.

For instance, the CPU-Vita technology uses AI to optimize the Snapdragon chip's performance, balancing high performance with system load to conserve energy and extend battery life. Then there's the RAM-Vita technology, which boosts memory management for a smooth multitasking experience.

Having used the phone for day-to-day tasks, it becomes clear that it can handle it all. Once set up, the Nord 4 manages everything from calls to IMs and gaming to multimedia consumption. Since OnePlus chose metal this time, there were some reservations regarding the heat dissipation. But it managed it quite well. Even during extended camera use or binge-watching series, the phone kept its cool. Extensive gaming did warm up the phone a bit, but nothing to the extent where it'd be difficult to hold it (since metal and all).

Software

OnePlus continues its software supremacy with the Nord 4 by offering a clean and smooth UI experience. Users will be relieved to know that this device comes with four years of major software updates and two additional years of security updates, which is the longest for the series.

One big part of OxygenOS is its AI-powered features, such as AI Audio Summary for transcribing meetings, AI Note Summary for summarizing emails, and AI Text Translate. They work as intended.

An interesting feature has been included as well, called the AI Linkboost, which improves connectivity by reconnecting to mobile networks faster. Though no network issues were noted during the review period, we will update if it changes with long-term use.

The clean UI image is marred by some pre-installed apps like Facebook, Netflix, LinkedIn, Agoda, Booking.com, and Microsoft 365. Some are useful, but as for the rest, they are easily removable or can be disabled.

Battery

OnePlus Nord 4's battery is flagship-grade tech. The 5,500 mAh battery supports SUPERVOOC charging, which can charge the phone from 1% to 100% in less than half an hour. This way, you won't have to wait for the phone to power up before you use it again.

But battery health remains a concern with such fast charging technology. OnePlus says it has tested 1,600 charging cycles while maintaining more than 80% of its original capacity, which means it should last four years in theory. But our bet is on the Battery Health Engine technology, which uses AI to analyze charging habits and optimize power usage.

As for the usage, the phone can easily last a whole day with mixed usage and light users can manage beyond a day. Heavy users will have to plug the phone in at the end of the day, but if you're gaming, then consider plugging in the device sooner. For most users, around 6.5 hours of screen-on-time can be safely expected.

Conclusion

OnePlus Nord 4 is a major upgrade in terms of design. The visually stunning and tactile design, its bright display, great primary camera and reliable performance make the Nord 4 stand out in the mid-range smartphone market. The device caters to casual users, but heavy users can also make the most of this device. In a mid-range segment, OnePlus Nord 4 offers a premium experience at a reasonable price point.

With features like IP65 rating, dual stereo speakers, AI features, and the signature Alert Slider, the Nord 4 embodies the "Never Settle" philosophy.

OnePlus Nord 4 is by far the best Nord ever and with its pricing, it is positioned strongly in the Indian mid-range market.