The OnePlus Nord 4 at 16999 has arrived, continuing the brand’s legacy of offering flagship-killing features at an affordable price. This year’s model brings improvements in design, battery life, and camera technology, making it a standout in the mid-range market. In this detailed review, we’ll explore the features of the OnePlus Nord 4, highlighting what makes it a strong contender in its price range and where it could use improvement.
Design and Build Quality: A Metal Unibody That Impresses
One of the most notable changes in the OnePlus Nord 4 at 16999 is its new metal unibody design. Unlike its predecessor, the Nord 4 ditches the glass or vegan leather back for a sleek aluminum body. The metal back has a laser-engraved texture that not only looks premium but also feels luxurious in hand. However, the phone’s smooth surface can make it a bit slippery, so a protective case might be necessary.
OnePlus has implemented a compact antenna design to prevent the metal back from interfering with 5G signals. In fact, the entire back of the phone acts as a signal amplifier, ensuring strong connectivity. Additionally, the IP65 water and dust resistance is an improvement over last year’s IP54 rating, making the Nord 4 more durable against environmental factors.
Display: Smooth, Sharp, and Vibrant
The 6.74-inch OLED display on the Nord 4 remains the same as its predecessor, but that’s not a bad thing. With a 120Hz refresh rate and a pixel density of 451 PPI, the screen is sharp and smooth, offering a great experience for everything from browsing to gaming. It supports HDR10+ for enhanced colors and contrast, and its maximum brightness reaches over 1,000 nits in automatic mode, making it easy to view even in bright sunlight.
While the 120Hz refresh rate is active when you’re scrolling or swiping, it intelligently reduces to 60Hz when the screen is idle to save battery life. In certain apps like Chrome, the refresh rate caps at 90Hz, but this does not significantly detract from the user experience.
Performance: A Strong Mid-Range Contender
Under the hood, the OnePlus Nord 4 is powered by the new Snapdragon 7 Plus Gen 3 chipset, marking the first time we’ve seen this chip in action. The processor is a notable upgrade from the previous generation, offering increased power and integrated AI features. In benchmark tests, the Nord 4 performs impressively, outscoring many of its competitors in both CPU and GPU performance.
That said, it doesn’t quite match the performance of true flagship chips like the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, but for a mid-range phone, it holds its own. However, during prolonged use, especially in stress tests, the Nord 4 does experience thermal throttling, which can reduce performance under heavy loads.
Battery Life and Charging: Long-Lasting and Fast-Charging
One of the strongest aspects of the OnePlus Nord 4 is its battery life. It houses a 5,500mAh battery, a 10% increase over its predecessor. In real-world use, the phone can easily last through a full day of heavy usage, with a battery life score of 14 hours and 41 minutes. This makes it one of the best in its class for battery endurance.
The 100W SuperVOOC fast charging is another area where the Nord 4 excels. With the right charger, it can go from 0% to 100% in just 28 minutes—a slight improvement over last year’s model, despite the larger battery. However, it’s worth noting that the charger is not included in the box, so you’ll need to purchase it separately.
Camera: Good, but with Some Limitations
The OnePlus Nord 4 comes equipped with a 50MP main camera and an 8MP ultra-wide camera, but it drops the macro lens that was present in the previous model. The main camera uses a Sony IMX600 sensor, which is slightly smaller than last year’s sensor but still delivers high-quality photos.
In daylight, the main camera captures images with excellent detail, accurate colors, and a wide dynamic range. The 2x digital zoom works well enough for casual shots, although there is a noticeable drop in sharpness compared to standard photos. In low-light conditions, the camera automatically switches to Night Mode, producing clean, natural-looking photos without excessive sharpening. However, sharpness can be inconsistent at times.
The 4K video recording from the main camera is also impressive, offering sharp details, wide dynamic range, and vibrant colors. Low-light video performance is commendable as well, with minimal noise and good contrast. However, a significant downside is the lack of electronic image stabilization (EIS) in 4K mode, making handheld videos less stable.
The ultra-wide camera is serviceable but not exceptional. Photos lack sharpness, and the dynamic range is limited. In low light, it takes a few seconds to capture photos, and the results are often soft and lacking in contrast. The ultra-wide camera can only record in 1080p, which results in videos that are low in detail and have washed-out colors.
Selfies, taken with the 16MP front camera, are similarly underwhelming. While there is decent detail, the images often appear soft, with low contrast and muted colors. The dynamic range could also be better, especially in challenging lighting conditions.
Software: OxygenOS with AI Enhancements
The OnePlus Nord 4 at 16999 runs on OxygenOS 14.1, based on Android 14. OnePlus has introduced several AI-driven features in this version, such as text summarization, call transcription, and translation, which aim to enhance productivity and convenience. The user interface remains clean and fast, as is typical with OnePlus devices.
OnePlus has also promised four years of major software updates and six years of security patches, which is a substantial commitment, ensuring that your Nord 4 will stay up to date for years to come.
Conclusion: A Solid Mid-Ranger with Premium Touches
The OnePlus Nord 4 stands out with its premium metal design, excellent battery life, and fast charging. Its performance is more than adequate for its price range, and the display is vibrant and sharp. However, the camera experience is somewhat mixed, with the main camera performing well but other sensors leaving room for improvement.
For those looking for a stylish and reliable mid-range phone with excellent software support, the Nord 4 is a great choice, especially if you can overlook some of the shortcomings in the camera department.