OnePlus Nord 4 : There’s something refreshing about a company that decides to zig when everyone else is zagging. While the smartphone industry has largely moved toward glass and plastic constructions in the mid-range segment, OnePlus has done something unexpected with the Nord 4 – they’ve brought back metal in a big way.
The Return of Premium Construction
Walking into a phone store today, you’d be hard-pressed to find a mid-range device that doesn’t feel like, well, a mid-range device. The OnePlus Nord 4 breaks that mold immediately. The all-metal unibody design isn’t just marketing fluff – it’s a genuine throwback to the glory days of smartphone construction that feels substantial in your hands.
At 199.5 grams and 8mm thick, the Nord 4 manages to house a massive 5,500mAh battery while staying under the psychologically important 200-gram threshold. That’s engineering worth appreciating. The Oasis Green color variant, in particular, showcases how a gradient finish can look sophisticated rather than gaudy when executed properly.
OnePlus had to overcome significant technical hurdles to make the metal construction work with 5G antennas, and the solution they’ve implemented actually improves signal reception. The antenna design uses the metal body itself to boost signal strength – a clever bit of engineering that turns a potential weakness into an advantage.
Performance That Punches Above Its Weight Class
The Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 processor might not grab headlines like flagship chipsets, but it delivers exactly what most users need: consistent, reliable performance without the battery drain that comes with top-tier processors. In practical terms, this translates to smooth app switching, capable gaming performance, and all-day battery life that doesn’t require constant anxiety about charging.
What impressed me most during testing wasn’t peak performance – it was sustained performance. The Nord 4 maintains its speed throughout the day, even with heavy multitasking.(OnePlus Nord 4 )The combination of up to 16GB LPDDR5X RAM and the efficient processor creates a user experience that feels more premium than the price suggests.
The 100W SuperVOOC charging deserves special recognition. Full charges in 28 minutes aren’t just convenient – they’re liberating. Battery anxiety becomes a thing of the past when you can get hours of usage from a quick top-up during a coffee break.
Display Excellence That Rivals Flagships
The 6.74-inch AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate hits all the expected marks, but it’s the peak brightness of 2,150 nits that makes the real difference in daily use. Outdoor visibility under direct sunlight remains excellent, and the color reproduction favors natural tones over the oversaturated look that plagues many competitors.
Aqua Touch technology keeps the display responsive even with wet fingers – a practical feature that shows OnePlus understands real-world usage scenarios. HDR10+ support ensures streaming content looks its best, while the adaptive refresh rate helps preserve battery life during lighter usage.
Camera Performance That Keeps It Real
The dual-camera setup won’t win any photography awards, but it delivers consistently competent results. The 50MP Sony LYT-600 main sensor with OIS captures sharp, well-exposed images in good lighting conditions. The natural color processing feels refreshing compared to the heavily processed look of many competitors.
Where the camera system struggles is in challenging conditions and advanced features. Night photography remains adequate but not exceptional, and the lack of a telephoto lens limits compositional flexibility.(OnePlus Nord 4 )The 8MP ultrawide camera handles group shots and landscapes adequately, though detail retention drops noticeably at the edges.
The 16MP front camera delivers solid selfie performance without the over-smoothing that ruins many budget phone cameras. Video recording capabilities meet modern social media needs without pushing boundaries.
Software That Stays Out of Your Way
OxygenOS continues to be one of the cleaner Android implementations available. The interface feels fast and responsive, with customization options that don’t overwhelm. OnePlus has resisted the urge to cramming unnecessary features, focusing instead on optimizing the core Android experience.
The promise of four years of major Android updates and six years of security patches provides reassurance about long-term software support. While not matching Google’s extended commitments, it represents solid value for the price point.
AI features remain limited but functional. The basic photography enhancements and system optimizations work quietly in the background without requiring constant user intervention or creating privacy concerns.
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Market Reality and Value Proposition
Starting at £429 for the 12GB/256GB model in the UK, the Nord 4 creates compelling value propositions in competitive markets. The premium 16GB/512GB variant at £529 still undercuts many flagship alternatives while delivering superior build quality and battery life.
The biggest limitation remains regional availability – the device hasn’t launched in the US market, limiting its global impact. For markets where it is available, though, the Nord 4 offers a unique combination of premium construction, reliable performance, and practical features.
Competition from devices like the Google Pixel 8a and Samsung Galaxy A55 creates pressure on different fronts. The Pixel offers superior computational photography, while Samsung provides longer software support. However, neither matches the Nord 4’s build quality or charging speeds.
OnePlus Nord 4 The Bigger Picture
The OnePlus Nord 4 succeeds by focusing on fundamentals that matter in daily use: build quality that feels premium, performance that remains consistent, battery life that eliminates anxiety, and charging speeds that fit modern lifestyles.(OnePlus Nord 4 )While it doesn’t excel in every category, the combination creates a device that genuinely improves the smartphone experience.
For users who appreciate solid construction, reliable performance, and practical features over flashy specifications, the Nord 4 represents exceptional value in today’s smartphone landscape. It proves that mid-range devices don’t have to feel like compromises – they can simply be focused on what matters most.