Design and Build

• Design: The OnePlus Nord 4 5G demonstrates a successful revival of metal in smartphone design, offering both durability and a premium feel. Despite the potential for heating issues due to its all-metal body and powerful Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chip, the Nord 4 5G remains cool under pressure. Even after the intensive use, including running multiple apps and gaming, the phone did not overheat. OnePlus has addressed heat management with a new internal design that includes a thermal conduction barrier, ensuring the device remains comfortable to use regardless of how it’s held or used. 

• Display: The OnePlus Nord 4 features a 6.74-inch flat AMOLED display with a 93.5% screen-to-body ratio and peak brightness of 2,150 nits, ensuring excellent readability even in direct sunlight. The display delivers vibrant colors and crisp visuals, making it ideal for streaming HDR content. Additionally, OnePlus's AquaTouch technology allows for reliable use in light rain or with wet fingers, adding practical value during rainy seasons. 

Performance

• Processor: The OnePlus Nord 4 5G delivers smooth performance, powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chip, 16GB LPDDR5X RAM, and up to 512GB UFS4.0 storage. The device handles tasks seamlessly, with benchmarks showing strong results: Nearly 1800in single-core and 4300 in multi-core on Geekbench. Notably, storage speeds vary by model—128GB uses UFS3.1, while 256GB and 512GB models feature faster UFS4.0. 

• Camera: The OnePlus Nord 4's camera performance pleasantly surprised me. While not flawless, it provides solid results for its category. Portrait mode captures vibrant colors and good detail, though edge detection can occasionally miss fine details like hair strands. In low light, images may become slightly oversaturated. The camera's fast shutter speed is a plus, ensuring crisp shots without requiring prolonged stabilization. The selfie camera also delivers detailed, colorful images, though it struggles with edge detection in low light. Overall, the Nord 4's camera is capable and produces social media-worthy photos. 

Battery Life

• Battery: The OnePlus Nord 4, the fourth model of 2024, impresses with its substantial 5,500mAh battery while keeping the weight under 200 grams. It features a dual-cell battery that charges fully in just 23 minutes. Despite running on maximum settings 120Hz refresh rate, and Vivid display mode the battery life remains strong, and the device performs well throughout a day.

Software

• OxygenOS: The OnePlus Nord 4 offers a near stock Android experience with OnePlus’s own enhancements. Notable features include Shelf for quick access to productivity apps and ORelax for a calming audio experience, both of which enhance the overall software experience. 

Pros

• Unique, Sturdy Metal Design: The metal unibody is both durable and stylish.

• Premium In-Hand Feel: Smudge-proof and fingerprint-resistant, with a sleek, high-quality finish.

• Impressive 6.74-Inch AMOLED Display: Crisp, vibrant, and suitable for various lighting conditions, with a smooth 120Hz refresh rate.

• Powerful Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 Processor: Offers strong performance for daily tasks and gaming.

• Fast Charging: 100W charging with included charger fully charges the large 5,500 mAh battery in under 30 minutes.

• Long Software Support: Four years of OS updates and six years of security updates.

• Tactile Alert Slider: For easy profile switching.

Cons

• Camera Performance: Average, with limited versatility; lacks macro and telephoto modes.

• No 4K Video on Ultrawide/Selfie Cameras: Only the main camera supports 4K recording.

• Heating Issues: The phone can get hot during intensive use.