OnePlus Nord 4 review: Simply sublime

Nord devices have always been interesting, and there was a lot to like in last year's Nord 3; it had excellent performance, a decent design, great cameras, and standout battery life.

OnePlus is having a strong 2024 on the back of strong releases; in my OnePlus 12 review, I said that it is one of the best phones available today, and the OnePlus 12R in particular continues to be a fantastic value — and it's available globally. OnePlus is continuing that momentum into the mid-range segment with the introduction of the Nord 4.

The best part? The phone costs less than last year's Nord 3 while offering enticing upgrades in just about every segment.

OnePlus Nord 4: Pricing and availability

OnePlus unveiled the Nord 4 at a global launch event in Milan, Italy on July 16. The phone is now on sale in the same regions as erstwhile Nord devices. The Nord 4 is available in 8GB/128GB, 8GB/256GB, and 12GB/256GB storage variants; the 128GB model uses UFS 3.1 storage, with the 256GB editions offering UFS 4.0 storage as default.

What's particularly interesting is that the Nord 4 starts off at just ₹29,999 ($358) for the 8GB/128GB edition, and that's less than the Nord 3's ₹33,999 ($406). The 8GB/256GB model is debuting at ₹32,999 ($394), and the 12GB/256GB edition retails for ₹35,999 ($430). There is a 512GB model of the device, but that isn't launching in India. OnePlus is rolling out the usual launch offers, and you can get decent discounts if you pick up the device right now. 

Although OnePlus started selling the OnePlus 12R in the U.S. starting this year, the Nord 4 isn't making its way to the country. It is instead sold in India, the U.K., Germany, France, and a smattering of global markets. In the U.K., the device costs £429 ($546) for the 12GB/256GB variant, and £479 ($610) for the 16GB/512GB edition. 

OnePlus Nord 4: Design

I've always liked the designs of the Nord series, but OnePlus outdid itself this time. The Nord 4 sees the return of all-metal phones, and it is fantastic. Granted, most devices in this segment use an aluminum mid-frame anyway, but you usually get a glass or polycarbonate back, and it just doesn't have the same in-hand feel as a metal-clad device.

The Silver variant I'm using has a ridged pattern that looks very cool, but it is just etched onto the metal, and it doesn't actually have ridges running across the back. While I also like the Oasis Green option, the Silver model does a better job accentuating the metal design of the phone.

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I was initially worried that the all-metallic chassis would interfere with signal strength — that's one of the main reasons why brands choose to go with glass or plastic designs — but that hasn't been an issue at all. Antenna lines are present on the sides and on the back, and the Nord 4 delivered a consistent signal that's in line with most other phones I used this year; I didn't run into any issues while streaming content or playing games on the device.

While the chassis itself is made out of metal, the Nord 4 has a glass window that covers the top portion at the back, and this gives the device an added design flair. The glass window immediately brings earlier Pixels to mind, and it continues to be an elegant way to differentiate the design.

The phone has flat sides, but the metal back curves where it meets the mid-frame, and it makes holding and using the Nord 4 noticeably easier. While the device is 7g heavier than the Nord 3 at 199g, it is actually more comfortable to hold, and I wasn't anywhere as worried about it taking a tumble. The power and volume buttons are on the right and have good tactility, and the alert slider sits to the left.

The only issue on the design front is that the in-screen module sits a little too low on the screen, so it makes accessing the sensor awkward when using the phone one-handed. OnePlus started adding an IR blaster to its devices a year ago, and the feature is intact on the Nord 4. Another addition is IP65 water resistance, and while it isn't on the same level as IP68, it's great to see the device has some level of protection in this regard.

Overall, the metallic chassis combined with the in-hand feel allows the Nord 4 to stand out considerably. I'm excited that metallic phones are making a comeback, and this is easily one of the best OnePlus phones in terms of design.

OnePlus Nord 4: Display

OnePlus is using the same 6.74-inch AMOLED panel as last year, and you get the same 120Hz refresh, 2772 x 1240 resolution, and HDR10+ rendering. The brand integrated Ultra HDR into its devices last year, and this feature is available on the Nord 4 as well.

The noticeable difference is that the panel can get up to 2,100 nits when viewing HDR content, and while it doesn't go anywhere that high in regular use, it is still plenty bright, and I didn't see any issues in this area even under harsh sunlight. Colors are similarly great, and you get decent customizability when it comes to changing the color balance.

The onboard sound is quite good too, and it is serviceable if you're just playing casual games on the device. When it comes to customization, you get the same always-on styles as the OnePlus 12, and you get to change the system font, icons, accent colors, and just about everything else.

Although the panel itself hasn't changed, it gets brighter in daily use, and it still offers fantastic colors and contrast levels.

OnePlus Nord 4: Performance and battery

The Nord 4 is powered by the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3, and it is Qualcomm's latest attempt to claw back market share in this segment. After fielding outdated designs with old cores, Qualcomm is making amends with the 7+ Gen 3; the chipset uses the latest Cortex X4 alongside A720 and A520, and the difference is noticeable.

The Nord 4 has plenty of power in daily use, and I didn't see any lag during mundane tasks. It does a great job while gaming as well, and while it doesn't run demanding titles at their highest settings, there isn't noticeable jitter at medium settings.

The biggest advantage is that it doesn't overheat to any noticeable degree even during extended gaming sessions, and that is a welcome sight. Most other phones in this category heat up considerably after an hour of gaming, and that just isn't an issue with the Nord 4. That said, the stability score is on the lower end of the scale; the phone managed just 53.5% stability in 3DMark's Nomad Endurance test, and most other phones in this segment manage 70% on average.

Similar to other mid-rangers, the Nord 4 is available in three configurations: a base 8GB/128GB model, an 8GB/256GB version, and a 12GB/256GB edition. The 128GB storage variant uses the older UFS 3.1 module, while the 256GB versions come with UFS 4.0 as standard. This is because UFS 4.0 storage starts off at 256GB, and there aren't mainstream vendors making 128GB modules using the latest storage tech.

You don't see much in the way of real-world difference between the two now, but my recommendation would be to get the 256GB version anyway — you'll need the additional storage. Outside of that, there are no issues on the hardware side; the phone gets Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC, AptX HD codecs, dual-band GPS, and a decent vibration motor with detailed feedback.

Battery life is where the Nord 4 truly comes into its own, and thanks to a larger 5500mAh battery and switch to a 4nm node, the phone has meaningful gains in this area. I easily got a day and half worth of use between charges, and battery anxiety just isn't a consideration on this phone.

And when you need to charge it, the phone takes just under 30 minutes to charge the massive battery via 100W. The bundled charger is one of the best around, and while there are modest gains over the Nord 3, the fact that you're getting a bigger battery is a sizeable achievement. 

OnePlus Nord 4: Cameras

OnePlus likes to reuse camera modules across devices, and the Nord 4 gets a 50MP Sony LYT-600 sensor that's joined by an 8MP wide-angle lens. Thankfully, there's no macro module this time around, and that is a positive move — it's good to see manufacturers not cluttering up phones with useless lenses.

The camera interface is identical to what you get on every OnePlus phone; the shooting modes are available in a ribbon at the bottom, and you have the usual toggles and filters. What's interesting this time is that the OxygenOS 14.1 build adds AI-assisted tools that are similar to Google's Best Take on the Pixels.

Video recording is better than previous years as you can now shoot 4K footage at 60fps, but the wide-angle lens is limited to 1080p, making it a poor choice in this area. Other than that, I didn't see any differences between the interface on the Nord 3 and this year's offering.

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Shots in daylight have plenty of detail and good color rendition, with OnePlus opting to go with an overly saturated look. There's good dynamic range and white balance, and foliage is rendered accurately without any overt smoothening. The main module does 2x digital zoom, and the resultant shots are decent enough in their own right.

The Nord 4 does a great job in low-light scenarios as well, producing shots with good vibrancy and minimal noise levels. There are noticeable gains from last year in this area, and that in itself is a sizeable achievement. The wide-angle lens is better than I imagined, and while it doesn't quite manage the same caliber of shots in demanding lighting situations, it comes close.

It may not be the best in this segment — the Pixel 8a is much better — but the Nord 4 manages to deliver consistent images, and that matters more in daily usage.

OnePlus Nord 4: Software

There isn't much to talk about on the software side of things that I haven't already covered with the OnePlus 12 and 12R reviews, so if you're interested in seeing how OxygenOS 14 holds up in daily use, I'd recommend taking a look at those posts. Like those devices, the Nord 4 runs Android 14 out of the box, and you get the usual OxygenOS UI and the associated accouterments.

That said, the one thing that's new in the OxygenOS 14.1 build is AI integration. You get an AI summary, translator tool, and the ability to transcribe notes automatically, and of the three, the one I actually used was the notes transcriber. However, notes are limited to five minutes in length, so it isn't anywhere as good as Pixel's built-in recorder, but it is a decent showing if you dictate notes on the go.

OnePlus did a good job ensuring its devices didn't have much in the way of bloatware in the past, but with every new device I use these days, there's increased bloatware. The Nord 4 has a lot of pre-installed apps out of the box, and that is just annoying. You can uninstall everything, but still, it detracts from the overall experience.

Thankfully, that's about the only issue on the software side of things. The interface is fluid and doesn't have any slowdowns, and there's extensive customizability. But what I like the most is that the update guarantee; the Nord 4 will pick up four Android OS updates and six years of software patches, and that's longer than any other OnePlus phone available today.

Nord devices haven't received updates on time, so we'll just have to wait and see if OnePlus changes tack this year. Other than that, there isn't much to fault when it comes to the software.

OnePlus Nord 4: The competition

The POCO F6 is the obvious choice if you want a value-focused phone with standout performance. It is better at gaming, but the cameras aren't anywhere as good, and it just doesn't have the same design presence. It won't get as many software updates either, but at ₹27,999 ($335), it is much more affordable.

OnePlus Nord 4: Should you buy it?

You should buy this if:

• You want a phone with a unique design
• You need reliable performance with no overheating issues
• You need great battery life and fast charging
• You take a lot of photos and videos

You shouldn't buy this if:

• You need clean software
• You want timely updates

I used the Nord 4 for a week, and I couldn't find any faults with the device. That is a major achievement in and of itself, and honestly, OnePlus did all the right things with the device. The switch to an all-metallic chassis gives the Nord 4 a unique character that you don't get with any other phone, and that two-tone design with the glass window is exquisite.

The rest of the hardware is similarly great: the 120Hz AMOLED panel has vibrant colors and great contrast, the battery easily lasts a day and a half, and the cameras are terrific. The hardware is particularly interesting; after ceding ground to MediaTek, Qualcomm finally delivered a competent chipset with the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3, and it is able to hold its own against the best phones in this category.

But it's the value that makes the Nord 4 enticing; the phone has considerable upgrades over its predecessor, but you're not paying any extra, and that alone makes it worthy of recommendation.