OnePlus Nord 4 review: Metal is back in fashion

It's easy to think of the cheapest phone as a smaller version of a company's flagship model. I've found myself thinking this way many times. However, the OnePlus Nord 4 is sure to be a beast in its own right - a one-of-a-kind smartphone that costs less than £430, not coincidentally.

The Nord 4 aims to do the same things as the Google Pixel 8a and Samsung Galaxy A55. It has a big display, a distinctly metal style and battery life people can sing songs about. Its software support is good but not best in class and its cameras aren't as amazing as its rivals. Plus, US consumers are once again being left out in the cold.

However, a brief overview of the pros and cons of the Nord 4 only partially reflects the true nature of this phone. Our detailed OnePlus Nord 4 review will show that the Nord 4 will enable you to do everything you want with your new phone.

OnePlus Nord 4 : Specifications

Starting price	£429
Display	6.74-inch 1.5K AMOLED (2772 x 1240)
Refresh rate	120Hz adaptive
Main cameras	50MP main, 8MP ultrawide
Front camera	16MP selfie
Chipset	Snapdragon 7 Plus Gen 3
RAM	12GB/16GB
Storage	256GB/512GB
Battery	5,500 mAh
Charging	100W wired
Software	Android 14 with OxygenOS 14.1
Size	6.38 x 2.95 x 0.31 inches (162 x 75 x 7.99 mm)
Weight	7.03 ounces (199.5 grams )
Colors	Obsidian Midnight, Mercurial Silver, Oasis Green

OnePlus Nord 4: Specifications

OnePlus Nord 4: Price and availability

The OnePlus Nord 4 is available to buy from 16 July for £429 (£529 if you want extra RAM and storage). This puts it below the £439 Galaxy A55 and £499 Pixel 8a, although it's still less expensive than the £349 Nothing Phone 2a.

Generally, this variety of Nord isn't available in the United States, which is unfortunate given the formidable competition it presents for comparable Google or Samsung handsets. We'll update this section of the review if the phone does come to the United States, either exactly as it is or under another name. For the time being, however, let's assume the Nord 4 is only for use outside the US.

OnePlus Nord 4 : Design and display

Its metal body will be the first thing you won't see, feel, hear, smell, or taste about the Nord 4. Although metal phones were more popular in the past, glass phones with metal frames have now become a more useful design, thanks to recent advancements like 5G connectivity. But for now, we have the "first metal unibody phone of the 5G era", and it looks pretty unique.

But even though the aluminium alloy body won't rust, submerging the Nord 4 in water is still not a smart idea. It has an IP65 rating, which isn't as good as the Galaxy A55 or Pixel 8a's IP67 in terms of dust and water resistance.

However, when looking at the phone as a whole, it's a strange look for a OnePlus phone - a company that already revises its phone designs more often than most. The Nord 4's fingerprint-attracting glossy glass panel and horizontal cameras, which were placed this way to reduce the size of the motherboard and make more room for a larger battery, give the device a more distant resemblance to earlier Nord models and the most recent OnePlus 12 and OnePlus Open flagships. At least the alert slider is still functional, in case you start to seriously doubt this phone's origins.

OnePlus has maintained its tradition of providing consumers with flagship-sized displays regardless of how much time they actually want to spend with them, The display, also known as the non-metal part, is a 6.74-inch AMOLED panel. We were unable to measure the screen's maximum brightness, but it is rated as 2,150 nits. Still, when held up to light, it doesn't get as bright as the Pixel 8a.

One neat little feature is that the Nord 4's screen has AquaTouch, a feature first seen on the OnePlus 12. The Nord's display can be used even when it or your hands are wet, thanks to some great hardware and software; this is something you might find difficult if you're using another phone in the same conditions.

The three colours available for the Nord 4, or "Nordtones" as OnePlus calls them, are wave-patterned Mercurial Silver, matte Oasis Green, and brushed-textured Obsidian Midnight. All three options look good to me, so maybe a potential customer will find something they like too.

OnePlus Nord 4 : Cameras

On the Nord, OnePlus has a standard 50MP primary, 8MP ultrawide, and 16MP selfie camera loadout. This is the same as the Galaxy A55 and Pixel 8a, though the latter also has a macro camera for really close-up shots.

Starting with multiple primary camera views of a tree in the background of a churchyard, we can immediately see that the Nord 4 has less dynamic range than the Pixel 8a. In the Nord's photo, the tree trunk is noticeably darker and the churchyard behind it is much lighter, losing details that are easily captured by the Pixel 8a.

Like its rivals, the Nord 4 features lossless 2x in-sensor zoom because it uses a higher-resolution main camera. In this close-up, the Nord and Pixabay are competing with a previously taken photo of a bird box sitting atop a tree. The OnePlus phone has a more pleasing warm tone, but the Google phone still does a better job of capturing all the different light levels in the frame.

This image of a hanging basket, from our second primary camera comparison between the Nord 4 and the Galaxy A55, demonstrates the return of OnePlus's warmth trend. The fibrous texture of the basket makes it look more vibrant and vibrant. The Nord also offers better contrast, making it easier to discern details.

Compared to the Pixel 8a, the Nord 4's ultrawide camera captures a brighter version of this park photo. Still, details and colour have been sacrificed in favour of brightness.

And finally, a selfie in Portrait mode. Both the Nord 4 and Pixel 8a took more than adequate photos, although neither was able to effectively cut around my glasses. While I can't pick one over the other, I think the Pixel 8a's image has more natural colour and lighting in the background and for me, while some people might like the Nord 4's flatter look.

OnePlus Nord 4 : Performance

Although the OnePlus Nord 4's Snapdragon 7 Plus Gen 3 chip isn't as powerful as flagship phones with Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, it's still a great chip choice considering the price.

Row 0 – Cell 0	OnePlus Nord 4	Samsung Galaxy A55	Google Pixel 8a
Geekbench 6 score (single core / mutli-core)	1428 / 4275	1,161 / 3,464	1581 / 4093
3DMark Wild Life Extreme Unlimited (score/fps)	3039 / 18.19	905 / 5.4	2375 / 14.23
Adobe Premiere Rush time to transcode (mins:secs)	1:11	Not tested	0:56

OnePlus Nord 4: Performance

The Exynos 1480 chip in the Galaxy A55 easily outperforms the Snapdragon chip in the Nord. However, the Pixel 8a outperforms the Pixel 8 series in CPU and video processing tests, as it uses the Tensor G3.

The Nord 4 looks strong in the gaming department. The phone didn't struggle or overheat during a full session of Genshin Impact on high graphics and 60 frames per second. Not bad for a phone at this price.

The Nord 4 is available in 8, 12 and 16 GB RAM configurations from OnePlus; however, in Europe, including the UK, only the 12 GB and 16 GB options are available. Comparatively, when checking all markets, 128 GB, 256 GB and 512 GB of storage are available; however, the UK only gets 256 GB and 512 GB of storage.

On one hand, having a more affordable phone with ample memory is a welcome development. However, I still expect OnePlus to offer the lowest specifications more often to give customers the most options available in terms of price.

OnePlus Nord 4 : Battery and charging

With its massive 5,500mAh battery in the Nord 4, OnePlus has made other manufacturers look incomprehensible. Moreover, the Nord 4’s capacity isn’t just for show; in my three-hour YouTube battery drain test, its battery drained by 11%, one of the lowest scores I’ve ever recorded. For comparison, the Pixel 8a’s battery drained by 18% during this test, while the Galaxy A55’s battery drained by 22%.

This great performance should continue for a while. According to OnePlus’ pre-release testing, the Nord 4’s battery will retain 80% of its initial capacity after four years of use.

100W cable charging compatibility is unusual for a low-cost phone, but common for OnePlus phones, even if there’s no brick in the box. So, keep in mind that although our research suggests you can charge from 0% to 71% in 15 minutes and 0% to 100% in 29 minutes, it’s not a standard feature of the Nord 4 experience.

OnePlus Nord 4 : Software and special features

With a number of unique icons, animations, and menus, OnePlus' most recent version of Android 14, Oxygen OS 14.1—remains an attractive Android design.

While OnePlus hasn't gone as far as AI as some other companies, the Nord 4 does have some AI capabilities. While there's no particularly innovative use of the technology, features like text translation, note summary, audio text summary, and AI cell reception enhancement are at least useful for many users.

Another advanced AI feature available on the Nord 4 is called AI Groupfie. This works just like Pixel Best Tech and combines faces from the corresponding photos so that everyone in the frame looks their best. However, this will be available after launch, so we weren’t able to test it for this review.

With software updates for the Nord 4, OnePlus has pushed the boundaries, promising the longest support period ever—four years of comprehensive updates and six years of security. While the Pixel 8a delivers updates for seven years, the Galaxy A55 delivers almost identical results at four and five years.

OnePlus has denied the charge that it is less generous with Android updates by citing its fluency testing, which it says ensures flawless performance for up to six years. This suggests that competitors with longer upgrade packages cannot guarantee that their phones will work flawlessly when they reach the seventh update. We can only advise that you take into account how long you intend to keep your new phone when deciding which update offering is better, as we haven't heard from our forward-thinking section at TG which strategy is best for you.

OnePlus Nord 4 Review : Conclusion

With the Nord 4, OnePlus has made another impressive showing, offering potential customers one of the most stylish, practical and hardware-rich phones of the year. Assuming you can afford it where you live, it's also undoubtedly one of the cheapest phones available.

If you're looking for the maximum possible value the Pixel 8a remains better as its software support is longer, and its more reliable cameras make it even more appealing. However, the Nord 4's more affordable starting price might be enough to convince you to choose it instead of the Pixelis. However, keep in mind the Galaxy A55, which is also cheaper but sacrifices some feature quality for a better camera experience.

All things considered, though, the OnePlus Nord 4 asks for very little in return for a phone that costs half as much as the most recent flagship model. And probably looks even better. It's an offer you might find hard to refuse.