OnePlus Nord 4 review: Where style meets substance

OnePlus Nord 4

With the Nord series, OnePlus has always aimed to balance premium features with an accessible price tag. There have more hits than misses with that strategy as the Nord series has become an appealing option for those looking for a device under Rs 30,000. The OnePlus Nord 4 is the device that could further strengthen the Nord series’ position for OnePlus.

With the Nord 4, the company takes a rather bold -- and we must say refreshing -- step by embracing a metal design, a smooth departure from the glass-dominated smartphone market. But does this design change translate to a performance upgrade? We used the OnePlus Nord 4 for a while and here’s what we think of it.

OnePlus Nord 4 review: Design and display

As soon as you unbox the OnePlus Nord 4, you know that this is a very different phone from the ones you are used to. The OnePlus Nord 4 opts from a totally different look from its predecessors with a bold design overhaul. Ditching the familiar glass sandwich construction, the new Nord boasts a predominantly aluminium chassis — it is what the gen Z would call a throwback to relatively classic era of smartphone design.

Wrapped in Mercurial Silver, the device features a subtle, laser-etched striped pattern on its back. While visually appealing, this texture doesn't enhance grip. Other colour options include Obsidian Midnight and Oasis Green, both lacking the striped detail.

The Nord 4's design isn't all metallic. The top half of the rear panel is glass, a decision necessitated by the phone's internal layout. The dual combination of glass and metal does make for a very attractive looking smartphone.

OnePlus says that to accommodate the substantial 5500mAh battery, OnePlus had to reconfigure the component placement. The result? The camera module has a horizontal layout, which also gives it a very different look.

The phone's sides house the standard array of buttons and ports. Notably, the well-positioned power button is easily accessible, and the signature OnePlus Alert Slider maintains its place on the left edge.

The Nord 4 boasts a 6.74-inch Fluid AMOLED display that is amply bright and offers a lot of clarity. With a 1.5K resolution and peak brightness of 2150 nits, content pops to life, even under direct sunlight. OnePlus' ProXDR technology does a fine job of enhancing the images as well.

Supporting a smooth 120Hz refresh rate and immersive Ultra HDR, the display is really nice to look at. OnePlus has integrated the AquaTouch feature, which ensures reliable touch responsiveness, even when wet, making the Nord more dependable.

There are a lot of colour modes to play around and customise the display. There’s the default Vivid mode, which offers punchy colours. Users have the option to customise the display with other modes like Natural, Cinematic, and Brilliant. There’s also an adjustable colour temperature and a custom colour wheel.

OnePlus Nord 4 review: Performance, software

The OnePlus Nord 4 ships with OxygenOS 14.1, the latest iteration of OnePlus's Android skin. We live in the times of AI and no smartphone maker is leaving any stone unturned to at least sprinkle some AI feature. OnePlus is no different as there are a skew of AI-driven features in the Nord 4. But not that anything is new as it more or less brings the same set which Oppo got in the Reno 12 series. That’s no surprise as given the shared development foundation, both operating systems offer similar user experiences and functionalities.

OxygenOS 14.1 introduces AI-powered tools for tasks like email summarisation, language translation, and voice note transcription. Behind the scenes, AI optimises system performance, connectivity, and background processes. Similar to the Oppo Reno12 series, the Nord 4 intelligently switches between internet sources for uninterrupted connectivity. Are these features useful? Yes. Do they work reliably? Most of the time they do. But frankly, barring for testing purpose, we didn’t end up using too many of them.

OnePlus has made a significant commitment to long-term software support with the Nord 4, providing four years of major OS updates and six years of security patches.

In terms of performance, OxygenOS 14.1 delivers a smooth and responsive user experience without noticeable lags or slowdowns.

At the heart of the Nord 4 lies the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 chipset, a capable processor delivering solid performance for mid-range smartphones. So it came as no surprise to see absolutely smooth performance during day-to-day usage. You won’t see any lags or stutters and there weren’t any heating issues with the OnePlus Nord 4.

While not a dedicated gaming phone per se, the Nord 4 handles gaming well, delivering smooth performance at medium graphics settings. The phone's metal build surprisingly keeps thermal management in check, preventing excessive heat buildup during extended use. The dual stereo speakers provide satisfactory audio quality for everyday entertainment.

OnePlus offers configurations with 8GB or 12GB of RAM, paired with 128GB or 256GB of storage, respectively. To optimise this hardware, the phone utilises OnePlus' Trinity Engine, which intelligently manages RAM, ROM, and CPU for peak efficiency.  The Nord 4 packs a substantial 5500mAh battery, ensuring ample power to last comfortably through a full day of typical usage. OnePlus includes a speedy 100W charger in the box, capable of replenishing the battery to full capacity in just 30 minutes.

OnePlus Nord 4 review: Camera

The Nord 4's primary camera, equipped with a 50-megapixel Sony LYT-600 sensor, captures images with impressive detail and sharpness. The combination of optical and electronic image stabilisation ensures steady shots, even in low-light conditions. In fact, some of the shots we clicked in low-light came out really well. Portrait mode on objects is a hit and miss but works well on human faces. Colours appear accurate, though at times they do feel a bit oversaturated. Low-light performance is acceptable for casual social media sharing.

The 8-megapixel ultra-wide lens offers a wide field of view but sacrifices some detail compared to the main camera. The ultra-wide shots left us not too impresses.

OnePlus has incorporated AI-driven features like the AI Eraser, which effectively removes unwanted elements from photos with precision and speed. At times, the results weren’t as smooth as we expected but overall satisfactory.

Video capabilities include 4K 60fps recording and adjustable depth of field, although the latter feature struggles to accurately separate subjects from backgrounds in dynamic scenes. Standard video modes like slow-motion, time-lapse, and dual-view are included. The 16-megapixel front camera delivers detailed and flattering selfies — images that can be shared easily on social media.

The Nord 4's camera setup scores a solid 7 or 8 on 10 most times as it captures impressive stills and  shoots capable videos for most users.

OnePlus Nord 4 review: Verdict

OnePlus Nord 4 comes at a starting price of Rs 29,999. It has a reliable processor, impressive battery life and capable cameras — three things which matter perhaps the most to users. It is a do-it-all mid-ranger which we have no hesitation in recommending. The metal look gives it a different aesthetic and separates it in the sea of smartphones available out there. Go for it and you will end up buying a phone that will hold you in good stead.