OnePlus Nord Four Assessment

OnePlus Nord 4 is the corporate’s newest mid-range smartphone to debut in India, and the corporate has touted it as the primary 5G handset with an aluminium unibody design. The smartphone is powered by a Snapdragon 7+ Gen Three chipset with as much as 12GB of RAM. It incorporates a 50-megapixel main rear digicam and a 16-megapixel selfie digicam. The Nord-branded handset sports activities a 6.74-inch AMOLED display screen with a 120Hz refresh price. We have spent the previous few days testing the OnePlus Nord Four to see the way it fares in opposition to equally priced opponents.

Pricing for the OnePlus Nord Four in India begins at Rs. 29,999 for the bottom configuration with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of built-in storage. The smartphone can also be accessible in 8GB+256GB and 12GB + 256GB reminiscence variants priced at Rs. 32,999 and Rs. 35,999, respectively.

• Dimensions: 162.6x75x8mm
• Weight: 199.5g
• Colors: Mercurial Silver, Oasis Inexperienced (on this evaluation), and Obsidian Midnight

The Nord Four seems to be and feels completely different in comparison with most different smartphones accessible as we speak, together with its predecessor, the OnePlus Nord 3 (Assessment). It has been some time since I’ve seen a cellphone with a physique that’s primarily made out of steel, and it jogs my memory of the nice previous HTC One (M8) (Assessment). The rear panel has a refined inexperienced shade and a digicam island with a easy glass-like end on the prime, with a darker color background.

OnePlus Nord Four is provided with a twin rear digicam setup

On the left aspect of the OnePlus Nord Four is the corporate’s tri-state alert slider that permits you to swap amongst three modes — ring, silent, and vibrate — and that is one in every of my favorite options on the smartphone. The quantity and energy buttons are each situated on the fitting aspect. The corporate has additionally positioned two antenna traces on all 4 edges of the handset.

OnePlus Nord Four has an IP54 ranking for mud and splash resistance

There’s an infrared (IR) transmitter situated on the prime fringe of the Nord 4, together with a microphone. On the underside, the cellphone has a USB Kind-C port for charging and knowledge transfers, together with a speaker grille and a microphone. The cellphone ships with a charging brick, a USB Kind-A to USB Kind-C and a translucent TPU cowl.

OnePlus Nord Four Software program: Not so premium

• Software program: OxygenOS 14.1
• Model: Android 14
• Newest safety patch: July 5, 2024

OxygenOS 14.1 ran easily on the OnePlus Nord 4, even when the cellphone was put by way of its paces. In the course of the setup course of, the corporate prompts you to allow sure options, together with one known as Lock Display Journal that randomly updates your lock display screen picture — it stored changing my lock display screen picture, and I could not discover a strategy to forestall it from showing once I swiped to the left on the lock display screen.

The cellphone presents some software program options which might be powered by synthetic intelligence (AI). One such instance is the AI Eraser possibility within the Gallery app that means that you can do away with folks and different objects from images after downloading a 90MB plugin. It labored considerably reliably when examined with photos clicked utilizing the smartphone’s digicam, however solely when the images had sufficient element.

The recorder app additionally presents the flexibility to routinely summarise recordings, however there’s an unspecified minimal size required — I examined it with a 20-minute audio recording in English, and it recognised most phrases spoken with a impartial accent. You too can use inbuilt options that can help you extract textual content from photos or carry out translations, which is helpful.

OnePlus Nord Four helps AI-powered textual content extraction and object eraser options (faucet to broaden)

In the meantime, the cellphone ships with a handful of preinstalled apps and video games, together with Agoda, Bubble Pop, Fitbit, Tile Match, and Phrase Join. These are the identical apps included on the cheaper OnePlus Nord CE Four Lite (Assessment), and it is a bit of disappointing to see them on a cellphone costing round Rs. 30,000.

One other utility (App Picks) routinely downloaded a recreation known as Hearth at Will, claiming that I had pre-ordered it on Might 23. This various app retailer additionally sends out a few notifications about apps per day — these may be turned off by long-pressing the icon and disabling the app.

On the intense aspect, OnePlus says that the Nord Four will obtain 4 Android OS updates and 6 years of safety updates. This implies the handset will obtain the identical variety of Android OS updates because the Samsung Galaxy A55 and Galaxy A35 (Assessment), which at the moment provide the longest help window within the midrange section.

OnePlus Nord Four Efficiency: Meets expectations

• Processor: Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3
• Reminiscence: As much as 12GB (LPDDR5X)
• Storage: As much as 512GB (UFS 4.0)

OnePlus has outfitted the Nord Four with the primary Snapdragon 7-series chip to characteristic on-device AI capabilities, which powers the beforehand talked about AI options on the handset. The corporate despatched us the 8GB+256GB configuration for this evaluation.

Operating on the top-end chipset within the Snapdragon 7-series, the OnePlus Nord Four can deal with heavy-duty duties like modifying a 4K video in InShot and exporting it to the cellphone’s inbuilt storage, or easy day-to-day actions like searching the online on Chrome, scrolling by way of Instagram and X (previously Twitter).

The cellphone can even run graphics-intensive video games like Genshin Influence with no points — the sport defaulted to medium graphics settings on this handset, nevertheless it runs effective even when enjoying it on the next setting. The aluminium rear panel bought barely heat after about 5 minutes of enjoying, however there was no lag or stutter even after the one-hour mark.

OnePlus Nord Four benchmark check consequence (faucet to broaden)

The OnePlus Nord Four achieved decrease CPU benchmark scores than its closest competitor, the Realme GT 6T, additionally outfitted with a Snapdragon 7+ Gen Three chipset. The latter scored practically in addition to the Poco F6, outfitted with a extra succesful processor.

The Nord Four did not lag in graphics benchmark assessments, nonetheless. It is also value maintaining in thoughts that artificial benchmark assessments will not be a transparent indicator of real-world efficiency, which additionally is determined by software program optimisation. The benchmark scores within the desk beneath present how the Nord Four fared in opposition to different equally priced smartphones.

There is a 6.74-inch Full-HD+ (1,240 x 2,772 pixels) AMOLED display screen with a 120Hz refresh price and 450ppi pixel density on the OnePlus Nord 4, and the corporate claims that the cellphone helps a peak brightness of two,150 nits. In day-to-day use, the show is brilliant sufficient for outside use and will get fairly dim at evening.

The show on the OnePlus Nord Four is brilliant sufficient for outside use when computerized brightness is enabled

Just like the flagship OnePlus 12 and different handsets just like the Realme GT 6 (Assessment), the Nord Four has a “ProXDR” characteristic that routinely adjusts the brightness and distinction ranges when viewing photos on the cellphone. The characteristic may be deceptive, because the cellphone shares the unique footage through Fast Share or when importing them to social media — what you see in your cellphone might seem completely different to others on-line. Fortunately, there is a strategy to fully disable it through the Images app.

OnePlus Nord Four Cameras: Principally dependable

• Primary digicam: 50-megapixel (OIS, EIS), as much as 4K/ 60fps video
• Extremely-wide angle digicam: 8-megapixel, as much as 1080p/30fps video
• Selfie digicam: 16-megapixel, as much as 1080p/30fps video

When capturing photos in the course of the daytime utilizing the first digicam on the OnePlus Nord 4, you get clear photos with loads of element, even while you zoom in on photos in your gallery. The first Sony LYT-600 sensor presents 2x in-sensor zoom help, and pictures captured at this focal size are additionally clear and detailed.

The first digicam on the OnePlus Nord Four captures detailed photos in the course of the day (faucet to broaden)

The ultra-wide angle digicam on the Nord Four would not provide the identical color accuracy (faucet to broaden)

The ultra-wide angle digicam on the Nord Four has a lower-resolution sensor, which delivers usable photos in the course of the day, however they don’t provide the identical color accuracy as the first digicam, and there is additionally a little bit of distortion across the edges.

In low-light situations, the first and secondary cameras each do job lighting up darkish situations. Nonetheless, there is a huge hole in picture high quality between the 2 — the first digicam delivers sharper photos, whereas there’s loads of smoothening in photos captured with the ultra-wide angle digicam. The digicam app routinely takes an extended publicity shot when it is darkish outdoors, and it takes 2-Three seconds to seize a picture — there is not any strategy to disable this.

In low-light situations, the first digicam captures extra element with much less softening (faucet to broaden)

The selfie digicam can seize clear photos while you’re outside in the course of the day and in well-lit areas indoors. It struggles a bit of in dimly lit areas however nonetheless captures sufficient element. In the meantime, the display screen is used as a flash in very darkish situations with first rate outcomes when you keep nonetheless for sufficient time.

You possibly can report video at as much as 4K/60fps utilizing the first digicam, nevertheless it’s value noting that picture stabilisation for movies is just supported at 1080p/ 60fps — you may’t even choose 1080p/30fps or a decrease decision. There is not any stabilisation help on the ultra-wide angle digicam or the selfie digicam, which each report movies at as much as 1080p/ 30fps.

OnePlus Nord Four Battery: Reliable

• Battery Capability: 5,500mAh (Twin-cell)
• Wired Charging: 100W SuperVOOC
• Charger: 100W (Included)

Powering the OnePlus Nord Four is a 5,500mAh battery, which presents dependable day-to-day use and a gradual standby drain. I bought about six and a half hours of display screen time on a single cost, and the cellphone lasted a couple of day and a half earlier than it needed to be charged once more. In a single day battery drain can also be fairly low, with the cellphone’s battery stage dropping by 2 % over an eight-hour interval.

OnePlus Nord Four provided greater than a day of battery backup on a single cost with average utilization

In our HD video battery loop check, the cellphone lasted for 18 hours and 15 minutes. The included 100W charging brick took 33 minutes to totally cost the dual-cell battery on the OnePlus Nord 4, which didn’t get too sizzling in the course of the charging course of.

Realme GT 6 Assessment: Verdict

Regardless of a couple of drawbacks, the Oneplus Nord Four presents loads of worth for a smartphone priced underneath Rs. 30,000. It delivers dependable day-to-day efficiency, quick battery charging, main digicam, and a great software program help window. The marginally much less spectacular ultra-wide angle digicam and undesirable software program on the smartphone are the one issues holding it again, and a type of may be resolved by uninstalling or disabling the apps in query.

Whereas the Nord Four is unquestionably value your consideration, different telephones in the identical value section that additionally provide good worth embrace the Realme GT 6T and the Poco F6 (Assessment). Each these telephones provide efficiency that’s on par with the OnePlus Nord 4, however the latter’s digicam efficiency leaves a bit of to be desired, as we present in our evaluation of the handset.

You too can take into account the Samsung Galaxy A35 (Assessment), which is not as quick in artificial benchmarks however presents good day-to-day efficiency and will get 4 Android OS updates. In case your focus is totally on digicam efficiency, you may also take into account the older Pixel 7a (Assessment) from Google that often drops to the Rs.30,000 mark on Flipkart.