OnePlus Nord 4 Review: The Ideal Mid-Range Smartphone?

Remember when smartphones were mostly composed of durable metal rather than fragile glass or cheap plastic? OnePlus does, and with the OnePlus Nord 4, we have the first metal unibody phone of the 5G era. Though it doesn’t provide many advancements over its predecessor, the OnePlus Nord 4 still impresses with low pricing that doesn’t reflect its quick processing speed, faster charging speed, and attractive display. New features add to the appeal, but a few improvements over the Nord 3 would have been welcome.

For the current Nord 4, OnePlus is following in the footsteps of previous models, and I am okay with it. The new Nord smartphone features an all-metal body, which the firm first introduced with the OnePlus 5 (review) in 2017.

As expected, the metal design is far more durable, and dare I say unique, in a sector where practically other smartphones are made of a combination of polycarbonate and glass components. Aside from that, the OnePlus Nord 4 has a larger battery, runs on a new Qualcomm CPU, and includes AI technologies to stay up with the trend.

ONE PLUS NORD 4 KEY FEATURE

After OnePlus began to appeal more to the premium market, the demand for a separate mid-range lineup increased. We are currently in the fourth generation of Nord phones, which keep a relatively low price point while providing the majority of what OnePlus is renowned for fast charging, competitive performance, and smooth, feature-packed software.

With the Nord 4, however, OnePlus adds one more crucial selling element to the mix without boosting pricing this year: the appealing design. The manufacturer is especially pleased with the metal unibody design (albeit there is still some glass on the rear), and we can see why. The phone feels and looks good, but it’s more of a throwback to the OnePlus 3 and 3T phones, which had aluminum chassis. OnePlus claimed it had to overcome numerous challenges to employ an aluminum casing for the phone, but more on that later.

In addition to its unique look, the device offers capable hardware. The device is based on a 6.74-inch 120Hz OLED panel derived from last year’s Nord 3 and a Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 processor. The redesigned Nord also receives the new Sony LYT-600 sensor, which replaces the older IMX890 unit in the main camera. It needs to be observed whether this change compensates for any significant differences.

Last but not least, the OnePlus Nord 4 delivers a significant gain in battery life. The new unit powering the Nord 4 is larger and charges faster than its predecessor. It boasts a 5,500 mAh battery (which exceeds the industry standard of 5,000 mAh) and supports 100W SuperVOOC fast charging.

ONE PLUS NORD 4 UNBOXING

The OnePlus Nord 4 arrives in a regular retail package, complete with user instructions and a USB-A to USB-C charging and data transfer cable.

However, like other recent Oppo launches in Europe, the Nord 4 does not include the requisite proprietary 100W SuperVOOC charger. You have to purchase that separately. The charger is wrapped for the Indian market.

CAMERA

The OnePlus Nord 4 has two back cameras and one front-facing camera, but they are certainly not the phone’s most crucial features. The back array has a 50MP f/1.8 main camera and an 8MP f/2.2 ultra-wide with a 112-degree field of view. If you’re a big OnePlus fan, you’ll notice that there are fewer rear cameras than on the Nord 3, but the lack of a 2MP auxiliary camera isn’t a huge deal; the other two cameras are identical. Hardware-wise, these snappers are good; they do the job, but you won’t be saying ‘wow’ very often at any of the results. Pictures are reasonably bright and detailed, albeit with limited dynamic range.

However, I did occasionally take a picture that looked noticeably better, and it appeared to be when the scene optimizer stepped in to make some adjustments. I’ve included two photos of flowers that demonstrate this well: the dramatic contrasts between the bright blossoms and the shadows in the photograph highlight the flora’s vibrancy.

On the issue of AI, OnePlus has added the same AI eraser function that most phone makers have included, allowing you to eliminate undesired items from photos. The mode was good at removing people from a scene, but not so good at identifying people to remove in the first place. I’d often circle people or objects to be removed, only for the phone to think I still wanted to keep their legs, hairstyles, or one piece of furniture they were sitting on.

On the front, there’s a 16MP f/2.4 main camera, which isn’t particularly impressive but serves its function well, allowing you to shoot bold selfies. Portrait mode is rather light-touch, which I prefer, providing modest beauty adjustments and a soft bokeh that looks wonderful and natural.

Perhaps unsurprisingly for a mid-range phone, there are no unique camera modes here, but the usual ones are present: portrait, panorama, time-lapse, slow-motion, night, pro, pro video (here referred to as Film), and so on. Video recording supports 4K at 60fps, 720p at 240fps, and 1080p at 120fps.

DESIGN AND SCREEN

As previously said, the Nord 4 features a metal body, and OnePlus has almost nailed it. Despite its robust structure, the smartphone has a compact profile and does not seem overly weighty. This is after adding a much larger 5,500mAh battery. It also has a significantly higher IP rating (IP65) for dust and water resistance than the OnePlus Nord 3, which is IP54. There are phones in the segment with an IP68 rating, but this is a positive step forward.

However, the dual-tone design might be divisive. I understand the brand’s design decision to remain edgy, at least with the Oasis Green color unit I’m evaluating. I prefer the Mercurial Silver most because it complements the metal design. Many people may prefer the Obsidian Midnight variation for its delicate finish. Depending on how well the Nord 4 is received, OnePlus may consider releasing a white model.

Aside from the normal ports and buttons found on high-end Nord smartphones, there is a new addition. Since the release of the OnePlus Open (review) last year, IR Blasters have grown more popular on new OnePlus smartphones, and the Nord 4 is no exception. I enjoy this innovation because it allows me to operate nearly everything at home (including the TV, projector, and air conditioners) directly from my smartphone. If your household appliances are outdated, you may have compatibility concerns.

The Nord 4’s display experience is roughly comparable to that of last year’s Nord 3, with a few notable improvements. The updated model supports ProXDR in select apps (mostly Photos) for an ultra-HDR viewing experience. There is Aqua Touch support, which I enjoyed using on all of this year’s OnePlus phones. Unfortunately, the display protection remains subpar (Panda Glass), despite competitors now offering Gorilla Glass Victus in the range.

Otherwise, the display maintains a 2,772 x 1,240-pixel resolution, adjustable refresh rates (up to 120Hz), and the same 93.5 percent screen-to-body ratio. I don’t mind having the same display characteristics as long as the viewing experience isn’t affected, which is rarely the case. That means that all OnePlus smartphones in 2024 (Nord and non-Nord series) will have an AMOLED panel for a more vibrant viewing experience.

For our display test, I compared the Nord 4 to the Realme GT 6T (review) and the Motorola Edge 50 Pro. The Realme GT 6T remains the indisputable segment leader in terms of brightness, both indoors and outdoors, possibly outperforming the iPhone 15 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. Check out that display test on our Instagram (and maybe follow if you haven’t already).

In terms of color reproduction, the Nord 4 outperformed the other two devices. During my tests, which included playing YouTube videos in full HD resolution, the Nord 4 performed admirably. It’s worth mentioning that, while HDR playback is supported, the feature is currently unavailable on Netflix.

HOW’S THE PERFORMANCE?

The OnePlus Nord 4 has a Snapdragon 7 Plus Gen 3 chip, which places it in a category behind Snapdragon 8 Gen 3-powered premium phones, but it is still a decent chip for the price. The Nord’s Snapdragon chip easily outperforms the Exynos 1480 found in the Galaxy A55. However, the Pixel 8a, which uses the same Tensor G3 as the Pixel 8 series, outperforms in CPU and video processing tests.

Gaming appears to be a strength of the Nord 4. I was able to play Genshin Impact at high graphics and 60fps without the phone laboring or emitting excessive heat. Not bad for a phone at this pricing.

OnePlus is creating 8, 12, and 16GB RAM variants of the Nord 4, however, only 12GB and 16GB are available in Europe, including the United Kingdom. Similarly, while other regions provide 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB storage options, the UK only has 256GB and 512GB options.

On the one hand, it’s great to see a low-cost phone with that much memory. But, in terms of pricing, I wish OnePlus offered the lowest spec more broadly, offering more users the most options available.

Buy it if...

• Solid, eye-catching all-metal design.
• The battery life is among the greatest in its class.
• Excellent chipset performance in its class.
• The main camera produces good still images both day and night.
• A competitive quick charging option.
• Four years of important software changes.

Don't buy it if…

• Selfie and ultrawide cameras are mediocre, with no EIS in 4K.
• The refresh rate control is uneven; it rarely uses 120Hz.
• There is no supplied charger (in Europe).

FULL SPECIFICATION