Now that’s metal!
My OnePlus Nord 4 review
The OnePlus Nord was my big size 9 foot in the door to discovering fully what OnePlus was all about and becoming an active member in their community.
The OnePlus Nord wasn’t my first OnePlus device. That honour goes to the OnePlus 5, a phone that blew my mind with its impressive performance and exceptional battery life — even after 2/3 years of use. This was the catalyst that led me to pre-order the Nord. I actually still have the original OnePlus One too — I just had no idea what OnePlus was the whole time using it 🙈.
I loved the original OnePlus Nord, especially its wide-angle selfie camera — a feature I still miss, as it hasn’t made a return in any subsequent models. The price was perfect too, at just £379.
Now, four years after the original Nord’s release, OnePlus has unveiled the latest addition to the Nord series: the OnePlus Nord 4.
OnePlus went all out by unveiling the Nord 4 at their in-person Summer Launch event in Milan, Italy. They didn’t stop there — they also invited community members to join and get hands-on with the Nord 4 before its official release. I was one of those lucky members, and I’m still in shock that the invitation landed in my inbox. Read about my metal 😉 experience: Coffee, gelato and a OnePlus Summer Launch.
Now, let’s dive into what you’re really here for — my review of the OnePlus Nord 4.
The Nord 4 boasts an impressive look with its metal unibody design. Despite the metal body, it’s the slimmest Nord yet, measuring under 8mm, and it’s incredibly lightweight at just 199.5g. If you’re concerned about connectivity, don’t be — I’ve travelled around the UK quite a bit and haven’t experienced any issues with 4/5G connectivity.
I chose the Mercurial Silver color, which features a smooth, stripped-texture back. Personally, I would’ve preferred a more textured feel for better grip, but the metal body certainly adds durability for those inevitable drops. The glass camera back creates a striking contrast with the aluminium, though you’ll be battling those smudge marks.
When your Nord 4 arrives, the box will include the iconic red USB-C charger cable, a SIM tray ejector, a welcome letter, a Quick Guide, a Safety Guide, and a Membership booklet. Of course, you’ll also find the Nord 4 itself, complete with a pre-applied screen protector. However, due to EU regulations, the charger adapter is not included. Sadly, this time, there’s no complimentary clear case either.
The Nord 4 is packed with a massive 5500mAh battery and supports 100W fast charging, so you won’t have to worry about your phone dying at the worst possible moment. As expected from any new phone, the battery easily lasts over a day, even with heavy use like watching YouTube and doom-scrolling on TikTok. Typically, I end the day with at least 40% battery remaining. Only time will tell how it holds up under more demanding conditions, like filming and tracking walking or cycling routes, but based on my past experience with OnePlus devices, I don’t anticipate any issues.
Update — September 2024: The battery life continues to be amazing, even when filming in 4k and having background apps such as Google Fit and AllTrails running.
The Nord 4 runs Oxygen OS , delivering a smooth and customisable user experience. Oxygen OS comes with many customisable options — many of which I’m still discovering. I particularly like the ability to match the colour scheme to my wallpaper and the sleek animations. My biggest gripe is the amount of bloatware* that comes pre-installed, much more than on the original OnePlus Nord. While you can uninstall these apps, it’s still a hassle during setup.
OnePlus devices typically kill background apps to optimise performance, which helps keep everything running smoothly. However, a word of caution: you’ll need to ‘Lock’ any apps that need to run in the background, such as AllTrails and Google Fit. I found this out the hard way when my 9-mile walk on AllTrails paused just 2 minutes in. To prevent this, go to the Recent Tasks Manager under Settings > Home Screen & Lock Screen and toggle the apps you want to lock or unlock.
To my fellow Android Auto users, a little tip, make sure to set your USB tethering default to File Transfer/Android Auto to avoid connectivity issues with your car. This can be configured in Settings > System & updates > Developer Options > Default USB configurations.
Update — September 2024: Despite changing the default settings, on my device it doesn’t automatically set the USB tethering to File Transfers/Android Auto and I have to set this manually each time I connect my phone to my car.
Now, let’s talk about what impressed me the most: the camera. The Nord 4 features a 50MP main camera paired with an 8MP wide-angle lens, while the front features a 16MP camera. Whether you’re shooting in Portrait or Pro mode, the Nord 4 has you covered, no matter the shot you’re aiming to capture. On the video front, you can record up to 4K at 60fps, and the front camera supports 1080p at 30fps. There’s even a dual-camera mode for vlogging, which was fun to experiment with — though I’m not sure how often I’ll use it. One thing’s for sure: OnePlus doesn’t hold back on giving you plenty of options.
Update — September 2024: After using the camera for a couple of months now, the camera quality remains good but it does struggle in low light situations. The video is where I noticed the most issues. When filming in 4k, the stabilisation is poor. Turning on Ultra Steady mode does massively improve the stabilisation, however, you are restricted to filming in 1080p. For those using editing software, you will then face issues when bringing those videos into your software. When I placed my videos into Premiere Pro on a Macbook, they were glitching. To resolve this, I had to Encode my video files which converted them from .mp4 to .mov file format.
The Nord 4 also comes with AI features like the AI Eraser tool, which lets you easily remove unwanted people and objects from your photos. The smart lasso tool is ideal for perfectionists, giving you the ability to fine-tune every detail of your images. Just see for yourself what you can do with it — I was certainly impressed.
The Nord 4 includes AquaTouch 2.0, making it easier to use your phone in any weather. This is especially handy in the UK, where it’s always raining, and during our rare week of summer, it’s perfect for when your hands are wet after a day at the beach.
The device is also IP65 rated, meaning it can withstand heavy water without loss of functionality and is dustproof — just don’t take it swimming with dolphins!
A disappointing factor with this phone is the sound quality. Even though it has dual stereo speakers and OReality Audio to change sound profiles, compared to other devices I’ve had, the sound can be quite harsh and loud. The main issues with the speakers came when doom-scrolling on TikTok. Videos went from quiet to extremely loud, making the scrolling experience rather annoying. Through experimenting, I have found that the music sound profile is best for my ears. Thankfully, OnePlus offers a range of headphones. Released alongside the Nord 4, the OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro comes in two colour options: Soft Jade and Starry Black. With up to 44 hours of listening time, noise-cancelling technology, and a sleek design that complements the Nord 4, these earbuds are the perfect pairing.
Overall, the OnePlus Nord 4 not only looks the part but also plays the part. It’s a well-rounded mid-range device packed with customisable options and AI features, making it perfect for average consumers who want a little extra from their device. Priced at £429*, it’s great value — and the cherry on top is the 6 years of software support. Now that’s metal!
Learn more about the OnePlus Nord 4.
*Bloatware refers to pre-installed apps.
*The £429 price is for the 12GB RAM modal; a 16GB variant is available for £479 at the time of writing.
(AD ~ OnePlus Nord 4 Ambassador)
