INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
OnePlus Nord 4 is presented by the company as its first smartphone in the 5G era to feature an all-metal unibody design
This is assumed significant because a full metal body generally presents challenges such as network reception issues, heating problems, and
performance drops due to thermal throttling
So, do these problems persist with the Nord 4 when used as a daily driver? Let us find out:Design
The OnePlus Nord 4 in its Oasis Green
colour looks premium with a dual-tone finish on the rear side
The smartphone resembles a slab of aluminium with a soft metallic brushed finish, while OnePlus has incorporated a glossy, glass-like top
section that houses both the rear cameras and a dual-flash setup
The cameras are uniquely placed, with individual bumps for each sensor positioned next to each other horizontally and aligned to the left
Generally, smartphones with a horizontal layout opt for a centrally aligned setup, but this placement adds a unique touch
On the front, the smartphone features a completely flat display with very thin bezels on all sides, fitting neatly within the aluminium
chassis.
The metal unibody design with smooth curved edges on the back enhances ergonomics
The Nord 4 feels premium to hold and touch, and the all-metal body gives you the confidence to go case-less
Although it is neither the lightest nor the slimmest smartphone, it feels well-balanced and sleek.
An all-metal design is a key feature of
the Nord 4, leading OnePlus to opt for a different antenna setup
While the antenna strips on the frame do not detract much from the aesthetics, the one running along the entire bottom edge does feel odd
However, it is not immediately noticeable as the colour and finish of the chassis do a good job of hiding the antenna.
The aluminium
chassis with a brushed finish adds grip and resists fingerprints and dirt marks but can feel slippery when used with wet hands
the company has focused on marketing the Nord 4 for its design and build, the display stands out as one of the smartphone's most impressive
The 6.74-inch 1.5K AMOLED panel ranks among the best flat screens available
With thin bezels, the display feels almost edge-to-edge, adding a premium look to the device
The screen shows vibrant colours and sharp, detailed visuals
It is also bright, offering optimum visibility outdoors at all viewing angles.
The 120Hz refresh rate, coupled with smooth animations,
Additionally, the settings menu allows you to set app-specific refresh rates
You can even force some apps to run at 120Hz, although the default is 60Hz.
The OnePlus Nord 4 comes with a default screen resolution of
2414 x 1080, which you can manually change to 2772 x 1240 in the display settings
However, with the highest display resolution, I barely noticed any significant difference while watching YouTube videos
For content consumption, the display supports HDR10+, offering HDR viewing on YouTube videos but not for Netflix, which is a bit
Nonetheless, UltraHDR support is available for viewing HDR images in the gallery.
OnePlus Nord 4: DisplayCamera
The OnePlus Nord 4
sports a 50-megapixel camera sensor (Sony LYTIA) with optical image stabilisation
Images from the primary camera come out clear in both natural and artificial lighting conditions
Even under low light, the camera captures adequate details
The only downside is that colours do not appear punchy under artificial lighting, although the sensor maintains its accuracy
On the shots taken through the 8MP ultra-wide-angle camera, colours appear more lifelike, but it softens the details to produce the best
This changes under low light, as the sensor produces low-contrast and hazy images in such conditions.
Under natural lighting, the Nord 4
excels in capturing decent portrait shots
However, under artificial lighting, edge detection falls short, especially with a busy background
The 16MP front-facing camera takes decent selfies in well-lit environments with adequate detail, but with low colour saturation.
For
videography, the Nord 4 offers recording options in 4K, 1080p, and 720p resolutions, all at 30 and 60 frames per second
It should be noted that EIS and OIS functionality is limited to 1080p recording at 60 fps
Surprisingly, the wide-angle lens is only available when recording 720p video at 30fps, making it practically useless for videography
As for video quality, the recording is clear and crisp, similar to the sensor's performance for imaging
Additionally, with Ultra-steady mode enabled, the recording felt jitter-free while in motion.Performance
The OnePlus Nord 4 is powered by
the Qualcomm 7 Plus Gen 3 chipset and offers ample performance for daily use
Tasks such as web browsing, social media scrolling, and watching high-resolution videos are handled effortlessly by the smartphone
Even when multitasking or running heavy apps in the background, the device remains smooth and responsive.
The Nord 4 also performs well
While playing demanding games like Real Racing 3, FC Mobile, or Genshin Impact, there was no noticeable lag on medium to high settings
However, the lower side frame section did get slightly warm, and occasional frame rate drops were observed
Although it never became too hot to touch, the minor stutter in gameplay persisted for a while.Software and AI features
The OnePlus Nord 4
While some names have changed, the features and functionality remain the same.
The Nord 4 features the same Smart Sidebar as the Reno 12
Pro, offering a variety of functionalities
"AI Speak" reads the text from the webpage aloud, while "AI Summary" generates a bullet-point summary highlighting important information
This worked with all the web browsers I tested, including the privacy-centric Brave.
You also get the AI Writer feature for writing
assistance, which appears on the sidebar when you open a text field, such as an email composition page
By tapping on the feature, it scans the screen and opens a floating window where you can input pointers, keywords, or phrases to generate
on Instagram for writing captions, it did not appear for typing messages, neither on the native message app nor on third-party apps like
WhatsApp.
The native voice features also receive AI treatment with functionalities like audio transcription and text summarization of
The text summarization feature works well, providing an overview of a voice recording with key information in bullet points
However, the text transcription is not real-time and is only available once the recording is completed and saved.
Interestingly, OnePlus
has not incorporated the new AI-powered image editing tools found on the Reno 12
However, the handy AI eraser is still available.Battery
The battery is a standout feature for the OnePlus Nord 4
With a 5500mAh capacity, the smartphone can last up to two days for conservative users
Even with more frequent use, it easily lasts a full day with some charge left
The impressive battery capacity is further enhanced by 100W fast wired charging support, which takes you from 6 per cent to 55 per cent in
A full charge from 4 per cent took less than half an hour.Verdict
The OnePlus Nord 4 offers a unique design reminiscent of mid-2010s
smartphones with its all-metal chassis
Additionally, the smartphone offers a dazzling flat display, ample performance, solid battery life, and a few handy AI tools.
Priced from
Rs 29,999 onwards, the OnePlus Nord 4 presents itself as a compelling option for those seeking a flagship-grade experience in mid-range
segment, even if it means compromising on a few features such as top-notch camera performance and Dolby Vision HDR support.
